Description
Washington State is a place of political mavericks. Split tickets are a source of pride and independent voters outnumber Democrats and Republicans. Washington was first to have a voter-approved state Equal Rights Amendment, first to elect a woman as governor, and first to elect a Chinese-American to the position. Today, Washington’s open primary election system and voter registration process demonstrate it has not drifted far from its populist roots.
Governing the Evergreen State provides an absorbing look at an ever-evolving state political and judicial system and presents intriguing case studies. With chapters on interest groups, the constitution, the environment, media coverage, the court system, the legislature, political parties, changing demographics, and more, this volume updates the popular Governing Washington. Fresh discussions and analysis written by academics from universities across the state, a senator, a pollster, a newspaper reporter/blogger, a former chief justice of the state Supreme Court, and a court administrator offer a springboard for further examination and discussion.
Cornell W. Clayton is the director of the Thomas S. Foley Institute of Public Policy and Public Service at Washington State University, where he also serves as the Thomas S. Foley Distinguished Professor of Government. He has published widely in the areas of American politics, judicial politics, and constitutional law. Todd Donovan is a professor in the Department of Political Science at Western Washington University in Bellingham. His research areas include public opinion, electoral rules, representation, and direct democracy, and he has worked as an expert witness on election matters in state and federal courts. Nicholas P. Lovrich is Regents Professor Emeritus and a Claudius O. and Mary W. Johnson Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Washington State University. He served as the director of the Division of Governmental Studies and Services for more than three decades.
Charts / Notes / References / 272 pages (2018)
CONTENTS
Foley Institute Sponsorship
Foreword Sam Reed
Section I: Political Setting and Behavior
Chapter 1 Two Washingtons? Political Culture in the Evergreen State
Nicholas P. Lovrich, John C. Pierce, and H. Stuart Elway
Chapter 2 Elections in Washington
Todd Donovan
Chapter 3 Political Parties in the Evergreen State
Kevin Pirch
Chapter 4 Interest Groups in Washington
Clive S. Thomas and Richard Elgar
Chapter 5 Progressive Federalism: Washington State as a Protector of Civil Rights Progress?
Maria Chávez and Robin Jacobson
Chapter 6 The Washington Press and Politics: News Coverage in Changing Times
Sanne A. M. Rijkhoff and Jim Camden
Section II: Government Institutions
Chapter 7 Washington’s Constitution: The Politics of State Constitutional Interpretation
Cornell W. Clayton and Gerry Alexander
Chapter 8 Governing the Evergreen State: The State Legislature
Hans Zeiger and Sara Singleton
Chapter 9 The Governor and Other Statewide Executives
Carolyn N. Long and David Ammons
Chapter 10 Courts and the Judicial System
Michael F. Salamone and Carl McCurley
Chapter 11 Continuity and Change in Public Policy in Washington State
Steven D. Stehr, Season A. Hoard, and Christina M. Sanders
Chapter 12 Environmental and Natural Resource Policy in the Evergreen State
Ed Weber and Ellen Rogers
Contributors
