This two-volume set presents the results of conversations with scores of Americans, and the close observation of the operation of American political institutions, including political parties and municipal and state governments. It is based on the updated third edition of 1941.

"Even in this precarious moment for American democracy, the institutions of American federalism-that is, state governments-remain almost universally lauded. For many, the present era of national partisan polarization makes local politics even more appealing. The truth about federalism in this polarized age, however, is a bit more concerning, as Grumbach details. As the state level has become an increasingly important site of public policies that affect...

"In the wake of Trump's presidency, Republican-led states have joined in an alarming assault on our democratic system. But the drift toward authoritarianism in red states has far deeper roots. We now have a country where tens of millions of people live under regimes that have spent years starving education and health care, empowering polluters, engaging in voter suppression, and neglecting their citizens' well-being in the interest of cutting taxes...

Introduces the purpose and function of state government, the function of the three branches, how states raise money, how state government operates. and how a bill becomes a state law.