Governing Virginia,New

Governing Virginia is the winner of the 2012 Virginia Press Women's First Place Award for 'Book Edited by Entrant.'Governing Virginia is a unique, readerfriendly compendium written not by academicians but by practitioners who have worked within the realms of the Commonwealths state and local governments. It was compiled for use as a textbook or reader for standalone courses in Virginia government, as a supplementary text for general courses in American or state and local government, or as an informational book to learn more about the Commonwealth. The contributors to Governing Virginia include five former governors, five current and former legislators, and other prominent state leaders, from whom readers can learn about how laws are made, the lengthy process of budgetmaking, the policy priorities of Virginias chief executives, the distinctive way that the General Assembly selects judges, plus many more topics.While invaluable for political science instruction, Governing Virginia is also rich with the Commonwealths history, and foundational information about how the state and localities are governed is recounted against this backdrop. The chapters trace the legacy of Virginias contributions to governing principles in the U.S. and the world, while also describing its political transformation throughout the centuries and the contemporary workings of its executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Additionally, the compilation includes features that do not always appear in Virginia government textbooks, including the evolution of womens participation in the General Assembly, the transformation of the states political structure into a vigorous twoparty system, the expanding role of the attorney general, and the importance of economic development to the Commonwealths prosperity.Beautifully illustrated in color with photos by an awardwinning Richmond TimesDispatch photographer, Governing Virginia is ideal for teachers, professors, college and advanced high school students, business and civic leaders, and anyone who wants to learn about the state that Governing Magazine has described as the bestmanaged in the U.S.Book Sections:Part 1 discusses Virginias metamorphosis as the Commonwealth underwent profound political and constitutional changes since the founding of the oldest representative legislature in the New World.Part 2 describes the legislative branch, including the process and vocabulary of passing laws, how the state budget is made, the election of women to the General Assembly, the pivotal role of lobbyists, and reflections from the longestserving member of the House of Delegates.Part 3 addresses the executive branch, including the fundamentals of serving as governor, the workings of the chief executives cabinet, narratives by former governors on their policy priorities, and the strategic roles of the attorney general and economic development.Part 4 discusses the judicial branch, the unique way that Virginia selects its judges, and a concise explanation of the states court system.Part 5 introduces the news media as an integral component of the political and governmental landscape in Virginia and their essential role in informing the public, written from both the newspaper and broadcast perspectives.Part 6 features Virginias local governments, including the critical functions and challenges of cities and counties as they govern close to home.Part 7 explores the dynamics of Virginias electoral system, how elections are conducted, the use of money in campaigns, and the role of political parties in waging electoral contests.