Course Information
Online
Independent Study
$247.40 per Credit (No Fees)
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POLS116: State and Local Government
Prerequisites: None
Undergraduate College Credit Courses
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Course at a Glance
Overview
This course is an introductory survey of state and local governments in the United States. The course is designed to help you better understand the political institutions and processes of subnational governments. These governments have vastly increased their policy responsibilities since the 1980s and are the most involved in their citizens’ day-to-day lives. The general approach to this topic is comparative in nature, that is, the focus is on the variation among regional governments in an attempt to come to some understanding of why these differences exist and what effect they have on government decision making.
Objectives
You will gain a familiarity and understanding of the fundamental institutions and processes that compose American subnational governments. At the end of the course, you should be able to accomplish the following objectives:
- Think critically about the fundamental structures, institutions, processes, and actors that operate within the American subnational governments.
- Appreciate how federalism allocates power between American national and subnational governments in both practice and theory.
- Identify and understand the similarities and differences among the American federal, state, and local governments and how these similarities and differences inform the complex relationships that exist among these levels of governments.
- Recognize the range of public policy issues that citizens demand of their governments and the challenges that subnational governments face in meeting these demands.
- Apply lessons from the course to enhance one’s understanding of pressing current events and political issues.
- Appreciate the broader concepts of citizenship, democracy, and self-governance within the American political context and better understand how to engage the political process.
Textbooks & Materials
Smith, Kevin B., Alan Greenblatt, and Michele Mariani. Governing States and Localities. 2nd ed. Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2007. ISBN: 978-0-8-7289379-5.
Lessons & Exams
You have up to 9 months from your enrollment date to complete:
- 13 Lessons
- 3 Proctored Exams
Assignments will include quizzes after most lessons, including materials from the text and any supplemental films, readings, or activities. There will be two midterm exams and one final exam.
NOTE: Course information, including tuition, technology requirements, textbooks, lessons and exams, is subject to change without notice.