POSC 330
State and Local Government
Catalog Entry
POSC 330. State and Local Government. (AG)
Three hours lecture (3).
Prerequisite: POSC 120
Governmental institutions and processes, political parties, voting at state and county levels.
Detailed Description of Content of Course
Major topic areas that may be included in this course are:
I. Intergovernmental Relations
A. Federalism
B. Constitutional Restrictions on States
C. Intergovernmental Obligations
D. Conflict and Cooperation Among the States
II. State Constitutions
A. Original State Constitutions
B. Contemporary State Constitutions
C. Constitutional Growth and Change
D. The Model State Constitution
III. State Executives
A. Governor
B. Nature of the Executive Function
C. Other Executive Officers
D. Administrators
IV. State Legislature
A. Descriptive Features
B. Functions and Powers
C. Committees
D. Election
E. Apportionment
V. State Judiciary
A. Organization
B. Selection
C. Judicial Review
D. Judicial Administration
VI. Local Government
A. Dillon's Rule
B. Forms of Government
C. Local Executives
D. Local Legislative Functions
E. Local Judiciaries
VII. Parties and Pressure Groups
A. Legal Status
B. Decentralized Nature
C. Party Membership
D. Party Finance
E. Party Organization
VIII. State And Local Revenue
A. Sources
B. Trends
C. Principles of Taxation
D. Alternatives to Tax
IX. State and Local Expenditures
A. Direction
B. Trends
C. Major Problems
D. Financing
Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
This course will be primarily a lecture class, but small group exercises and discussions, in-class exercises, discussions involving the entire class, and a charter writing simulation may also be used.
Goals and Objectives of the Course
1. To familiarize students with institutional and legal features of governments at
the state and county levels.
2. To show the relationship between the federal government and state and/or county
governments.
3. To demonstrate the influence of the political environment on state and county governments.
4. To foster an awareness of the political economy of state and county governments.
Assessment Measures
Class performance may be evaluated with objective and/or essay examinations, writing assignments related to class readings, quizzes, in-class writings, class participation, participation in a simulation, oral presentations, and a research or analytic paper.
Other Course Information
None
Review and Approval
DATE ACTION REVIEWED BY
April 1998 Reviewed M. J. Franck, Dept. Chair