State And Local Politics

POL 421

Dr. Jim L. Riley - Prof.

Regis University

Fall, 2009

Typical State Capitol

The first sentence in the Regis Mission Statement reads: "Regis University educates men and women of all ages to take leadership roles and to make a positive impact in a changing society." Understanding the nature of politics in its broadest sense is crucial to this goal. This course seeks to expand the political knowledge of students such that each of them is better able to become capable and responsible leaders in our society that is so deeply penetrated by things political.

Class Meetings: TuTh 1:45 - 3:00, LH #27

Office Hours
Monday & Wednesday: 10:30 - 2:00
Tuesday &Thursday: 3:00 -4:00
Friday: By Appointment
Office: Carroll Hall 215
Office Phone: (303) 458-4974

e-mail: jriley@regis.edu
web page -- http://academic.regis.edu/jriley

TEXT: Politics in States and Communities (13th edition) Dye & Macmanus

Text Web Site

1. USE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF SYLLABUS:

This syllabus is a most important guide for you in understanding what it is this course is designed to accomplish and how it is organized to achieve its stated goals. Moreover, specific ground rules, obligations, and responsibilities are described below. By a careful reading of the syllabus, you will obtain a clear idea of what we will be doing in this class throughout the semester. It serves as a series of guideposts enabling us to maintain some clear focus on the subject at hand.
The dates and deadlines contained below will be adhered to, barring unforeseen exigencies requiring modification. Daily assignments will not be given in class inasmuch as a complete semester's assignments is included at the end of this syllabus. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with each day's assignment and to complete it prior to classtime.

2. COURSE PURPOSES: This course shall focus directly upon state and local government and politics. Students will be asked to explore a variety of concerns pertaining to the subject of politics in general. This includes many activities and institutions relevant to but separate from governments themselves. At semester's end it is to be expected that those students who have completed the course successfully will have developed not only an enhanced understanding of state and local politics, but will also be imbued with a desire to know more about this most important American phenomenon.

3. COURSE OBJECTIVES:

The specific objective of the course is to achieve knowledge levels within students such that they will be able to perform "satisfactorily" or better in the following areas: (1) examinations -- students will be expected to respond accurately and completely to questions covering course material; (2) out-of-class projects -- students will be expected to complete a research project utilizing concepts presented in class; and (3) in-class-discussions -- students will be expected to participate frequently and positively in class.
The quality of work will be judged in accordance with the degree to which the following criteria are present in written work: accuracy of information, critical thought, clarity of message, organizational coherency, use of the intellectual tools presented in the course, technical precision and correctness (especially in out-of-class papers), sharpness of focus, presence of indicators of thoughtful consideration of issues examined, depth of analysis, and creativity.

4. NOTE TAKING:

In order to achieve a desirable grade in this class (presumably reflecting one's level of achievement), it is necessary to take "good" notes of three types: class notes, text notes, and research notes. These should be in the form of full and complete sentences, organized in outline form (major and minor headings being present). Class notes should summarize material presented in class so that you may later recall what was put before you there. Text notes should condense and summarize the material given to you by the author. Research notes serve the purpose of recording that which you have gathered through your out-of-class research.
Generally, the purpose of notes is to store, organize, and make information more readily available so that it can eventually become knowledge. It is utilitarian in nature, that is to say, it is designed to serve some larger purpose. If you find after a few meetings that your notes are not very accurate or helpful in organizing and understanding the material, meet with the instructor at your first opportunity. One final point, you should review notes taken at the previous meeting before going to class on any given day. This five or ten minute review will prove valuable in various ways.

5. CLASS FORMAT: Because the size of this class is relatively small student participation on a daily basis is essential. During the semester each student will be asked to lead the class discussion on various aspects of the subject under consideration. Details will be given in class. This will constitute a significant portion of the evaluation given by me for class participation.

6. STUDENT-PROFESSOR CONFERENCES:

You are invited and encouraged to come by my office whenever you would like. Although I can be found frequently in my office at times other than during regularly scheduled office hours, those scheduled hours are given above. Occasionally, I may be called out of the office during scheduled office hours, but for the most part I will be there when indicated.
Certainly we should meet if any problems develop with regard to your participation in the course, but this should not be the only reason for getting together. Feel free to drop by for a visit for any reason. If my office hours are not convenient, arrangements can easily be made to meet at another time.

7. GRADING POLICY:

I shall make every effort to adhere faithfully to the grading standards set forth in the Regis University Bulletin while relying upon my professional judgment to make the necessary applications of these standards. Grades will be determined by student performance, both in and out of class as set forth in the section on examinations. Borderline grades will be decided using class participation as the deciding factor. It should be noted that the examinations will be graded blindly. Each student will affix his/her student identification number to examinations. This will eliminate any personal factors from the grading process.

