Dr. Coulter
Politics 309: State and Local Politics
TR 2:30pm - Fall 2006 - HAL 316
Office: HAL 300E Campus Box #3073
Office Phone: x3796 Home Phone: 724-458-4448
email: mlcoulter@gcc.edu
Office Hours
MWF 8-9 am,10 – 11:30 am; 1-2 pm; TR 1:30-2:30 pm; 3:45-5 pm; Also by appointment
Course Description: An examination of state and local governments and public policies. Topics
include federalism, state constitutions, governors legislatures, judiciaries, politics of local government,
and policy debates surrounding local concerns.
NOTE: This course has been designated at Writing Intensive and Speaking Intensive for the Political
Science major. Therefore, you will be required to write approximately 20 pages. You will also be
required to give presentations that add up to 20 minutes.
Goals:
1) To examine institutions of state and local government
2) To examine selected public policies related to state and local governments
3) To gain experience writing a lengthy paper using advanced research techniques
4) To gain experience with formal presentations
Outcomes
Students will:
1) Demonstrate knowledge of institutions of state and local politics (Measured through mid-term
and final exams)
2) Demonstrate knowledge of public policies of state and local government (Measured through
mid-term and final exams)
3) Demonstrate ability to write advanced research paper (State Paper Assignment)
4) Demonstrate ability to give a formal presentations (measured through two presentation
assignments).
Texts:
Sarah McCally Morehouse and Malcolm E. Jewell, State Politics, Parties, & Policy, Second Ed.
(ISBN 0-7425-1100-6)
Dennis R. Judd and Todd Swanstrom, City Politics: The Political Economy of Urban America
Additional Readings:
Note: Throughout the semester readings taken from the Internet or other sources may be distributed,
usually via email. Unless otherwise noted, you will be responsible for these readings.
Course Requirements:
1. Read all assignments before they are discussed in class.
2. Participate in classroom discussion. (10%)
3. During the local government section, you write a paper on a local government issue (5-6 pages) or
participate in group project gathering, analyzing and presenting data about local municipalities. (10%)
DUE on November 30.
Here are a few local government issues you could write about:
1) The use of information technology for local governments in order to demonstrate efficiency and
improved communication (this could be a two or three person project)
[Part one would examine how local governments across the country are using the Internet to improve
services and lower costs. Part Two would describe the way in which local governments in four area
counties are using the Internet (some questions to be answered: how many have web pages, how many
put information on someone else's web page, what is available on web pages, etc.). The Third Part
would discuss the results of a survey, which could be sent to local government officials about the use
of the Internet by their governments. Some students did a similar project about four years ago and it
would be interesting to see how things have changed.]
2) A paper might examine policies by schools that require a high level of academic performance in
order to participate in extra-curricular activities.
3) The use of uniforms in public schools.
4) The history of municipal codes in PA.
5) Growth Control Policy
5. Paper on State Government – Details are listed below under Appendix 1.
NOVEMBER 2 – FIRST DRAFT OF STATE PAPER DUE; The draft will be returned to you by
November 16. Final Draft is due at date of Presentation. (25%)
6. Presentations – 1) a 15 minute presentation of your paper. (8%); 2) During the State Government
Portion, you make a 3-5 minute presentation describing political institution in a state. Students will
describe particular state legislatures, governorships, state courts, or state education systems. (6
students will give a mini-presentation on each of these) (2%)
7. There will be a mid-term (A take-home Exam) and final exam. (45%)
In summary:
Participation
Presentations
Local Politics paper
State Politics paper
Mid-term exam
Final Exam
10%
10%
10%
25%
20%
25%
100%
Class Policies:
1. Attendance: Standard college policy allows three hours of unexcused absences for a three credit course. Therefore, in
this class, students will be permitted two unexcused absences. N.B.: Each unexcused absence over three reduces your final
grade by 2%.
2. Late assignments: Papers are due at the beginning of class on the assigned due date. Papers not in when class are
already one day late. Each additional day lowers the grade by 3%.
3. Students who must miss an exam for an excused absence must arrange with me an alternative date.
4. Plagiarism and Academic Integrity: You must acknowledge your sources in endnotes or footnotes. This includes not
only direct quotations but also any reference to or paraphrase of an idea that you did not come up with on your own.
