Course | Columbia Law School

In the United States, states and local governments enjoy substantial law-making and regulatory authority, bear significant responsibility for the financing and provision of most domestic public goods and services, and are key sites for political participation. This course considers the constitutional status of states and local governments and the legal rules that structure their powers and obligations. Specific topics include: voting rights at the local level, local government formation and boundary change, state-local relations and local home rule, interlocal conflicts, school finance reform, regional governance, state and local finance, and federalism. The course will give particular attention to both federal and state constitutional issues.