Message from Dr. Gordon To help you think about the theoretical and academic approaches to studying intergovernmental relations, consider the following:
Ways of Characterizing Theories
1. Interaction among levels of government—responsibilities, authority, applicability
2. Who are dominant actors?
3. What motivated them?
4. What is the role of citizen power?
5. What are the outcomes of the relationships?
What do people interested in intergovernmental relations study?
Deil Wright suggests that they study-
1. Number of and types of governmental units—legal status, changes over time
2. Number and types of public officials by jurisdictions—background, training, roles of actors
3. Patterns of interactions among officials—at different levels and at same levels of government
4. Range of involvement by various actors
5. Policies and programs implemented through intergovernmental arrangements
What are some examples of Public Interest Groups (PIGs)? You might want to check some of these out on the internet.
National Conference of State Legislatures National Governors’ Association National League of Cities National Association of Counties Council of State Governments International City/County Management Association
Read the assigned chapters—Meek and Thurmaier. After you read the assigned chapters, are you left with any burning questions? Was something you read very murky and needed further explanation? Was something you read very clear?
Assignment: Answer these questions. Submit via email or via blackboard. Write a short essay answer (in paragraph form) for each review question as indicated. Some of your answers will be fairly brief, while others will require a couple of pages.