Political Science 4603 (27897): Intergovernmental Relations

Prequisite: Junior Standing

Syllabus for Spring 2006: Wednesdays, 7:30-10:15 p.m.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:

Dr. Brett S. Sharp, Associate Professor, has been a practicing public administrator in state and local government for over fourteen years. He earned his Ph.D. in Political Science with emphases in American government, public administration, and public policy as well as a Master of Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma. He also received a Bachelor of Science in Political Science/Public Affairs with a minor in Religious Studies from Oklahoma State University. His current research focuses on administrative reform, the role of faith-based organizations in social welfare policy, public sector human resources management, ethics in public service, and testing in academia. Dr. Sharp has won numerous awards for teaching and scholarship.

            Contact Hours: Mon/Wed 3:15-4:15 PM and Wed 7:00-7:30 PM (and by appointment)

            Office:            Liberal Arts Bldg 102-J (in Political Science suite)               Email: bsharp@ucok.edu

            Telephone:       (405) 974-5526 (with voice mail)                                      Fax:    (405) 974-3823

            Web Site:         http://www.libarts.ucok.edu/political/faculty/sharp              Classroom: LAR 120

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course explores the relationships among federal, state, metropolitan, tribal, and local units of government. Current trends, issues, judicial interpretations, and administrative actions involving intergovernmental relations (IGR) are emphasized. In addition, this course will examine competing rationales for determining which level of government is most properly suited for generating revenue and implementing public policy. We will study the evolving interdependent nature of various governmental units as distinct members of the larger political system and review the constitutional background that provides the basic framework of federalism.

TEACHING METHODS/LEARNING EXPERIENCES:

Classroom questions and discussion are strongly encouraged. Students will attend lectures which will orient them to basic concepts and information concerning the political theory and practice of intergovernmental relations. Students are responsible through self-study and reading assignments to learn relevant concepts and applications. Each student will also write and present article reviews over contemporary IGR issues and write a research paper on an IGR topic. The student is responsible for retaining backup copies of all homework assignments turned in. The student should also be aware that some flexibility is retained in the syllabus to accommodate invited speakers and other learning opportunities. Students should also regularly check the professor’s web site for class announcements.

TEXTS

O’Toole, Jr., Laurence J. (Ed.). (2000). American Intergovernmental Relations (3rd Ed.). Washington, DC: CQ Press. [Required]

Scott, Gregory M. & Garrison, Stephen M. (2006). The Political Science Student Writer’s Manual (5th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. [Recommended]

Course Schedule - Spring 2006

EVALUATION METHODS AND GRADING

            Instructor will determine course grades                             Grading components include:

            using the following scale:                                                                 Class Participation                         10%

                            90 -100        =         A                                                         Article Review                               10%

                            80 - 89        =         B                                                         Research Paper                               25%

                            70 - 79        =         C                                                         Mid-Term Exam                            25%

                            60 - 69        =         D                                                         Final Exam                                     30%

                              0 - 59        =         F

CLASS ATTENDANCE & PARTICIPATION

Attendance has its privileges. Class attendance is an important part of succeeding in this class and is expected of all students. Class time provides an opportunity for you to ask questions, clarify issues, and deepen your understanding of the concepts covered in the text. If you are absent, you are responsible for getting any notes, assignments, and schedule changes made on that day. If you come in late, you are responsible for seeing that the attendance record is correct. Class attendance may affect marginal grades. Above and beyond the expected class attendance, students are required to complete the readings as assigned (see course schedule) prior to the beginning of the class period. Demonstrated mastery of the assigned readings through class discussion is necessary to earn full participation points.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ARTICLE REVIEW AND PRESENTATION

Each student will select an article to review and present in class. The article should be selected from a recent national newspaper, public affairs periodical, or journal. Each student should make enough copies of their article to share with the rest of the class. The article should be related to any topic involving IGR and will be presented to the rest of the class according to the schedule as arranged with the instructor. Prepare a 2-3 page written summary and analysis of the contents for each article and include 2-3 questions to be posed to the rest of the class in order to stimulate class discussion (Graduate Students will prepare a 3-5 page written summary and anaysis).

