Governing States and Localities: The Essentials

by Kevin B. Smith, Alan H. Greenblatt

Overview

In this Essentials Edition of Governing States and Localities, authors Kevin Smith and Alan Greenblatt retain the hallmarks of their bestselling introductory text by blending the latest scholarship with engaging journalistic writing, crisp storytelling, and class-tested pedagogy. Based on market feedback, the authors distilled core topics and cut out policy coverage some instructors do not have time to cover, but kept the ever-important finance chapter and a beautiful full-color interior design. This value-priced, ten-chapter text utilizes the comparative approach to ensure that students walk away from the course understanding how and why states and localities are both similar and different in institutional structure, culture, history, geography, economy, and demographics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781483324111
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	12/19/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	392
File size:	31 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Kevin B. Smith is the Leland J. and Dorothy H. Olson Chair of Political Science at the

University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He is the author or coauthor of 10 books on politics and policy,

as well as numerous scholarly articles on state politics and policy. Prior to becoming an academic,

he covered state and local politics as a newspaper reporter. You can follow him on Twitter at @

nivek_htims.

Alan Greenblatt is a reporter at Governing magazine and has been writing about politics and

government in Washington, D.C., and the states for more than two decades. As a reporter for

Congressional Quarterly, he won the National Press Club’s Sandy Hume Memorial Award for

Excellence in Political Journalism. At Governing, he has covered numerous issues of concern to

state and local governments, such as budgets, taxes, and higher education. Along the way, he has

written about politics and culture for many other outlets, including NPR, the New York Times,

and the Washington Post. He’s on Twitter at @AlanGreenblatt.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction to State and Local Government: They Tax Dogs in West Virginia, Don’t They?
The Impact of State and Local Politics on Daily Life
The Comparative Method in Practice: Yes, They Really Do Tax Dogs in West Virginia
Recognizing the Stakes
Conclusion
The Latest Research
Key Concepts
Suggested Web Sites
State Stats on State and Local Government
Chapter 2: Federalism: The Power Plan
Systems of Power
Why Federalism? The Origins of the Federal System in the United States
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Federalism
The Constitutional Basis of Federalism
The Development of Federalism
The Supreme Court: The Umpire of Federalism
Conclusion
The Latest Research
Key Concepts
Suggested Web Sites
State Stats on Federalism
Chapter 3: Constitutions: Operating Instructions
What State Constitutions Do: It’s Probably Different from What You Think
The Evolution of State Constitutions
The First Generation of State Constitutions
Formal Constitutional Changes
Informal Methods for Changing Constitutions
Why State Constitutions Vary
How State Constitutions Differ
Constitutions for Local Government?
Conclusion
The Latest Research
Key Concepts
Suggested Web Sites
State Stats on Constitutions
Chapter 4: Finance: Filling the Till and Paying the Bills
Show Me the Money: Where State Revenues Come From
The Budget Process
Conclusion
The Latest Research
Key Concepts
Suggested Web Sites
State Stats on Finance
Chapter 5: Political Attitudes and Participation: Venting and Voting
Elections
What Elections Are Used For
Public Opinion
Conclusion
The Latest Research
Key Concepts
Suggested Web Sites
State Stats on Political Attitudes and Participation
Chapter 6: Parties and Interest Groups: Elephants, Donkeys, and Cash Cows
A Primer on Political Parties
State Party Regulation and Finance
Party Competition: Why Some States Are More Competitive than Others
Third Parties and Independents
Interest Groups and Lobbies
Conclusion
The Latest Research
Key Concepts
Suggested Web Sites
State Stats on Parties and Interest Groups
Chapter 7: Legislatures: The Art of Herding Cats
The Job of Legislatures
Organization and Operation of Legislatures
State Legislators
The Citizens’ Whipping Boy: Legislators and Public Opinion
Conclusion
The Latest Research
Key Concepts
Suggested Web Sites
State Stats on Legislatures
Chapter 8: The Executive Branch and Bureaucracy: How Governments Operate and Who’s in Charge
The Job of Governor
The Powers of Governors
Becoming Governor and Staying Governor
Other Executive Offices
What Is Bureaucracy?
What Does Bureaucracy Do?
What Is “Enough” Bureaucracy?
Measuring Bureaucratic Effectiveness: It Does a Better Job than You Think
Politics and the Merit System
If Not Merit . . . Then What?
The Latest Research
Key Concepts
Suggested Web Sites
State Stats on the Executive Branch and Bureaucracy
Chapter 9: Courts: Turning Law into Politics
The Role and Structure of State Courts
Selecting Judges
Prosecution and Defense of Cases in State Courts
The Case for Court Reform
Conclusion
The Latest Research
Key Concepts
Suggested Web Sites
State Stats on Courts
Chapter 10: Local Government: Function Follows Form
The Many Faces of Local Government
The Organization and Responsibilities of Local Governments
Municipalities
Working within Limits: The Powers and Constraints of Local Government
Participation in Local Government
The Missing Level of Government
Sprawl: How Metropolitan Regions Grow
The Cons of Metropolitan Growth
Government Reform in Metropolitan Areas
The Case against Reform: Public Choice and the Tiebout Model
Rural Metropolitics
Conclusion
The Latest Research
Key Concepts
Suggested Web Sites
State Stats on Local Government