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Governing States and Localities
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Governing States and Localities

Tenth Edition
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October 2025 | 592 pages | CQ Press
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The #1 book in the market for state and local politics!

The trusted and proven Governing States and Localities guides students through the contentious status of state and local politics, helping them understand the ins and outs of these systems and why they're important. With engaging journalistic writing and crisp storytelling, Kevin B. Smith and Alan Greenblatt use a comparative approach to examine how and why states and localities are both similar and different to showcase real-life applications of policy and politics. The Tenth Edition has been thoroughly updated to look at developments and issues in today's hyperpartisan political environment.

This text is offered in Sage Vantage, an intuitive learning platform that integrates quality Sage textbook content with assignable multimedia activities and auto-graded assessments to drive student engagement and ensure accountability. Unparalleled in its ease of use and built for dynamic teaching and learning, Vantage offers customizable LMS integration and best-in-class support.
 
Map of the United States
 
Preface
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Authors
 
Chapter 1: Introduction to State and Local Government: They Tax Dogs in West Virginia, Don’t They?
The Impact of State and Local Politics on Daily Life

 
The Comparative Method in Practice: Yes, They Really Do Tax Dogs In West Virginia

 
Basic Differences Among States and Localities

 
Recognizing the Stakes

 
Conclusion

 
Top Ten Takeaways

 
 
Key Concepts
Discussion Questions

 
 
Chapter 2: Federalism: The Power Plan
Systems of Power

 
Why Federalism? The Origins of the Federal System in the United States

 
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Federalism

 
The Constitutional Basis of Federalism

 
The Development of Federalism

 
The Supreme Court: The Umpire of Federalism

 
Conclusion

 
Top Ten Takeaways

 
Key Concepts

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Chapter 3: Constitutions: Operating Instructions
What State Constitutions Do: It’s Probably Different from What You Think

 
The Evolution of State Constitutions

 
Formal Constitutional Changes

 
Informal Methods for Changing Constitutions

 
Differences Between State Constitutions

 
Constitutions for Local Government?

 
Conclusion

 
Top Ten Takeaways

 
Key Concepts

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Chapter 4: Finance: Filling the Till and Paying the Bills
Show Me the Money: Where State Tax Revenues Come From

 
Taxing Variations Among State and Local Governments

 
The Budget Process

 
Conclusion

 
Top Ten Takeaways

 
Key Concepts

 
Discussion Questions

 
Suggested Websites

 
 
Chapter 5: Political Attitudes and Participation: Venting and Voting
Voting Rights Disputes

 
The Role of Elections

 
State Supervision of Elections

 
Voting in America

 
What Elections Are Used For

 
Public Opinion

 
Conclusion

 
Top Ten Takeaways

 
Key Concepts

 
Discussion Questions

 
Suggested Websites

 
 
Chapter 6: Parties and Interest Groups: Elephants, Donkeys, and Cash Cows
A Primer on Political Parties

 
The Shape of Contemporary Parties

 
Party Competition: Why Some States Are More Competitive Than Others

 
Third Parties and Independents

 
Interest Groups and Lobbies

 
Conclusion

 
Top Ten Takeaways

 
Key Concepts

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Chapter 7: Legislatures: The Art of Herding Cats
The Job of Legislatures

 
Organization and Operation of Legislatures

 
State Legislators

 
The Citizens’ Whipping Boy: Legislators and Public Opinion

 
Conclusion

 
Top Ten Takeaways

 
Key Concepts

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Chapter 8: Governors and Executives: There Is No Such Thing as Absolute Power
The Job of Governor

 
The Powers of Governors

 
Becoming Governor

 
Keeping and Leaving Office

 
Other Executive Offices

 
Conclusion

 
Top Ten Takeaways

 
Key Concepts

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Chapter 9: Courts: Turning Law into Politics
The Role and Structure of State Courts

 
Selecting Judges

 
Prosecution and Defense of Cases in State Courts

 
How Courts are Changing

 
Conclusion

 
Top Ten Takeaways

 
Key Concepts

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Chapter 10: Bureaucracy: What Nobody Wants but Everybody Needs
What is bureaucracy?

 
What Is “Enough” Bureaucracy?

 
Measuring Bureaucratic Effectiveness: It Does a Better Job Than You Think

 
State Bureaucracy: From Patronage to Professionalism

 
Politics and the Merit System

 
If Not Merit . . . Then What?

