Instructor Manual: Bowman/Kearney/Scavo, State and Local Government, 12th Edition, 2027, 9798214157610;
Chapter 1: State and Local Governments: New Directions
Instructor Manual
Bowman/Kearney/Scavo, State and Local Government, 12th Edition, 2027, 9798214157610;
Chapter 1: State and Local Governments: New Directions
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Purpose and Perspective of the Chapter......................................................................2
Cengage Supplements....................................................................................................3
Learning Objectives.......................................................................................................4
What's New in This Chapter........................................................................................4
Chapter Outline.............................................................................................................4
Additional Discussion Questions..................................................................................7
Additional Activities.....................................................................................................7
Lecture Launchers......................................................................................................................................7
In-Class Activities......................................................................................................................................8
Internet Resources........................................................................................................9
Appendix.....................................................................................................................10
Standard Writing Rubric.......................................................................................................................... 10
Standard Discussion Rubric.....................................................................................................................11
© 2027 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 1
accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Instructor Manual: Bowman/Kearney/Scavo, State and Local Government, 12th Edition, 2027, 9798214157610;
Chapter 1: State and Local Governments: New Directions
PURPOSE AND PERSPECTIVE OF THE CHAPTER
Public and media attention focuses mainly on the president and Congress and the issues confronting the
national government. As a result, the study of state and local governments receives much less attention,
despite its many responsibilities.
States’ ability to meet these responsibilities depends on capacity, which has increased over time.
However, the previous decade’s fiscal crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic has led states to become
creative in their approach to providing services, especially at a level publicly accustomed to and in a
manner that is efficient, effective, and equitable.
To meet these demands, state governments have tended to improve their revenue streams, foster the
exchange of information, seek more efficiency in service provision, and to innovate (Table 1.1).
Despite these accomplishments, state and local governments face many challenges. The most difficult
problem for states and localities involves money. State and local finances are vulnerable to cyclical peaks
and troughs in the national economy as well as occasional changes in public finance. The economic
challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, forced major cutbacks in programs and services.
Increased interjurisdictional conflict is another challenge, as inherent in a federal system each
governmental entity has its own set of interests as well as a share of the national interest. When one
state’s pursuit of its interests negatively affects another state, conflict occurs, threatening the continuation
of state resurgence.
Political corruption is also a major problem for state and local governments. Most political systems can
tolerate the occasional corrupt official, but if corruption becomes commonplace, it undermines
governmental capacity and destroys public trust.
State and local politics are also influenced by the fact that the United States is a large and diversified
country with an expanding population. Population changes carry economic and political consequences for
nonnational governments. Power and influence are acquired by states with an expanding population. A
state’s representation in the U.S. Congress and its votes in the Electoral College is impacted by
population changes from one census to another. The migration and population growth trends of the United
States have produced a steady shift to the southern and western states and away from those on the East
Coast and Midwest. Also, as minority populations become larger, their political power increases and
public policy reflect their political influence. Another aspect affecting states is the degree of political
sorting, with interstate migration potentially changing geographical constituencies nationwide.
Necessary to understanding state and local governments is political culture: the shared beliefs, attitudes,
and values of a state. Using Daniel Elazar’s typology, differences in state levels of political corruption can
be explained by the type of political culture found in the state. For example, the level of innovation and
policy adoption varies remarkably across moralistic, individualistic, and traditionalistic states.
Recent trends in federalism have resulted in more responsibility for state and local governments and a
reduced role for the national government in many domestic areas of public policy. The states’ capacities
to tackle some of the most pressing problems in the country are affected by the interaction of diversity,
competitiveness, and resiliency. Overall, it appears that state and local governments will continue to be
the primary government for delivering important domestic governmental services, such as education,
health and welfare, and public safety.
© 2027 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 2
accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Instructor Manual: Bowman/Kearney/Scavo, State and Local Government, 12th Edition, 2027, 9798214157610;
Chapter 1: State and Local Governments: New Directions
[return to top]
CENGAGE SUPPLEMENTS
The following product-level supplements provide additional information that may help you in preparing
your course. They are available at www.cengage.com in the Instructor Resource Center.
Transition Guide
o A chapter-by-chapter list that highlights content changes and updates in the new edition
of the textbook and courseware design.
PowerPoints
o Ready-to-use and customizable visual presentations for each chapter that include
interactive activities and prompts to generate class discussion, promote comprehension,
and foster student engagement.
Test Bank
o Test Bank content, offered in Blackboard, Moodle, