The Executive Branch of State Government

February 1, 2007
Gr 9 Up-The organization of these volumes includes a common introduction followed by five chapters of fundamental explanations on its subject branch. "Executive" presents a historical overview and a discussion of the roles, functions, and powers of governors and the role of the executive branch in state politics. "Judicial" includes an introduction to state courts and law; the roles, functions, and powers of state courts; and the structure and process of courts. "Legislative" includes chapters elucidating the powers and responsibilities of the legislatures and the structure and process of lawmaking. The final chapter in each book provides a state-by-state look at the topic, delineating what makes each state unique, making comparative studies easy. Each volume also contains information about people and politics, a volume-specific glossary, and a thematic annotated bibliography. Interesting sidebars (Jesse Ventura and Arnold Schwarzenegger, the "Coroner's Inquest," "Diversity in the Legislature," and other topics), average-quality black-and-white photographs, and tables are scattered throughout. Readers should be aware of a couple of errors. They include: Theodore Roosevelt is falsely credited with proclaiming Yellowstone National Park the first national park in "Executive" and a photo in "Legislative" is mislabeled the Old Illinois State Capitol building in Springfield. Despite these problems, these volumes embody a tremendous quantity of information for reports, thus filling a niche in government reference."Patricia Ann Owens, Wabash Valley College, Mt. Carmel, IL"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2007
This volume is part of the About State Government reference set, the purpose of which is to provide "a comprehensive source of information on state government." As explained in the set foreword, there "is no reference work available that focuses solely on explaining the workings of state government across the nation." About State Government addresses this gap in a broad and accessible manner.

Other volumes in the set are " The Judicial Branch of State Government: People, Process, and Politics" and " The Legislative Branch of State Government: People, Process, and Politics" . Each of the well-organized volumes is divided into six chapters. The first five chapters cover information common to all state administrations, including powers and responsibilities, key officials, and governmental structure. A list of further readings concludes each chapter. The sixth chapter is arranged alphabetically by state and examines individual characteristics of each state's government. Each state entry has its own list of additional resources, including Web sites. Every volume contains a useful glossary, a detailed index, and a thorough annotated bibliography. Black-and-white photographs and art reproductions complement the text.

Besides offering comprehensive coverage, the set is well written and accessible to general readers. Concepts such as "The Sources of Law" and "Roles and Responsibilities of the Governorship" are explained in jargon-free language. In addition, the contributors discuss issues of race, ethnicity, and gender, including female governors and the proportion of women and minorities in state legislatures and courts. The set also contains intriguing sidebars with topics ranging from notable governors to distinctive features of state capitols (for example, the decor of the Hawaii legislature).

About State Government highlights the significant role of state governments in a format that is manageable and engaging. It is recommended for high-school, college, and public libraries. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)