POLISCI 335W : Urban Politics

For the first time in history, more people live in cities than in rural areas. Cities are the epicenter of many great things, such as entertainment, the arts, parks and recreation, museums, medical care, and employment. They also have more than their fair share of problems, such as crime, poverty, racism, and homelessness. This course examines theories about who governs cities and why and how cities are governed. The course focuses upon the policies that address urban problems. It pays special attention to political institutions, machine politics, informal actors who influence politics, the role of the national and state governments in city politics, and the politics of racial and ethnic minorities in cities. Power, race, and participation are three dominant themes that run throughout this class. Through this course, students will also better understand how culture, demographics, and politics affect California cities. They will devise solutions to major problems in one of the state’s urban areas. Even though this course focuses upon American cities, the lessons learned in it allow students to understand and examine cities throughout the world.

This course satisfies the advanced writing skills course requirement.