Arkansas Politics and Government, Second Edition by
Published a decade and a half after the late Diane D. Blair’s influential book Arkansas Politics and Government, this freshly revised edition builds on her work, which highlighted both the decades of failure by Arkansas's government to live up to the state’s motto of Regnat Populus (“The People Rule”) and the positive trends of democracy. Since the first edition, Arkansas has seen the two-term U.S. presidency of a native son, the retirement of players who defined the state’s politics in the modern era, the further realignment of the state’s electorate, the passage of the nation’s most extreme legislative term limits, the complete overhaul of the state’s court system, and the declaration that the state’s public education system was unconstitutionally inadequate and inequitable. nbsp; While maintaining the basic structure of Blair’s original work with its focus on important historical patterns and the ways in which the past continues to shape the present, the second edition details the causes and consequences of recent changes in Arkansas and asks whether they are profound and permanent or merely transitory variations in symbol and style. Jay Barth argues that although Arkansas currently expresses a healthier representative democracy than throughout most of its history, its political and governmental entities are still sharply limited as effective instruments of “the people.”
Electing America's Governors by
This book studies the election of American state governors, 'an increasingly important group of political leaders', and makes comparisons with Senate and presidential elections.
Public Opinion in State Politics by
Since the Reagan presidency, more and more public policymaking authority has devolved to the states, a trend that the contributors to this volume argue is unlikely to abate soon. Public Opinion in State Politics is an innovative collection of recent research developed in response to signs of this growing importance of state politics. It updates and expands the previous work on public opinion and state politics, taking into account new data and methods, and drawing comparisons across states.The book is organized around three major themes: the conceptualization and measurement of public opinion in the states; explanations of variation in state public opinion; and the impact of public opinion on state politics and policy.
The Best Job in Politics: Exploring How Governors Succeed As Policy Leaders by
"My worst day as governor was better than my best day as a United States senator."--Former Governor Tim Carper (D-DE, 1993-2001) Governors--both in, and now out of, office--see the job as the best in politics. Why is that? Drawing on a survey of former governors, personal interviews, as well as gubernatorial memoirs and biographies, Rosenthal shows students how and why governors succeed as policy leaders and makes a case as to why some governors are better at leveraging the institutional advantages of the office.
Congress : Facilitator of State Action by
An insightful reassessment of the relationship between the U.S. Congress and the states.
Dilemmas of Representation : Local Politics, National Factors, and the Home Styles of Modern U.S. Congress Members by
In-depth analysis of the representational styles of several members of Congress from New York State.
Guide to State Politics and Policy by
No previous book has pulled together into one place a single, comprehensive volume that provides up-to-date coverage of state government and politics, along with the states' current and future public policies. This new book does just that, offering students, scholars, citizens, policy advocates, and state specialists accessible information on state politics and policy in 33 topical chapters written by experts in the field. The guide provides contemporary analysis of state institutions, processes, and public policies, along with both historical and theoretical perspectives that help readers develop a comprehensive understanding of the 50 U.S. states' complex and changing political spheres. Those who use this volume--from experienced scholars to neophytes--can rely upon the guide to provide: Basic factual information on state politics and policy; Core explanatory frameworks and competing arguments; and Insightful coverage of major policy areas as they have played out in the states.
Agendas and Decisions by
Studies how state-level public executives and managers in Tennessee decide and implement policy.
You may find the books you need just by browsing in the stacks. Our reference collection is on the first floor and the main stacks (the books you can check out) are on the second floor
320 Political science
