State Legislatures Today

Reviews / Votes

The first edition of this comparative study of US state legislatures appeared in 2010, and the third edition incorporates some changes and challenges that have arisen since the publication of the second edition (CH, Nov'15, 53-1540). The book's organization remains the same. Squire (Univ. of Missouri) and Moncrief (Boise State Univ.) begin with a presentation of the historical development of state legislatures. The next five chapters consider the campaigns and elections that produce the members of state legislatures, the job of the state legislator, organizational structures, legislative processes, and the influence of actors outside the legislature, especially public opinion, other state government actors, and direct democracy. The concluding chapter examines the role of legislatures as representative institutions. This new edition incorporates electoral changes evident in the 2018 presidential midterm elections. Those elections produced a more diverse US Congress, and this increased diversity appeared in state legislatures as well. The authors also consider challenges state legislatures face with cultural issues, such as the #MeToo movement. Finally, this new edition reviews the impact changing federal-state relations have had on the work and working of the 99 state legislatures.



Summing Up: Recommended. . . Lower-division undergraduates through faculty; general readers. * Choice Reviews *