Anyone caught giving or receiving assistance on any class assignment shall be penalized and shall be reported to the Office
of the Provost. Please read the "Honesty in Learning" statement on page 45 of the 2004-2005 GCC catalog.
GCC Statement on Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a serious violation of moral and academic principles. It involves claiming as one’s own
original work the ideas, phrasing, or creative work of another person. As such, plagiarism is a direct
violation of the biblical commandments against stealing, bearing false witness, and covetousness; thus,
the Grove City College policy. We encourage our students to think seriously about the demands of their
Christian faith in regards to this issue.
We remind students that plagiarism includes the following:
1) any direct quotation of another’s words, from simple phrasing to longer passages, without
using quotation marks and properly citing the source of those words;
2) any summary or paraphrase of another’s ideas without properly citing the source of those
ideas;
3) any information that is not common knowledge —including facts, statistics, graphics,
drawings—without proper citation of sources;
4) any cutting and pasting of verbal or graphic materials from another source—including books,
databases, web sites, journals, newspapers, etc.—without the proper citation for each of the
sources of those materials; this includes any copyrighted artwork, graphics, or photography
downloaded from the Internet without proper citation;
5) any wholesale “borrowing,” theft, or purchasing of another’s work and presenting it as one’s
own, whether from the Internet or from another source;
6) any presentation of “ghost-written” papers—whether paid for or not—as one’s own original
work;
7) making one’s work available for copying by others, as well as copying work posted on the
Internet or otherwise made available by another.
5. The use or possession of former examinations from this course in preparing for tests is considered a
violation of the GCC Honesty in Learning Policy as stated in the college bulletin.
Note: This syllabus, including the schedule that follows, may be changed during the semester at the
discretion of the instructor to better meet the needs of the class.
N.B.: This syllabus, including the schedule that follows, may be changed during the semester at the discretion of the
instructor to better meet the needs of this course.
Grading Scale: A= 93 - 100%
B- = 80 - 82%
D+ = 67 - 69%
A- = 90 - 92%
C+ = 77 - 79%
D = 63 - 66%
B+ = 87 - 89% B = 83 - 86%
C = 73 - 76%
C- = 70 - 72
D- = 60 - 62%
F= 60 and below
SCHEDULE FOR THE SEMESTER
State Government
STATE GOVERNMENT CHAPTERS REFER TO MOREHOUSE AND JEWELL STATE
POLITICS, PARTIES, AND POLICY; Local Government chapters refers to City Politics: The Political
Economy of Urban America
Aug. 29 - Introduction to Course
Aug. 31 - State Politics Today (Ch. 1)
Sept. 5 and 7 - Foundations of State Politics: political culture, national trends, and party environment
(Ch. 2)
Sept. 12 and 14 - Interest Groups (Ch. 3)
Sept. 19 and 21 - Political Parties and State Politics (Ch. 4)
Sept. 26 and 28 - Governors (Ch. 5)
Presentations on Governors: 1)___Wiesz (VA)_______
2)___________________
3)___________________
5)____________________
6)_____________________
4)____________________
Oct 3 and 5 State Legislatures(Ch. 6) TAKE HOME EXAM DISTRIBUTED OCT. 5
Presentations on state legislatures:
1)___________________ 2) _________________
3)___________________ 4)____________________
5)____________________
6)_____________________
Oct. 10 - State Courts (Ch. 7) TAKE HOME EXAM DUE OCT. 10
Oct. 12 - Budgetary Process (Ch. 8)
Presentations on state courts: 1)___________________
3)___________________
4)____________________
5)____________________
6)_____________________
2)___________________
Oct. 17 - Welfare Policy (Ch. 9)
Oct. 24 - Education Policy (Ch. 10)
Presentations on state education systems:1)___________________ 2)_______________
3)___________________
4)____________________
5)____________________
6)_____________________
ONE PAGE (single-spaced) DESCRIPTION OF PAPER TOPIC AND RESEARCH SOURCES DUE
ON OCTOBER 24. This is worth 5% of the final grade on the paper.
Oct. 26 – An Overview of Urban Government (Ch. 2)
Oct. 31 – Parties and Local Governments (Ch. 3)
NOVEMBER 2 – FIRST DRAFT OF STATE PAPER DUE; the draft will be returned to you by
November 16. Final Draft is due at date of Presentation.
