The American Statehouse Book in PDF, ePub and Kindle version is available to download in english. Read online anytime anywhere directly from your device. Click on the download button below to get a free pdf file of The American Statehouse book. This book definitely worth reading, it is an incredibly well-written.
Author : Robert S. Erikson,Gerald C. Wright,John P. McIver Publisher : Cambridge University Press Page : 288 pages File Size : 55,5 Mb Release : 1993 Category : Political Science ISBN : 0521424054
Statehouse Democracy by Robert S. Erikson,Gerald C. Wright,John P. McIver Pdf
The authors demonstrate that state policies are highly responsive to public opinion through the analysis of state policies from the 1930s to the present.
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.
Three Men in a Room by Seymour Lachman,Rob Polner Pdf
The inside story of one of the country's most secretive and misruled statehouses by a former New York State senator;. "Democracy takes decades to take root and flourish. New York is learning that it takes just three men in a room to maim and seriously harm a vigorous and representative system of government."-from Three Men in a Room It might be a scene from a movie: three powerful and secretive men sit in a private corner of an exclusive New York club, imperiously making decisions that affect the lives of millions of people. But the scene takes place in Albany, New York, and the exclusive members are the governor, the senate majority leader, and the speaker of the assembly of the New York State legislature. Three Men in a Room is an insider's exposé of how one of the country's largest and most powerful governments-with the fourth-largest budget, behind only the federal government's, California's, and Texas's-has become a model of corrupt, inefficient, and undemocratic governance. Seymour Lachman ran the New York City Board of Education, taught political science, and was then elected to New York's legislature. What he found when he arrived in the halls of the state senate was a Potemkin village of government where legislators vote on bills they haven't read during legislative sessions they haven't attended. After four terms, Lachman left his safe seat in disgust, and has now written this sharp, mordant, and impassioned call for reform. Although Lachman's story takes place in one of the country's most progressive states, the problems described in this book are rampant in statehouses throughout the country.
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
The South Carolina State House Grounds by Lydia Mattice Brandt Pdf
The first comprehensive narrative of the South Carolina state capitol and the history enshrined in its monuments from 1787 to the present The South Carolina State House grounds are a work in progress—a cultural landscape of human-built and natural components connected physically, conceptually, and aesthetically. As public property, the grounds should represent and welcome everyone in the state. While it is a beautiful space, it is not neutral. Over the past two centuries, various groups have jostled for political and cultural power, and the winners have used the grounds to assert their authority and broadcast political positions on the state's most visible stage. These struggles have resulted in a perpetually evolving space. In The South Carolina State House Grounds, the first comprehensive narrative of this important site at the heart of the Palmetto State, Lydia Mattice Brandt details the history of the state capitol and its setting—including the national, state, and local histories enshrined in its monuments—from 1787 to the present. Brandt argues that generations of private citizens and elected officials, who recognized the power of erecting public monuments and buildings that recall certain versions of history, have consciously shaped this highly charged, visible, and public place to assert authority over both the past and present. By recounting the intentions behind each element in the landscape, this guidebook considers how South Carolinians have used this place as a site of storytelling and mythmaking. The South Carolina State House Grounds, a chronological history of the state's grandest public space, includes more than sixty illustrations that track the site's transformation over more than two centuries. Brandt chronicles the events that occurred in and around its buildings, the stories of the people memorialized in the grounds' monuments, and the histories of the monuments themselves.
An Historical Account of the Old State House of Pennsylvania Now Known as the Hall of Independence by Frank Marx Etting Pdf
"It is possible that this heliotype production was to serve also as a special book for the Centennial. It contains illustrations from many different sources related to the building as well as exterior and interior views of how the halls were laid out for exhibition." -- Hanson Collection Catalog, p. 55.
