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The authors of Mississippi Government and Politics go beyond the stereotyped view of the Magnolia State to consider the dramatic social, economic, and political changes taking place there in recent years. Yet the past is inextricably bound up with the present, as Dale Krane and Stephen D. Shaffer make clear in developing their central theme: the ongoing clash in Mississippi between traditionalists intent on preserving the status quo and progressives who have grown up with the civil rights movement. Based in part on public opinion polls measuring the attitudes of Mississippians over a decade, Mississippi Government and Politics presents a vivid social history and analysis of the state's executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Krane and Shaffer have contributed chapters on the culture of Mississippi, the origins and evolution of its ruling class, and efforts to modernize the economy and to bring more blacks and poor whites into the power structure. Krane writes about the struggle over public policy, or "who gets what", and the highly ambivalent attitude of Mississippians toward the federal government. Shaffer addresses the shifting allegiances of political parties in the state and the role of interest groups in effecting change. The contributors include leading political scientists and public administrators. Tip H. Allen, Jr., looks at the century-old, much-amended constitution, and Douglas G. Feig considers the dominance of the legislature and the winds of change blowing through it. Thomas H. Handy describes the traditionally weak governorship. Diane E. Wall threads her way through the antiquated judicial system. Edward J. Clynch sizes up tax Policy, and Gerald Gabris delves intothe dynamics of local government. The result is the most comprehensive and authoritative book on Mississippi political culture in many years.
About the author
Dale Krane, an associate professor of public administration at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, is a coauthor of Compromised Compliance: Implementation of the 1965 Voting Rights Act (1982). Stephen D. Shaffer, a professor of political science at Mississippi State University, has contributed to such collections as Political Parties and Elections in the United States (1991) and The 1988 Presidential Election in the South (1991).
Summary
Presents a view of the Magnolia State to consider the dramatic social, economic, and politi-cal changes taking place there. This title also presents social history and analysis of the state's executive, legislative, and judicial branches. It addresses the role of interest groups in effecting change and the shifting allegiances of political panics.