If, after the first 3 grades (2 examinations and the out-of-class project) have been obtained, a student has a B average or better, he/she may choose to opt out of the final examination and complete a 3-5 page ungraded thoughtful written evaluation of the course. If this option is chosen the average of the 3 grades will constitute the grade for the course (with the possibility of being boosted to the next highest level through positive in-class contributions).

If, after the first 3 grades (2 examinations and the out-of-class project) have been obtained, a student has a B average or better, he/she may choose to opt out of the final examination and complete a 3-5 page ungraded thoughtful written evaluation of the course. If this option is chosen the average of the 3 grades will constitute the grade for the course (with the possibility of being boosted to the next highest level through positive in-class contributions).

8. EXAMINATIONS: There will be two (2) essay examinations during the semester and a final examination at the end. Students may bring to the exam five 3" x 5" note cards with anything written on them. Copied material may not be used. The sharing of cards during the exam is prohibited. These cards may be used during the exam. Each examination will count for 25% of a student's course grade as will the out-of-class project. It is the policy of this class to permit no make up examinations, with two exceptions: (1) instances where a particular student has a verified medical excuse, and (2) instances of personal emergency requiring a written request for make-up examination. Only in the most pressing of circumstances will a non-medical excuse be accepted, and the likelihood of acceptance is much greater when the request is made prior to the scheduled exam date. Students missing a regularly scheduled examination and not meeting either of the two exceptions will receive a Fail for that examination.

9. CLASS ATTENDANCE AND DECORUM POLICY:

Three unexcused absences are permitted without penalty. "Cuts" beyond this will result in the course grade being lowered by 0.2 points for each day missed beyond the allowable three "cuts". All absences are considered "cuts" unless explicitly excused.

Students are expected to remain in the class for the entire duration of the class period. If there is a need to leave prior to the end of the class period please inform me prior to the beginning of the class.

During class I would like to request that all students, as a matter of courtesy, remove their hats and refrain from eating during the class. Remember to power down cell phones, pagers and other communication devices.

Occasionally subjects of discussion will arise about which there will be differences of opinion. While open and free discussion is encouraged, disagreements on these subjects will not be allowed to devolve into arguments or personal criticisms.

Bringing a drink to class is acceptable although there is always the risk of a spill.

10. STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES:

It is essential that each member of the class read the assigned material prior to class time. A reading of the material must be accompanied by the taking of written notes on what has been read. These text notes will be supplemented with notes taken in class. Thus, it is necessary that students attend class regularly (see the attached policy regarding class absences).
You should also keep abreast of political events in the United States and the rest of the world. This means reading a newspaper daily, watching the news on TV (especially the Lehrer New Hour on PBS TV, listening to NPR News at 1340 on the AM dial, and reading a weekly news magazine such as Time, Newsweek, or U.S. News and World Report. Finally, in addition to READING, TAKING NOTES, AND ATTENDING CLASS, students are expected to study and think about the material to which they are exposed and to be prepared to write on and discuss the subject examined.
There is an on-line "magazine" that each student needs to subscribe to. No cost is associated with this subscription. Go to Governing: State and Local Governments for information on how to subscribe. This "publication" should be read each time notification (by e-mail) comes indicating a new edition is available.
Each member of the class shall lead the in-class discussion on one assigned subject set forth in the class schedule. Assignments for the topic will be made early in the semester. These presentations should be tailored to generate discussion, raise questions and seek answers, present information and generally serve to explore the subject under discussion. Students are not expected to deliver a "lecture."

11. OUT-OF-CLASS RESEARCH PROJECT: Each student must complete one of two substantial out-of-class projects.

On September 29 students will submit a one page prospectus of the intended project.

(1) A comparative analysis of four state constitutional provisions dealing with the same subject:

Possible subjects include but are not limited to: (1) legislative, executive, or judicial powers and organization; (2) rights of accused criminals; (3) municipal incorporation provisions; (4) county government organization. All state constitutions are readily available on the internet. The constitutions chosen should be from widely separate areas of the nation (e.g., Maine, Louisiana, Minnesota; Idaho). This geographical diversity recommendation may be waived if the student has a particular interest in studying a more narrow region of the country.
The primary goal of this project is to learn about different constitutional approaches to common issues faced in the states. Moreover, it is hoped that regional variations in constitutional provisions may be tied to differing political cultures.
The prospectus for this project shall consist of a tentative title, a brief narrative description of the subject of the comparison, a tentative table of contents, a listing of the chosen states along with an explanation of why the particular subject and states were chosen and the naming of four sources of information that will likely be used.

