The guide provides contemporary analysis of state institutions, processes, and public policies, along with both historical and theoretical perspectives that help readers develop a comprehensive understanding of the 50 U.S. states complex and changing political spheres.

Table of Contents

• About the Editors
• Contributors
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction: The Past, Present, and Future of State Politics and Policy Research
• Federalism
• Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations
• The Past, Present, and Future Role of State Constitutions
• Geography, Political Culture, and American Politics
• Interstate Interactions
• Elections and Voter Participation
• Democratic Responsiveness
• Initiative and Referendum
• Election Administration
• Influences on State Elections
• Parties, Interest Groups, and Media
• State Party Organizations
• Interest Groups and Their Influence
• Regulating Interest Groups in the States
• Media Politics in the States
• Legislatures
• History and Development of State Legislatures, 1619 to 1961
• Districting
• Legislative Diversity
• Leadership and Committee Organization
• Legislative Reform
• Executive Branch
• Gubernatorial Backgrounds, History, Elections, Powers
• Bureaucracy
• Courts
• Organization and Structure of State Courts
• Judicial Selection and Retention of State Court Judges
• Specialization in the Courts
• Courts and the Initiative and Referendum Process
• Public Policy
• Policy Process in the States
• Innovations and Diffusion
• Fiscal Policy
• Moral Issues
• Criminal Justice Policy and Public Safety in the American States
• Education Policy
• Environmental Policy
• Health Care
• Immigration
• Welfare
• Guide to Information and Data About the States