Congressional investigations — whether to oversee the executive branch, scrutinize private parties, or collect information for lawmaking — constitute an essential element of federal power. This course will cover the history, law, and practice of congressional investigations. Topics include the scope of and limits on Congress’s investigative powers; the practice and procedure of congressional investigations, such as developing investigative plans, issuing document subpoenas, and responding to them; questioning witnesses and preparing them for questioning; and the political contexts of congressional investigations, including their relationship with other investigative efforts, their use as forms of political leverage and political campaigning, and the role of the press. (Writing assignments)