State Legislatures Today: Politics under the Domes

by Peverill Squire University of Missouri, Gary Moncrief

Overview

A concise and provocative introduction to state legislative politics, State Legislatures Today is designed as a supplement for state and local government courses and upper level courses on legislative politics. The book examines state legislatures and state lawmakers, putting them in historical context, showing how they have evolved over the years, and differentiating them from Congress. It covers state legislative elections (including the impact of redistricting, candidate recruitment, etc.), the changing job description of state legislators, legislatures as organizations, the process by which legislation gets produced, and the influences upon legislators.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538123379
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	07/19/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	280
File size:	18 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Peverill Squire holds the Hicks and Martha Griffiths Chair in American Political Institutions at the University of Missouri.

Gary Moncrief is University Foundation Professor of Political Science at Boise State University.

Table of Contents

Preface
Chapter 1: Ninety-Nine Chambers and Why They Matter
Chapter 2: State Legislative Campaigns and Elections
Chapter 3: The Changing Job of State Legislator
Chapter 4: Legislative Organization across the States
Chapter 5: The Legislative Process in the States
Chapter 6: The Legislative Context
Chapter 7: Are State Legislatures Representative Institutions?
Appendix

Editorial Reviews

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

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

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