POSC 171 American State Politics
At first glance, state governments look very similar to their national counterpart. Every state has an executive (the governor), a bicameral legislature (except for Nebraska), and a similar judicial system. While one might assume that state governments simply reflect the national government on a smaller scale, the dynamics at play at the state level often differ dramatically from those more familiar to us at the national level. Obviously, if there was little distinction between governments at the state and national levels, then there would be no need for a course specifically devoted to the investigation of state governments. As we will discover, however, understanding state and local governments as distinctly functioning entities, as well as realizing their place in our system of federalism, is crucial to fully comprehending how American government works. The goal for this course is to leave you better informed about the often overlooked subnational politics of this country. The decisions made by state and local governments typically have a greater impact on the daily lives of individuals than decisions made by the national government. Yet the average citizen, who pays limited attention to politics in general, is even less engaged when state and local matters are involved. Taking a comparative approach, this course will leverage variations in states and localities to provide students with the knowledge necessary to understand and participate in politics outside the national arena.