In this era of renewed federalism, state governments take center stage advancing ambitious legislative agendas, pioneering innovative public policy, and providing much needed political leadership. The “devolution revolution” of the 1990s transferred many of the nation’s principal domestic programs from federal to state management, often without transferring the necessary funding. This combination of expanded responsibilities and deficient resources has left many states in financial turmoil—unable to fulfill policy promises. At the same time, escalating concerns over national security have prompted the federal government to reclaim more authority.

The State of the States captures both the tensions and opportunities at the forefront of state politics. This fully up-to-date fourth edition assembles the preeminent voices on the most important topics facing state governments today.

Important new coverage includes:

• the debilitating challenges governors face in an era of ballooning gubernatorial stature and performance expectations, reflected in the removal of Gov. Gray Davis (D-CA) and the departures of Gov. John Rowland (R-CT) and Gov. Jim McGreevey (D-NJ).
• the adoption of legislative term limits by referenda—illustrating the unmerited public distrust of the legislature—and the consequent movement of legislators to other public offices.
• the reputation of state courts for “liberal activism,” with controversial verdicts on such issues as abortion and same-sex marriage, as well as decisions in favor of tort reform and the rights of criminal defendants.
• the growing emphasis on performance measures as an accountability tool for state agencies.
• the rigorous standards and uniformity of the federal No Child Left Behind Act for which states are paying the price.
• the development of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), which devolved authority for welfare programs back to the states after nearly six decades of federal control.
• the continuous debate over health policy, including the decades-long struggle to remedy health insurance coverage gaps and the more recent push to promote embryonic stem cell research.

State governments are moving increasingly to the center of American domestic politics as they define and carry out the nation's principal domestic programs and do so with fewer resources than previously spent by the federal government. This combination of constrained resources and expanded opportunities represents the upside and downside of the devolution revolution.

Completely revised to take these changes into account, the third edition of The State of the States provides up-to-date, comprehensive coverage of state political, institutional, and policy trends, including the many new challenges facing state governments in the latter half of the 1990s. Eleven essays written by leading state politics observers describe and analyze these trends, providing a 20-year historical perspective as well as an examination of each political institution under discussion. Developments such as the term limit movement, campaign spending reforms, and ethics reforms are also discussed.

The State of the States features three new chapters. Chapter 9 discusses state education as the largest component of state spending, and a frequent area of controversy for governors, legislatures, and the courts; Chapter 10 on state welfare policy provides an overview of existing programs and highlights important issues in implementing welfare reforms as federal entitlements are eliminated and important decisions are passed on to the states. Chapter 2 describes the upheaval in federalism caused by the budget and policy changes in the 104th Congress.

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Tables and Figures
Preface
Contributors

1. Power, Politics, and Public Policy in the States, Carl E. Van Horn

2. The State of State Elections, Kenneth Dautrich and David A. Yalof

3. Legislators and Legislatures, Alan Rosenthal

4. Being Governor, Thad L. Beyle

5. State Courts in Their Political Environment, Lawrence Baum

6. Accountability Battles in State Administration, William T. Gormley, Jr.

7. State Government Finances: A Review of Current Conditions and the Outlook, Henry Coleman

8. State Education Policy in the New Millennium, Margaret E. Goertz

9. State Welfare Policy, Irene Lurie

10. State Health Policy, Joel Cantor

“Carl Van Horn has put together an exceptional collection of original essays in the new edition of The State of the States. He has assembled outstanding experts who deal comparatively and analytically with a variety of topics that cover politics, governing institutions, and the most important policy areas on which states have choices and can make major impacts on their citizens. A reader will come away from this volume with many insights and a lot of timely empirical knowledge.”

“I have used The State of the States since its first edition as the standard supplement in all of my state and local government classes—both undergraduate and graduate. Its selections continue to be contemporary classics by well-known scholars. I consider it to be the ‘standard reader’ that can compliment any state and local government textbook, and can't imagine teaching state and local government without it.”

“Through several editions and across a number of years, I have found The State of the States to provide an excellent foundation for introductory courses in American state government. The collection of chapters by specialists in the field of state government are linked together into a coherent whole that supports in-class discussions and lectures. This fourth edition's chapter updates and its inclusion of a chapter on the vital issue of health care policy will serve instructors and students well as they grapple with the growing role of states in the politics and policymaking of the United States.”

“The State of the States is one of the best books available on state politics. The chapters are very well written and succinctly provide comprehensive coverage of the most important topics in state institutions, politics, and public policy. Both graduate and undergraduate students will appreciate this book.”

“Unlike many American government texts, The State of the States covers some of the most important current trends in federalism and state politics. The State of the States details recent electoral, institutional, and fiscal changes in the American political system through a variety of easily accessible examples and analyses. As such, I find this text relevant to a broad range of readers and courses in American politics.”

Carl E. Van Horn is professor of public policy and director of the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at the Edward J. Bloustein School at Rutgers University. In the early 1990s, he served as director of policy for Governor James J. Florio of New Jersey. He also has been appointed by several governors to numerous state boards and commissions, including the New Jersey Property Tax Convention Task Force, which he chaired in 2004. Van Horn has written, edited, or contributed to numerous books on public policy, state politics, and other subjects. His most recent book, A Nation at Work, was published in 2003.