State and Local Politics: Institutions and Reform - Hardcover

1. Introduction to State and Local Politics. 2. Federalism: State Politics within a Federal System. 3. Participation, Elections, and Representation. 4. State and Local Direct Democracy. 5. Political Parties. 6. Interest Groups. 7. State Legislatures. 8. Governors and the State Bureaucracy. 9. State Courts and the Criminal Justice System. 10. Fiscal Policy. 11. The Structure of Local Governments. 12. Local Land Use and Environmental Politics. 13. Morality Policy. 14. Social Welfare and Health Care Policy. 15. Education Policy.

In this Fourth Edition of STATE AND LOCAL POLITICS: INSTITUTIONS AND REFORM, Donovan, Smith, Mooney, and new co-author Tracy Osborn go beyond the purely descriptive treatment usually found in state and local texts. Offering an engaging comparative approach, the Fourth Edition shows you how politics and government differ between states and communities, and points out the causes and effects of those variations. The text also focuses on what social scientists know about the effects of rules and institutions on politics and policy. This comparative, institutional framework enables you to think more analytically about the impact of institutions on policy outcomes, asks you to evaluate the effectiveness of one institutional approach over another, and encourages you to consider more sophisticated solutions. Written by four young, high-profile specialists who have contributed significantly to the field in the last decade, STATE AND LOCAL POLITICS: INSTITUTIONS AND REFORM incorporates the most recent scholarship available into the course, giving you access to perspectives that no other textbook on the market currently provides.