POLS 5240 - American Federalism and Public Policy

• Students will be able to critically state, describe, and consider a federalism issue or problem.
• Students will be able to use information from the multidisciplinary federalism and public policy literature with enough interpretation/evaluation to develop a comprehensive analysis or synthesis of a policy problem.
• Students will be able to systematically and methodically analyze assumptions about federalism as they have evolved over time and carefully evaluate the relevance of political/policy, social, and economic contexts when presenting a position.
• Students will be able to state a specific position on the relationship between understandings of federalism and the development of specific kinds of policies at the state and national levels that is thoughtful, complex, and acknowledges limitations.
• Students will be able to state conclusions and related outcomes (consequences and implications) of the different forms US federalism takes logically and in priority order.
• Students will be able to connect relevant academic knowledge to their personal experiences such as where they grew up (place) and their views on social policy.
• Students will be able to connect across disciplines and perspectives to enhance their critical analysis of federalism models and theories.
• Students will be able to adapt and apply skills, abilities, theory, or methodologies gained from one perspective on federalism to evolving forms of federalism and public policy.
• Students will be able to carry out written and oral presentations on federalism using a format, language, or visual representation in ways that enhance meaning.
• Students will be able to demonstrate a developing sense of self as a learner of federalism and public policy and build on prior experience to respond to new and challenging contexts of what it means to be a citizen in the contemporary polity.
• Students will be able to relate debates about federalism to larger debates in American politics.