Spring 2005

GOV 335N • State Politics and Public Policy

Course Description

Course number may be repeated for credit when topics vary. Upper-division standing required. This course examines the recent revitalization of political institutions in the American states and the implications of this resurgence for the making of public policy. State governments regulate and tax a wide range of business activities and perform a host of vital services. Even though state governments affect our lives every day, however, they are rarely at the forefront of the minds of the American public. The goals of this course are to introduce you to these important arenas of government and to examine the Texas political system in a comparative perspective.

Grading Policy

Tentative: First midterm (30%) Second midterm (30%) Final exam (40%)

Texts

1. Virginia Gray and Russell Hanson, Politics in the American States: A Comparative Analysis 2. Jack R. Van Der Slik, Politics in the American States and Communities: A Contemporary Reader 3. Reading packet

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