Democracy at the Local Level
SLN #: 46907Course Prefix: LAW-691
Course Section: 1001
Credit Hours: 2
Instructor(s): Scharff
Course Books: View List of Books
Course Description:
This course examines local democracy through the law of local government. Rather than treating democracy solely as a matter of participation or political preference, the course focuses on how legal structures—charters, election rules, and doctrines governing local authority—allocate power and shape democratic accountability in cities and counties. Students will study the legal foundations of local governance, including common forms of municipal structure (such as city manager and mayor–council systems), local election law, direct democracy mechanisms, home rule, and state preemption. Throughout the course, students will work closely with local government charters, statutes, and judicial decisions to analyze who has legal authority to act, how that authority is constrained, and how institutional design affects democratic control. The course is writing-intensive and emphasizes doctrinal reasoning and close reading of legal texts. Students will complete a series of short analytical writing assignments focused on authority identification, interpretation of charters and statutes, and application of local government law to concrete problems. The course concludes with a charter-based capstone exercise. There is no final exam.
Additional Information:
Credit Hours: 2
Grading Option: Letter Grade Only
Flexible/Upper-Level Writing Requirement: Yes
Skills Requirement: No
Simulation Course: No
Experiential Learning: No
Seminar: No
Special Withdrawal Course: No
Final Exam Given: No
Attendance Policy: Per Statement Of Student Policies
Teaching Method: In Person
* The law school has a policy that is used to calculate credit hours. Please see the Statement of Student Policies.