American Federalism in Action: Cooperation, Conflict, and Crisis

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The course will address the points of cooperation and conflict between the U.S.'s multiple and fragmented units of government, with an emphasis not just on the formal legal relationship, but on the political and pragmatic issues that make its public policy so complex.

This course will explore the constitutional foundations and evolution of American federalism. We will look at the complex system of national and subnational government and intergovernmental relations in the U.S. through the lens of contemporary political issues, including the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic and racial protests, criminal justice reform, growing urban-rural divides and disparities, local government issues, and municipal fiscal stress in the post-pandemic economy.

The course will address the points of cooperation and conflict between the U.S.'s multiple and fragmented units of government, with an emphasis not just on the formal legal relationship, but on the political and pragmatic issues that make its public policy so complex. We will also look at how American federalism has fared under the Trump Administration and what to expect next in the future of federal-state relationships.

• Agranoff, Robert. Crossing Boundaries: Intergovernmental Management (2017). Georgetown University Press.

• Agranoff, R. and McGuire, M. (2001). American Federalism and the Search for Models of Management. Public Administration Review, 61: 671-681.

• Beam, Conlan, and Walker (1983). "Federalism: The Challenge of Conflicting Theories and Contemporary Practice," in Political Science: The State of the Discipline, Ada Finifter, ed. Washington, D.C.: American Political Science Association: pp. 247-279.

• Benton, J. E. (2005). An Assessment of Research on American Counties. Public Administration Review 65(4): 462-474.

• Bowling, C. J. et al. (2006). Cracked Ceilings, Firmer Floors, and Weakening Walls: Trends and Patterns in Leading American State Agencies, 1970-2000. Public Administration Review 66(6): 823-836.

• Burgess, M. (2006). Comparative Federalism: Theory and Practice. London: Routledge.

• Conlan, Timothy and Paul Posner, eds. (2009). Intergovernmental Management in the 21st Century. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution.

• Dahl, R.A. (1961). Who governs? New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

• Donahue, J. and Zeckhauser, R. (2013). Collaborative governance: Private roles for public goals in turbulent times. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

• Doonan, M. (2013). American Federalism in Practice. Washington, D.C: Brookings Institution.

• Elazar, D. (1964). “Federal-State Cooperation in the 19th Century United States,” Political Science Quarterly 79: 248-81.

• Faulk, D. & Grassmueck, G. (2012). City-county consolidation and local government expenditures. State and Local Government Review, 44(3), 196-205.

• Kettl, Donald F. 2014. The Transformation of Governance: Public administration or the Twenty-First Century. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

• Matkin, D. S., & Frederickson, H. G. (2009). Metropolitan governance: Institutional roles and interjurisdictional cooperation. Journal of Urban Affairs, 31(1), 45-66.

• Publius – Publius, which is the premier journal of federalism, publishes an Annual Review of Federalism.

• Nelson, Kimberly L. and Carl Stenberg (2018). Managing Local Government. Sage/CQ Press.

• Goelzhauser* and David M. Konisky (2020). The State of American Federalism 2019–2020: Polarized and Punitive Intergovernmental Relations Publius 50(3):311-343.

• Walker, David B. 2000. The Rebirth of Federalism. Chatham House Publishing.

• Greg Zeemering, E. (2012). The problem of democratic anchorage for interlocal agreements. The American Review of Public Administration, 42(1).

• Carl Stenberg and David Hamilton, Intergovernmental Relations in Transition: Reflections and Directions (2018). Routledge.

Knowledge:

• articulate and understand the origins of federalism in the American political system

• trace the evolution of federalism and its periodization in American politics

• identify the forms and function of sub-state (local) government

Skills:

• critically evaluate policymaking and policy implementation in the context of American federalism

• identify and explain contemporary issues of conflict in the modern federal-state-local relationships

• analyze and interpret examples of contemporary legal issues impacted by the complexities of American federalism

• Assess role of state and local governments, special districts, and governmental authorities in intergovernmental relations.

Social Competencies:

• Articulate the importance of local autonomy and the spirit of localism in U.S. society

• Evaluate the role of federalism in fiscal and social inequalities, and policy implementation, including schisms between urban and rural communities

• Appraise future challenges in American federalism.

1. Attendance: 5% Students are expected to attend all class meetings. One absence will be allowed without consequences. Informed classroom participation will be noted in the student’s favor.

2. Class Participation: 20% Yhe instructor will give short assignments for in-class small group discussion or personal reflection/reaction.

3. Mid Term Exam 35%: There will be a mid-term examination (format and content will be discussed in advance in class but is likely to be of an essay variety).

4. Final Exam 40% There will be a cumulative final examination (format and content will likely to be a combination of objective questions, short answer, and essay).