West Virginia Politics and Government

A. Brisbin Richard, Jay Dilger Robert, S. Hammock Allan, Christopher Plein L.

Description

West Virginia Politics and Government offers the only recent study of politics in the Mountain State. Combining new empirical information about political behavior with a close examination of the capacity of the state’s government, this second edition is a comprehensive and pointed study of the ability of the state’s government to respond to the needs of a largely rural and relatively low-income population. The authors discuss public demands on state government, the shaping of the political agenda by interest groups, elections and the role of political parties, and the influence of the federal government on the state’s political and administrative functions. The book also examines the nature of the state’s constitution and the role of governmental institutions, including the state legislature, the governor, and the state bureaucracy, in the making of public policy and the construction of a state budget, as well as the judiciary and local governments. The concluding chapter assesses the future of governance in the state.

Sujets

• USA
• United States of America
• Virginia Occidental
• Central government
• Region
• West Virginia
• Administrative division
• Regional
• États-Unis
• Virginie-Occidentale

Informations

• Publié par: Nebraska Paperback
• Date de parution: 01 janvier 2009
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780803219366
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

west virginia politics and government, second edition

Politics and Governments of the American States

Founding Editor

Daniel J. Elazar

Published by the University of Nebraska Press in association with the Center for the Study of Federalism at the Robert B. and Helen S. Meyner Center for the Study of State and Local Government, Lafayette College

richard a. brisbin jr., robert jay dilger, allan s. hammock, and l. christopher plein

West Virginia Politics and Government

Second Edition

university of nebraska press lincoln and london

©2008by the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data West Virginia politics and government / Richard A. Brisbin Jr. . . . [et al.].—2nd ed. p. cm.—(Politics and governments of the American states) Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn978-0-8032-6243-0(pbk. : alk. paper) 1. West Virginia—Politics and government. I. Brisbin, Richard A. jk4016.w47 2008 320.4754—dc22 2008028718

Set in Times by Bob Reitz. Designed by Joel Gehringer.

contents

Series Preface, vii Acknowledgments, ix Introduction: Mountain State Politics,1

part 1: the construction of the political agenda

one Sources of the Political Agenda: Geography, History, Economy, and Political Culture,13

two Public Contributions to the Political Agenda: Participation, Parties, and Elections,33

three Interest Group Politics,54

four Intergovernmental Relations and the Political Agenda,82

part 2: political institutions

five Constitutional Politics,105

six The Legislature,121

seven The Governor and Executive Offices,136

eight The Administration of State Policies,151

nine The Budget Process,173

ten The Judiciary,192

eleven Local Government,220

twelve Policy Controversies and the Capacity of the State Government,243

Suggestions for Further Reading,267 Notes,277 Index,317

john kincaid, series editor

Series Preface

The purpose of this series is to provide information on the politics and governments of the fifty American states, books that are of value not only to the student of government but also to the general citizens who want greater insight into the past and present civic life of their own states and of other states in the federal union. The role of the states in governing America is not widely understood. The national media focus attention on the federal government in Washingtondc, and local media focus attention on local government. Meanwhile, except when there is a scandal or a proposed tax increase, the workings of state government remain something of a mystery to many citizens—out of sight, out of mind. In many respects, however, the states have been, and continue to be, the most important governments in the American political system. They are constituents of the federal union, and citizens gain representation through them. The federal government is one of limited, delegated powers; all other powers are possessed by the states and their citizens. At the same time, the states are the empowering governments for the nation’s87,525 local governments—counties, municipalities, townships, school districts, and special districts. As such, states provide for one of the most essential and ancient elements of freedom and democracy, the right of local self- government. Although, for many citizens, the most visible aspects of state government are state universities, some of which are the most prestigious in the world, and state highway patrol officers, with their radar guns and handy ticket books, state governments provide for nearly all domestic public services. Whether elements of those services are enacted or partly funded by the federal government and actually carried out by local governments, it is state government that has the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that Americans

viii

Series Preface

are well served by all their governments. In so doing, all of the American states are more democratic, more prosperous, and better governed than most of the world’s nation-states. This is a particularly timely period in which to publish a series of books on the government and politics of each of the fifty states. Once viewed as a “fallen arches” of the federal system, states today are increasingly seen as energetic, innovative, and fiscally responsible. Some states, of course, perform better than others, but that is to be expected in a federal system. Each state is unique in its own right. It is our hope that this series will shed light on the public life of each state and that, taken together, the books will contribute to a better informed understanding of the states themselves and of their often pivotal roles in the world’s first and oldest continental-sized federal democracy.

Acknowledgments

This introductory study of West Virginia politics and government is a collegial effort by members of the Department of Political Science and Division of Public Administration at West Virginia University. In this edition we discuss the state’s politics using information collected through August2008. Each author initially drafted chapters in his areas of expertise and then solicited comments from the others. The final product thus reflects the ideas and research of all four authors. Richard Brisbin wrote the draft of the introduction and chapters1,5, and10; Robert Dilger wrote the draft of chapters4,6, 7, and11; Allan Hammock wrote the draft of part of chapter 2and all of chapter3; and Christopher Plein wrote the drafts of chapters8 and9. Richard Brisbin and Allan Hammock drafted sections of chapter2. Richard Brisbin and Robert Dilger drafted sections of chapter12. We acknowledge the extensive assistance provided by Kevin M. Leyden, director of the West Virginia Institute for Public Affairs of West Virginia University, especially for his support of research related to parts of the chapters on political culture, the legislature, the executive, the budgetary process, and the judiciary. The Institute for Public Affairs, Department of Political Science, Division of Public Administration, and Office of the Dean of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University provided funding for the statewide surveys of mass political attitudes referenced in the book and contributed to an article on the survey. Lucinda Potter of the West Virginia University Political Science Department provided us with comments about the first edition that significantly improved this edition of the book. Finally, all of the authors express appreciation to the many current and former state elected and civil service officials who provided insights during interviews and discussions about West Virginia politics. The authors also have individual acknowledgments. Richard Brisbin