Politics and Policy in American States and Communities

This book invokes the average citizen's perspective, encouraging readers to apply their own experiences with local government. The book thoroughly describes all forms of local government and details the long history of federal and local governmental relations. Special focus on recent developments including: strengthening the roles of states, tribes, and local governments is provided. The description of the policy-making process provides a concrete, unifying force in the text and discussions of historical legacies and regional differences give the reader a well-rounded understanding of the subleties of intergovernmental relations. Five separate chapters supply in-depth explorations of major policy areas such as crime and corrections, educational policy, social welfare and health policy, environmental policy and economic development, and fiscal policy and financial management. Other topics include a discussion of tribes and tribal governments, changes in federalism and electoral behavior, and welfare reform. Anyone with an interest in local and state governments and how they relate to the federal governent.