The authors demonstrate that state policies are highly responsive to public opinion through the analysis of state policies from the 1930s to the present.
The history that was made and continues to be made within and without the walls of the Georgia Capitol is captured in this stunning, fully illustrated volume that chronicles the major periods in the Capitol's history and the building's design and construction, from 1885 to the present day.
No environmental issue triggers such feelings of hopelessness as global climate change. Many areas of the world, including regions of the United States, have experienced a wide range of unusually dramatic weather events recently. Much climate change analysis forecasts horrors of biblical proportions, such as massive floods, habitat loss, species loss, and epidemics related to warmer weather. Such accounts of impending disaster have helped trigger extreme reactions, wherein some observers simply dismiss global climate change as, at the very worst, a minor inconvenience requiring modest adaptation. It is perhaps no surprise, therefore, that an American federal government known for institutional gridlock has accomplished virtually nothing in this area in the last decade. Policy inertia is not the story of this book, however. Statehouse and Greenhouse examines the surprising evolution of state-level government policies on global climate change. Environmental policy analyst Barry Rabe details a diverse set of innovative cases, offering detailed analysis of state-level policies designed to combat global warming. The book explains why state innovation in global climate change has been relatively vigorous and why it has drawn so little attention thus far. Rabe draws larger potential lessons from this recent flurry of American experience. Statehouse and Greenhouse helps to move debate over global climate change from bombast to the realm of what is politically and technically feasible.
Shines a light on the dark corners of New Yorks legislature and points the way to much-needed reform. Failed State is both an original account of a state legislature in urgent need of reform and a call to action for those who would fix it. Drawing on his experiences both in and out of state government, former New York State senator Seymour P. Lachman reveals and explores Albanys hush-hush, top-down processes, illuminating the hidden, secretive corners where the state assembly and state senate conduct the peoples business and spend public money. Part memoir and part exposé, Failed State is a revision of and follow-up to Three Men in a Room, published in 2006. The focus of the original book was the injury to democratic governance that arises when three individualsgovernor, senate majority leader, and assembly speakertightly control one of the countrys largest and most powerful state governments. Expanding on events that have occurred in the decade since the original books publication, Failed State shows how this scenario has given way to widespread corruption, among them the convictions of two men in the roomthe senate and assembly leadersas well as a number of other state lawmakers. All chapters have been revised and expanded, new chapters have been added, and the final chapter charts a path to durable reform that would change New Yorks state government from its present-day status as a national disgrace to a model of transparent, more effective state politics and governance. Three Men in a Room was an important book when it came out over a decade ago, and sadly little has changed since then. In the context of high-level corruption convictions and the ongoing investigations by the US attorneys office, Failed State reminds us just how much needs to be done, and offers constructive recommendations about the kind of reform we so desperately need in Albany. Senator Liz Krueger, 28th New York State Senate District Weve all heard that Albanys a mess, that theres too much bad politics and sometimes corruption in the legislature. Its all true. How can that be? Are there any voices crying out to do it right? Seymour Lachmans Failed State takes you on a personal journey that explains how and why it can be that bad, as he discovers exactly what a lonely voice trying to do it right can doand what it cant. This is a read it and weep book by a principled man who was a legislator for close to a decade. But better than weeping, read itand do something. Peter C. Goldmark Jr., former New York State Budget Director and President of the Rockefeller Foundation In Failed State Seymour Lachman provides a birds-eye view into how New Yorks state legislature worksand doesnt work. Coupled with his extensive historical review, as a former legislator Lachman offers deep insights into whats wrong with Albany and helps make the case for fundamental changes. His sweeping analysis lays a foundation to make New York government more responsive to the public it purports to serve. For all New Yorkers looking to better understand their state government, Failed State is a must read. Blair Horner, Executive Director, New York Public Interest Research Group Seymour Lachman writes about Albany dysfunction as only an insider can. He knows firsthand