{"content":[{"text":"Political Science 083S.1 \n First-Year Seminar: Lobbying the Federal Government \n Prof. Frank R. Baumgartner \n Pennsylvania State University \n Fall Term 2001 \n M, W 4:15-5:30, 113A Chambers Building","bbox":{"left":0.117713,"top":0.088659,"width":0.69325,"height":0.15378000000000003}},{"text":"Office hours: M, 2-4 and by appointment \n 107 Burrowes Building \n email: Frankb@psu.edu \n phone 814 863 8978 \n web site: http://polisci.la.psu.edu/faculty/Baumgartner/welcome.htm","bbox":{"left":0.117713,"top":0.257076,"width":0.5379130000000001,"height":0.08990899999999996}},{"text":"This is a course about how laws and regulations get made in the federal government. We’ll study \n a lot of specific cases of recent policymaking, drawing from an on-going research project funded \n by NSF and going on currently here at Penn State. We’ll have some lobbyists come to class to \n discuss their work. We’ll read some political science books about government and interest \n groups. We’ll discuss politics and the impact of money and ideas on policy outcomes. We’ll \n learn a lot about how government works, and especially how Congress works through studies of \n particular cases. Along the way, you should deepen your understanding of our system of \n government.","bbox":{"left":0.117713,"top":0.361621,"width":0.7609350000000001,"height":0.14202999999999993}},{"text":"The course is also a First-Year Seminar, so we’ll focus on some other things as well. One of \n those is how to make the most of your college career—how to study, how to choose courses, \n how to make the most of your extra-curricular activities, how to write papers, how to get to know \n your professors and your fellow students, and how to get around the library and the internet most \n effectively to use these resources in your research. We’ll alternate between the substance of the \n material for the course, focusing on lobbying, with some attention to these questions of how to \n be the best student. Typically, we’ll reserve time on Wednesdays for discussion about student \n issues, and on Mondays and for most of the period on Wednesdays we’ll discuss the substance of \n the course.","bbox":{"left":0.117713,"top":0.518288,"width":0.763775,"height":0.159605}},{"text":"I will encourage you to work together outside of the classroom, and I’ll encourage each of you to \n come see me in my office. I’ll make you write a lot and present your ideas a lot in class; I’ll give \n you feedback on your writing and allow you to revise it. But I’ll expect revisions and \n improvements to be made: that’s how you learn to write well. Shirking, skipping class, coming \n late, not handing in assignments when they are due, free-riding on other students during class \n discussion or in study groups are all signs of poor performance and they will be marked down \n seriously. On the other hand, participating, speaking up, asking questions, doing extra readings \n outside of class, linking what you learn in this class to what you already know or to what you are \n learning in other courses or in campus activities, working hard on your writing and speaking \n skills, and taking the initiative to learn more than I force you to are all signs of excellence and \n I’ll encourage all of that.","bbox":{"left":0.117713,"top":0.69253,"width":0.761221,"height":0.19445400000000002}}],"images_bbox":[],"images_bbox_not_text_overlap":[]}