Tentative Class Schedule

Adjusted April 17, 2017

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 2017

POLS 353/553

11:30-12:45, T/R, GB201

Arkansas, State and Local Government

Instructor: Lori Klein	Office: 204 Ganus Building Contacts/Office Hours: You can reach me, yea verily, in a multitude of ways: Office phone: 279-4375; Home: 279-0628 (please leave a message if you call); Rachel, 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 4:00-5:00, and on Tuesday and Thursday from 2:45-4:45. 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 (9th edition) ISBN - 9780976631224

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 (January 18th draft):

FIRST THINGS FIRST:

January 10: 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 12: Fiscal Federalism plus

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

(Test 1) January 17: 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

January 19: Legislatures -- The citizen as legislator: Direct Democracy. Also, How to Read a Bill!

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

January 24: Legislatures—

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

January 26: 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

January 31: Capitol TRIP 2017

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 02: (Test 2) and Hannah Wood on Research and Documentation

February 07: The Executive Branch -- Cabinets aren't just for kitchens.

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

February 09: Bureaucracy, Bureaucrats and Agencies -- Bureaucrat is not a dirty word.

Prior to class read: Chpt. 4 of GIA

February 14: 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.

(Test 3+4) February 16: 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 21: The Judicial Branch -- The impact of federal judicial decisions on state policy.

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

February 23: Tentative Guest Speaker: Judge Robert Edwards

February 28: The Judiciary and the Legislature-- An examination of the apportionment process.

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

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

(Test 5+6) March 02: Introduction to local government-- Grass roots democracy in action.

Prior to class read: Chpt. 6 of GIA

Spring Break! March 4-12

March 14: City Government and County Government -- Who's who and what do they do?

Prior to class read: Saffell - Chpt. 5, pp. 192-198 and Saffell - Chpt. 6, pp. 236-247

March 16: Tentative Guest Speaker – County+City! – Mike Cleveland

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

(Test 7) March 21: In class - Land Use Readings

March 23: What are you doing on my land? -- Land use, "takings" and urban sprawl

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

March 28: "Me and My State and Local Government" research assignment is due.

(In class paper review)

March 30: Tentative Guest Speaker – Bruce Alt, Lobbyist

April 4: Guest Speaker – Coleman Yoakum: Urban Local Government, and Land Use Issues in Detroit

Constitution Extra Credit Quiz is open in the Testing Center from April 03-07

(Test 8*) April 6: Education -- The biggest piece of the pie!

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

(*Test 8 (Land Use, Education and 2 Speakers) will be given in the Testing Center after the Education lecture – Approx. April 7-12 )

WAYS AND MEANS

April 11: Revenue and Spending--

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

April 13: Budgets -- A million here, a million there, and soon you're talking real money.

POLITICS

April 18: Tentative Guest Speaker – Searcy Mayor David Morris

April 20: Budget Application

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

April 25: Politics -- Political parties and their local affiliates, plus Elections

Prior to class read: Saffell – all of Chpt. 3, and Chpt. 4, pp. 126-141, plus Chpts. 7 and 8 of GIA

(Test 10) April 27: Test 10 and Post test/Review for the final and Question Time. (Test 10 will cover Politics lecture and readings and the Mayor)

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

Meeting notes are due April 27.

Final Exam – Wednesday, May 3rd 10:30-12:30