Emeritus
Ph.D. University of North Carolina, 1972

Office Hours:

Clark Hall 404M
408-924-5565
Terry.Christensen@sjsu.edu

Dr. Terry Christensen's current resume: Terry Christensen [pdf]

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Terry Christensen is a specialist on state and local politics. He earned a BA from Stanford and a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The author or co-author of nine books, he is now at work on the 12 ^th edition of California Politics and Government, co-authored by Larry Gerston the best-selling text on California politics. Other books include Local Politics: A Practical Guide to Governing at the Grassroots; Projecting Politics: Political Messages in American Films, co-authored by Peter Haas and Recall! California's Political Earthquake, also co-authored by Larry N. Gerston. Local and national media regularly call on him for analysis of politics in California and Silicon Valley.

Christensen's teaching focuses on local government and politics; he also directs the SJSU political science department's internship program, which he created over thirty years ago. Generations of community leaders and activists have graduated from his classes to serve in elected and administrative positions and as volunteers. He has served on numerous civic committees and commissions often with his former students. He chaired the Department of Political Science from 1994 to 2002. In 1998, he was named San José State University's Outstanding Professor.

Most recently he served for 2.5 years as Executive Director of CommUniverCity San Jose, a partnership between the City of San Jose, San José State University and the Five Wounds/Brookwood Terrace neighborhoods. CommUniverCity concentrates hundreds of students performing community service in these neighborhoods, with projects selected by residents and supported by the city.

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PDFs made available by Dr. Christensen:

San Jose Political History to 1970
San Jose Political History since 1970
Excerpts from "Movers and Shakers, a 1979 study of Power in San Jose