That's right; you're no longer in Kansas. Although your job will probably teach you a lot about D.C., you will need to understand Congress and its interactions with the Executive, the budget process, etc. Thankfully, Dorothy & Toto, you have Professor John Haskell from the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University. Generally, reading is less than Professor Spalding's class, but it requires that 25% of the course grade be based on contributions in-class. Another 30% will be based on a 12-15 page paper; midterm (20%); and final (25%). Here are recommendations for this course: 1) DO come to class with questions or comments about the reading. Professor Haskell usually has a general plan of where he wants to go, but he would much rather have the class discuss the reading. If you come to class prepared, you will have 1/4 of your grade taken care of. 2) DO write to prove a thesis. Professor Haskell wants the class to be academic, but also to be practical. Therefore, on your midterm & final, he wants to see that you can just simply write a thesis and back it up with paragraphs and proofs from the reading. If you've ever taken an AP European History course, or AP U.S. History course which requires this type of writing, you will be fine. 3) DO NOT finish your paper in one night, forgetting about the grammar and the pragmatic style of writing. Write as if you're writing for Professor Pitney (pragmatic writing is good for all professors, practice often). If you're new to Pitney's style, then go here. Professor Haskell's class is a very useful class, where you understand how Congress works and especially how the Budget process works. Being in Washington D.C., he's the guy you can ask about whatever goes on. Don't waste this opportunity. Besides, you can't even get to the Emerald City without some politics involved. Study Guides (two books- Oleszek and Thurber- all you need): Midterm Study Guide [flash http://static.scribd.com/FlashPaperS3.swf?guid=j1i2ho1bh04fl&document_id=2076556&page=1 w=450 h=500] Index for Final Study Guide [flash http://static.scribd.com/FlashPaperS3.swf?guid=doaw68642y0yl&document_id=2076535&page=1 w=450 h=500] Final Study Guide [flash http://static.scribd.com/FlashPaperS3.swf?guid=9e5qtg2xgkm8k&document_id=2076558&page=1 w=450 h=500] Comprehensive Quick Review Sheet [flash http://static.scribd.com/FlashPaperS3.swf?guid=fweb7f4qxtboj&document_id=2076559&page=1 w=450 h=500]