The Government and Politics of New York State: Second Edition

Comprehensive overview of New York State government and politics.

In this updated edition of his classic text, Joseph F. Zimmerman offers a balanced presentation of the institutions and political processes of the Empire State. He begins with an overview of the state and offers chapters on federal-state and interstate relations; state-local relations; the constitution; political parties, elections, and interest groups; the state legislature; the governor; the “fourth branch” (the departments and agencies of the executive branch); the judiciary; and state finance, including state-local fiscal relations. Zimmerman emphasizes the legal foundations of the state as they influence greatly the behavior of leading public officers and interest groups. Most importantly, constitutional restrictions on the state legislature and local governments are examined, as well as the ingenious ways by which several restrictions upon the state legislature have been circumvented.

Joseph F. Zimmerman is Professor of Political Science at the University at Albany, State University of New York. He is the author of many books, including The Silence of Congress: State Taxation of Interstate Commerce; Interstate Disputes: The Supreme Court’s Original Jurisdiction; Congressional Preemption: Regulatory Federalism; and Interstate Economic Relations, all published by SUNY Press.