Y396 Representation and Policy Making in the State Legislatures
Section 3954
Fall, 2003 Tues. 10:30-12:30
WH 104

Readings for class discussion come primarily from the following two books which are available in the bookstore:

• Alan Rosenthal, The Decline of Representative Democracy CQ Press, 1998.
• Gary Moncrief, Peverill Squire and Malcom Jewell, Who Runs for the Legislature? Prentice-Hall, 2001.

Y396  Representation in the State Legislatures

Date

Topic

Reading

9/2

Introduction & Course Overview

Syllabus

9/9

Theories of Representation

Rosenthal Ch 1.

The Legislators

9/16

Getting There: Recruitment

MSJ Chs 1-3

9/23

Getting there: Campaigns

**Paper #1 due**

MSJ Chs 4-6

9/30

Redistricting and the Gerrymander

Redistricting

10/7

Professional & Citizen Legislature

Rosenthal Ch 2

10/14

Legislative Cultures

Rosenthal Ch 3

10/21

The Representation Project

Prof. Wright’s NSF proposal; Look at project papers by Wright and Osborn and Wright and Winburn.

Rules & Institutions

10/27

 Law Making

**Paper #2 due**

Rosenthal Ch 4

11/4

Against the Legislature: The Initiative and Term Limits Movements

 Bowler and Donovan on the initiative (reserve in WH200) and term limits readings.

Legislative Processes

11/11

Parties in the Legislature

Legislative Leadership

Rosenthal Ch 5, 7

Other Influences

11/18

Interest Groups

Rosenthal Ch 6

11/25

**Paper #3 due**

12/2

The Governor as Policy Maker

Rosenthal Ch 8

12/9

Conclusion: Evaluating Rosenthal’s Thesis

**Paper # 4 due**

Rosenthal Ch 9