POLS 382 State Politics and Policy
TTH 2:30-4:20 Smith 211
Instructor: John Wilkerson (jwilker@uw.edu)
Office Hours: M 1-2:20 (Gowen 112) Click here to schedule.
TA: Becca Peach (rlpeach@uw.edu)
Office Hours: T 11:30-1:30 (Virtual), or in-person (SMI 30) by appointment
Welcome to State Politics and Policy! The US has a federal system of government that, in theory, gives the national government limited powers and reserves the rest for the states or the people. This federal system is alive and well. More government employees work for state and local governments than the federal government (many more!). State and local governments spend more money, make more laws and promulgate more regulations.
Equally important, states differ dramatically in how they treat their citizens, economically and socially. Where you live in the U.S. shapes your opportunities, rights and obligations as a citizen. Your taxes, personal liberty, educational opportunities, health and safety, etc. may be affected by the state you live in. These variations have led scholars to describe states as “laboratories of democracy.” Because states do things differently, we can better understand the consequences of different policy approaches.
Objectives
By the end of the class, you should have a broader knowledge and appreciation of the United “States” and the politics of Washington state, as well as contemporary debates about the appropriate roles of federal, state and local governments. For students potentially interested in interning or working in state and local government, the class will provide opportunities for skill development (e.g. policy briefs) and learning from policy and political leaders.
At the same time, you will not discover any easy answers. The political world is complicated and always evolving. What is true is constantly in flux. Political science helps us to organize our thinking by providing theories or frameworks that scholars have found to be helpful. Importantly, theories are generalizations drawn for first principles or past behavior that can be more or less useful for understanding a particular place and time.
Required and Recommended Books
The first two books are available through the University Bookstore. The Wright book is RECOMMENDED and an enjoyable read. I will place a copy of Wright on Odegaard reserve.
Required
Governing States and Localities ISBN: 9781071901830
Smith, Kevin B. and Greenblatt, Alan H.
Washington State Politics and Government ISBN: 9781496230669
Sell, T. M.
Recommended
Inside the Statehouse. ISBN: 1568029497
Wright, Ralph
(Takes you inside a state legislature from the perspective of a witty House Speaker)
Assessment
The primary mode of assessment will be 3 in-class exams that are a combination of multiple choice and short answer. The main purpose of these exams is to encourage/reward class participation and thoughtful reading of the required materials. If you are not able to attend the scheduled exam for some reason, you must notify the professor in advance. The make-up exam will include long essay questions (in person, in writing) at a time of the professor's choosing.
Each exam will test for comprehension of the material covered in the preceding third of the course. The last exam is not cumulative but is given more weight, There is no final exam.
* Exams 1 (30 points) - Tuesday, April 22
* Exam 2 (30 points) - Tuesday, May 13
* Exam 3 (40 points) - Thursday, June 5
Extra credit: Occasionally, we will take attendance. This is worth up to an additional 10% of your grade.
Guest speakers
We will have guest speakers with connections to Washington State politics. They will want to know what you care about and what you think. Make their visits more valuable by thinking about what you'd like to know before class begins. You may not talk to many farmers or lobbyists, so here's your chance!
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
I have specifically sought a diversity of perspectives. If you find their perspective disagreeable or wrong, be respectful and try to understand why they see things differently. For example, suppose that you are an animal rights supporter and a guest speaker (or student) says that the law needs to be changed to make it easier to kill wolves that attack livestock. (This is a perennial issue in Washington!) One appropriate response would be to share your own perspective on why you think killing wolves is wrong, and then ask them to share theirs. There's a good chance they will say something you (and the class) were not aware of. Give them that chance. Everyone will benefit from hearing the two perspectives.
Accommodations and support
Disability Resources for Students (DRS) offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary or permanent disability that requires accommodations (this can include but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), you are welcome to contact DRS at 206-543-8924, or uwdrs@uw.edu. See this website. (Links to an external site.)
- The Counseling Center and Hall Health are excellent resources on campus that many UW students utilize. Students may get help with study skills, career decisions, substance abuse, relationship difficulties, anxiety, depression, or other concerns.
- Counseling center website (Links to an external site.)
- Hall health website (Links to an external site.)
Washington state law requires the UW to develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy/) (Links to an external site.). Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form (https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/) (Links to an external site.).
Questions? jwilker@uw.edu