University at Albany, State University of New York

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1 University at Albany, State University of New York RPOS 325 (3838) and RPUB 325 (3996): The Government and Politics of New York State. Fall 2012, Thursday, 5:45 pm to 8:35 pm, Business Administration Building, Room 130. Frank J. Mauro, Public Service Professor and Adjunct Lecturer. If you have any questions or want to schedule a time to talk, contact me by at fjmauro@albany.edu or by phone at I. Course Overview. This course is designed to provide an introduction to the institutions and processes through which the people of New York State govern themselves. The major topics to be covered include: --New York State's role in the American federal system and in national politics; the constitutional (both federal and state) framework within which New York governmental and political institutions operate --the types of local governmental institutions that exist in New York State, their historical evolution, and the responsibilities and powers that have been delegated to them by constitution and statute --the evolution and current workings of New York s unusual multi-party; the roles of the state s major and minor political parties; and, the voting behavior and political preferences of the people of New York State's major regions --the structure and roles of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the New York State government, and the relationships that exist among these branches and their major component institutions, II. Course Objectives. The instructor's objectives are for each participating student to (1) develop a thorough understanding of the political and governmental institutions and processes through which New Yorkers govern themselves, (2) become familiar with the major sources of data and other information that are available regarding those institutions and processes, and (3) increase his or her ability to place current developments involving those institutions and properties in theoretical, legal and historical context. III. Course Meetings. RPOS 325/RPUB 325 will meet on Thursday evenings from 5:45 pm to 8:35 pm. Course meetings will be in Room 130 of the Business Administration Building on each Thursday evening 1

2 during the Fall 2011 semester except for November 22, The final examination will be from 5:45 pm to 7:45 pm on Thursday, December 13, 2012 in Room 130 of the Business Administration Building. IV. Readings A. The primary textbook for the course is: Zimmerman, Joseph F., The Government and Politics of New York State, Second Edition, State University of New York Press, 2008, ISBN: Copies of this book are available for purchase at (1) the University Bookstore on the Uptown Campus; and (2) Mary Jane Books at 215 Western Avenue near the Downtown Campus. B. Pecorella, Robert F., and Jeffrey M, Stonecash, Governing New York State, 5th Edition, State University of New York Press, An electronic version of this book is available via the website of the University Library. Electronic access requires registration, so take the time to register as soon as possible. C. New York State Constitution. The complete text of the New York Constitution is available via the website of the NYS Department of State at UAlbany students also have access to annotated versions of the State Constitution via the LexisNexis Academic and Westlaw Campus databases available in the databases section of the University Library s website. D. Galie, Peter J., The New York State Constitution: A Reference Guide, Greenwood Press, An electronic version of this book is available via the website of the University Library. E. The United States Constitution. F. Timmons v. Twin Cities Area New Party, 55 U.S. 351 (1997). In addition to the main decision written by Justice Rehnquist, also read the dissents by Justice Stevens and Justice Souter. G. The website of the NYS Board of Elections has New York State s official "Political Calendar and other useful and relevant information. Please become familiar with the information available on this website as early in the semester as possible. H. Eric Lane, Albany s Travesty of Democracy, City Journal. 2

3 I. A daily newspaper (of your choice) that covers New York State government and politics. For example, or J. Other materials distributed by the instructor in class or via . V. Course Requirements A. Completion of all required readings prior to the class at which those materials are scheduled for discussion. B. Regular monitoring of a daily newspaper (of your choice) that covers New York State government and politics on a regular basis; and completion of newspaper article assignments described in Appendix A to this syllabus. C. Attendance at all course meetings and contribution to class discussions on the basis of the required readings and assignments. D. Completion of the examinations to be given during the October 4th and November 8th class periods. Each of these exams will cover the reading assignments for the four class meetings preceding the date of the exam. The first exam will also cover the information, concepts and materials presented in class by the instructor during the five class meetings preceding the date of the exam. The second exam will also cover the information, concepts and materials presented in class by the instructor during the four class meetings preceding the date of the exam. E. Completion of the final examination to be given in the regular classroom at 5:45 pm on Thursday, December 13. This exam will cover the reading assignments and class discussions for the entire semester. 3

4 VI. Grading Attendance and participation Newspaper assignments Exam #1 October 4th Exam #2 November 8th Final Exam December 13th 10 points 15 points 25 points 25 points 25 points VII. Schedule of Topics for Reading and Class Discussion August 30. Overview of course. Overview of New York s political system. Overview of New York s governmental system. Distinctive aspects of New York State's political system: (1) New York's "strong executive" form of government; (2) New York's unusual multi-party electoral system; (3) New York s strong leader and strong party discipline legislative system; (4) Upstate/Downstate divisions in New York State politics; and (5) New York s heavy reliance on local governments to deliver and finance public services. September 6. The role of the states in the federal system. The nature and roles of the federal and state constitutions. Dual sovereignty. Federal supremacy. The Police Power. Dillon's rule. Federal-state relations. The impact of the US Constitution and federal statutes on the government and politics of New York State (e.g., the impact of the federal voting rights act on the electoral process in New York State). The role of state constitutions in a federal system. New York's role in national politics and the federal policy process. Relationships between New York and federal officials and institutions. The impact of federal policies (fiscal and otherwise) on New Yorkers and their state and local governments. Read Zimmerman Chapters 1 and 2; and, the United States Constitution. September 13. State-local relations in New York State and the New York State Constitution. New York's state constitution in comparative context. Amending and revising the New York State constitution, including the roles of conventions, commissions and the legislature in this process. Selecting delegates to a constitutional convention. The 4

