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I shall post videos, graphs, news stories, and other material there. We shall use some of this material in class, and you may review the rest at your convenience. You will all receive invitations to post to the blog. (Please let me know if you do not get such an invitation.) I encourage you to use the blog in these ways:
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Tuesday, March 3, 2026

Deals and the Shadow Congress

Adjourn at 10:35 for preliminary meetings.  Harrison Steck-- Shaheen from 2025 -- will be present to provide guidance and answer questions.  From my presidency course, recruit a president and cabinet members.

For your write-ups, explain how what you learn this week could guide your activity in the simulation.

Questions on the assignment?

For Monday, read Davidson, ch. 10.

Expertise and acceptable sources of information.

  • "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts"
  • Stipulated knowledge and CBO.
  • Knowledge levels of members.    
Repeated interactions
The Secret or Shadow Congress


The final two-plus years of the Trump administration, for example, began with a government shutdown and featured two presidential impeachments. But they also saw the passage of a major conservation bill, a new trade agreement, significant criminal-justice reform, and several pandemic-relief packages.


In 2022: The House overwhelmingly passed legislation to reform the beleaguered U.S. Postal Service. Days later the Senate approved, without a single vote in opposition, a bill proposed in response to the #MeToo movement that bans the use of forced arbitration in workplace sexual-harassment and assault cases. A bipartisan group of senators also announced an agreement on a long-stalled reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, likely clearing the way for its passage.


Update 

One key is the presence of institutionalists (Cole and DeLauro -- and Thune!)

Another key is privacy

 Think about the downsides of public meetings

  • Who actually attends (or watches) and takes notes?
  • How do members behave?  What kindsof questions do they ask?

A third key is the range of potential beneficiaries:



 Image result for public lands forests map


The vehicle



Suspension of the rules gets around germaneness issues.

More recent examples:

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