Dayhoff Soundtrack: Eagle Archive: At McDaniel, authors' lecture revels in history of Maryland politics

Wednesday, October 03, 2012

Eagle Archive: At McDaniel, authors' lecture revels in history of Maryland politics

Eagle Archive: At McDaniel, authors' lecture revels in history of Maryland politics

Eagle Archive: At McDaniel, authors' lecture revels in history of Maryland politics By Kevin Dayhoff, September 29, 2012

http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/carroll/news/community/ph-ce-eagle-archive-0930-20120926,0,2507354.story

Labels: Art Library books, Colleges McDaniel, History MD, History MD General Assembly, History MD State Government, History Political, People Smith Dr Herb, People Willis John, Political Science http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2012/10/eagle-archive-at-mcdaniel-authors.html

The presidential politics of this election year is a fitting context for a recent book talk at McDaniel College on the arcane, distinctive and uniquely byzantine political history of Maryland

"Maryland Politics and Government: Democratic Dominance," written by John Willis and Herbert Smith is a 432-page look at Maryland's political identity. The book was released this past January, part of the Politics and Governments of the American States series by the University of Nebraska Press.

"It's truly a labor of love," said Smith, who has been a professor of political science and international studies at McDaniel College since 1973.

Willis is the director of the government and public policy program at the University of Baltimore. He served as Maryland's secretary of state from 1995 to 2003 and is also the author of another book, "Presidential Elections in Maryland." … http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/carroll/news/community/ph-ce-eagle-archive-0930-20120926,0,2507354.story

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2012/10/eagle-archive-at-mcdaniel-authors.html

For more information on the book go to the University of Nebraska website here: http://tinyurl.com/7n92yuw

http://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/product/Maryland-Politics-and-Government,674904.aspx http://tinyurl.com/7n92yuw

Click here to read an excerpt from Maryland Politics and Government: Democratic Dominance.

Maryland Politics and Government: Democratic Dominance John T. Willis, Herbert C. Smith

January 1, 2012

Maryland Politics and Government: Democratic Dominance www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/.../excerpts/.../9780803237902_excerpt.... File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View Copyrighted Material. Buy the book. Maryland Politics and Government. Democratic Dominance. Herbert C. Smith and John T. Willis contents. List of Tables, vii ... http://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/supplements/excerpts/Fall%2011/9780803237902_excerpt.pdf

Sets the standard for understanding the politics of Maryland for years to come

Then, an in-depth look at Maryland’s political identity, with longtime political analyst Herb Smith and party official John Willis, authors of “Maryland Politics and Government: Democratic Dominance.” Herb Smith is a professor of political science and international studies at McDaniel College. John Willis is director of the government and public policy program at the University of Baltimore. He has served as a Democratic party official and was Maryland’s secretary of state from 1995 to 2003.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents:

The Maryland identity

A Maryland political history

Contemporary political patterns

Maryland public opinion

Political parties, interest groups, and corruption

The Maryland Constitution

The Maryland General Assembly

The Maryland governor and the executive branch

The Maryland judiciary

The politics of taxation and spending

"Pleasant living" policies and politics

Maryland in the federal system

Local governments in Maryland

Maryland's future

Further reference for Maryland study.

Tucked between the larger commonwealths of Pennsylvania and Virginia and overshadowed by the political maneuverings of its neighbor, Washington, D.C., Maryland has often been overlooked and neglected in studies of state governmental systems.

With the publication of Maryland Politics and Government, the challenging demographic diversity, geographic variety, and dynamic Democratic pragmatism of Maryland finally get their due.

Two longtime political analysts, Herbert C. Smith and John T. Willis, conduct a sustained inquiry into topics including the Maryland identity, political history, and interest groups; the three branches of state government; and policy areas such as taxation, spending, transportation, and the environment.

Smith and Willis also establish a “Two Marylands” model that explains the dominance of the Maryland Democratic Party, established in the post–Civil War era, that persists to this day even in a time of political polarization. Unique in its scope, detail, and coverage, Maryland Politics and Government sets the standard for understanding the politics of the Free State (or, alternately, the Old Line State) for years to come.

*****