Maryland in Europe Graduate Programs

Bowie State University

 

Intergovernmental Relations Seminar

PUAD 610

Term II:  Oct. 29-Dec. 19, 2002

Tuesday and Thursday evenings, 18:00-21:00

Mildenhall, UK

 

Updated Schedule – See Below

 

 

INSTRUCTOR: Archie J. Twitchell, DPA

Mailing Address: supplied when available

Email Address: atwitchell@faculty.ed.umuc.edu

Consultation: Available one hour before class and by appointment (any day, anytime)

 

REQUIRED TEXTS:

O'Toole, L. J. Ed. (2000). American Intergovernmental Relations. Washington, DC. CQ Press.

Peterson, P. E. (1995). The Price of Federalism. Washington, DC. The Brookings Institute

 

SUPPLEMENTAL READINGS:

 

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition. (2001).

Articles of Confederation:  http://www.constitution.org/cons/usa-conf.htm

The Constitution of the U.S.   http://www.constitution.org/cons/constitu.txt

Constitution of Virginia – 1776:  http://www.nhinet.org/ccs/docs/va-1776.htm

2001 Statistical Abstract of U. S.: http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/01statab/stat-ab01.html

 

More supplemental readings providing a variety of views will be made available at appropriate times.

 

PURPOSE: This course provides the student with the basic concepts, principles and practices of relationships among the different levels of government in the United States. The concerns addressed are: the Federal structure and the roles of the Federal government and the states as defined by the Constitution (as amended) and by interpretation of the Supreme Court. The complexities of the relationships between the states and the Federal government are explored. Other principal topics are fiscal federalism, cooperation and conflict, mandates and policy implementation. The reallocation of responsibility among the federal, state and local governments is discussed.

 

OBJECTIVES: At the conclusion of this course the students will understand:

The principal concepts, models and theories of Federalism

Constitutional issues in Federal-state relationships

Fiscal relationships and their impact on each level of government

Contemporary approaches to intergovernmental relations in the United States

The major issues, controversies, developments and trends in the field

Implementation issues in federal-state relationships

 

GRADES:

400 - 450 points equals an “A”.

350 - 399 points equals a “B”.

300 – 349 points equals a “C”.

Below 300 points equals an “F”.

 

REQUIREMENTS:

The midterm exam is valued at 100 points and is scheduled for 21 November.

The final exam is valued at 100 points and is scheduled for 19December.

Two projects are each valued at 50 points. Due dates are posted in the project description.

The term paper is valued at 100 points and is due Dec. 17th.

Attendance/participation is worth 50 points.                 

The projects and the term paper shall follow the APA Publication Manual 5th Ed.

Plagiarism is grounds for failure of the class.

 

Exams: The exams are composed of three parts: definitions (25 points), five short answer questions ((25 points) and two essay questions selected from among four (50 points).

 

The first project involves the examination of the relationships between the national government and the states as expressed in the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution and the Virginia Constitution – 1776. The paper is limited to four pages and is due Nov. 5th.

 

The second project involves an analysis of three important Supreme Court decisions selected from among several. The purpose is to demonstrate the role of the Supreme Court in the evolution of the respective roles of the Federal government and the states. The paper is limited to a maximum of four pages and is due November 19th.

 

The term paper involves the analysis of a Federal executive agency. The goal is to describe and document the agency’s intergovernmental relationships, particularly their impact of the states.  Two examples are the Departments of Education and Health and Human Resources (Medicaid). Paper is due on 17 December.

      

Topics and Reading Assignments:

                    

Oct. 29           

Introductions and Orientation                                     

What is IGR? What is federalism? What is public administration (PA)? Types of governments. Types of federalism.

Read: Peterson Ch 1 O'Toole # 2

 

Oct. 31:  The focus is the evolution from confederation to federalism.

Read: The Articles of Confederation, the U.S. Constitution and the Constitution of Virginia – 1776, O'Toole # 1, 12, pp. 296-301, 305-307;  Peterson  pp.  45-47, 188-189

 

Nov. 5:  Functional and Legislative Theory and models of federalism:

Focus on the distribution of power and authority among the respective parties: Federal, state and local governments.

Read: Peterson Ch 2 O'Toole # 4, 5, & 29

First project due

 

Nov. 7 & 12: Fiscal Federalism                    

Read: Peterson Ch 3, 6, & 7; O'Toole, all of part 3

 

Nov. 14 & 19: The role of the Supreme Court in the evolution of Federalism. 

Read:   Gibbons v Ogden (1803), McCulloch v Maryland (1819)

           National League of Cities v Usery (1976), Garcia v San Antonio Metro (1985)

           United States v Lopez (1995), Reread O’Toole Ch. 1-2

 

Be familiar with the language of the relevant sections of the Constitution and the logic by which the court arrived at its conclusions.

 

Second project due on Nov. 19. Group discussion of the role of the courts in IGR.

            

Nov.  21: Midterm; introduction to policy issues

 

Updated Schedule --- NO Class on Nov 28.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Nov. 26: Lecture and group exercises focusing on policy issues that span jurisdictional boundaries. What is the role of the Federal government in education, welfare and mandates?

Read: Peterson Ch 4 & 5; O'Toole Ch 15, all of part 4

Supplemental reading will be provided.

 

Dec.  3:  Continuation of policy issues areas with a focus on health, Medicare and Medicaid and unfounded mandates.

Read:  Peterson Ch 8, O'Toole, all of part 5

Supplemental reading will be provided

 

Dec. 5:  Policy issues with the focus on issues of devolution, regulation & deregulation.

 

Dec.  10: The influence of PIG’s, state lobbyists and other groups such as the State Attorney Generals in and the tobacco settlement.

Read O’Toole 9-11 and the supplement supplied.

 

Dec.  12: Review

Dec. 17:  Presentations

                Term papers due

 

Dec. 19:  Final exam  

Grading standards for the paper           

 

An “A” paper demonstrates critical thinking, has flawless English and competent research with proper citations.

 

A “B” paper demonstrates less rigorous critical thinking, or the English is of high quality but contains errors or the research is not strong. The latter is in evidence when there are few citations or the bibliography is weak.

 

A “C” paper has any one of the above missing

 

An “F” occurs when the paper is plagiarized, is not completed, or is so flawed that minimum standards for graduate work are not met.