Governing States and Localities

by Kevin B. Smith, Alan H. Greenblatt

From the lingering but long-lasting effects of the COVID pandemic to the growing diffusion of partisan polarization through the various levels of government, the Ninth Edition of Governing States and Localities introduces students to the most recent challenges, developments, and political changes impacting state and local politics. Employing a comparative approach, bestselling authors Kevin B. Smith and Alan Greenblatt illustrate the similarities and differences in the way state and local governments operate to show students the real-world application of policy and politics.

This edition keeps students engaged with a crisp journalistic style while providing a comprehensive introduction to state and local governments that is easily accessible to undergraduates in a variety of majors.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Textbooks

608 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2004

Reviews

[Tyler Ruprecht · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review is based off of 7E which I did not see listed on here. It was a decent introductory text to state government. I would have liked it to go into more detail on local governments.

At the end of the day, I don't feel I learned a whole lot from this book that I didn't already know as someone active in state and local government (though the statistics it contained are always nice to have on hand).

[Letitia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't love this, but I honestly don't know what real alternative exists. It feels dated and cheeky and is not super interesting to read. But I don't have another text to compare it to, so perhaps this is as good as it gets when writing about local government.

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad textbook. Covers the material well and in a good format. Recommended