Policy Making in the State, Regional and Local Environments

Professor: Sonenshein
Units: 0.5
Elective Course (Fulfills a requirement in the Community-Partnered Policy and Action stream)
Concentration: Social and Behavioral Science

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Students in the Community-partnered Policy and Action stream should know how local government works in different jurisdictions. For example, the structure and powers of local governments in Pennsylvania are very different from those in California.

This 10-week course covers a range of topics essential for those working on the ground including:

• The range of state and local government structures;
• Introduction to municipal finance and budgeting—how local governments get money (muni bonds v. borrowing);
• Working with non-governmental actors;
• How national policy is implemented at the local level;
• How urban infrastructure influences development, and vice versa; and
• Introduction to land use