Exam 2 Study Guide

The study guide for our second exam is posted under the course information tab in the top right corner of the website.

Afternoon Office Hours

Afternoon office hours (3-4:00PM) are in the group study area on the second floor of Evans Library. I will be outside of room 210T, along the back wall of the 2nd floor by the mircofilm filing cabinets.

The Endogeneity of Judicial Power

This story from The New York Times reports on the handful of Republican presidential candidates who have made judicial power a campaign issue and have advanced proposals to limit the power of federal courts.

Exam 2 Coverage

For those of you who were not in class yesterday, please note that the second exam, which is a week from Friday, will cover chapters 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 in the textbook along with lectures covering Congress, the Presidency, and the federal courts. The syllabus mistakenly directs you to read Chapter 3 again rather than Chapter 4, so please note the change and adjust your reading plans accordingly.

Morning office hours reminder

As a reminder, this morning my office hours are on the main campus in Evans Library, room 422, from 10-11:30.

An Example of "Going Public"

President Obama's speech to Congress about his jobs bill and his subsequent bus tour around battleground states are evidence that the president has eschewed a strategy of bargaining with congressional leaders to find compromise legislation in favor of a strategy of going public to pressure congressional leaders into accepting his version of the legislation.

Class and office hours cancelled today

I apologize for the late notice, but I have to cancel class and office hours for today, October 19. I will try to schedule extra office hours on Friday or Monday to makeup for that missed time. I will announce those here once that has been arranged.

Obama and Presidential Style

Richard Neustadt's account of presidential influence emphasizes the role of the president's relationships with congressional leaders and other influential members of the Washington community. In this recent profile of President Obama, Scott Wilson, a reporter for the Washington Post, describes our current president's style of personal interactions, often in comparison to that of former-President Bill Clinton. As you read the article, think about the model of leadership described by Neustadt and consider to what extent President Obama seems to be pursuing influence along those lines, or is he doing something else?

More Grades

Grades for students who took exams in the Disability Services Office are now posted, also.

Exam 1 Grades Are Up

I have uploaded grades for Exam 1 for all students who took the test in class at the normal exam time. Grades for students who took the exam at the disability services office are not yet up. I will hopefully have those included before class tomorrow. I will be in touch via e-mail with students who missed the first exam about scheduling makeups very soon.

Elizabeth Warren's Living Room Campaign Event

For the purposes of studying congressional campaigns (and thinking about how electoral imperatives shape the behavior of members of Congress and institutions created by members of Congress, like parties and committees), the important thing about this video is the setting. Elizabeth Warren is giving this speech to maybe a couple of dozen people packed into someone's living room, and she is an unusually high-profile and well-funded candidate seeking a United States Senate seat. Congressional campaigns are dominated by these kinds of small-scale events.

As for the substance of here remarks, you can read favorable commentary here and some criticism here and here. These are not required for class, though.

October 5 office hours

POLS206 office hours are in Evans Library 424 this morning.