Wisconsin Politics and Government: America's Laboratory of Democracy (Politics and Governments of the American States)

Throughout the twentieth century, Wisconsin won national visibility and praise for its role as a “laboratory of democracy” within the American federal system. In Wisconsin Politics and Government James K. Conant traces the development of the state and its Progressive heritage from the early territorial experience to contemporary times. Conant includes a discussion of the four major periods of institutional and policy innovation that occurred in Wisconsin during the twentieth century as well as an examination of the state’s constitution, legislature, office of the governor, courts, political parties and elections, interest groups, social welfare policy, local governments, state-local relations, and current and emerging issues. Readers of Wisconsin Politics and Government are likely to find a close correspondence between Wisconsin's social, economic, and political experience during the twentieth century and the essential democratic characteristics Alexis de Tocqueville describes in his classic work Democracy in America. For example, Wisconsin’s twentieth-century civil society was highly developed: its elected and administrative officials continuously sought to improve the state's political and administrative institutions, and they worked to enhance the economic and social conditions of the state's citizens. Other modern characteristics of the state's democratic experience include issue-oriented politics, government institutions operating free of scandal, and citizens turning out to vote in large numbers. (20090529) Throughout the twentieth century, Wisconsin won national visibility and praise for its role as a “laboratory of democracy” within the American federal system. In Wisconsin Politics and Government James K. Conant traces the development of the state and its Progressive heritage from the early territorial experience to contemporary times. Conant includes a discussion of the four major periods of institutional and policy innovation that occurred in Wisconsin during the twentieth century as well as an examination of the state’s constitution, legislature, office of the governor, courts, political parties and elections, interest groups, social welfare policy, local governments, state-local relations, and current and emerging issues. Readers of Wisconsin Politics and Government are likely to find a close correspondence between Wisconsin's social, economic, and political experience during the twentieth century and the essential democratic characteristics Alexis de Tocqueville describes in his classic work Democracy in America. For example, Wisconsin’s twentieth-century civil society was highly developed: its elected and administrative officials continuously sought to improve the state's political and administrative institutions, and they worked to enhance the economic and social conditions of the state's citizens. Other modern characteristics of the state's democratic experience include issue-oriented politics, government institutions operating free of scandal, and citizens turning out to vote in large numbers. Contents......Page 8 Map, Tables, and Figures......Page 10 Acknowledgments......Page 12 Introduction......Page 16 1: The Character of the State......Page 24 2. The Constitution......Page 55 3. The Legislature......Page 79 4. The Governor......Page 114 5. The Courts......Page 139 6. Private Interests and Interest Groups......Page 160 7. Political Parties and Elections......Page 183 8. The State Budget and the Budgetary Process......Page 211 9. Social Welfare Policy......Page 234 10. Local Government......Page 264 11. State-Local Relations......Page 289 12. Wisconsin in the Federal System......Page 313 13. Continuing Traditions and Emerging Issues......Page 341 14. Studying Wisconsin Politics and Government: A Guide to Resources......Page 350 Notes......Page 374 Index......Page 422 Traces the development of the state Wisconsin and its progressive heritage from the early territorial experience to contemporary times. This title examines the state's constitution, legislature, office of the governor, courts, political parties and elections, interest groups, social welfare policy, local governments, and more. Traces the development of the Wisconsin state and its Progressive heritage from the early territorial experience to contemporary times. This book includes a discussion of the four major periods of institutional and policy innovation that occurred in Wisconsin during the twentieth century.