State and Local Government: Reference Books

This book provides excellent overviews of the various topics impacting state governments and the processes by which they operate.

This handbook has 39 chapters covering a wide range of topics related to state and local government. Each chapter focuses on one area and describes the research that has been conducted on that topic. Excellent headings in many chapters help to break larger topics into their narrower subcategories. Because the book is focused on describing the research that has been conducted, each chapter's bibliography is a gold mine of excellent sources to use for your research.

Current year now available online! Click title for access. Published by the Council of State Governments each year. This book provides a series of articles and comparative data about state government. It focuses heavily on government functions rather than on specific policy. Anyone focusing on how governments operate will want to look at this book. Also government finance is well covered here.

This set of books provides political history, culture and details of important issues surrounding state government and politics for each state. The second half of the second volume is a general encyclopedia that has articles on major issues in politics and government and relates these to state and local government.

For anyone studying state or local government finance, this is a great resource. Early chapters provides overviews of major issues and like other Oxford Handbooks, chapters have excellent bibliographies which can link you to important research in this area.

This book will not tell you much about state government but it can tell you about a state’s political culture. While much of the book provides biographical information on national politicians, the overviews of the states and biographies of Governors are excellent reading. For the most recent edition check at the Reference Desk.

This handbook includes chapters focused political parties and interest groups and the state and local level.

The book explores topics related to American political campaigns, elections, and electoral behavior. It includes chapters on all 50 states.