Tentative Class Schedule

March 3, 2015 version

Isaiah 33
22 For the LORD is our judge,
the LORD is our lawgiver,
the LORD is our king;
it is he who will save us.

Harding University Spring 2015

POLS 353/553

Arkansas, State and Local Government

Instructor: Lori Klein	Office: 208 Ganus Building

Contacts/Office Hours: You can reach me, yea verily, in a multitude of ways: Office phone: 279-4375; Home: 279-0628; Courtney, our ever competent and helpful Departmental Secretary: 279-4427; Facebook; e-mail - lklein@harding.edu ; my website - http://www.harding.edu/lklein and the always popular note under the door. I will make my best effort to be in my office for drop-ins on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:00-5:00 and on Tuesday and Thursday from 2:15-4:45. I will also be keeping office hours by appointment this semester.

Course Objective: The primary objective of the course is to develop a knowledge of state and local government that is deep enough to foster good citizenship, to assist those who chose government as a career or avocation, and to ready those who will be charged with passing along this same knowledge to their own students. This course is designed as an overview of the political and policy making processes of state governments and local governments. Arkansas' state government and local government structures will be used as a point of reference for understanding course concepts.

Texts: David Saffell, State and Local Government: Politics and Public Policies 9th edition. ISBN – 9780073526324

League of Women Voters of Arkansas, Government in Arkansas (2004) ISBN 9-9900003-8-7

Note: The readings are best done prior to the class meeting under which they are listed. Class will begin with a test on underscored, italicized dates.

Tentative Class Schedule

FIRST THINGS FIRST:

January 13: Introductions, pre-test, and ‘Why should I care?’ --

What do I know about you, what do you know about me, and what do you know about state and local government?

What's the big deal about Arkansas, or any other state or local government? Also, Federalism - The "Reader's Digest Condensed" version

Catch up on the first day’s reading: Saffell - Chpt. 1, pp. 25-39 and Chpt. 2, pp. 43-54.

STATE GOVERNMENT

January 15: State constitutions -- Or, why is Dr. Tom Howard's picture in the Arkansas state capitol?

Prior to class read: Saffell - Chpt. 2, pp. 67-72 and all of Chpt. 1 of GIA

January 20: The Legislative Branch -- How does a bill become a law, anyway?

Prior to class read: Chpt. 5, pp. 173-192 and Chpt. 2 of GIA

(Test 1) January 22: Legislatures -- The citizen as legislator: Direct Democracy. Also, How to Read a Bill!

Prior to class read: Saffell - Chpt. 4, pp. 147-157

January 27: Legislatures—

Constituents, oversight and auditing, and lobbyists - what they do the other 21 months.

(Test 2) January 29) The Executive -- Is the Governor the state's Chief Executive Officer?

Prior to class read: Saffell - Chpt. 6, pp. 204-221, and Chpt. 3 of GIA

February 3: The Executive Branch -- Cabinets aren't just for kitchens.

Prior to class read: Saffell - Chpt. 6, pp. 221-236

February 5: Capitol Trip – This is a required observation. You will be excused from classes and chapel.	Bonus question: Is this a site visit or a field trip?

February 10: Bureaucracy, Bureaucrats and Agencies -- Bureaucrat is not a dirty word.

Prior to class read: Chpt. 4 of GIA

February 12: Implementation, where the rubber meets the road. -- How a law becomes a policy.

You may want to get a head start on the next reading. It’s a bit long.

February 17 – SNOW day

(Test 3+4) February 19: The Judicial Branch -- State judicial structure, judicial selection and qualifications.

Prior to class read: Saffell - Chpt. 7, pp. 252-292 and Chpt. 5 of GIA

February 24: The Judiciary and the Legislature-- An examination of the apportionment process.

Prior to class read: Saffell - Chpt. 5, pp. 165-172

February 26: The Judicial Branch -- The impact of federal judicial decisions on state policy.

Prior to class read: Saffell - Chpt. 2 pp. 54-58

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

(Test 5+6) March 3: Introduction to local government-- Grass roots democracy in action.

Prior to class read: Chpt. 6 of GIA

March 5: Tentative Guest Speaker – Coleman Yoakum, Urban Local Government and Land Use Issues in Detroit

Spring Break! March 7-15

March 17: Tentative Guest Speaker: Judge Robert Edwards

March 19: Research Paper Proofreading Workshop

Prior to class read: Saffell - Chpt. 6, pp. 236-247

"Me and My State and Local Government" research assignment is NOW due Tuesday, March 24.

March 24: Combined City and County Government Lecture City Detail and County Government -- Who's who and what do they do?

Prior to class read: Saffell - Chpt. 5, pp. 192-198

New Paper Due Date

March 26: TBA Tentative Guest Speaker - City

(Test 7) March 31: Test and TBA Tentative Guest Speaker – County+City!

Might want to get a head start on next week’s readings!

April 2: What are you doing on my land? -- Land use, "takings" and urban sprawl

Prior to class read: Saffell - Chpt. 8, plus Land Use Handouts

April 7: TBA: Land Use Readings

Constitution Extra Credit Quiz is open in the Testing Center from April 6-10

(Test 8 – option 1) April 9: Education -- The biggest piece of the pie!

Prior to class read: Saffell - Chpt. 10, pp. 361-37 and Chpt. 9 of GIA

WAYS AND MEANS

(Test 8 – option 2) April 14: Revenue and Spending--

Prior to class read: Saffell - Chpt. 9, and Chpt. 10 of GIA

April 16: Budgets -- A million here, a million there, and soon you're talking real money.

(Test 9) April 21: Budget Application

The next readings are HUGE. I’d start now if I were you!

POLITICS

April 23: Politics -- Political parties and their local affiliates, plus Elections

Prior to class read: Saffell – all of Chpt. 3, and Chpt. 4, pp. 106-117 and 141-147, plus Chpts. 7 and 8 of GIA

April 28: TBA Tentative Guest Speaker – Bruce Alt, Lobbyist

(Test 10) April 30: Test 10 and Post test/Review for the final and Question Time.

Bonus question: Where is "Question Time" a political institution?

Meeting notes are due May 1st.

Final Exam – Wed., May 6th 8:00-10:00

This semester’s ASI speakers:

ASI Speaker Archie Manning	February 19

ASI Speaker Dr Kent Brantley	March 17

ASI Speaker George Papandreou	April 23