Congress and the American Political System I

Course Features

• Selected lecture notes

Course Highlights

This course features sample exams and explanations of group projects.

Course Description

This course focuses on both the internal processes of the House and Senate and on the place of Congress in the American political system. Attention has been given to committee behavior, leadership patterns, and informal organization in this course. It considers relations between Congress and other branches of government, as well as relations between the two houses of Congress itself. Graduate students are expected to pursue the subject in greater depth through reading and individual research.

Other OCW Versions

OCW has published multiple versions of this subject.

• 17.251 Congress and the American Political System I (Fall 2016)

Archived versions:

• 17.251 Congress and the American Political System I (Fall 2000)

Course Sequences

This course is the first in a series on the United States Congress. The next course in the series is 17.261 Congress and the American Political System II.

Course Collections

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Find Courses by Topic

• Political Science > American Politics
• Organizational Behavior