The fully updated ninth edition of Politics in the American States: A Comparative Analysis continues the tradition of combining high-caliber research with comprehensive comparative analysis of the fifty states. Chapter authors provide thorough coverage of key topics, including foundational chapters on intergovernmental relations, elections, and the legislative process, as well as chapters on specific policy areas such as education, taxes, and a new chapter on corrections. In addition to the wealth of tables, figures, and maps showcasing comparative data, the authors provide engaging descriptive material, a new glossary of key terms, and a strong focus on emerging issues in state politics – enabling students to make systematic and nuanced comparisons between states.
college.cqpress.com/grayhanson
A companion website that includes the tables and figures from the book for use in presentations by teachers and students. Data underlying many of the tables and figures are also available; so as to permit readers to further explore patterns in state politics and policymaking.
Table of Contents
1. The Socioeconomic and Political Context of States
Virginia Gray
2. Intergovernmental Relations
Russell L. Hanson
3. Parties and Elections
Thomas M. Holbrook and Ray Laraja*
4. Interest Groups in the States
Anthony J. Nownes*, Clive S. Thomas, and Ronald J. Hrebenar
5. The Initiative Process
Shaun Bowler and Todd Donovan
6. Legislative Politics in the States
Keith E. Hamm and Gary F. Moncrief
7. Governors and the Executive Branch
Thad Beyle and Margaret Ferguson*
8. Courts: Politics and the Judicial Process
Melinda Gann Hall*
9. State Corrections Policy
John Wooldredge*
10. Fiscal Policy in the American States
Robert C. Lowry*
11. Transforming State Health and Welfare Programs
Mark Carl Rom
12. The Politics of Education
Kenneth K. Wong
13. Economic and Social Regulation
Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha and Kenneth J. Meier
14. Economic Development and Infrastructure Policy
Martin Saiz and Susan E. Clarke
* New contributors to this volume
Testimonials
“Virginia Gray and Russell L. Hanson do a terrific job of making state and local politics interesting and accessible to undergraduates. Students discover that states matter--a lot--and are introduced to leading theories of state and local governance. They explore demographic, institutional and cultural differences among states, before learning about important public policy issues. Politics in the American States is an excellent introduction to a complex and multifaceted topic.
- John D. Wilkerson, University of Washington“Politics in the American States deftly combines substance and scholarship, describing both recent developments at the state level and emerging trends in state politics research. It can be a valuable classroom resource both for advanced undergraduates and for graduate students.”
- Andrew Karch, University of Texas at Austin“Gray and Hanson’s Politics in the American States has become an essential book in my library, as an authoritative text as well as an often used source in my research. I find myself consulting it first before I even look elsewhere.”
- Ronald D. Hedlund, Northeastern University“Politics in the American States” is a research-based textbook, and it is the ideal mix of the literature and data. It offers the broad coverage you want in an upper-level undergraduate course and the research focus you desire in a graduate course. I’ve use it to demonstrate to ‘current events-oriented, blog-addicted undergraduates’ how data and systematic analysis can deepen their understanding of state policy and politics. It shows students that state policy-making is a lot more complex than they had realized but doesn’t leave them overwhelmed with jargon and citations without a way to organize their knowledge.”
- David J. Webber, University of Missouri at Columbia
Bio(s)
Virginia Gray, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Virginia Gray is the Robert Watson Winston Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She teaches and does research on state politics, public policy, and interest groups. She has published numerous articles and books on these topics, including The Population Ecology of Interest Representation (with David Lowery) and Minnesota Politics and Government (with Daniel Elazar and Wyman Spano). In 2007, Gray received the APSA State Politics and Policy Career Achievement Award, which is awarded every two years to a political scientist who has made a significant lifetime contribution to the study of politics and public policy in the American states.
Russell L. Hanson, Indiana University
Russell L. Hanson is professor of political science at Indiana University, Bloomington, where he has taught since 1980. He is interested in federalism and American political development, and has published several articles on political culture and policymaking in the states. Among the books he has edited are Governing Partners: State-Local Relations in the United States and Reconsidering the Democratic Public (with George Marcus).
