ANNUAL EDITIONS: State and Local Government, Thirteenth Edition
UNIT 1. Early Commentaries1. The Federalist, No. 17, Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist Papers, 1787
According to Alexander Hamilton, a number of factors combine to make it highly unlikely that the national government will become too powerful in the new federal system that is proposed in the Constitution drafted during the summer of 1787. 2. The Federalist, No. 45, James Madison, The Federalist Papers, 1788
James Madison writes that the authority of state governments will not be endangered by the central government in the new federal system. He argues that history, the nature and role of state governments, and the relatively few powers delegated to the national government in the Constitution support his conclusion. 3. Nature of the American State, James Bryce, The American Commonwealth, 1888
After noting that there is considerable diversity among the states, James Bryce focuses on factors that promote uniformity among them. He also discusses the constitutional and legal standing of the states within the context of American federalism. UNIT 2. Intergovernmental Relations4. Federalism’s Ups and Downs, Carl Tubbesing, State Legislatures, February 2002
With reference to the views of three historic figures—Alexander Hamilton, Franklin Roosevelt, and Benjamin Franklin—Carl Tubbesing explores three explanations for the growth of the national government’s power at the expense of the states. New! 5. Federalism at a Crossroads, William T. Pound, State Legislatures, June 2006
William Pound traces the history of national and state government roles in governing the United States. He focuses on fiscal federalism, the arrangements whereby responsibilities for raising revenues to finance government services are divided among national, state, and local governments. New! 6. NCLB: Feds Crack the Door, Scott Young, State Legislatures, June 2005
The U.S. Department of Education, according to Scott Young, has become more flexible in assessing state government responses to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. New! 7. Eminent Domain—For the Greater Good?, Garry Boulard, State Legislatures, January 2006
Garry Boulard reports the responses of state legislatures and the U.S. Congress to the Supreme Court’s controversial Kelo v. City of New London ruling in 2005. In its 5-4 decision, the Court ruled that states can use the power of eminent domain to take over private property solely for economic development. 8. Devolution’s Double Standard, Alan Ehrenhalt, Governing, April 2003
Alan Ehrenhalt discusses the marked difference between the principle and the practice of devolution in the context of national, state, and local governments in the United States. UNIT 3. Linkages Between Citizens and GovernmentsPart A. Elections, Parties, and Interest GroupsNew! 9. The Oregon Voting Revolution, Don Hamilton, The American Prospect, May 2006
Don Hamilton recounts how, beginning in 1981, the state of Oregon gradually moved to conducting all elections by mail. He also addresses the partisan impact and other effects of Oregon’s vote-by-mail procedure. New! 10. On the Oregon Trail, Sam Rosenfeld, The American Prospect, May 2006
Sam Rosenfeld reports how several states have been following Oregon’s vote-by-mail lead and making changes in their electoral procedures. 11. Locking Up the Vote, Nicholas Thompson, The Washington Monthly, January/February 2001
Nicholas Thompson reports on the extensive disenfranchisement of former prisoners across the United States and disputes the desirability of such a policy. He also notes the racial implications of the situation. 12. Justice for Rent, Alexander Wohl, The American Prospect, May 22, 2000
Alexander Wohl reveals a seemingly inevitable consequence of electing state and local judges to office—the financing of campaigns by contributions in ways that call into question the impartiality of later court rulings. 13. Electoral Overload, Alan Ehrenhalt, Governing, August 2001
Alan Ehrenhalt suggest that too many state government officials are elected and argues that many of these officials should be appointed instead. Part B. Referenda, Initiatives, Recalls, and Public Meetings14. California, Here We Come, Peter Schrag, The Atlantic Monthly, March 1998
Peter Schrag argues that the nondeliberative nature of initiatives and other instruments of direct democracy threatens the well-being of minority rights. 15. The Initiative—Take It or Leave It?, Jennifer Drage Bowser, State Legislatures, June 2002
Jennifer Drage Bowser comments on how the incidence of initiatives increased during the last few decades of the twentieth century. She discusses the pros and cons of this way of making state government policies. 16. Total Recall, Alan Greenblatt, Governing, September 2003
