Statesmanship, Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations – PLCY 804

Course Description

The interplay between and among American state governments and the federal government will be examined at the macro and micro (intergovernmental relations) levels. Students will be challenged to examine the complexities of the modern American political system in light of competing models of federalism.

Rationale

PLCY 804 enables a student pursuing a Ph.D in Public Policy to understand the complex issues, institutions, and interplay between American state and federal governments. Because both creating and enacting public policy in America depends on an understanding of federalism, this course gives students the necessary knowledge to evaluate the constitutional foundations, historical evolution, and current relationships between state and federal governmental structures. Additionally, the course prepares students to critically assess various political, fiscal, and administrative issues in an intergovernmental system.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations/notes

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussion

The Discussion is a collaborative learning experience. Therefore, the student is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt(s) for the Discussion. The thread must be 1,000-1,250 words and contain a minimum of 4 references to course readings cited in current APA format and 1 Scripture reference. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 3 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be 350-500 words and include at least two citations from the required course materials. Each reply post must be unique; posting the same reply in 2 places is not sufficient and may be treated as a form of academic misconduct.

Article Review Assignments (3)

The student will submit 3 article reviews that analyze and synthesize 2 articles assigned by the instructor. Each review must be 1350-1600 words, written in current APA format.

Book Review Assignment

The student will submit 1 publication-quality book review of Daniel J. Elazar's Exploring Federalism. The book review must be a minimum of 1,000 words, written in current APA format.

Literature Review Assignments (3)

The student will submit 3 literature review assignments that are focused on a research question related to American federalism or intergovernmental relations. The literature review assignments will address the biblical framework, concepts, research, and findings relevant to the research question and assess where the question fits within the broad framework of scholarly research. The 3 literature review assignments must be written in current APA format.