Delaware Politics and Government

by Boyer, William W.; Ratledge, Edward C.

• ISBN13: 9780803213456
• ISBN10: 080321345X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-04-01
• Publisher: Univ of Nebraska Pr

Summary

This volume provides a comprehensive analysis of both the historical and the contemporary dimensions of the politics and government of the "First State." Once a sparsely populated, agrarian, and relatively insignificant polity, Delaware has become a densely and diversely populated financial and legal center often called the "corporation capital of the world." Delaware's prime location has been central to its development and transition from a goods-producing economy to a fast-growing, service-based economy. Despite its diminutive size, Delaware is, in many ways, the nation's preferred corporate home. William W. Boyer and Edward C. Ratledge provide an overview of Delaware's history, structure, and present politics and explain why one of the smallest states in the country is also one of the most powerful. Delaware continually promotes pro-business legislation, business and public objectives are entwined, and privatization is a dominant theme in public affairs. The state has an individualistic political order in which public participation is indirect and citizen activism is limited.

Author Biography

William W. Boyer is the Charles Polk Messick Professor Emeritus in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Delaware. He is the author of several books, including Governing Delaware: Policy Problems in the First State. Edward C. Ratledge is an associate professor at the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy and the director of the Center for Applied Demography and Survey Research at the University of Delaware. He is the coauthor of Handbook on Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems in Law Enforcement.

Table of Contents

Map and Figures

Authors' Preface

Deleware in Transition

Political Culture of the ""First State""

Deleware in the Federal System

The Constitutions

Political Parties and Elections

The Governer and Administration

The General Assembly

Courts, Judges, and Lawyers

State-Local Relations

Public Finance

Nongovernmental Influence and Participation

Sprawl, Pollution, and Health

Epilogue

Appendix: Suggested Sources and Readings

Notes

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.