Author : Anne H. Farrisee,Timothy J. Crimmins Publisher : University of Georgia Press Page : 212 pages File Size : 52,5 Mb Release : 2022-10-01 Category : History ISBN : 9780820364971
Democracy Restored by Anne H. Farrisee,Timothy J. Crimmins Pdf
This stunning, fully illustrated history of the Georgia Capitol not only pays tribute to a grand old edifice but also vividly recounts the history that was made—and that continues to be made—within and without its walls. The Georgia Capitol is a place where, for more than a century, legislators have debated, governors have proclaimed, and courts have ruled. It is also a place where countless ordinary citizens have gathered in lively tour groups, angry protest mobs, and at times solemn funeral processions. As Timothy J. Crimmins and Anne H. Farrisee move through the major periods in the Capitol's history, they tell three interwoven stories. One is a tale of the building itself, its predecessors, its design and construction, its occasionally ill-considered renovations, and the magnificent, decade-long restoration begun in 1996. Also revealed is how the gradual accumulation of statues, flags, portraits, and civic rituals and pageants has added new layers of meaning to an already symbolic structure. The third story the authors tell is of the legislative and judicial battles that sought to limit or extend democratic freedoms. Some of these events were high drama: fisticuffs during a prohibition debate, Eugene Talmadge's strong-arm eviction of the state treasurer from the statehouse, the Three Governors Controversy, and an African American protest in the segregated cafeteria. From the laying of the cornerstone in 1885 to the present, successive generations of Georgians have created a distinctive history in and around the Capitol as they have exercised, or sought to gain, their rights. Today the Georgia Capitol remains a working center of state government, and its history continues to unfold.
Schoolhouses, Courthouses, and Statehouses by Eric A. Hanushek,Alfred A. Lindseth Pdf
Improving public schools through performance-based funding Spurred by court rulings requiring states to increase public-school funding, the United States now spends more per student on K-12 education than almost any other country. Yet American students still achieve less than their foreign counterparts, their performance has been flat for decades, millions of them are failing, and poor and minority students remain far behind their more advantaged peers. In this book, Eric Hanushek and Alfred Lindseth trace the history of reform efforts and conclude that the principal focus of both courts and legislatures on ever-increasing funding has done little to improve student achievement. Instead, Hanushek and Lindseth propose a new approach: a performance-based system that directly links funding to success in raising student achievement. This system would empower and motivate educators to make better, more cost-effective decisions about how to run their schools, ultimately leading to improved student performance. Hanushek and Lindseth have been important participants in the school funding debate for three decades. Here, they draw on their experience, as well as the best available research and data, to show why improving schools will require overhauling the way financing, incentives, and accountability work in public education.
Author : Nadia E. Brown Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA Page : 267 pages File Size : 47,5 Mb Release : 2014 Category : Political Science ISBN : 9780199352432
"Theories of descriptive representation that keep identity constant over time and context fail to account for the substantive work of minority women legislators. Sisters in the Statehouse addresses this gap in the literature by utilizing humanistic inquiry to examine the connection between descriptive and substantive representation in the case of Black women legislators. This link hinges on how such legislators see the effects of their own race-gender identity on their legislative work. By combining humanistic and social science techniques, such as feminist life histories, elite interviews, and participant observation in conjunction with legislative case studies as well as bill sponsorship data, I present a fuller description of how identity informs Black women state legislators' descriptive and substantive representation. Linking personal narratives to political behavior, my study elicits the feminist life histories of African American women legislators to understand how their experiences with racism and sexism have influenced their legislative decision-making and policy preferences. I reveal several distinctions that inform the legislative work of these legislators to provide a broader perspective that exemplifies how an intersectional approach can enhance our understanding of political representation"--
The Making of the American Landscape by Michael P. Conzen Pdf
The only compact yet comprehensive survey of environmental and cultural forces that have shaped the visual character and geographical diversity of the settled American landscape. The book examines the large-scale historical influences that have molded the varied human adaptation of the continent’s physical topography to its needs over more than 500 years. It presents a synoptic view of myriad historical processes working together or in conflict, and illustrates them through their survival in or disappearance from the everyday landscapes of today.