State and Local Government

State and Local Government — page 1 — (cid:3) (cid:3) TABLE OF CONTENTS (cid:144)(cid:3)(cid:144)(cid:3)(cid:144) 7 CHAPTER NO_ 1 IT STARTED LOCALLY When the New World was first explored and settled government seemed a distant thing Lands were claimed by kingdoms across the oceans 27 CHAPTER NO_ 3 WHO’S ON THE JOB When the weather forecast calls for snow overnight school super intendents suddenly become the most powerful people in town 4 INTRODUCTION The true privilege of being mayor is that I have the op portunity to be everyone’s neighbor said former Boston mayor Thomas Menino 17 CHAPTER NO_ 2 STAR QUALITY At the head of each state’s govern ment is the governor Governors have risen in stature since the early days of the nation when many served only one or two-year terms 37 CHAPTER NO_ 4 NEW DESIGNS FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS In many American communities one of the most distinctive build ings is the county courthouse Of course that handsome stone struc ture is often the old courthouse

State and Local Government — page 2 — 46 Endnotes 47 Selected Bibliography 47 Websites 48 Index REFERENCE WE THE PEOPLE 9 JOHN ADAMS Massachusetts constitutional delegate 10 FREDERICK LAW OLMSTED Public landscape designer 19 GEORGE WALLACE Combative Alabama governor 20 ELLA GRASSO First woman governor in own right 29 RICHARD DALEY Father-and-son Chicago mayors 30 DOUGLAS WILDER First African American governor 39 JESSE VENTURA Fighting Minnesota leader 40 TERRY BRANSTAD Longest-serving governor

State and Local Government — page 3 — INTRODUCTION The true privilege of being mayor is that I have the opportunity to be everyone’s neighbor said former Boston mayor Thomas Menino STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT Menino was mayor for nearly 21 years longer than anyone else in the city’s history During that time he became famous for his close con nection with residents in a 2009 poll by the Boston Globe nearly 60 percent of the respondents said they’d personally met him He was also attentive to details such as potholes abandoned cars and how many kids had summer jobs Menino was exceptionally successful but his to-do list would be similar to that of most elected officials of state and local governments However in an era in which big govern ment is often cast as a villain the state and local versions by being everywhere are also like the neighbor you see every day They are tru ly government of the people by the people 4

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