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Dr. Lori Riverstone

Associate Professor
Office
SCH Schroeder Hall 426
Office Hours
Mondays 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. & Wednesdays 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
  • About
  • Education
  • Selected Research

Biography

Dr. Riverstone graduated with a Masters of Public Administration and a Doctorate in Political Science from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. She lives in Bloomington, IL., with her husband and daughter.

Current Courses

POL 495.002 Graduate Research In Applied Community Development

POL 421.001 Seminar In State And Local Politics

POL 221.001 U.S. State And Local Government

POL 400.001 Independent Study

POL 305.001 Topics in American Government

POL 221.001 U.S. State And Local Government

POL 222.001 Urban Politics And Problems

Teaching Interests & Areas

Subnational politics, particularly Urban Politics and Intergovernmental Relations. Also, Public Administration and Environmental Politics.

Research Interests & Areas

Primary focus is on the interaction of governments in the U.S. intergovernmental system, specifically, the tools and strategies used by state and local governments to accomplish their goals and defend their interests in America's highly competitive political system.

Ph D Political Science

University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN

Master of Public Administration

University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN

BA English

University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN

Book, Authored

Renegade Cities, Public Policy, and the Dilemmas of Federalism
Riverstone, L.
(2013), Lynne Rienner/FirstForum Publishers

Cited Research

The Frontlines of America's Culture Wars: Fighting Back against Abusive State Preemption
Riverstone, L.
Local Solutions Support Center, (2023)
Dissent, Litigation & Defiance: Local Leaders Resist Abusive Preemption
Riverstone, L.
Local Solutions Support Center, (2022)

Journal Article

State Preemption as Scalpel and Sword
Riverstone-Newell, L.
PS: Political Science and Politics, 51 (1), 2, (2017), doi:10.1017/S1049096517001421
The Rise of State Preemption Laws in Response to Local Policy Innovation
Riverstone-Newell, L.
Publius: The Journal of Federalism, 47 (3), 22, (2017), https://doi.org/10.1093/publius/pjx037
The Diffusion of Local Bill of Rights Resolutions to the States
Riverstone, L.
45 (1), 14-24, (2013)
Bottom-Up Activism: A Local Political Strategy for Higher Policy Change
Riverstone, L.
The Journal of Federalism, 42 (3), (2012)
Scholars, Teachers, Practitioners, and Students: Learning by Fishing, Story-telling, and Appreciative Inquiry
Cunningham, R., Riverstone, L., & Roberts, S.
Journal of Public Affairs Education, 11 (1), 45-52, (2005)
Servant Leadership: A Manifestation of Postmaterialism?
Riverstone, L.
Global Virtue Ethics Review, 5 (3), (2004)

Other

Local Power & Politics Review - Fourth ed.
Riverstone, L.
(4), 31, (2024)
State-level Preemption Accelerates in Response to Local Equity Efforts
Riverstone, L.
(3), (2023)
Second Edition of the Local Power & Politics Review
Riverstone, L.
(2), (2021)
Local Power & Politics Review
, L.
(1), 62, (2020)
Beyond Local Subordination: Local Governments as Political Actors
Riverstone, L.
West Academic Publishing, (1), 307, (2019)

Presentations

Community Advocacy Efforts in an Era of State Centralization
Lori A Riverstone
Urban Affairs Association, Washington, D.C., April 13, 2022
Understanding the Impact of State Preemption on Community Advocacy Efforts
Lori A Riverstone
Urban Affairs Association Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C., April 13, 2022
Multi-Level Governance in Local Politics and Policymaking
Lori A Riverstone
Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, IL, April 9, 2022
Local Governments Respond to State Interference During COVID
Lori A Riverstone, Emily Grace Northern
Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, IL, April 8, 2022
Speaker on Empowering Women Panel
Lori A Riverstone
Empowering Women Panel, Normal, IL, March 22, 2022
Constitutions and Conflicts
Lori A Riverstone
State Constitutions and American Federalism, Orem, UT, November 4, 2021
The (State) Politics of COVID
Lori A Riverstone
MPSA - 78th Annual Meeting, Online, April 18, 2021
Preemption Research Webinar
Lori A Riverstone
Preemption Research Webinar, Online, January 11, 2021
The Political Economy of Housing Preemption
Lori A Riverstone
Research to Action: The Impacts of State Preemption on Housing and Equity, New York, New York, October 7, 2019
The Politics of Preemption: State and Local Responses
Lori A Riverstone
Research Convening on the Impacts of Preemption on Economics and Equity, Chicago, IL, May 13, 2019
Shutting Down Local Control: Conservative States and the Recent Rise in Blanket and Super Preemption Laws
Lori A Riverstone
Urban Affairs Association Annual Meeting, Toronto, Canada, April 7, 2018
State Preemption and City Power
Lori A Riverstone
Fordham Urban Law Journal's Reimagining Localism Symposium, New York City, NY, February 16, 2018
Middle-class Ontological Security and the Territorialization of the City
Lori A Riverstone
Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, IL, April, 2016
Assessing Local Activism as it Relates to Fiscal Scarcity
Lori A Riverstone
Urban Affairs Association, San Antonio, TX, March, 2014
Examining the Impact of Local Government Activism on State Policy Adoption
Lori A Riverstone
Midwest Political Science Association Meeting, Chicago, IL, April, 2013
Exploring the Effects of Local Governmental Acts of Defiance on State Policy
Lori A Riverstone
American Political Science Association Annual Meeting,, Online, September, 2010
The Impact of Symbolic Action: Local Government Refusal to Comply with State and Federal Laws
Lori A Riverstone
American Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Toronto, Canada, September, 2009
The Impact of Symbolic Action: Local Government Refusal to Comply with State and Federal Laws
Lori A Riverstone
Midwest Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, April, 2009
Experiential Learning in Public Administration. Presentation
Robert Cunningham, Brent Never, Lori A Riverstone
Teaching Public Administration Annual Meeting, Richmond, VA, May, 2008
Experiential Learning in Public Administration
Lori A Riverstone, Robert Cunningham
American Society of Public Administration Annual Meeting, Dallas, TX, March, 2008
From Formal to Informal Authority: The Changing Role of Councils of Government in Regional Economic Development
Lori A Riverstone
Urban Affairs Association Annual Meeting, Cleveland, OH, March, 2003
Challenges Facing Today’s Regional Councils of Government
Lori A Riverstone
Southern Political Science Association Conference, Savannah, GA, November, 2002
Servant Leadership: A Manifestation of Postmaterialism
Lori A Riverstone
Southeastern Conference for Public Administration, Columbia, SC, October, 2002