 
Conclusion

 
Top Ten Takeaways

 
Key Concepts

 
Discussion Questions

 
Suggested Websites

 
 
Chapter 11: Local Government: Function Follows Form
The Many Faces of Local Government

 
The Organization and Responsibilities of Local Governments

 
Municipalities

 
Working Within Limits: The Powers and Constraints of Local Government

 
Participation In Local Government

 
Conclusion

 
Top Ten Takeaways

 
Key Concepts

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Chapter 12: Metropolitics: The Hole Problem of Government
The Missing Level of Government

 
Sprawl: How Metropolitan Regions Grow

 
The Cons of Metropolitan Growth

 
Government Reform in Metropolitan Areas

 
The Case Against Reform: Public Choice and the Tiebout Model

 
Rural Metropolitics

 
Conclusion

 
Top Ten Takeaways

 
Key Concepts

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Chapter 13: Education: Reading, Writing, and Regulation
Organization and Leadership: Schools Have Many Bosses

 
Money Matters

 
The Pressure to Perform

 
Many Brands on the School Reform Shelf

 
Choosing Wisely: Alternatives to Public Schools

 
Can’t Tell the Players Without a Program: Groups That Influence Public Education

 
Conclusion

 
Top Ten Takeaways

 
Key Concepts

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Chapter 14: Crime and Punishment
Principle Versus Practice in Common Law

 
Prison Nation

 
The Rise of Criminal Justice Reform

 
Racial Disparities in Policing

 
Conclusion

 
Top Ten Takeaways

 
Key Concepts

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Chapter 15: Health and Welfare
The Coronavirus Response: Federalism Under Stress

 
How Government Got Into The Health Care Biz

 
The Devolution Revolution

 
Government’s Role in Health

 
Issues to Watch

 
Conclusion

 
Top Ten Takeaways

 
Key Concepts

 
Discussion Questions

 
Suggested Websites

 
 
Chapter 16: Environment and Climate Change: Thinking Globally, Acting Locally
Conflicting Views on Climate Change

 
States Get Serious about the Environment

 
Issues to Watch

 
Adaptation

 
Conclusion

 
Top Ten Takeaways

 
Key Concepts

 
Discussion Questions

 
Suggested Websites

 
 
Notes
 
Glossary
 
Index

This book provides fresh perspectives and up-to-date material that is easy to understand and applicable to students' lives. The many charts and graphs highlight important information to supplement the compelling material. My students are nearly unanimous in their praise for this book, which is quite rare!

Thomas Boudrot
Delta College
Review

Governing States and Localities offers an important and timely examination of important foundations and the current state of federal-state relations, state politics, and the relationship of states to their localities. I have not found a more accessible and comprehensive book that covers all the elements that students need to gain a good grasp on ideas they often know little about but are essential to their everyday lives.

Stella M. Rouse
Arizona State University
Review

Integrating the [Vantage] knowledge checks is incredibly beneficial to the students. This keeps students engaged with the reading material and connects them with the concepts.

Matt Thomas
University of Alabama
Review
Key features
NEW TO THIS EDITION:
  • The new edition is available in Sage Vantage, an intuitive learning platform that integrates quality Sage textbook content with assignable multimedia activities and auto-graded assessments to drive student engagement and ensure accountability. Unparalleled in its ease of use and built for dynamic teaching and learning, Vantage offers customizable LMS integration and best-in-class support.
    • Flashcards and note-taking tools help students better prepare for class.
    • NEW! Audiobook Player allows students to listen to text content, boosting comprehension and retention. It offers flexible, on-the-go access, engaging both reluctant readers and auditory learners, improving the overall reading experience.
    • The Offline Reading option in the Student Dashboard offers greater accessibility to Vantage’s reading content, regardless of where students are or how strong their internet connection may be.
  • All chapters have been revised substantially, with the content updated throughout to reflect the latest issues, trends, and political changes, including the following:
    • Analysis of the results of the most recent legislative and gubernatorial elections.
    • Discussion of the most important state supreme court decisions and constitutional debates.
    • The growing impact of political polarization at the state and local levels, and the implications of the nationalization of party politics for sub-national governance.
    • The impact of the Donald Trump presidency on intergovernmental relations and issues of central interest to states and localities.
    • In-depth examination of recent events and issues that have had impacts on (and in some cases transformed) states and localities, such as the federal-state tugs of war over immigration reform, school shootings and gun control, and the impact of tax cuts on public services and economic performance.
    • Updates to The Latest Research sections at the ends of all chapters, where recent scholarship is put into the context of what students have just read.
KEY FEATURES:
  • A Difference That Makes a Difference boxes provide clear examples of how variations among states and localities can be used to explain a wide range of political and policy phenomena. These pieces detail the ways the institutions, regulations, political culture, demographics, and other factors of a particular state shape its constitution, the way its political parties function, how its citizens tend to vote, how it allocates its financial resources, and why its courts are structured the way they are, to name a few.
  • Local Focus boxes spotlight the ways localities function independently of the states and show how they are both constrained and empowered by intergovernmental ties. From battles to wrest control of their budgets from the state to constitutional restrictions on how they can tax and spend, the topics addressed in these boxes showcase the rich variety represented in these nearly 87,000 substate entities.
  • Policy in Practice boxes demonstrate how different states and localities have interpreted and implemented the legislation handed down from higher levels of government, and the consequences of these decisions. The impact of declining agency fees on public unions, the difficulties and implications of city-county mergers, and the policy implications of the power imbalance between states and localities are just some of the issues addressed.
  • Top Ten Takeaways features reinforce key themes and ideas.
  • Each chapter also includes a set of highlighted key concepts. These terms are defined near the places where they are introduced in the text and are compiled into a list at the end of each chapter, with corresponding page numbers.
  • A comprehensive glossary of key terms precedes the book's index.
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