State and Local Government

by SAFFELL

• ISBN13: 9780072869019
• ISBN10: 0072869011
• Edition: 8th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-05-05
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages

Summary

Since the first edition in 1978, this text has been relied upon as an up-to-date, readable, and concise examination of the structure and operation of state and local government in America. The new edition looks at ways in which state and local governments are meeting new challenges such as increasing diversity, maintaining institutions of representative government as direct democracy becomes more popular, and providing citizens with government services during the most severe budget crisis since World War II. With its engaging vignettes at the beginning of each chapter and its substantial new and expanded material, State and Local Government remains an essential text for the study of sub-national politics.

Author Biography

David C. Saffell is professor of political science at Ohio Northern University. He received his Ph.D. in political science from The University of Minnesota. He is the coauthor (with Harry Basehart) of Governing States and Cities (1997); the coeditor (with Harry Basehart) of Readings in State and Local Government: Problems and Prospects (1994); and the author of several other textbooks on American government. Professor Saffell has been teaching state and local government to undergraduate students for over thirty years. Harry Basehart is professor of political science and codirector of the Institute for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement at Salisbury University in Salisbury, Maryland. He received his Ph.D. in political science from The Ohio State University. Professor Basehart is the author or coauthor of articles on state legislatures that have appeared in American Politics Quarterly and Legislative Studies Quarterly. He recently served on the Governor's Special Committee on Voting Systems and Election Procedures in Maryland.

Table of Contents

1. The Setting of State and Local Government	1	(35)
Points to Consider	1	(1)
CHAPTER OPENING STORY: THE AMERICAN STATES: UNITED OR DIVIDED?	2	(1)
States in the Twentieth Century	2	(2)
Continued State Vitality	4	(2)
State Policy Making	6	(11)
Population Shifts Among Sections	17	(2)
Growth in the Sunbelt	19	(3)
Constitutional and Legal Limits on State Action	22	(1)
State Constitutions	22	(9)
The States Contrasted and Compared	31	(1)
Summary	32	(1)
Key Terms	33	(1)
Summary of State/Local Differences	33	(1)
Interesting Websites	34	(1)
Notes	34	(2)
2. Intergovernmental Relations	36	(31)
Points to Consider	36	(1)
CHAPTER OPENING STORY: THE U.S. SUPREME COURT V. THE FLORIDA SUPREME COURT	37	(1)
Federalism as a Political Concept	37	(2)
Creation of the American Federal System	39	(1)
The Evolution of American Federalism	40	(11)
Federal-State Funding Arrangements	51	(7)
Horizontal Federalism: Interstate Cooperation	58	(2)
State-Local Relations	60	(2)
Federalism Evaluated	62	(1)
Summary	63	(1)
Key Terms	64	(1)
Summary of State/Local Differences	64	(1)
Interesting Websites	65	(1)
Notes	65	(2)
3. Political Parties and Interest Groups	67	(38)
Points to Consider	67	(1)
CHAPTER OPENING STORY: IS THERE ANYONE ELSE I CAN VOTE FOR?	68	(1)
Political Parties as Organizations	68	(10)
Parties and the Nomination of Candidates	78	(4)
Party Competition in the States	82	(3)
Party Competition and Public Policies	85	(5)
Interest Groups in the States	90	(6)
Urban Interest Groups	96	(3)
Summary	99	(1)
Key Terms	99	(1)
Summary of State/Local Differences	100	(1)
Interesting Websites	100	(1)
Notes	101	(4)
4. Political Participation and Elections	105	(41)
Points to Consider	105	(1)
CHAPTER OPENING STORY: INTERNET VOTING-IS IT A BETTER IDEA?	106	(1)
Political Participation	106	(3)
Voting	109	(8)
Election Campaigns	117	(9)
Campaign Financing	126	(5)
Initiative, Referendum, and Recall	131	(8)
Summary	139	(1)
Key Terms	140	(1)
Summary of State/Local Differences	141	(1)
Interesting Websites	141	(1)
Notes	141	(5)
5. State and Local Legislatures	146	(34)
Points to Consider	146	(1)
CHAPTER OPENING STORY: WILLIE BROWN AND TERM LIMITS	147	(1)
State Legislatures	147	(7)
A Profile of Legislators and Legislatures	154	(4)
Term Limits	158	(4)
Functions of State Legislatures	162	(2)
Legislative Politics	164	(6)
Local Legislatures	170	(4)
Summary	174	(1)
Key Terms	175	(1)
Summary of State/Local Differences	176	(1)
Interesting Websites	176	(1)
Notes	176	(4)
6. Governors, Bureaucrats, and Mayors	180	(45)
Points to Consider	180	(1)
CHAPTER OPENING STORY: MASS CLEMENCY IN ILLINOIS	181	(1)
Historical Development of the Governor's Office	181	(1)
Who Becomes Governor?	182	(1)
Institutional Powers of the Governor	183	(7)
Roles of the Governor	190	(5)
Administration of State and Local Government	195	(12)
Statewide Elected Executives	207	(2)
Executives in Cities	209	(1)
Forms of City Government	210	(6)
The Roles of Mayors	216	(4)
Summary	220	(1)
Key Terms	220	(1)
Summary of State/Local Differences	221	(1)
Interesting Websites	221	(1)
Notes	222	(3)
7. Courts, Police, and Corrections	225	(43)
Points to Consider	225	(2)
CHAPTER OPENING STORY: CRIME BUSTERS	226	(1)
State Court Organization	227	(8)
Reform of State Courts	235	(3)
Trial Court Procedures	238	(5)
Judicial Selection	243	(5)
Federal-State Court Relations	248	(1)
Fighting Crime	248	(2)
Police Activities and Organization	250	(4)
Corrections	254	(5)
Capital Punishment	259	(3)
New Directions in the Criminal Justice System	262	(2)
Summary	264	(1)
Key Terms	265	(1)
Summary of State/Local Differences	266	(1)
Interesting Websites	266	(1)
Notes	266	(2)
8. Financing State and Local Government	268	(26)
Points to Consider	268	(1)
CHAPTER OPENING STORY: WILL A REPUBLICAN RAISE TAXES?	269	(1)
How Much?	269	(2)
Where Does the Money Go?	271	(1)
Where Does the Money Come From?	272	(9)
Is There a Good Tax?	281	(2)
Borrowing and Debt Policies	283	(1)
The Outlook for Revenues	284	(5)
Summary	289	(1)
Key Terms	290	(1)
Summary of State/Local Differences	290	(1)
Interesting Websites	290	(1)
Notes	291	(3)
9. Suburbs, Metropolitan Areas, and Rural Communities	294	(29)
Points to Consider	294	(2)
CHAPTER OPENING STORY: MERGIR IN BLUEGRASS COUNTRY	295	(1)
Urban Sprawl: Causes and Effects	296	(6)
The Politics of Metropolitan Consolidation	302	(10)
Planning	312	(4)
Rural and Small-Town America	316	(3)
Summary	319	(1)
Key Terms	320	(1)
Interesting Websites	320	(1)
Notes	321	(2)
10. State and Local Policy Making: Conflict and Accommodation	323
Points to Consider	323	(2)
CHAPTER OPENING STORY: BACK TO SCHOOL	324	(1)
Education	325	(12)
Social Welfare	337	(5)
Economic Development	342	(5)
Environmental Protection	347	(4)
Summary	351	(1)
Key Terms	352	(1)
Summary of State/Local Differences	352	(1)
Interesting Websites	352	(1)
Notes	353
APPENDIX	A-1
INDEX	I-1