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The Concise Guide to South Carolina State Government
An insider's guide to the government of the Palmetto State
In The Concise Guide to South Carolina State Government, former state senator Vincent Sheheen provides an engaging and accessible overview of the structures of the state's government and how they came to be. Sheheen covers the history of South Carolina's government, the legislative branch, the executive branch, the judicial branch, state agencies, and local government, with the insight that only someone who has walked the corridors of the State House in Columbia can provide. Throughout, profiles of a key figures such as Solomon Blatt (the first Jewish speaker of the house) and Jean Hoefer Toal (the first woman to serve on the state Supreme Court and as chief justice), animate the text.
For elected officials, government professionals, teachers, students, media on the politics beat, and political junkies, The Concise Guide to South Carolina State Government will become the first place to go to learn about why the Palmetto State works the way it does.
In The Concise Guide to South Carolina State Government, former state senator Vincent Sheheen provides an engaging and accessible overview of the structures of the state's government and how they came to be. Sheheen covers the history of South Carolina's government, the legislative branch, the executive branch, the judicial branch, state agencies, and local government, with the insight that only someone who has walked the corridors of the State House in Columbia can provide. Throughout, profiles of a key figures such as Solomon Blatt (the first Jewish speaker of the house) and Jean Hoefer Toal (the first woman to serve on the state Supreme Court and as chief justice), animate the text.
For elected officials, government professionals, teachers, students, media on the politics beat, and political junkies, The Concise Guide to South Carolina State Government will become the first place to go to learn about why the Palmetto State works the way it does.
166 pages, Paperback
Published December 4, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 7, 2026
In fall 2022, I was in a state government seminar at the University of South Carolina. Then Senator Vincent Sheheen was my professor. As we were settling down for the first day of class, we were notified that we had to write a book report on a book detailing the ins and outs of South Carolina state government. The book that was given to us via pdf on blackboard was horribly out of date, probably not updated since around the time I was born in 2002. Senator Sheheen, at the head of the table, made a passing remark that he was going to write a book one day to serve as the textbook for the class. Lo and behold, he did!
I knew he was going to do a good job writing it. In addition to the wealth of personal and familial experience he discussed in class, he had a true passion for South Carolina's history. I have a distinct memory from the class standing on the steps of the Wade Hampton building discussing French Huguenots before going into a state house tour. I've always found South Carolina history fascinating, but I know others in the class (and the state and the world) did not and do not share that sentiment. This book reminds us of the importance of history, especially local history. As Sheheen notes quite frequently, South Carolina's history is very ugly. And in a state that moves as slow as our ever escaping Southern drawl, this history is foundational to understanding our state and local institutions. For being so concise, Sheheen did an excellent job explaining the connection between this history and South Carolina's institutions. I thought framing the chapters through prolific figures really solidified this and made it much more interesting to read.
Even though I took a whole course with the author, I still learned so much useful information from this book. I learned about South Carolina's influences from Barbados, what home rule was, and had the 1890s conservative/populist shift explained in clear terms. I also learned so much about Camden, because now Mayor Sheheen plugged it and Kershaw County every time he could in the book. But I guess that makes sense because he is indeed the mayor.
Despite some typos-which I am keen to detect now that I proof bills for the South Carolina Senate thanks to said state government class-this book really is a great intro to South Carolina politics. I just wished Sheheen published it sooner so I could have used the material about Jean Toal for my thesis. But he was busy running for mayor so whatever.
I knew he was going to do a good job writing it. In addition to the wealth of personal and familial experience he discussed in class, he had a true passion for South Carolina's history. I have a distinct memory from the class standing on the steps of the Wade Hampton building discussing French Huguenots before going into a state house tour. I've always found South Carolina history fascinating, but I know others in the class (and the state and the world) did not and do not share that sentiment. This book reminds us of the importance of history, especially local history. As Sheheen notes quite frequently, South Carolina's history is very ugly. And in a state that moves as slow as our ever escaping Southern drawl, this history is foundational to understanding our state and local institutions. For being so concise, Sheheen did an excellent job explaining the connection between this history and South Carolina's institutions. I thought framing the chapters through prolific figures really solidified this and made it much more interesting to read.
Even though I took a whole course with the author, I still learned so much useful information from this book. I learned about South Carolina's influences from Barbados, what home rule was, and had the 1890s conservative/populist shift explained in clear terms. I also learned so much about Camden, because now Mayor Sheheen plugged it and Kershaw County every time he could in the book. But I guess that makes sense because he is indeed the mayor.
Despite some typos-which I am keen to detect now that I proof bills for the South Carolina Senate thanks to said state government class-this book really is a great intro to South Carolina politics. I just wished Sheheen published it sooner so I could have used the material about Jean Toal for my thesis. But he was busy running for mayor so whatever.
March 19, 2026
Excellent book by former state Senator filled with interesting anecdotes. I highly recommend for anyone interested in how state government works.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews