Terry Christensen

Professor
Ph.D. University of North Carolina, 1972



Office: Clark Hall 457
Email: terrychr@email.sjsu.edu
Phone: 924-5565

 

Terry Christensen

A specialist on state and local politics, Terry Christensen has written seven books, the latest of which are Recall! California's Political Earthquake (2004) and California Government and Politics (Eighth Edition, 2005); both books are co-authored by Larry N. Gerston. He is currently working a new edition of Local Politics: Governing at the Grassroots, a text reflecting his years of teaching and participation in local politics (forthcoming from M.E. Sharpe in 2006).

Christensen holds a BA from Stanford and a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He chaired the Department of Political Science from 1993 to 2002. In 1998, he was named SJSU's Outstanding Professor. His university service includes membership on presidential search advisory committees in 1994 and 2004. In addition to his scholarship, teaching and university service, Christensen is active in San Jose politics, advising on many political campaigns. Recently, he served on the city's Downtown Strategy Task Force and the San Jose City Council Redistricting Committee. He is a member of the advisory boards of City Year San Jose Silicon Valley and the Commonwealth Club/Silicon Valley.

Christensen regularly teaches Political Science 103 Local Politics; Urban and Regional Planning 101 The City; and Public Administration 202 Power and Politics in Silicon Valley. He also directs the political science and public administration internship programs (PolS 181 and PAdm 281).


REGIONAL GOVERNANCE IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA AND BEYOND
Research by the students of Public Administration 202. Power and Politics in Silicon Valley and Beyond, Spring 2003.

Views of Regional Leaders in the SF Bay Area.

Flashback: San Jose Political History to 1970
An excerpt from Movers and Shakers: The Study of Community Power, by Philip J. Trounstine and Terry Christensen, St. Martin's Press, 1982. This excerpt covers San Jose's political history from the founding of the city to about 1970.

San Jose Political History Since 1970
A chapter from Reflections on the Past, an anthology on San Jose history published in 1998.
This chapter covers San Jose's political history from 1970 to 1998.

Political Science Department Chair Terry Christensen on big screen video at the Annual Conference of the Edmund G. "Pat" Brown Institute in Los Angeles, November 2000

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Helpful Links

San Jose Mercury News Archive
Archives of San Jose Mercury News - articles back to the mid-1980's and access to archives of 24 other newspapers across the USA.

California Voter Foundation
Information about campaign finance, initiatives, interest groups and much more.

Los Angeles Times Poll
Los Angeles Times state and national polling data back to 1992.

City of San Jose
City of San Jose, the Capital of Silicon Valley.

Data and Maps on 25 metropolitan regions in the USA

 



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Contact or learn about local governments in Santa Clara County through their web sites. The first web site listed is the city or county home page. The second one directs you to information about boards and commissions. These are citizen advisory groups appointed by the city councils or board of supervisors. Apply for an appointment and serve your community while learning and building your resume.

Campbell
http://www.ci.campbell.ca.us/
http://www.ci.campbell.ca.us/cityservices/mgrclerkcouncil/boardsandcommissions.htm

Cupertino
http://www.cupertino.org/
http://www.cupertino.org/update/hall/boards.htm

Gilroy
http://www.ci.gilroy.ca.us/
http://www.ci.gilroy.ca.us/cityboardsdoc.html
http://www.ci.gilroy.ca.us/citycommissionsdoc.html

Los Altos
http://www.ci.los-altos.ca.us/

Los Altos Hills
http://www.losaltoshills.ca.gov/

Los Gatos
http://www.los-gatos.scruznet.com/los_gatos/los_gatos.html (the site is down)

Milpitas
http://www.ci.milpitas.ca.us/
http://www.ci.milpitas.ca.us/citygov/commissions/home.htm

Monte Sereno
http://www.montesereno.org/

Morgan Hill
http://www.morgan-hill.ca.gov/
http://www.morgan-hill.ca.gov/roster.htm

Mountain View
http://www.ci.mtnview.ca.us/
http://www.ci.mtnview.ca.us/citygov/boards/boards.htm

Palo Alto
http://www.city.palo-alto.ca.us/
http://www.city.palo-alto.ca.us/cgi-bin/links/cgi-bin/search.cgi?query=Commission+Boards&mh=25&type=keyword&bool=or

San Jose
http://www.ci.san-jose.ca.us/
http://www.ci.san-jose.ca.us/depts.html (not boards and commissions but all the departments and you can navigate your way through all to the different commissions)

Santa Clara
http://www.ci.santa-clara.ca.us/
http://cho.ci.santa-clara.ca.us/40102.html

Saratoga
http://www.saratoga.ca.us/
http://www.saratoga.ca.us/commission.htm

Sunnyvale
http://www.ci.sunnyvale.ca.us/
http://www.ci.sunnyvale.ca.us/bd-com/

Santa Clara County
http://claraweb.co.santa-clara.ca.us/
http://claraweb.co.santa-clara.ca.us/agencies.htm (not exactly the "the boards and commissions" site, it lists all the departments and agencies in the county)