State and Local Government / Edition 1

by Kevin B. Smith

Overview

This all-new collection of compelling readings from respected sources such as Governing, State Legislatures, Stateline.org, and State and Local Government Review hits all the crucial marks for your state and local government course. Year after year, these highly readable and up-to-date articles cover the significant issues. This edition covers topics such as the increasing ideological conflicts between state and federal governments and between state and local governments; voter ID laws; the continuing financial struggles of local governments; and K-12 and higher education reforms. With the context and currency you have come to expect as hallmarks of Kevin B. Smith’s reader, the 2016–2017 Edition brings timely and sharp analysis into your state and local government classroom.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781506358208
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	09/29/2016
Edition description:	2016-2017 Edition
Pages:	184
Product dimensions:	7.20(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.50(d)

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.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

About the Editor xi

I Federalism 1

1 Are States Still "Labs of Democracy"? 3

The need for federal waivers is making it a lot harder for states to run social and economic policy experiments Donald F. Kettl, Governing

2 Is Federalism Breaking Down? 5

The federal and state governments used to have an unspoken deal-broad policy direction would be hashed out in Congress, then modified and implemented by states. Not anymore. The partisan polarization that has long marked Congress is now threatening to upset how federalism works Donald F. Kettl, Governing

3 Beyond North Carolina's LGBT Battle: States' War on Cities 7

Cities are increasingly run by liberals and Democrats. State governments by conservatives and Republicans. That's a recipe for conflict Alan Greenblatt, Governing

4 Constitutions: Amend with Care 11

Lots of people think amending the U.S. Constitution is a good idea. State constitutions get amended frequently and it turns out that might not be such a good deal after all Jennie Drage Bowser, State Legislatures Magazine

II Elections and Political Environment 17

5 Voter Identification in the Courts 19

Voter ID laws may be bad for some voters, but judging from the resulting litigation they have been good for lawyers Justin Levitt, The Council of State Governments

6 Voter ID History 24

Voter ID laws are nothing new; the first one was enacted way back in 1950. It was not until after 2000, however, that they became really popular. National Conference of State Legislatures

7 Aging Voting Machines Are a Threat to Democracy 28

A lot of voting machines are nearing the end of their useful life. If they are not replaced, it may create big problems on election day. Lawrence Norden and Christopher Famighetti, Brennan Center for Justice

8 Vote-by-Mail Rates More than Double since 2000 30

Voters are increasingly mailing it in. That's a good thing Sean Greene Kyle Ueyama, Stateline

III Political Parties and Interest Groups 33

9 Stronger Parties, Stronger Democracy: Rethinking Reform 35

Political parties are changing. Can anything be done to make sure this change benefits the democratic system as a whole rather than narrower special interests? Daniel I. Weiner Ian Vandewalker, Brennan Center for Justice

10 Rex Sinquefield: The Tyrannosaurus Rex of State Politics 38

In Missouri, one man with a lot of money is having a big impact on state politics Alan Greenblatt, Governing

11 Why Democratic Governors and Repbulican Mayors Have Become Rare 42

Demography geography, and electoral timing are having an increasingly big impact on which party wins elections. Louis Jacobson, Governing

IV Legislatures 47

12 Who We Elect: The Demographics of State Legislatures 49

Despite notable demographic shifts, state legislatures still do not reflect the demographic diversity of the citizens they serve Karl Kurtz, State Legislatures Magazine

13 Stalled Progress for Women in State Legislatures 53

From the 1970s to the 1990s, the number of women in state legislatures steadily increased. In the two decades since, that growth has ground to a halt. Why? Rebecca Beitsch, Stateline

14 Birds of a Feather 57

Legislative caucuses are groups of lawmakers organized to advocate and promote a common cause or interest. Those causes and interests extend far beyond the party caucuses that most voters are familiar with Suzanne Weiss, State Legislatures Magazine

V Governors 61

15 Experience Preferred 63

Having served a stint in the state legislature does not guarantee success when you move to the governor's mansion, but it sure doesn't hurt Louis Jacobson, State Legislatures Magazine

16 Rocky Roads Ahead for Governors with Failed Presidential Bids 67

A sitting governor who fails in a run for the presidency may lose twice. They lose the White House and return to a state where they may have lost a lot of good will Louis Jacobson, Governing

17 Scott Pruitt Will See You in Court 70

Oklahoma attorney general Scott Pruitt is fighting for states' rights by repeatedly suing the federal government J. B. Wogan, Governing 70

18 After Spending Millions Suing Obama 39 Times, Has Texas Seen a Return on Investment? 74

Texas attorney generals have spent years and millions in taxpayers' money suing the federal government. Has it all been worthwhile? Lauren McGaughy, Governing/Tribune News Service

VI Courts 77

19 Cases with Consequences 79

Which is the most powerful and influential state court in the nation? Trick question. The most powerful state court is actually a federal court. The U.S. Supreme Court rulings have big-time consequence for states and localities Lisa Sotonen, State Legislatures Magazine

