Discussion Question

 

After week 3-4 readings and assignments, you should be able to discuss the following:

“American Federalism was born in ambiguity, it institutionalizes ambiguity in its forms of government, and changes in it tend to be ambiguous too”

Discuss.

Please use the following textbook as reference:

  Stephens, Ross G., and Nelson Wikstrom. 2007. American Intergovernmental Relations: A Fragmented Federal Polity. Oxford University Press (ISBN: 978-0-19-517202-7).    

Week 3

Stephens and Wikstrom, Ch. 2, (23-44)

Wright, “Models of national, State, and Local Relationships” (O’Toole, Ch. 2)

Week 4

Stephens and Wikstrom, Ch. 3, (45-75)

Commisa, “Governments as Interest Groups” (O’Toole, Ch. 9)

Bowman, “Trends and Issues in Interstate Cooperation” (O’Toole, Ch.10)