PSC 215 - State and Local Government

Class: 3 Credits: 3
This course is a study of state, county, and municipal government systems, including interrelationships among these systems and within the federal government.

Prerequisite(s): Take RDG 100 and ENG 100 with a minimum grade of “C”.

Course Topics:

The Setting of State and Local Government
Intergovernmental Relations
Political Parties and Interest Groups
Political Participation and Elections
State and Local Legislatures
Governors, Bureaucrats, and Mayors
Courts, Police and Corrections
Financing State and Local Government
State and Local Policy Making

Textbooks:
Textbook information can be found on the Book Inn Web site

Required Materials:
None

Grading System:
An overall grade of C or higher is required for transferability.

A 90-100
B 80-89
C 70-79
D 60-69
F 0-59

Student Learning Outcomes:

Discuss the origins and practice of federalism.
Discuss different methods of political participation.
Discuss how the three branches of government operate in the states.
Discuss the functions of local government.
Examine the Constitution.

For SCC Online Courses:
If the course you are taking is online, please review the SCC Online Policies that include:

Required materials for all online courses
Mandatory Attendance Requirement
Proctored Exams

Face Covering Requirements:
All faculty, staff and students must wear a face mask/covering at all times (absent a medical condition) on all SCC campuses when safe social distancing measures are not possible or difficult to follow. For further details, refer to the Student Guidelines for Face Coverings and Social Distancing on the SCC Coronavirus COVID-19 Information page.

Standard SCC Course Policies:
Please review the Standard SCC Course Polices on the following topics:

Academic Integrity
Academic Misconduct
Add/Drop period
Appeals Process
Class Attendance
Classroom Behavior (traditional and online)
Classroom Conduct/Expectations
Lab Procedures (general SCC policy regarding this)
Online Confidentiality
Services For Students with Disabilities
Withdrawal Policy

Official Course Syllabus
2020-2021