what it is to be bullied and extorted by political bosses, to have to cast votes on massive, secretly negotiated budget deals on a few hours notice, to be the target of nakedly partisan gerrymandering, and to watch a parade of his colleagues go to prison for corruption. Failed State vividly documents a sordid era of New York history and provides a practical guide to real reform. Bill Hammond, The Empire Center The unifying theme here is that New York State government is broken and is not likely to mend itself. Lachman proposes a number of reforms that he believes will restore democracyamong them, the holding of a constitutional convention, which New Yorkers will vote on in November 2017. Timely and valuable, Failed State will help voters understand what the stakes are when making that decision. Peter J. Galie, coeditor of New Yorks Broken Constitution: The Governance Crisis and the Path to Renewed Greatness Praise for Three Men in a Room Startling: a political book that actually informs the public. Jimmy Breslin Three Men in a Room is a perceptive account of a state legislature in urgent need of reform, and of how to accomplish it. Senator Lachman had a front-row seat in Albany, as I once did. He also brings years of academic experience to this compelling and important book. Read it and take it seriouslyfor democracys sake. Hugh L. Carey, New York State Governor (19751983) Required reading for any New Yorker who wants to understand whats gone wrong in Albanyand why. This book provides an invaluable dissection of Albanys dysfunction from the perspective of an idealistic insider who emerged from the experience with his principles and credibility intact. Edmund J. McMahon Jr., Director, Empire Center for New York State Policy Both edifying and horrifying: Lachmans privileged perspective on New Yorks legislative practices is essential reading for would-be reformers. Artvoice
A new perspective on policy responsiveness in American government. Scholars of American politics have long been skeptical of ordinary citizens’ capacity to influence, let alone control, their governments. Drawing on over eight decades of state-level evidence on public opinion, elections, and policymaking, Devin Caughey and Christopher Warshaw pose a powerful challenge to this pessimistic view. Their research reveals that although American democracy cannot be taken for granted, state policymaking is far more responsive to citizens’ demands than skeptics claim. Although governments respond sluggishly in the short term, over the long term, electoral incentives induce state parties and politicians—and ultimately policymaking—to adapt to voters’ preferences. The authors take an empirical and theoretical approach that allows them to assess democracy as a dynamic process. Their evidence across states and over time gives them new leverage to assess relevant outcomes and trends, including the evolution of mass partisanship, mass ideology, and the relationship between partisanship and ideology since the mid-twentieth century; the nationalization of state-level politics; the mechanisms through which voters hold incumbents accountable; the performance of moderate candidates relative to extreme candidates; and the quality of state-level democracy today relative to state-level democracy in other periods.
Nearly a decade after the 2000 Presidential elections invited a firestorm of questions about the sanctity of our democratic process, there continues to be a heightened interest in the role of state-wide elections officials, typically the state's Secretary of State - this book looks into their pivotal role in the promotion of a healthy democracy. Much past interest has resulted in overly critical coverage of election errors, ignoring the tireless efforts that ensure the American citizens benefit from a democratic, inclusive and accountable election process. Through a series of case studies, anecdotes, and interviews with current and recent secretaries, State Secretaries of State author Jocelyn Benson readdresses this balance by providing the first in-depth study of the Secretary's role in registering voters, enforcing voting laws and regulations, overseeing elections, and certifying results. As such, it represents a much-needed contribution to the study of US elections, both in practice and in law.
State legislators have often been in the shadow of their national counterparts, but they drive the processes of democracy. Rosenthal brings together a lifetime of research and experience on state legislative politics into one eminently readable volume—a dynamic, inside view of the people involved, the politics that prevail, and the interest groups and lobbyists who advocate their causes. Building on earlier work with new data and recent interviews and observations, Rosenthal looks at the way representation works, Americans’ critical view of their legislatures, the role of legislative leaders, the dynamics of executive-legislative relationships, as well as norms and ethics. Both a complement and contrast to the policymaking process on Capitol Hill, Engines of Democracy proves that no one gives insight into state legislators and their work the way Alan Rosenthal can.