Political Science 390
Legislative Internship

Spring 2000

Mondays, 1:00 - 1:50 p.m.
CB 217
Office Hours : MWF 10:00 - 10:45 a.m., and by special appointment.

Purpose of the Course: This 50-minute seminar is intended to provide an academic framework for the legislative internship program in order to enhance its educational value.

Course Format: We will meet once a week during the semester. We may once or twice have a guest speaker on some aspect of the legislature. During the first few weeks of the course, the emphasis will be on providing substantive information about the Kentucky General Assembly, to prepare you as well as possible to do your job. Most of the reading will be done during that period. We will usually spend some time each week talking about developments in the legislature, in the context of broader legislative studies. Students are encouraged to talk about their experiences and impressions of these developments during the discussion.

Grading

Two-thirds of the grade will be based on a final paper, to be given out on March 27th, and due back on April 10th.

One-third of the grade will be based on contributions to class discussion.

Required Readings

Malcolm E. Jewell and Penny M. Miller, The Kentucky Legislature: Two Decades of Change (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1988).

Penny M. Miller, Kentucky Politics and Government: Do We Stand United? (Lincoln: University Press of Nebraska, 1994).

You should also read the regular press coverage of the legislature, and should use Issues Confronting the 1998 General Assembly as a reference.

See professor's web site for syllabus and links to other relevant web sites:
http://www.uky.edu/AS/PoliSci/Miller/

Students' Responsibilities

On written assignments, students shall not plagiarize or cheat. See Section 3.0, Part II, of the Student Rights and Responsibilities handbook for definitions (page 37). Students shall use non-discriminatory language in written assignments as well as in classroom discussions. See the Writing Center for guidelines.

Required Reading Assignments

I. An Overview of Kentucky Politics and Government (January 24)

Miller, TEXT: Chapter 1 "Character, Divisions, Conflicts, and Change"

Chapter 3 "Kentucky in the Federal System: Dependence and Resistance"

Peirce and Hagstrom, "Kentucky: Diverse, Genteel, and Violent," in The Book of America, pp. 384-99

Michael Barone and Grant Ujifusa, "Kentucky," In The Almanac of American Politics, 1997 (Washington: National Journal, 1997).

Suggested Readings:

John Ed Pearce, Divide and Dissent: Kentucky Politics, 1930-1963 (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1987).

Thomas D. Clark, A History of Kentucky (Lexington: The John Bradford Press, 1960).

Steven Channing, Kentucky: A Bicentennial History (New York: W.W. Norton, 1977).

Lowell H. Harrison, Kentucky's Road to Statehood (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1992).

William S. Ward, A Literary History of Kentucky (Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1988).

Harry M. Caudill, Night Comes to the Cumberlands (Boston: Little, Brown, 1962).

Marion B. Lucas, From Slavery to Segregation, 1760-1891 (Frankfort: Kentucky Historical Society, 1993).

George C. Wright, In Pursuit of Equality, 1890-1980 (Frankfort: Kentucky Historical Society, 1993).

Robert Ireland, Little Kingdoms: The Counties of Kentucky, 1850-1891 (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1977). Allen J. Share, Cities in the Commonwealth: Two Centuries of Urban Life In Kentucky (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1982).

Malcolm E. Jewell and Everett W. Cunningham, Kentucky Politics (Lexington: University of Kentucky Press, 1968).

II. Representing the District (January 31)

Jewell and Miller, TEXT: Chapter 3 "The New Legislators"

Chapter 4 "Representing the District"

Suggested Readings:

Alan Rosenthal, Legislative Life (New York: Harper and Row, 1981).

Richard Fenno, Home Style: House Members in Their Districts (Boston: Little, Brown, 1978).

Malcolm E. Jewell and Samuel C. Patterson, The Legislative Process in the United States, 4th ed. (New York: Random House, 1986).

III. Legislative Structure (February 7)

Jewell and Miller, TEXT: Chapter 5 "The Remodeled Committee System"

Chapter 8 "Leadership and Political Parties"

Miller, TEXT: Chapter 6 "Resurgence of the Kentucky Legislature"

IV. Pressures on the Legislature (February 14)

Jewell and Miller, TEXT: Chapter 9 "The Governor as Legislative Leader"

Chapter 10 "The Legislature as a Broker of Interests"

Miller, TEXT: Chapter 7 "The Governor and the Executive Branch"

Chapter 9 "Political Parties and Interest Groups"

Chapter 10 "Electoral Politics"

Suggested Readings:

LRC, Executive Branch of Kentucky State Government

Governor's Commission on Quality and Efficiency, Wake-up Call for KY

KY Cabinet for Workforce Devp, Kentucky's Workforce: Preparing for 21st Century

Lowell H. Harrison, ed. Kentucky Governors: 1791-1985 (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1985).

