Course examines legal and political forces that affect public land policy in the United States, offering an in-depth analysis of environmental regulations such as the Wilderness Act of 1964, Endangered Species Act, and National Environmental Protection Act. It will also incorporate the role of science in policy formation and implementation.
Athena Title
Law Politics of Public Land
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in POLS 4705H
Prerequisite
POLS 1101 or POLS 1101E or POLS 1101H or POLS 1101S
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
Students will identify and summarize the statutory and constitutional law relevant to public land regulation in the United States.
Students will understand the connection between environmental policy and public land regulation in the United States.
Students will understand the political forces that have shaped public land policy in the United States over time.
Students will understand the political and cultural forces that have shaped environmental regulations in the United States over time.
Students will analyze the history of environmental problems and how these have shaped public land policy in the United States.
Students will investigate the role of relevant policies (NEPA, ESA, Wilderness Act) on U.S. public land and environmental regulation.
Students will evaluate and respond to research and policy arguments regarding the climate change problem.
Topical Outline
Topic 1 - Introduction and History of Public Lands
Topic 2 - Constitutional Foundations
Topic 3 - Wilderness Act of 1964
Topic 4 - National Environmental Protection Act
Topic 5 - Endangered Species Act
Topic 6 - Role of Congress, the President, and the Courts in Land and Environmental Policy
Topic 7 - Interest Groups and Impact on Land and Environmental Policy
Topic 8 - Role of Public Opinion and Political Parties on Environmental Policy
Topic 9 - National Forests
Topic 10 - BLM Land
Topic 11 - National Parks and Monuments
Topic 12 - National Wilderness
Topic 13 - Mining and Energy
Topic 14 - Wildlife and Ecosystem Management
Institutional Competencies
Social Awareness & Responsibility
The capacity to understand the interdependence of people, communities, and self in a global society.
