Alabama Government & PoliticsFor most of the nation, Alabama government is emblemized by Governor George Wallace blocking the entry to the University of Alabama, defying court-ordered integration and championing states'-rights slogans. But Wallace?s return to power in the 1980s witnessed sweeping social and political changes in Alabama. Today the state for the most part enjoys the aura of "the new South." James D. Thomas and William H. Stewart, both natives of Alabama, bring a detailed sense of its colorful past to their forward-looking book about its government and political institutions. In the course of writing about Alabama's legislative, administrative, and judiciary branches; its local politics; and its historic relations with the federal government, Thomas and Stewart reveal much about life today in this southern state. Low taxes, industrialization and urbanization, the civil rights movement, and a trend toward two-party politics have helped to usher in dramatic changes. Although continued change is in the wind, the authors do not think that Alabama's political institutions will soon lose their distinctive Alabama character, and no book has ever described that better than Alabama Government and Politics. |
Contents
Alabama in the Federal System | 23 |
THREE | 35 |
The Legislature | 50 |
The Governor | 63 |
The Judiciary | 101 |
Parties and Interest Groups | 117 |
NINE | 133 |
Community Government and Politics | 158 |
TWELVE | 174 |
Suggestions for Further Reading | 183 |
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activities adopted agencies Alabama Constitutional Alabama government Alabama Law Institute Alabama Legislature Alabama municipalities Alabama politics Alabama Press Alabama Supreme Court Alabamians American Appeals appointed areas bama bills Birmingham Black Belt budget Bureau of Public campaign candidates chapter civil rights committee Constitution of Alabama Democratic party Department district economic election example executive federal government Folsom frontier functions funds George Wallace governmental governor gubernatorial highways History of Alabama House Ibid important interest groups involved issue judges judicial jurisdiction Legislative Process major ment Montgomery organization percent political culture poll population presidential primary Process in Alabama programs proposed Public Administration racial recent reorganization Republican revenues role schools Senate sessions sources South Southern Politics state's Thomas tion Tuscaloosa U.S. Constitution U.S. Supreme Court University of Alabama urban V. O. Key vote voters Voting Rights Act York