Nov. 2 - Reform Movement and Local Government (Ch. 4)
Nov. 7 - The New Deal and Cities (Ch. 5)
Nov. 9 - National Policy and Cities (Ch. 6)
Nov. 14 – Politics of the Suburbs (Ch. 10)
Nov. 16 – Sprawl and Local Government (Ch. 11)
Nov. 28 – Local Government Finance (Ch. 12)
Nov. 30; Dec. 5,7 and 12 – Presentations on State Government Papers. In order to fit in all
presentations will need to schedule on 2 hour period in the evening. You will sign up for a day to give
a presentation.
Dec. 14-Study Day Final Exam – Tuesday, Dec. 19 @ 7 p.m.
APPENDIX I: State Politics Paper Assignment
For your paper for the state government section of the course, you can write on one of following topics
below.
You can choose to do it in the form of a policy recommendation to a political candidate.
For example, you are a policy consultant hired by a gubernatorial candidate. You choose the state and
political party (either Republican or Democrat). You will then make policy recommendations to your
candidate in a well-organized 15 page report. In addition to the 15 page study, your study must have
a one page "executive summary" that will precede the report.
Example: John Doe, a Republican candidate for Governor from Ohio, seeks advice regarding the
reform of workmen's compensation. First, you must present Ohio's present policy, survey how other
states operate workmen's compensation giving special attention to new developments in other states
and conclude you recommendations for policy changes. Your recommendations must specify why
you think the proposed changes are better. If possible, comment on how the gubernatorial candidate
can "sell" the proposed changes.
Another example: Jack Stanton is a moderate Democrat from Alabama, is seeking policy
recommendations on how he can increase AND equalize funding to local schools. First, you must
determine how Alabama funds its public schools. Second, how do other states fund their schools and,
in particular, how have some states attempted to equalize funding in their schools. Under this section,
you might want to give particular attention to Ohio because its Supreme Court struck down its funding
method and its legislature has had to draw up a new plan. At the end you will make recommendations.
You can also write this paper as a formal political science essay where you begin with a research
question and then collect and analyze data in order to answer that question. For example,
Note: For all of the following topics, I want you to investigate what STATE GOVERNMENTS are
doing, not what the federal government or local governments are doing.
N.B.: It would be in your best interest to show me your progress on your paper sometime even before
you submit your first draft so that you are sure you are on the right track.
Potential Topics:
1. States policies that affect prescription drug prices
2. Education funding of primary and secondary education (Note: Someone could examine funding
levels for individual schools in PA. Someone could also look at sources of funding for public
education in PA)
3. Education funding of post-secondary education
4. Regulation of Home Schooling
5. Juvenile Crime
6.
7. School Vouchers
8. Charter Schools
9. Regulation of Landfills
10. Prevailing Wage - Why should this policy be eliminated where it is in place or instituted where it
is not in place?
11. Open/Closed Shop - Should individuals at a unionized workplace be forced to join a union?
12. Proposals for attracting Businesses to a State - are these gimmicks or giveaways or truly useful?
What works in this regard?
13. Privatization of State Functions
14. Liquor Policy - should the state operate "state stores" or should the system be privately operated?
15. Parole - Should it be ended for all? For violent criminals?
16. Welfare - What can be done to get people from welfare to work? This paper should consider the
changes made in state laws and evaluate the impact of these laws.
17. Teen Pregnancy Prevention - what programs have states tried? Have they worked? Compare state
rates and explain the differences.
18. Proposals for incentives and punishments for teachers: tenure reform, merit pay, teacher testing
19. State minimum wage (which is above federal minimum wage)
20. Campaign finance reform for state offices
21. River Boat gambling
22. How to promote agriculture
23. Programs to assist low-income senior citizens
24. State funding of arts
25. State taxation of business
26. State personal income tax rates
27. State sales tax
28. State sin taxes, i.e. taxes on alcohol, tobacco
29. Gas taxes for roads, infrastructure
30. Should states help pay for stadiums
31. State lotteries
32. Medical assistance for poor
33. Should states have one or two year budget?
34. Affirmative action in state (consider in particular Prop. 209 in California)
35. Term limits for governors and state officials