Hamiltonia - A State and Local Government Simulation

Students in state and local politics courses frequently have low levels of prior knowledge about the topic and even lower levels of engagement. Hamiltonia: A State Government Simulation promotes experiential and active learning by boosting engagement and making the content memorable and meaningful. By putting themselves in the driver's seat of creating state and local government institutions, students understand how variations in the rules of the game drastically affect the outcome in state politics and the policy areas they care about, like education, criminal justice, health care, and the environment.
This new text and simulation provide a full grounding in the basics of state and local government while also giving students an opportunity to apply what they have learned by building their own fictional fifty-first state from the ground up. Students will write a state constitution that gives shape to the institutions and rules, then engage directly with what they built - participating in an election, addressing pressing policy issues, and experiencing the challenges and opportunities of state-level political leaders. Hamiltonia brings political science concepts alive, provides the context for students to more fully understand state and local politics and feel more empowered to influence politics and policy where they live.
Features of this exciting book include:
·An out of the box, class-tested simulation, ready to use in multiple settings and in a full range of course sizes
·A full package of instructor resources available at rowman.com, including an instructor manual, lecture slides, a test bank, and downloadable support materials for the simulation
·Pedagogical aids like learning objectives, key terms, and suggested discussion questions to ensure students understand the basics before they jump into the simulation
·Policy chapters on education, criminal justice, environment, and health to show the real-world implications of state and local government institutions and processes

List of contents

List of Figures and Tables
Preface
Chapter 1: Welcome to Hamiltonia!
State Spotlight: Tennessee
The Importance of State and Local Governments
Institutional Organization of State Governments
Diversity among States
Introducing Hamiltonia: The 51st State of the United States
The Politics of Hamiltonia
Looking Forward
Chapter 2: Creating a Constitution
State Spotlight: Louisiana
State Constitutions: What They Say and How They Say It
Simulation
Amending Constitutions
Balanced Budgets and Tax and Expenditure Limits
Direct Democracy Mechanisms
Recalling Elected Officials
Looking Forward
Chapter 3: Local Governments and Intergovernmental Relations
State Spotlight: Texas
The Work of State and Local Governments
Simulation
The Relationship between State and Local Governments
The Types of Local Governments
General Purpose Governments
Special Purpose Governments
Looking Forward
Chapter 4: Constructing a Legislature
State Spotlight: Illinois
Overview of State Legislatures
Diversity in the Legislature
Legislative Professionalism
Other Institutional Features
The Legislative Process
Simulation
Partisanship and Number of Chambers
Size of the Legislature and Eligibility Requirements
Legislative Professionalism
Legislative Powers: Overriding the Governor's Veto and Oversight
Legislative Leadership
Legislative Districts
Looking Forward
Chapter 5: Generating the Governor's Office
State Spotlight: Alaska
Overview of Governors
Diversity in the Governor's Office
Simulation
The Details of the Governor's Office
Term Lengths and Limits
Gubernatorial Line of Succession
Gubernatorial Powers
Executive Orders
Lieutenant Governor
Looking Forward
Chapter 6: Building the Bureaucracy
State Spotlight: Georgia
The Big Three: Attorney General, Secretary of State, and State Treasurer
Secretaries and Commissioners of Various Departments in State Government
Diversity in the Bureaucracy
Simulation
Bureaucratic Departments and Leadership
Creating New Departments
Selection Process of Bureaucratic Leaders
Qualifications for Bureaucratic Leaders
Term Limits and Lengths
Duties of Secretary of State, Attorney General, and State Treasurer
Formal Cabinet
Looking Forward
Chapter 7: Creating the Courts
State Spotlight: South Carolina
Overview of State Courts
Diversity on the Bench
Simulation
Levels of State Court Systems
Judicial Selection Methods
Judicial Qualifications
Judicial Tenure and Terms
Chief Justice of State Courts of Last Resort
State Courts of Last Resort
State Trial Courts
Looking Forward
Chapter 8: Seeking Political Office and Setting a Policy Agenda at the State Level
State Spotlight: New Hampshire
Running for Office at the State Level
State Campaign Finance
Role of the Media
Simulation
Running for Office in Hamiltonia
Getting Appointed in Hamiltonia
State Legislature Elections
Policy Agenda
Education
Criminal Justice
Environment
Health
Looking Forward
Chapter 9: The Budget
State Spotlight: Florida
Simulation
Revenues
Income Taxes
Sales Tax
Sin Taxes
Property Taxes
Corporate Taxes and Charges and Fees
Expenditures
Health and Public Welfare
Education
Highways and Roads
Criminal Justice
Looking Forward
Chapter 10: Education Policy
State Spotlight: Massachusetts
Local Spotlight
Simulation
Pre-K Policy
Background
Eligibility
Finances
Quality
Higher Education State Scholarship Programs
Background
Eligibility
Award Size
Funding
Looking Forward
Chapter 11: Criminal Justice Policy
State Spotlight: New Jersey
Simulation
Cash Bail Reform
Hamiltonia
Background of Bail
Local Spotlight
Restoration of Voting Rights
Hamiltonia
Background
Looking Forward
Chapter 12: Environmental Policy
State Spotlight: California
Simulation
Renewable Portfolio Standards
Energy Usage in Hamiltonia
Water Quality
Local Spotlight
Looking Forward
Chapter 13: Health Care Policy
State Spotlight: Ohio
Simulation
Medicaid and SCHIP expansion
Background on Medicaid
Enrollment
Services
Costs
Opioid Epidemic
Background
State Approaches
Prescription Drug Monitoring
Treatment Approaches
Harm Reduction
Local Spotlight
Looking Forward
Chapter 14: Reacting to Public Policy
State Spotlight: Pennsylvania
Media and State and Local Government
Media Effects
Forms of Media
Media in Hamiltonia
Interest Groups at the State and Local Levels
Interest Groups in Hamiltonia
Simulation
Becoming Part of Hamiltonia's News Media
Becoming Hamiltonia's Interest Groups
Looking Back

About the author

Kaitlin N. Sidorsky is Associate Professor of Political Science at Ramapo College of New Jersey. She specializes in domestic violence policy and laws, state government, and women in appointed roles. Sidorsky is the author of All Roads Lead to Power: The Appointed and Elected Paths to Public Office for U.S. Women and co-author of Inequality Across State Lines: How Policymakers Have Failed Domestic Violence Victims in the United States. She has been teaching with simulations her entire career. Kelly B. Smith is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Stetson University. She specializes in the relationship among state legislative politics, bureaucratic politics, and democratic governance. Her current work examines the ways in which bureaucratic networks facilitate policy learning among bureaucrats and legislators during the diffusion of policy and its consequences for states as laboratories of democracy. She, too, has been teaching with simulations in her state politics course for years.

Product details

• Authors: Kaitlin N. Sidorsky, Kaitlin N. Smith Sidorsky, Kaitlin N./ Smith Sidorsky, Kelly B. Smith
• Publisher: Rowman and Littlefield
• Languages: English
• Age Recommendation: ages 18 to 22
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 03.09.2024
• EAN: 9781538192498
• ISBN: 978-1-5381-9249-8
• No. of pages: 376
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; USA, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / General, POLITICAL SCIENCE / American Government / General, POLITICAL SCIENCE / American Government / Local, POLITICAL SCIENCE / American Government / State, United States of America, USA, Central / national / federal government policies, Municipal / city government, Central government policies, Regional, state and other local government, Regional government