Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

State and Local Government (Online)

POLS 3030-30I

Course: POLS 3030-30I
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: PSCJ
CRN: 12607

Course Description

Function, structure, and politics of state and local government policymaking within the context of the federal system. (Spring - Odd Years) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Registration Restriction(s): None

Required Texts

NA

Learning Outcomes

1) Be able to explain the ways states are organized and the key institutional actors and processes they employ.
2) Be able to demonstrate general knowledge of the role of political parties, direct democracy, interest groups, federalism and intergovernmental relations in the American states 
3) Have the skills to interpret data on state institutions and processes and fiscal conditions.
4) Have developed the analytical and critical skills to understand primary literature in state politics and policy.

Course Requirements

Each week you will be asked to do 2 or 3 things.

First, you will be asked to watch a lecture covering the topic of the week. These lectures will be conducted live via zoom, but will also be posted. Live attendance is not required or expected. However, you must watch the lecture by Friday night of each week. Watching the lectures (whether live or at your own pace) is worth 25% of your final grade.

Second, you will be asked to choose to read one academic journal article each week and write a short response paper (about 500 words) demonstrating your mastery of the reading and your thoughts on the paper. These will be worth 35% of your final grade

Finally, this course will require a final paper. The paper will be in the form of a research design. Your goal is to come up with an answerable question, create a theory based in evidence, and design a test for that theory. In total, this paper is worth 40% of your grade.

However, you must get your project's topic approved by the end of the second week, and you must turn in a literature review by the end of the 5th week. These two assignments are worth 15% of your final grade.  Leaving the final paper worth 25% of your grade. 

Course Outline

Week
Readings (Choose one per week)
Introduction/Course Overview

Morehouse, Sarah & Malcolm Jewell (2004) “States as Labratories: A Reprise” Annual Review of Political Science 7:177-203.

Federalism

Grimmer, Justin, and Eitan Hersh. "How election rules affect who wins." Journal of Legal Analysis 16, no. 1 (2024): 1-25.

Graham, Erin R., Charles R. Shipan, and Craig Volden. "The diffusion of policy diffusion research in political science." British journal of political science 43, no. 3 (2013): 673-701.

Jacobs, Nicholas F., and B. Kal Munis. "Staying in place: Federalism and the political economy of place attachment." Publius: The Journal of Federalism 50, no. 4 (2020): 544-565.

Grumbach, Jacob M. "Laboratories of democratic backsliding." American Political Science Review 117, no. 3 (2023): 967-984.

Sorting/Housing

Martin, Gregory J., and Steven W. Webster. "Does residential sorting explain geographic polarization?." Political Science Research and Methods 8, no. 2 (2020): 215-231.

Yinger, John. "Measuring racial discrimination with fair housing audits: Caught in the act." The American Economic Review (1986): 881-893

Ferreira, Fernando, Jeanna Kenney, and Benjamin Smith. "Household mobility, networks, and gentrification of minority neighborhoods in the United States." Journal of Labor Economics 42, no. S1 (2024): S61-S94.

Marble, William, and Clayton Nall. "Where self-interest trumps ideology: liberal homeowners and local opposition to housing development." The Journal of Politics 83, no. 4 (2021): 1747-1763.

Elections and Legislators

Anzia, Sarah F. "Election timing and the electoral influence of interest groups." The Journal of Politics 73, no. 2 (2011): 412-427.

Fouirnaies, Alexander, and Andrew B. Hall. "How do electoral incentives affect legislator behavior? Evidence from US state legislatures." American Political Science Review 116, no. 2 (2022): 662-676.

Bucchianeri, Peter, Craig Volden, and Alan E. Wiseman. "Legislative effectiveness in the American states." American Political Science Review 119, no. 1 (2025): 21-39.

Blasingame, Elise, Eric R. Hansen, and Richard C. Witmer. "Are Descriptive Representatives More Successful Passing Group-Relevant Legislation? The Case of Native American State Legislators." Political Research Quarterly 78, no. 1 (2025): 308-322.

Judges

Leonard, Meghan E. "New data on court curbing by state legislatures." State Politics & Policy Quarterly 22, no. 4 (2022): 483-500.

Berdejó, Carlos, and Noam Yuchtman. "Crime, punishment, and politics: an analysis of political cycles in criminal sentencing." Review of Economics and Statistics 95, no. 3 (2013): 741-756.

Canes‐Wrone, Brandice, Tom S. Clark, and Amy Semet. "Judicial Elections, Public Opinion, and Decisions on Lower‐Salience Issues." Journal of Empirical Legal Studies 15, no. 4 (2018): 672-707.

Bonica, Adam, and Maya Sen. "The politics of selecting the bench from the bar: the legal profession and partisan incentives to introduce ideology into judicial selection." The Journal of Law and Economics 60, no. 4 (2017): 559-595.

State Policies

Reckhow, Sarah, Jeffrey R. Henig, Rebecca Jacobsen, and Jamie Alter Litt. "“Outsiders with deep pockets”: The nationalization of local school board elections." Urban Affairs Review 53, no. 5 (2017): 783-811.

Stokes, Leah C. "Electoral backlash against climate policy: A natural experiment on retrospective voting and local resistance to public policy." American Journal of Political Science 60, no. 4 (2016): 958-974.

Neeley, Grant W., and Lilliard E. Richardson Jr. "Influences on cannabis policy design and adaptation in the American states." Policy Studies Journal (2025).

Kogan, Vladimir, Stéphane Lavertu, and Zachary Peskowitz. "How does minority political representation affect school district administration and student outcomes?." American Journal of Political Science 65, no. 3 (2021): 699-716.

Final Week
No readings, Final Paper due


Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Any late assignment will receive a 5% per day late penalty, with a maximum penalty of 50%

Attendance Policy

This is an online asynchronous course. No live attendance is required. 

Course Fees

Content for this section will be provided by the instructor.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.