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POLS 382: State Government. Professor John Wilkerson. Details. Syllabus http://faculty.washington.edu/jwilker/382/382syllabus.htm Note ‘resources’ at the bottom of the syllabus Goals of the Course 1) Develop an appreciation of state variations and their possible causes
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POLS 382: State Government Professor John Wilkerson
Details • Syllabus • http://faculty.washington.edu/jwilker/382/382syllabus.htm • Note ‘resources’ at the bottom of the syllabus • Goals of the Course • 1) Develop an appreciation of state variations and their possible causes • 2) Develop an appreciation of the structure and politics of State Government in Washington State • 3) Be prepared to evaluate the positive and negative aspects of a federalist system of government by discussing specific policies or decisions • Memorize the states – quiz on Monday
Why study States? • Many political decisions take place at the state level • States have different policies, which means that citizens receive different treatment depending on where they live • Why do these differences exist? Are they a good thing or a bad thing?
State Policies have dramatic consequences for citizens • But Why do states vary in their policies? • Demographics? • Need • Available resources • Politics? • Partisan control • Political participation • Culture? • Historical development • Religious and other social differences
For Friday • Review the Syllabus • Purchase texts and complete the assigned readings for this week • Start memorizing the states!