In the context of the 2003 recall campaign against Governor Gray Davis of California, Alan Greenblatt provides an overview of the availability of the recall procedure for elected state and local government officials across the United States. 17. Public Meetings and the Democratic Process, Brian Adams, Public Administration Review, January/February 2004
Brian Adams considers the role of public meetings in local government decision-making. He concludes that they seem to play a different role from that commonly attributed to them. Part C. Media18. A Shift of Substance, Bonnie Bressers, Quill Magazine, May 2004
Bonnie Bressers reports that recent trends of broadcast consolidation and monopoly ownership have adversely affected local radio news. New! 19. Adversaries Always, Nicole Casal Moore, State Legislatures, May 2005
Based on the results of an online survey of state legislators and journalists, Nicole Casal Moore reports that the two groups have different viewpoints on each other’s honesty, ethics, and overall performance. 20. Cross Examination, Steve Weinberg, Quill Magazine, January/February 2004
Steve Weinberg argues that journalists have not adequately covered the activities of local prosecutors, despite the very important government powers that they exercise. He also reports some interesting and important findings about prosecutors produced by a few journalists who have covered them seriously. UNIT 4. Government Institutions and OfficeholdersPart A. Legislatures21. The Legislature as Sausage Factory, Alan Rosenthal, State Legislatures, September 2001
Alan Rosenthal systematically evaluates Otto von Bismark’s well-known observation likening the legislative process to sausage making. New! 22. Out with the Old, The Economist, March 18, 2006
This selection reports that twelve American states have imposed term limits on their state legislators, with three more about to impose them. The implications of term limits in Nebraska and other states are discussed. 23. Women in Office: Fivefold Increase in 33 Years, State Legislatures, January 2003
This selection chronicles the growth in the percentage of state legislators who are women since 1969. It also identifies the ten highest ranking and ten lowest ranking states in terms of female state legislators today. 24. Are City Councils a Relic of the Past?, Rob Gurwitt, Governing, April 2003
Rob Gurwitt examines the way city councils in America’s large cities are functioning today. He suggests that individual city council members have become increasingly parochial in their concerns and that city councils as a whole have become dysfunctional in the twenty-first century. Part B. Executives25. How to Win Friends and Repair a City, Rob Gurwitt, Governing, April 2004
The author approvingly reports the cooperative approach to governing that has brought Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin considerable success during her first term in office. 26. The Avengers General, Alan Greenblatt, Governing, May 2003
Alan Greenblatt reports on the growing prominence and power of state attorney generals over the past decade or so. He suggests that successful lawsuits against several major corporations have helped change the dynamics of corporate regulation in this country and notes that a dissident group of Republican state attorneys general have banded together in opposition to what has been happening. New! 27. Travels with Arnold, Margaret Talev and Gary Delsohn, American Journalism Review, February/March 2005
The authors discuss the ways that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger deals with journalists and note the effect of his celebrity status on the press coverage he receives. New! 28. Is Arnold Losing It?, Mark Z. Barabak, The Washington Monthly, May 2005
Mark Barabak analyzes the political fortunes of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. In doing so, he addresses the potential and limitations of celebrity "outsiders" in American politics. Part C. Courts29. Justice by Numbers, Lois G. Forer, The Washington Monthly, April 1992
A former Philadelphia judge discusses mandatory sentencing laws and their negative effects on the criminal justice system and on her own career. New! 30. Keeping Gideon’s Promise, Eyal Press, The Nation, April 3, 2006
Eyal Press reports on the mostly successful efforts in one state, Montana, to implement the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Gideon v. Wainwright. The Gideon decision requires states to provide defense attorneys to poor persons accused of a serious crime. New! 31. Who Needs a Bad Teacher When You Can Get a Worse Judge?, The Economist, November 27, 2004
This article reports the increasingly powerful role of state courts in determining the funding of public schools and sometimes, in turn, public education itself. New! 32. Reforming Juvenile Justice, Barry Krisberg, The American Prospect, September 2005
