State Politics and American Federalism

Voting rights and election rules, education, health and welfare, and redistricting are just a few domains where U.S. states have broad policymaking authority. Across these and other issues, policies vary from state to state leaving a patchwork of public policy. This course examines why and how public policy and governing institutions differ across states and considers the implications of political polarization and policy fragmentation. Broad themes include federalism, political institutions, and participation. Topics include federal-state and state-local relations, interstate competition, elections, and direct democracy.