Legal Basics is concerned with how the legal system operates and how public law principles authorize and constrain the public administrator's actions. The course emphasizes the ability to recognize and articulate legal issues. This course provides an overview of the American legal system through the study of: 1. The sources of law in the United States. 2. The judicial system: state court systems and the federal court system. 3. Constitutional law: due process and equal protection. 4. The relationship between local governments, their states and the federal government.