20 States at a Crossroads on Criminal Justice Reform 83

Tough on crime policies have given states some of the highest incarceration rates in the world. Maybe it's time to rethink how tough on crime we should be Rebecca Beitsch, Stateline

21 The Unintended Consequences of California's New Criminal Justice 87

Proposition 47 was designed to keep nonviolent offenders out of prison. It has done that. It has also made some of those offenders more likely to keep committing crimes Cindy Chang Marisa Gerber Ben Poston, Governing/Tribune Neios Service

22 Legislators Attempt to Strip Courts of Power 90

Legislatures who disagree with court rulings are seeking to take away the power of the courts to disagree with them Maggie Clark, Stateline

VII Bureaucracy 93

23 Can Government Hiring Get Out of the Stone Age? 95

High unemployment rates used to make filling public sector jobs easy. Not anymore. Low unemployment rates are making it harder to get qualified people to take jobs in public agencies Katherine Barrett Richard Greene, Governing

24 States Employ Temporary Workers, but Often Know Little about Them 100

Public agencies are embracing the "gig" economy and relying more heavily on part-timers to get the job done. Temporary workers are cheaper, but are they being taken advantage of? Sophie Quinton, Stateline

25 What Does It Take to End a Teacher Shortage? 103

Schools districts are finding it harder to hire and retain teachers. Low pay and high turnover contribute to a chronic teacher shortage challenging an increasing number of states Sophie Quinton, Stateline

26 Wisconsin Tenure Fight Likely to Spread to Other States 106

Wisconsin has weakened the strong tenure protections traditionally enjoyed by faculty in the University of Wisconsin System. Other states may be looking to do the same Karen Herzog, Tribune News Service/Governing

VIII Local Government 109

27 The Illusion of Cities' Recovery from the Recession 111

Colorado Springs, Colorado, decided against raising taxes during the Great Recession. That kept money in taxpayers' pockets and left commuters navigating a proliferating pothole problem Zach Patton, Governing

28 A Checklist for Alternatives in City-County Consolidation Decisions: From Separation to Unification 115

Consolidating local governments has always struck many as a good way to increase efficiency in public programs and services. The assumptions underlying expectations of that happy outcome, and what they imply for successful consolidation, get examined in-depth Amy B. Uden, State and Local Government Review

29 What Is a Smart City? 127

Smart sounds good, but what does it really mean? Apparently, different things to different people Sophie Quinton, Stateline

IX Budgets and Taxes 131

30 Summary: Fall 2015 Fiscal Survey of States 133

State finances continue to recover from the recession doldrums. State coffers are far from overflowing, but certainly not as empty as they were a few years ago. National Association of State Budget Officers

31 For First Time, Tax Revenue Has Recovered in Majority of States 140

A post-recession milestone was reached in the final quarter of 2015. Adjusted for inflation, for the first time a slim majority of states reported that their tax revenues had recovered to their pre-recession levels. The Pew Charitable Trusts

32 The Curious Case of Disappearing Corporate Taxes 144

States are relying less and less on corporate taxes. That's good for businesses, but is it good for state government finances? Liz Farmer, Governing

33 State Spending and the Search for Hidden Efficiencies 147

A budget crisis prompted Kansas to take a hard look at its budget. Other states should not wait for a budget crisis to do the same thing Charles Chieppo, Governing

X Policy Challenges 149

34 Has School Choice Been All It Set Out to Be? 151

A more market-based approach was supposed to address many of the issues of public education. Advocates say it has done that; detractors are not so sure Alan Greenblatt, Governing

35 States to Colleges: Prove You're Worth It 155

States are starting to grade colleges. If the colleges do not perform, it is not their GPA that takes a hit, but their revenues Sophie Quinton, Stateline

36 Southern Louisiana Picks a Fight with Big Oil to Save the Wetlands 158

Louisiana's wetlands are disappearing at an alarming rate and the government is planning on doing something about it: suing one of the mainstays of the state economy Chris Kardish, Governing

37 Why Colorado's Obamacare Co-op Is Falling, and Connecticut's Isn't 162

Obamacare depends on cooperatives to help make sure citizens have access to health insurance at reasonable prices. That's working for some states, but not for others John Daley Jeff Cohen, Governing! Kaiser Health News

Text Credits 164

Editorial Reviews

I think it does an excellent job writing about current events in a manner that is accessible to students. I also like that it covers a wide range of topics.

Christopher Clark

I am very happy with the Smith textbook. I like the organization of the chapters and the overall content and updated information. I started using the book a few years ago and do not plan to change the book anytime soon.

Dina Krois

I like this book. My students don't complain about it, and some of them actually read it. I like the topics covered. They make the issues relevant to the students. Having relatively short articles helps, too.

Andree Reeves