POS 234 - American State and Local Government

3 CR

An examination of political practices and policies of the American states and their local governments - towns, cities, special districts, counties, and metropolitan government. Studies in such areas as national-state-local relations; public participation including elections, parties, interest groups, and the role of the initiative and referendum; the state and local legislative bodies and legislative process; the role of the executive and the administration; the nature of the judiciary and the criminal justice system; and selected state and local policies such as education, welfare, the environment, housing, transportation, planning, crime and corrections, taxation, budget, and finance.