POL 303 - STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT 

Dr. Peter Nelson
St. Joe's Rm 204
229-3651

By the time they are ready to take this course, most students have been exposed to at least one course in American National Government, either in high school or college. Unfortunately, students all too often complete their formal education without ever having been exposed to a course dealing with the government institutions with which they will have the most contact throughout lives -- government at the state and local level.

The purpose of this course, then, is to introduce students to the political institutions at the state and local levels. We will be studying the structures, actors, processes, behaviors and policy making processes used by the over 80,000 units of state and local governments in the United States.

Evaluation will be based upon two examinations (a mid-term and final), a research project, occasional homework assignments, a service learning component, occasional announced quizzes, and class participation. The class participation component includes class attendance. If you are interested in taking this course, but are unable to take it during the fall term 1999, you might consider a distant learning alternative for the summer described below.

Texts: To be determined.