This seminar provides students with the necessary historical background and methodological tools to conduct original research on the US Congress. We will examine the basic institutions of the House and Senate - committees, parties, leaders, and rules-with an interest in how these institutions have changed over time. The course emphasizes how Congress provides structure that scholars must embrace (and from which they may often benefit) when applying the more abstract concepts and techniques of political economy. This course is designed for PhD students, but is open, with permission of the instructors, to advanced undergraduates.