How American Governments Work

During the past two decades, many countries in the world have peacefully undergone a transition to more popular forms of self-governance. The United States represents the world model for evolving forms of democracy. This volume details how government currently works in America. Forty essays examine the condition of all five levels of government in America—city, county, regional, state, and federal. They describe and examine the structures, operations and services provided by each level, as well as how they are financed.

Roger L. Kemp, Ph.D., ICMA-CM, has been a city manager on both the East and West coasts for more than 25 years. He is presently Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Public Administration at Golden Gate University and a Fellow of The Academy of Political Science.

Edited by Roger L. Kemp

Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 448
Bibliographic Info: references, index
Copyright Date: 2007 [2002]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-3152-6
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      viii
Preface      1

Part I: National Election Practices     9
Part II: City Government     63
Part III: County Government     117
Part IV: Regional Government     161
Part V: State Government     219
Part VI: Federal Government     287
Part VII: Government Trends     341
Part VIII: The Future of Democracy     403

About the Contributors     431
Index     435