5 role of the electorate in calling conventions and in adopting (and rejecting) constitutional amendments. The emergence and evolution of home rule in New York State. The state aid /state mandates trade-off. Providing and financing constitutionally required public services (such as elementary and secondary education) through local governments. The local government system in New York State: counties, cities, towns, villages and special districts. Read Zimmerman Chapters 3 and 4; Articles 9 and 19 of the State Constitution; and Galie s commentary on these two articles of the State Constitution. September 20. Political parties and elections. New York's multi-party electoral system. The nomination process including party designating petitions, New York's system of "closed" primary elections, and independent nominating petitions. The Wilson-Pakula law. The "opportunity to ballot" concept. Official political parties. Major parties. Types of minor parties. Fusion and cross-endorsement. The internal structure of political parties in New York State. Election administration in New York State. Discussion of the results of the September 13th Primary Election. Read Zimmerman Chapter 5; Section 1 of Article 1 and Articles 2 and 13 of the State Constitution; Galie s commentary on these provisions of the Constitution; the NYS Board of Elections 2012 Political Calendars; and, the US Supreme Court opinions in the Timmons case. September 27. Continuation of discussion of political parties and elections. October 4. Examination #1 covering (1) the reading assignments for the four preceding class meetings, and (2) the information, concepts and materials presented in class by the instructor during the five preceding class meetings. October 11. The New York State Legislature and the legislative process. The structure and politics of the NYS legislature. The party caucuses as the backbone of the New York legislative system. An unevenly developed committee system. New York legislators as generalists compared to members of Congress as specialists. Redistricting as a key link between the political and governmental processes. Read Article 3 of the State Constitution; Galie s commentary on Article 4; Zimmerman Chapter 6; Pecorella and Stonecash Chapter 8; and Lane. October 18. Continuation of discussion of the NYS Legislature and the legislative process. 5

6 October 25. The Governor and the Executive Branch. New York State's "strong executive" form of government. The Governor as political leader, chief executive officer and chief legislator. Gubernatorial elections. The executive branch, the Executive Department and the Executive Chamber. The state agency structure and the work of state agencies. The civil service system. The rulemaking process and the State Administrative Procedures Act. The organization and operations of public authorities. Read Zimmerman Chapters 7 and 8; Pecorella and Stonecash Chapter 7; Articles 4, 5, and 13 and the first eight sections of Article 7 of the State Constitution; and Galie s commentary on those provisions of the State Constitution. November 1. Continuation of discussion of the Governor and the Executive Branch. November 8. Examination #2 covering (1) the reading assignments for the four preceding class meetings, and (2) the information, concepts and materials presented in class by the instructor during the four preceding class meetings. November 15. The structure and role of the state and federal courts in New York State. Judicial selection in New York State. Read Zimmerman Chapter 9; Pecorella and Stonecash Chapter 9; Article 6 of the State Constitution; and Galie s commentary on Article 6. November 22. Thanksgiving Day, No classes. November 29. Financing the State. The management of the state s finances: budgeting, accounting, financial reporting, auditing. The politics of the budgetary process. The relative powers of the NYS Governor and the NYS Legislature in the budgetary process (compared to the budgetary powers of the US President relative to the US Congress? Read Zimmerman Ch. 10; Article 7 of the State Constitution; and, Galie s commentary on that Article. December 6. Education policy and politics in New York State. Read Pecorella and Stonecash Chapters 12 and 13; Article 11 of the State Constitution; and Galie s commentary on Article 11. December 13. Final Examination covering the reading assignments and class discussions for the entire semester. 6

7 Appendix A: Newspaper Monitoring and Reporting Assignment 1. By September 6, 2012, select a daily newspaper (that regularly covers New York State government and politics) to monitor on a regular basis. 2. For each weekly class meeting, be prepared to discuss in class the major news articles on subjects dealing with New York State government and politics that have appeared in the newspaper of your choice since the last class. 3. During the course of the semester, identify and submit (by ) three timely news articles that deal with one or more of the topics covered by this syllabus together with your own brief cover note identifying and briefly discussing the relevance of that article to one or more topics covered by this syllabus. Submit one such news article and cover note during September; another during October; and the third during November. The news article submitted during each of those three time periods must be an article published by the newspaper of your choice during that time period. The timely submission of each of these articles and cover notes will be worth 5 points toward your final grade. Be sure that the articles that you submit are clearly relevant to a topic or topics covered by this syllabus; and that your cover note is logical and clearly written. The latest submission dates for the three articles and cover notes are, respectively, September 30, October 31, and November 30. For articles and cover notes submitted after those latest submission dates, the maximum number of points will be reduced by 5% per day. 7