The American states make up an interesting and crucial component of
the American federal system.  While most of the focus is on
Washington D.C., the states are policy leaders on many domestic
issues including education, criminal justice, and economic
development.  Furthermore, the fifty states offer an intriguing
comparison on different methods to govern within the same political
system.  These “laboratories of democracy” allow us study and learn
about ongoing “natural experiments” in understanding and applying
theories of politics and policies. This course will cover three main
components of state politics.  We will start by examining the general
nature of state politics with an emphasis on political culture and
elections, and then turn towards institutions within the states.
Finally, we will focus on state policymaking.