State and local politics

This text provides an introduction to state and local politics. It focuses on the political and economic environment in which state and local governments function, and their strengths and weaknesses in key areas of public policy.

In our "devolutionary" era, politics at the state and local levels is more interesting than ever. This popular text is the most concise, readable, and current introduction to the field. Now in its ninth edition, the book keeps its focus on the varied and changing political and economic environments in which state and local governments function and their strengths and weaknesses in key areas of public policy.

The text is enlivened throughout by boxed sections that relate individual experiences or highlight particular issues and interesting developments. Topics covered in this edition include changing patterns of devolution and centralization in American federalism; taxation and budgeting; new approaches to welfare, education, land use, and waste management; and such "hot" issues as tort reform and the death penalty.