State and Local Government

The revision of this brief, paperback text reviews the basics of state of local government in the USA. While the main focus is on political parties, interest groups, legislatures, courts, and executive officials at the state level, their counterparts in cities are also discussed and evaluated. A policy chapter (ch. 9) allows students to better understand how state and local governments are coping with such issues as education cuts, homelessness, AIDS, and crime. In the fifth edition each chapter includes a new, short reading on current events, taken from newspapers, periodicals, and other sources. there is comprehensive coverage of the effect of the financial crunch of the early 1990s on the state and local governments (ch. 8 ), and a discussion of the privatization of public services (ch. 6). Other new material includes coverage of: Bush federalism proposals (ch. 2); the changing role of legislative leaders (ch.5); the role of city managers (ch. 6); new Supreme Court decisions in the areas of civil liberties and civil rights (ch. 7). Medicaid costs and Bush education proposals (ch 9); and updated crime and prison statistics.
Statistics and information on the 1990 census, the 1990 elections, the 1992 legislative redistricting, and the 1991 transportation legislation have also been updated. The text concludes with an examination of a variety of policy areas - education, welfare, housing and environmental protection. Also available is an instructor's manual with test bank (0-07-054478-6).