Last Essay

After reading Congress: A Performance Appraisal, pick any of Taylor's benchmarks.  You may analyze it in one of two ways.

• Explain an alternative appraisal.  How might a serious student of the institution reach a different conclusion about the extent to which Congress has met the benchmark?  If Taylor says that Congress has met it, tell how someone might reasonably argue that it has not -- or vice versa.  With which view do you agree?
• You may disagree with the benchmark itself, believing that it is an inappropriate standard for judging congressional performance.  If so, explain why it is the wrong benchmark and suggest an alternative.  Has Congress met it?

Essays should reflect an understanding of class readings and discussions, including Taylor and Haskell, among others. Many resources, including CQ Weekly and Politics in America are at Honnold Library/Databases/CQ Library. You should check other sources as well.

See: http://www.claremontmckenna.edu/pages/faculty/JPitney/congress.html

The specifications:

• Essays should be typed (12-point), double-spaced, and no more than three pages long. I will not read past the third page. 
• Cite your sources. Please use endnotes in the format of Chicago Manual of Style.  Endnotes do not count against the page limit. Please do not use footnotes, which take up too much page space.
• Watch your spelling, grammar, diction, and punctuation. Errors will count against you. Return essays to the Sakai dropbox for this class by 11:59 PM, Monday, May 5. Papers will drop one gradepoint for one day’s lateness, a full letter grade after that.