Barry Krisberg surveys the history of juvenile justice reforms beginning in the nineteenth century and then focuses on renewed reform efforts starting in the 1970s and continuing today. UNIT 5. Cities and Suburbs, Counties and Towns33. How to Save Our Shrinking Cities, Witold Rybzynski and Peter D. Linneman, The Public Interest, Spring 1999
The authors describe the changing faces of American cities and explore several urban government responses to the changes that have been occurring. They suggest that consolidation and de-annexation may be viable responses to the shrinking of large cities. 34. Not-So-Smart Growth, Rob Gurwitt, Governing, October 2000
Rob Gurwitt reports on the way local governments use annexation in various states. 35. Unscrambling the City, Christopher Swope, Governing, June 2003
Using Chicago as an example, Christopher Swope explains how and why urban zoning laws become outdated and treats some of the considerations to be taken into account when drafting revisions. 36. Town Government…When There’s Not Much Town to Govern, Laurent Belsie, The Christian Science Monitor, February 13, 2003
Laurent Belsie describes the sorts of steps that local governments in rural areas with declining population take to survive. UNIT 6. Revenues and Economic DevelopmentPart A. Revenues37. Two Cheers for the Property Tax, Steven Ginsberg, The Washington Monthly, October 1997
Steven Ginsberg discusses the generally low regard with which Americans view the property tax, but he argues that this kind of tax has several positive attributes. 38. States Continue Quest for Simple Sales Tax, Carl Tubbesing and Graham Williams, State Legislatures, May 2002
Graham Williams notes that collecting sales taxes has become an increasingly challenging task for states, largely because of the growth in Internet sales. He describes efforts being made to simplify state sales tax systems. New! 39. Gambling on Gaming, Mandy Rafool, State Legislatures, January 2005
Mandy Rafool surveys the use of various types of legalized gambling that are taxed by state governments to raise revenues. Part B. Economic Development40. The Rise of the Creative Class, Richard Florida, The Washington Monthly, May 2002
Richard Florida explores what seems to be a new factor relating to economic development efforts by state and local governments: the need for a social and cultural environment that members of “the creative class” will find congenial. New! 41. The Condemned, Gary Greenberg, Mother Jones, January/February 2005
Gary Greenberg describes how local governments across the country are aggressively using their power of eminent domain to “condemn” and buy private property in pursuit of economic development. New! 42. Giving Away the Store to Get a Store, Daniel McGraw, Reason, January 2006
Daniel McGraw details how tax increment financing districts are used to attract large retail stores and discusses the adverse consequences of this particular technique of economic development. 43. Money for Nothing, Bobbi Murray, The Nation, September 1–8, 2003
Bobbi Murray describes the disappointing results from many economic development incentives given by state and local governments. In turn, she reports on the growing movement for greater accountability in such economic development ventures. UNIT 7. Service Delivery and Policy IssuesPart A. Service Delivery Issues44. Going Outside, Jonathan Walters, Governing, May 2004
Jonathan Walters explores the growth in outsourcing by state governments and reviews the pros and cons of privatizing many state government functions. 45. New Ways of Education, Chester E. Finn Jr. and Rebecca L. Gau, The Public Interest, Winter 1998
The authors identify a dozen forms of schools and schooling in addition to traditional ones. They argue that school governance in the United States is undergoing rapid and unprecedented change. 46. Jails for Jesus, Samantha M. Shapiro, Mother Jones, November/December 2003
Samantha M. Shapiro reports that some states have turned over parts of prisons—and corresponding portions of prison budgets—to evangelical Christian groups. Part B. Policy Issues47. Medicaid: 10 Fixes That Work, Martha King and Dianna Gordon, State Legislatures, March 2004
The authors note the important place of Medicaid in state government spending and in the lives of Medicaid beneficiaries. They identify ten ways that state governments can seek to keep Medicaid more cost-efficient. 48. Surviving Driving, Melissa Savage, State Legislatures, February 2004
Melissa Savage reports how the enactment of graduated driver’s license laws by state governments has saved teenagers’ lives. New! 49. The Meth Menace, Garry Boulard, State Legislatures, May 2005
Garry Boulard identifies various problems arising from the meth epidemic and reports different approaches that state governments are using to address them. 50. Fixing the Rotten Corporate Barrel, John Cavanagh and Jerry Mander, The Nation, December 23, 2002
The authors argue that state governments, which are responsible for chartering corporations, should take steps to rein in corporate irresponsibility.
