The Executive Branch of State Government: People, Process, and Politics

by Margaret R. Ferguson

Overview

This volume offers both historical and contemporary perspectives on the office of the governor, covering all 50 states and providing a comprehensive examination of the executive branch at the state level.

One of three titles in ABC-CLIO's About State Government set, this work offers comprehensive coverage of contemporary American politics at the state level. It explores the critical roles played by the governorship and state-level bureaucracies—both in managing the state's business and as a component of the overall national system of government.

Written by some of the nation's foremost authorities on state politics, The Executive Branch of State Government chronicles the evolution of the state-level executive apparatus from colonial times to the present, emphasizing its current importance on the local and national political stage. Chapters examine the structure and function of the governorship and state agencies, the people who serve as governor and in those agencies, and the multitude of forces that impact their work. A separate chapter examines the particular characteristics of executive branches state by state.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781851097715
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	04/21/2006
Series:	About State Government Series
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	496
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 1.06(d)
Age Range:	14 Years

About the Author

Margaret Ferguson, PhD, is associate professor of political science in the Department of Political Science at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN.

Editorial Reviews

Besides offering comprehensive coverage, the set is well written and accessible to general readers. . . . About State Government highlights the significant role of state governments in a format that is manageable and engaging. It is recommended for high school, college, and public libraries.” —Booklist

“Strongly recommended for academic and community library political science collections.” —Midwest Book Review

From the Publisher

Gr 9 Up-The organization of these volumes includes a common introduction followed by five chapters of fundamental explanations on its subject branch. Executive presents a historical overview and a discussion of the roles, functions, and powers of governors and the role of the executive branch in state politics. Judicial includes an introduction to state courts and law; the roles, functions, and powers of state courts; and the structure and process of courts. Legislative includes chapters elucidating the powers and responsibilities of the legislatures and the structure and process of lawmaking. The final chapter in each book provides a state-by-state look at the topic, delineating what makes each state unique, making comparative studies easy. Each volume also contains information about people and politics, a volume-specific glossary, and a thematic annotated bibliography. Interesting sidebars (Jesse Ventura and Arnold Schwarzenegger, the "Coroner's Inquest," "Diversity in the Legislature," and other topics), average-quality black-and-white photographs, and tables are scattered throughout. Readers should be aware of a couple of errors. They include: Theodore Roosevelt is falsely credited with proclaiming Yellowstone National Park the first national park in Executive and a photo in Legislative is mislabeled the Old Illinois State Capitol building in Springfield. Despite these problems, these volumes embody a tremendous quantity of information for reports, thus filling a niche in government reference.-Patricia Ann Owens, Wabash Valley College, Mt. Carmel, IL Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

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