(2) A detailed review of one scholarly article:

The article chosen must be no less than ten pages in length. The article is to be summarized and analyzed separately. The prospectus for this paper shall consist of two (2) full bibliographical citations of articles selected by the student. One of these will be recommended by the instructor as most desirable. (Note that news magazines, newspapers or other "popular publications" are not to be considered scholarly in nature.) An excellent place to start searching for an acceptable article is the reference appendix in the text. There are endnotes here that contain useful and rich sources of information. Only one of the projects may utilize this scholarly analysis approach.
The final paper shall consist of a separate summary and analysis (delineated by headings) for the article read. A copy of the article used must be attached to the final paper as well as the original approval of the article. Grades for this project will be based in large measure on the presence of an insightful critique of the article: its content, style, methodology, "readability," and persuasiveness.
Any student wishing to devise his or her own project should meet with me to discuss the idea prior to the presentation of a prospectus.

Paper Requirements: For each of the projects the following requirements shall apply. The project should result in a typewritten or computer printed paper of no less than 2,500 words (about 10 pages). In addition to the body of the paper, there must be a title page, a table of contents, headings within the body of the paper, footnotes or end notes, and a complete bibliography of all sources used. No less that eight separate sources must be used in the completion of the research paper option. Moreover, no less than four sources shall be derived from locations other than the internet.

On October 20 the results of the research project may be submitted. The submission should be at least 1,600 words in length (8-10 pages), computer printed and double spaced. This paper will count for 25% of the course grade. This initial submission date is optional. Those who meet this deadline will have the opportunity to revise their graded paper if they choose to do so. A second and final submission date is November 12. Late papers will be heavily penalized.

Each member of the class will prepare a one page synopsis (very brief summary) of the out-of-class project. One copy will be given to each member of the class on November 19. This will serve as the reading assignment for the final class meeting at which times member of the class will describe their out-of-class projects in an informal and collegial format. This will be an open class discussion and not a formal presentation. Each student should be prepared to describe to the class the essence of what was learned as a result of the out-of-class project.

12. PROCEDURAL QUALITY REQUIREMENTS: Any papers produced out-of-class as part of an assignment will be heavily penalized if certain error characteristics are present. As a general rule, technical errors (i.e. typographical mistakes, misspellings, sloppy erasures, sentence fragments, etc.) totaling in number an amount greater than the number of pages in the paper, will result in grade penalties that become more severe as their frequency increases. Moreover, papers which deviate significantly from acceptable form (i.e., incorrect or missing footnotes, incorrect or missing bibliography, incorrect or missing table of contents, etc.) will likewise be penalized. Proper form may be gleaned from a careful review and use of Kate Turbian's A Manual For Writers of Term Papers, the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, or other commonly used form guide. The Regis Writing center is available to assist in polishing your paper.

13. CONTENT QUALITY REQUIREMENTS: Regardless of the option chosen each out-of-class project must contain information that indicates thoughtful consideration of the subject under examination. Well organized structure, focused discussion, clarity of message and reasoned evaluations will all enhance the paper's value.

14. USE OF THE INTERNET: In addition to standard library material, students are encouraged to use the Internet to locate and access material suitable for the research paper out-of-class assignment. A useful place to start is my web-page. It contains numerous links to useful web sites of a political nature. The web site for the text is also very useful. It may be accessed by going to: Text Web Site. I also encourage you to locate any new web sites that other students of politics might fine helpful and interesting. When appropriate I will add them to my web page with proper acknowledgment

15. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: It is expected that students will act honorably in all activities related to this course and will refrain from any form of academic and professional dishonesty or deception in the classroom, clinical, and other learning settings. These behaviors include cheating, plagiarism, falsification of data, falsification of records, and aiding and/or abetting dishonesty. The Dean of the College has asked that the following language be added to course syllabi:

"Consistent with the College's Academic Integrity Policy, I will report all violations of this course's academic integrity policy to the Dean's office. Students who have committed multiple instances of academic dishonesty can be subject to institutional penalties like probation, suspension, or expulsion, in addition to the penalties for this course. The Academic Integrity policy is described in the Bulletin; detailed information about the policy and the appeals process can be found in the Dean's office."

16. ACCOMMODATION OF DISABILITIES: For information regarding Regis disability services policies, visit the web site of the Office of Disability Services.

17. USE OF THE INTERNET:

You are expected to use the Internet to locate and access material suitable for the research option out-of-class assignment. A useful place to start is my web-page. It contains numerous links to useful web sites of a political nature. I also encourage you to locate any new web sites that other students of politics might find helpful and interesting. When appropriate I will add them to my web page with proper acknowledgment to the student who found it/them.
Utilization of e-mail will be an essential component of this class. If you do not yet have a functioning e-mail address it is vital that you get one as soon as possible.
It is expected that each member of the class will check his or her e-mail messages daily.

18. COURSE WITHDRAWAL POLICY: Students are expected to know and observe the published deadlines for (a) dropping the course and (b) withdrawing from the course. These deadlines are published on the University's Academic Calendar, which is available in the Bulletin, the course schedule and is in the Dean's Office. THESE DEADLINES ARE NOT FLEXIBLE.

19. IMPORTANT DATES AND DEADLINES: