Gideon Tucker once quipped that no one’s “life, liberty or property are safe while the legislature is in session."

But don’t worry, since both the Tennessee and Georgia General Assemblies are out of session in October, we’re safe. In this session we’ll cover some of the core functions of state government, how bills become law, the role of state legislatures in shaping federal and state districts, and some of the challenges of intergovernmental relations. Come with questions about the middle-tier of American government, and remember that politics isn’t (always) a dirty word.

To help answer your questions about state government, we’ll cover some of the following:

• Core functions of state legislatures and executives – two outta three branches ain’t bad.
• The legislative process – a Schoolhouse Rock sing-along.
• The redistricting process – drawing shapes your geometry teacher wouldn’t understand.
• State and local government relations – the search for a government-sized “get along” shirt.

This session is non-partisan and is for informational purposes only.

This session is provided by The Chattery, Common House Chattanooga, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Departments of Political Science and Public Service and Mocs Go Vote.

About the teacher:

Dr. Chris Acuff is a UC Foundation Associate Professor of Public Administration in the Department of Political Science and Public Service at UTC. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and a Master of Public Administration from UTC. Before returning to his hometown of Chattanooga, Acuff served as a research analyst for the State of Tennessee in Nashville. His research and teaching interests focus on state and local government, urban politics, public policy, public budgeting, and political geography. He is also a Certified Municipal Finance Officer in the State of Tennessee, and a self-avowed geography nerd, so he’s happy to answer any questions about budgets, maps, or any other state and local nerdery you want to throw at him.