KENDRA BISCHOFF PhD Candidate in Sociology	Stanford University 450 Serra Mall, Building 120 Stanford, CA 94305-2047 kendrab1 (at) Stanford (dot) edu
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Instructor
Urbanst 111/Polisci 121/Soc 149X/Soc 249X: Urban Politics Autumn 2007
This course is an introduction to urban politics in the United States. It is designed to familiarize students with the principal actors, institutions, and policies of sub-state government in the United States. Throughout the course we will focus on the issues currently facing American cities and discuss how those issues have developed and how they have been addressed. Many of the political challenges faced by urban governments relate to two major characteristics of cities. First, unlike federal and state governments, municipal governments lack much of the formal authority necessary to resolve issues that arise within their borders, leaving economic growth and development – one area over which cities possess effective policy instruments – as the primary focus of metropolitan public policy. Second, residents of metropolitan areas in the United States are highly heterogeneous in terms of ethnicity, race, and class. Historically, this fact has influenced nearly every aspect of urban politics and continues to play a significant role today. In the first half of the class we will learn about the heritage of municipal government in the U.S., the development of their responsibilities, and the role of federal and state governments in municipal affairs. The second half of the course will cover policy challenges that reflect the prominent influence of economic development and residential demography in urban politics. Among the topics to be covered are growth and development, political machines, inequality and segregation, regionalism, suburbanization, housing, schools as urban institutions, and the new politics of exclusionism and security. Course Syllabus
Teaching Assistant
Soc 200: Senior Seminar for Sociology Majors Spring 2007 Instructor: Brian Colwell
Soc 202: Preparation for Honors Thesis in Sociology and Urban Studies Winter 2007 Professor: Doug McAdam
Soc 1: Introduction to Sociology Fall 2006 Professor: Doug McAdam
Other Teaching Positions
I am a tutor for the Oral Communication Program at the Center for Teaching and Learning at Stanford University. As an Oral Communication Tutor, I help undergraduate and graduate students prepare for presentations and improve their public speaking skills more generally. Fall 2007-Present