| POLITICAL SCIENCE 302 |
| URBAN
POLITICS
|
| Instructor: B. Jeffrey Reno |
| E-mail: renobrad@msu.edu (By far the best way to reach me). |
| Office Hours: Wednesdays 4:30-5:30PM, before and after class, and by appointment. |
| Office: 226 S. Kedzie Hall |
| *** I also have a mailbox in 338 S. Kedzie, where you may leave messages for me. |
THEME: This course is designed to introduce you to the basic themes and problems of American urban politics. You will be encouraged to think about the topic and interact with the readings, lecture material, instructor, and each other so that you may arrive at informed opinions on what may be the most pressing concern of our time: the future of the city. My intention is not to turn you into urban political scientists, but rather to aid you in becoming critical consumers of the information which bombards you daily through the media and public discourse. If the course is a success, you will be able to discuss the important topics that form the backbone of the current debate over the city, including: What is the source of urban power and how should it be distributed? How does the distinction between the private and the public bear on our vision of the city? Do we even need cities anymore, or have they outlived their purpose? Should a city be run like a business? Can urban growth be planned and controlled? To what extent is the problem of the city one of economics, and to what extent is it one of politics? How strong of a factor is the issue of race relations in dealing with the problems which plague our cities?
TEXTS:
| Clarence Stone, Regime Politics: Governing Atlanta. | |
| Lawrence Herson and John Bolland, The Urban Web. | |
| Dennis Judd and Paul Kantor, The Politics of Urban America. |
NOTE: If you are planning to go on in the field of political science, and especially if you intend to study or seek a career in urban politics and local government, then there are several very good books you should consider reading after you have completed this introductory course. Please let me know if you would like a more comprehensive bibliography.
METHOD OF EVALUATION:
| Four quizzes each worth 10% of the final grade. | |
| One Take Home Essay Exam worth 25% of the final grade. | |
| One In-Class Comprehensive Final Exam worth 35% of the final grade. |
Note: There will be a quiz every Friday at the beginning of class, with the exception of the first week and the final week. This means a total of five quizzes, of which the best four will count toward your grade. Because you know when the quizzes are, and you get a drop grade, there will be absolutely no make ups. If you miss class on a given Friday, you should consider that your drop grade.
Quizzes: The quizzes will be given in class every Friday (as noted above). Each quiz will require you to answer ten short answer questions related to recent topics assigned in the reading and discussed in class. Typical answers may be as short as a single word for some questions and as long as three or four sentences for others. Each question will be worth one point and no partial credit will be available.
Midterm Exam: The midterm exam will consist of four questions handed out on Friday, July 28, 2000 in class. You will complete the assignment at home (working alone) and return it the following Monday. You will have to answer two out of the four questions. Each answer should be typed, approximately three pages long, and reflect your thoughtful interaction with the lecture and reading material. Each question will be of equal weight in determining the midterm grade, which will count as 25% of the course grade.
Final Exam: There will be a comprehensive final exam which allows you to demonstrate a solid grasp of the theme of the course as a whole. It will consist of two parts: A) Ten extended answer questions worth 40% of the exam. B) One out of two long (four to five written pages in a large blue book) essay questions dealing with a very general question related to the course as a whole. This section will be worth 60% of the examination grade. More details will be provided as the exam approaches.
NOTE: Although no formal portion of the grade has been allotted for attendance and participation, both are expected and may effect standing when grades are calculated. Active participation requires that you complete each reading assignment prior to coming to class.
SCHEDULE OF READING ASSIGNMENTS, DUE DATES, AND EXAMS:
WEEK ONE
WEDNESDAY (7-5-00)
| Introduction: Why We Study Urban Politics. | ||
| Readings: | Herson and Bolland, Chapters 1-3. | |
FRIDAY (7-7-00)
| The Classical vs. the Modern Idea of the City. | ||
| Readings: | H.D.F. Kiddo, "The Polis" (Handout). | |
| Henri Pirenne, "Cities and European Civilization." (Handout). | ||
| Stone, Chapters 1-2. | ||
WEEK TWO
MONDAY (7-10-00)
| Industrialization and the Competing ideas of the American City: | ||
| Planning Ideology vs. The Organic Model. | ||
| Readings: | Lewis Mumford, "What is a City?" (H). | |
| Le Corbusier, "A Contemporary City."(H). | ||
| Lewis Mumford, "Yesterday’s City of Tomorrow." | ||
| Herson and Bolland, Chapter 4. | ||
WEDNESDAY (7-12-00)
| Federalism and the Development of the American City I: | ||
| Readings: | Herson and Bolland, Chapter 12. | |
FRIDAY (7-14-00)
| Federalism and the Development of the American City II: | ||
| Readings: | Stone, Chapters 3-5. | |
| Judd and Kantor, #30. | ||
WEEK THREE
MONDAY (7-17-00)
| Urban Power I: Constitutions, Charters,and Dillon’s Rule. | ||
| Readings: | Herson and Bolland, Chapter 11. | |
WEDNESDAY (7-19-00)
| Urban Structures and Institutions I: Executives, and Councils. | ||
| Readings: | Herson and Bolland, Chapter 6. | |
FRIDAY (7-21-00)
| Urban Power II: Elitist Theory vs. Pluralist Theory. | ||
| Readings: | Herson and Bolland, Chapter 8. | |
| Stone, Chapters 6-8. | ||
WEEK FOUR
MONDAY (7-24-00)
| Urban Structures and Institutions II: | ||
| Citizen Participation, Machine Politics, and the Reform Movement. | ||
| Readings: | Herson and Bolland, Chapter 7. | |
| Judd and Kantor, #8-10, #12, #19. | ||
WEDNESDAY (7-26-00)
| Urban Structures and Institutions III: | ||
| The Bureaucracy, Special Districts, and Counties. | ||
| Readings: | Catch Up Day | |
FRIDAY (7-28-00)
| Urban Power III: Regime Theory. | ||
| Readings: | Stone, Chapters 9-12. | |
WEEK FIVE
MONDAY (7-31-00)
| Analytical Theory I: City Limits and City Trenches. | ||
| Readings: | Herson and Bolland, Chapter 9. | |
| Judd and Kantor, #1, #7. | ||
WEDNESDAY (8-2-00)
| Analytical Theory II: Regime Theory, Systematic Bias, and the Tension between Equality and Efficiency. | ||
| Readings: | Herson and Bolland, Chapter 16. | |
FRIDAY (8-4-00)
| Public vs.Provate: Do we Still Need Cities? | ||
| Readings: | Hannah Arendt, "The Public." (Handout) | |
| Judd and Kantor, #16, #18. | ||
WEEK SIX
MONDAY (8-7-00)
| Policy I: Economic Development, Land Use, and Municipal Finance in | ||
| the Era of the Welfare State. | ||
| Readings: | Herson and Bolland, Chapters 13, 15. | |
| Judd and Kantor, #22-26 | ||
WEDNESDAY (8-9-00)
| Policy II: Economic Development, Land Use, and Municipal Finance in | ||
| the Era of the Market Model. | ||
| Readings: | Herson and Bolland, Chapters 14, 17. | |
| Judd and Kantor, #27-29. | ||
FRIDAY (8-11-00)
| Policy III: An Application of Regime Theory. | ||
| Readings: | Review Stone, Chapter 11. | |
WEEK SEVEN
MONDAY (8-14-00)
| Race and Education: Political or Economic Challenges? | ||
| Readings: | Judd and Kantor, #21. | |
WEDNESDAY (8-16-00)
| Course Conclusion | ||
| Readings: | Herson and Bolland, Chapter 18. | |
FRIDAY (8-18-00)
Final Examination