REQUIREMENTS FOR RESEARCH PAPER

Each student will write an 18-20 page, double-spaced paper for this course. You will choose as your topic some issue that directly relates to federalism or intergovernmental relations. While you must cite sufficient references to make your paper convincing, this assignment requires a minimum of seven references of which at least four (4) must come from refereed journals. Students should follow the Chicago/Turabian style convention such as outlined in the recommended textbook by Scott and Garrison, The Political Science Student Writer’s Manual. A rough draft of the paper is due Wednesday, March 29. Papers will be graded on topic selection, format, grammar, style convention, content delivery, analysis, and research quality. Please refer to the discussion of plagiarism in the Academic Integrity Statement attached to the syllabus as well as the relevant pages in The Political Science Student Writers Manual.

EXAMINATIONS

There will be two exams during the semester. Both exams will be comprised of essay, short answer, and/or multiple choice questions. The final exam will be comprehensive. Make up examinations will not be offered except for documented emergencies. Even then, an alternate form of the examination will likely be substituted. In case of school cancellation due to weather or other reasons during the scheduled time for the final exam, university policy will be followed in the assigning of grades, which in the past has included the professor’s best judgment to what the student has earned up until that point. Therefore, it is in your best interest not to depend upon the final exam to make up for previously poor grades.

ACADEMIC HONESTY

Cheating = Failure (please refer to the Academic Integrity Statement below and the Student Information Sheet and Syllabus Attachment). Cheating is unacceptable conduct and will result in an automatic grade of “F” for the course, and be reported to Academic Affairs. Students are required to do all of the work for this class on their own. Copying answers to exercises or examinations from anyone constitutes cheating. Allowing another student to copy one’s answers will be treated as cheating. Consulting with instructor about assignment does not constitute cheating and is encouraged.

The Political Science Department of the University of Central Oklahoma is asking all students taking political science courses to read the following Academic Integrity Statement. Our purpose in doing so is to ensure that all our students are aware of what is improper academic behavior.

Academic Integrity Statement

As members of the academic community, students are expected to recognize and uphold standards of intellectual and academic integrity. The Political Science Department expects that its students will conduct themselves honestly. This means, above all, that students submit for credit work that is the product of their own efforts. Principles of academic integrity require that all dishonest work be rejected as a basis for academic credit, and that students refrain from any and all forms of dishonorable conduct in the course of their academic work. The examples and definitions given below are intended to clarify the standards by which academic honesty and integrity is judged. The list is merely illustrative of some of the more common infractions. It is not intended to be exhaustive. Any question a student has about what constitutes inappropriate behavior should be directed towards their instructor. The rule of thumb to follow is: If in doubt, ASK!

Definitions and Examples

Plagiarism - Plagiarism is presenting another person’s work as one’s own. Plagiarism includes not only the exact use of another’s words, word for word, but also the paraphrasing or summarizing of the works of another person without acknowledgment, including the submitting of another student’s work as one’s own. The student is responsible for understanding the legitimate use of sources, the appropriate ways of acknowledging academic, scholarly, or creative indebtedness, and the consequences of violating this responsibility. In case of doubt, give a citation of the author you are using. Failure to indicate the extent and nature of one's reliance on other sources is plagiarism. A plagiarized paper will result in a failing grade on the work in question, and perhaps, for the entire course.

Cheating on Examinations - Cheating on examinations involves giving or receiving unauthorized help before, during, or after an examination. Examples of unauthorized help include the use of notes, texts, or “crib sheets” during an examination (unless receiving instructor approval), or sharing information with another student either during or after an examination.

Falsification - It is a violation of academic honesty to misrepresent material or to fabricate information in an academic exercise or assignment (e.g. false or misleading citation of sources, the falsification of the results of experiments or of computer data).

Multiple Submissions - It is a violation of academic honesty to submit substantial portions of the same work for credit more than once without the explicit consent of the instructor to whom the material is being submitted the second time.

Article Presentation Schedule

REQUIREMENTS FOR BOOK REVIEW

Write a 4-5 page, double-spaced typewritten report over a book as arranged with the instructor. Your report should be in the form of an essay which includes a concise summary and more extensive analysis of the book. As part of your analysis, answer the following questions within the text of your report:

                        1.         What is the purpose of this book and its central thesis (philosophy or perspective)?

                        2.         Does the book achieve its goals?

                        3.         What is the method or approach used by the author to reach his conclusions?

                        4.         Are the conclusions credible?

                        5.         What specific issues of federalism and intergovernmental relations does the book address?

                        6.         What are the implications for the study of intergovernmental relations?

                        7.         What are the primary strengths and weaknesses of the book?

                        8.         Would you recommend this book to someone interested in intergovernmental relations? Why or why not?

Graduate students will also give an in-class presentation of their selected book. The instructor will communicate further expectations on this assignment prior to its due date.