Alan Rosenthal, Governors and Legislatures: Contending Powers (Washington: Congressional Quarterly Press, 1990).

Thad L. Beyle, ed. Governors and Hard Times (Washington: Congressional Quarterly Press, 1992).

John Ed Pearce, Divide and Dissent: Kentucky Politics, 1930-1963.

Malcolm E. Jewell and Penny M. Miller, "Interest Groups in Kentucky: Adapting to the Independent Legislature," in Ronald J. Hrebrenar and Clive S. Thomas, eds., Interest Group Politics in the Southern States (Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1992).

Larry J. Sabato ed. Campaigns and Elections (Glenview, Ill.: Scott, Foresman/Little, Brown, 1989).

Frank J. Sorauf, Inside Campaign Finance: Myths and Realities (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1992).

V. The Policymaking Process (February 21)

Miller, TEXT: Chapter 12 "Contemporary Policy Issues"

Chapter 15 "Continuing Traditions and Fundamental

Challenges"

LRC, Issues Confronting 1998 General Assembly

LRC, Bill Drafting Manual

Suggested Readings:

LRC, Federal Acid Rain Legislation: Its Effect on Kentucky, 1992.

Environmental Quality Commission, State of Kentucky's Environment: A Report of Progress and Problems, 1992.

Courier-Journal series, "In the Dumps -- Kentucky Grapples with the Garbage Crisis, January 1991.

Courier-Journal series, "Is Coal All There Is?," November 1989.

LRC, A Guide to the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990

Miller, TEXT: Chapter 12 "Contemporary Policy Issues" Lexington Herald Leader series, "Cheating Our Children," November-December 1989

Courier-Journal series, "Kentucky Schools at a Crossroads," August-December, 1989 Betty Steffy, The Kentucky Education Reform: Lessons from America (Lancaster, PA.: Technomic Publishing, 1993).

Robert B. Albritton, "Social Services: Welfare and Health," in Gray, Jacob, and Albritton, Politics in the American States, 5th ed. (Glenview: Scott, Foresman/Little, Brown, 1990).

Lexington Herald-Leader series, "Code Blue: Crisis in Kentucky Health Care, April-May 1993.

VI. The Budgetary Process (February 28)

Jewell and Miller, TEXT, Chapter 6 "Legislative Budgetary Review"

Miller, TEXT: Chapter 11 "Taxing and Spending, Kentucky-Style"

Suggested Readings:

Merl Hackbart, "Kentucky Budgeting in Transition: Adjustments and Innovations," in Ed Clynch and Thomas Lauth, eds., Budgeting in the American States (New York: Greenwood Press, 1988).

Susan B. Hansen, "The Politics of State Taxing and Spending," in Gray, Jacob, and Albritton, Politics in the American States, 5th ed. (Glenview: Scott, Foresman/Little, Brown, 1990).

VII. Legislative Oversight (March 6)

Jewell and Miller, TEXT: Chapter 7 "Legislative Oversight"

Miller, TEXT: Chapter 6 "Resurgence of the Kentucky Legislature"

*** There is no class on March 13, during UK's springbreak; however, you will be expected to assist your legislator during the vacation.

VIII. Legislative Change (March 20)

Jewell and Miller, TEXT, Chapter 1 "Studying Legislative Change"

Chapter 11 "Causes and Consequences of Change"

IX. Legislative Elections (March 27)

Jewell and Miller,TEXT: Chapter 2 "Getting Elected to the Kentucky Legislature"

Miller, TEXT: Chapter 6 "Resurgence of the Kentucky Legislature"

Chapter 10 "Electoral Politics"

***Final Paper Assignment Will Be Distributed In Class on March 30, 1998.***

X. Local Government in Kentucky (April 3)

Miller, TEXT: Chapter 13 "Local Government: the Centrifugal Forces"

Chapter 14 "Local Government: the Centripetal Forces"

Suggested Readings:

LRC, Duties of Elected County Officials

LRC, Kentucky Municipal Statutory Law

LRC, County Government in Kentucky

Donald F. Harker and Elizabeth Ungar Natter, Beyond Voting: A Citizen's Guide to Participating in Local Government (Berea: Mountain Association for Community Economic Development, 1991).

KY League of Cities, State of the Cities 1993, 1993.

W.E. Lyons, The Politics of City-County Merger (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1977).

XI. Future Policy Challenges (April 10)

Miller, TEXT: Chapter 15 "Continuing Traditions and Fundamental Challenges"

 

***MARCH 27-APRIL 10 -- PREPARATION OF FINAL PAPER***

PAPER IS DUE ON MONDAY, APRIL 10TH


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