Updated in its 8th edition, Politics and Policy in States & Communities distinguishes itself through its highly accessible writing style, inclusion of unique topics such as tribal governments, extensive discussion of intergovernmental relations, and its focus on the relationship between government and the governed–how individuals are affected by government decisions and how individuals influence public policy (“face-to-face” approach). The “face-to-face” approach to the study of state and local governments personalizes the material, connects government to readers’ lives, and makes the material more meaningful and relevant to the reader.

Table contents:

Chapter 1: Face-to-Face Governance

Chapter 2: State Diversity, Growth and Decline, and the Contemporary Urban Dilemma

Chapter 3: Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations

Chapter 4: Constitutions and Charters

Chapter 5: Policy-Making Processes: The Framework for Participation

Chapter 6: Grassroots Participation

Chapter 7: Interest Groups

Chapter 8: Political Parties and Elections

Chapter 9: Governors

Chapter 10: State Legislatures

Chapter 11: Local Government Executives and Legislatures

Chapter 12: Bureaucracies

Chapter 13: Courts

Chapter 14: Crime and Corrections

Chapter 15: Educational Policy

Chapter 16: Social Welfare and Health Policy

Chapter 17: Environmental Policy and Economic Development

Chapter 18: Fiscal Policy and Financial Management