Government and Politics in Florida

The only work that both offers authoritative information on the operations of government and nuances of politics in the state and serves as a current text for introductory courses in Florida government, this volume--up-to-date through the 1996 elections--includes contributions by most of the first edition's authors plus several more by well-known Florida political scientists.
 The authors recognize that debates over growth and its accompanying problems will dominate Florida in the beginning of the new century. They explore the economic, social, and political changes that result as the state responds to its changing status in the federal system. They describe the political features that make Florida unusual--its claim to be the first state to adopt a presidential primary, its invention of the concept of the "sunshine" law and implementation of the first "resign to run" law, and a cabinet system that forces the governor to share power with six other elected officials.
 A new chapter discusses ethnicity, especially the ways that African-American and Cuban-American citizens affect the issue. Another reviews the revenue options available to the state at a time when taxes are an increasingly divisive and critical issue. Separate chapters cover all major elements in Florida government: the legislature, the executive branch, the court system, political parties, interest groups, and local politics and administration.

Robert J. Huckshorn, vice president of the northern campuses of Florida Atlantic University, is the editor of Government and Politics in Florida (UPF, 1991).