Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Why States Matter: An Introduction to State Politics

Rate this book
When it comes to voting, taxes, environmental regulations, social services, education, criminal justice, political parties, property rights, gun control, marriage and a whole host of other modern American issues, the state in which a citizen resides makes a difference. That idea—that the political decisions made by those in state-level offices are of tremendous importance to the lives of people whose states they govern—is the fundamental concept explored in this book. Gary F. Moncrief and Peverill Squire introduce students to the very tangible and constantly evolving implications, limitations, and foundations of America’s state political institutions, and accessibly explain the ways that the political powers of the states manifest themselves in the cultures, economies, and lives of everyday Americans, and always will.

290 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

12 people are currently reading
17 people want to read

About the author

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
4 (17%)
4 stars
15 (65%)
3 stars
3 (13%)
2 stars
1 (4%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Profile Image for Eric.
306 reviews2 followers
November 26, 2025
I found this book a good choice to assign to a 200-level State and Local Politics class. It is not overburdensome with details and leaves plenty of new content to pour into lectures. The downside is the student misses out on multiple examples and graphics that traditional textbooks have. I would recommend this as an assigned text if one is looking for a brief edition at a comparatively low cost.
Profile Image for Natalie.
61 reviews
May 1, 2024
Woohoo! Finally done with this semester, which means it’s time to rank my assigned readings!
This book was actually quite interesting & insightful into state governments & politics! I enjoyed that analysis they provided & their examples were easily understood. Overall this was a fairly fun assigned reading & gave great insight into our nation.
Plus the author is bsu alum, go broncos!
Profile Image for Makenna stull.
119 reviews
November 24, 2020
This books was well written except for a couple grammar mistakes I ran into a couple times. I learned a lot through this book.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.