The Law of State & Local Government
State and local governments possess broad authority to regulate American social, political, and economic life. Throughout American history most public law has been generated by state and local governments, forming the basis of what historians have called the well-regulated society. From the public schools, incarceration, and public safety to the provision of clean water, traffic laws, and the maintenance of streets and roads to zoning and planning, state and local governments are important, if often overlooked, institutions in American public life. This course will focus on that wide-ranging and largely undefined source of authority known as the police power. Using the new" police science to guide our discussions, we will explore the nature and limits of the police power at the state and local levels, its relationship to law, and the role that law and police play in the regulation of American life. There is no casebook for this course. Grading will be based on a take-home final, a small group project, and class participation.
Please note that course organization and content may vary substantially from semester to semester and descriptions are not necessarily professor specific. Please contact the instructor directly if you have particular course-related questions.
Sections/Instructors
Roman J. Hoyos
The Law of State & Local Government 229.01
Fall 2009
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