POL 200 - Bottom Up Democracy: Organizing in Local and State Politics (SYS) (1)

Despite the fact that most Americans pay attention primarily to national politics, only 0.1% of that 500,000 elected officials in the US are part of the federal government; over 3% of those elected officials are state level offices, and an astounding 96% are local officials that control towns, cities, counties, and school districts. Local and state politics shape our lives in countless ways, including how and when we vote. The fabric of American democracy is largely woven by lower levels of government - often referred to as “laboratories of democracy.” They are also where individual citizens can accumulate and wield the greatest amount of influence. This course will begin by asking how well states and localities do in preserving democracy: are they laboratories of democracy, or of democratic backsliding? Then, the course will turn to understanding how citizens can reinforce democracy at the state and local level through political organizing. Students will learn the practical in and outs of organizing at the state and local levels, how to overcome the low information environment of state and local politics, and what types of policies (including civic education) foster higher participation. Only open to sophomores.
(Sophomore Year Seminar (SYS)) (Social Science)