Maryland Politics and Government

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Maryland Politics and Government

Democratic Dominance

Herbert C. Smith and John T. Willis

Politics and Governments of the American States Series

400 pages
3 maps, 29 tables, 5 figures

Paperback

January 2012

978-0-8032-3790-2

$35.00 Add to Cart
eBook (PDF)
Ebook purchases delivered via Leaf e-Reader

January 2012

978-0-8032-3843-5

$35.00 Add to Cart

About the Book

Tucked between the larger commonwealths of Pennsylvania and Virginia and overshadowed by the political maneuverings of its neighbor, Washington, D.C., Maryland has often been overlooked and neglected in studies of state governmental systems. With the publication of Maryland Politics and Government, the challenging demographic diversity, geographic variety, and dynamic Democratic pragmatism of Maryland finally get their due.

Two longtime political analysts, Herbert C. Smith and John T. Willis, conduct a sustained inquiry into topics including the Maryland identity, political history, and interest groups; the three branches of state government; and policy areas such as taxation, spending, transportation, and the environment. Smith and Willis also establish a “Two Marylands” model that explains the dominance of the Maryland Democratic Party, established in the post–Civil War era, that persists to this day even in a time of political polarization. Unique in its scope, detail, and coverage, Maryland Politics and Government sets the standard for understanding the politics of the Free State (or, alternately, the Old Line State) for years to come.

Author Bio

Herbert C. Smith is a professor of political science and international studies at McDaniel College. He has written numerous articles of political commentary published in the Baltimore Sun and works as a campaign consultant and television political analyst. John T. Willis is an executive in residence and director of the government and public policy program at the University of Baltimore. The author of Presidential Elections in Maryland, he has served as a party official at the local, state, and national level and was Maryland’s secretary of state from 1995 to 2003.

Table of Contents

List of Maps
List of Tables
List of Figures
Preface

ONE
The Maryland Identity

TWO
A Maryland Political History

THREE
Contemporary Political Patterns

FOUR
Maryland Public Opinion

FIVE
Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Corruption

SIX
The Maryland Constitution

SEVEN
The Maryland General Assembly

EIGHT
The Maryland Governor and the Executive Branch

NINE
The Maryland Judiciary

TEN
The Politics of Taxation and Spending

ELEVEN
"Pleasant Living" Policies and Politics

TWELVE
Maryland in the Federal System

THIRTEEN
Local Governments in Maryland

FOURTEEN
Maryland's Future

FIFTEEN
Further Reference for Maryland Study

Notes

Index

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