1. Introduction to State and Community Politics. 2. The Constitutional Environment of State and Local Governments. 3. The Intergovernmental Framework for State and Community Politics. 4. Financial Constraints on State and Local Government. 5. Channels of Citizen Influence: Participation, Public Opinion and Interest Groups. 6. Channels of Citizen Influence: The Ballot Box, Parties, and Direct Action. 7. The Institutions of Local Government. 8. The Dynamics of Community Politics. 9. State Legislators and Public Policy. 10. Governors and the Challenge of Executive Leadership. 11. Administrators and the Implementation of Policy. 12. Courts, Crime and Corrections in American States. 13. Poverty and Social Welfare Polities. 14. Education. 15. Infrastructure Policies: Transportation, Housing, and Community Development. 16. Regulating the Environment. 17. State and Community Economic Development Politics. Appendix: Career Prospects in State and Local Government.
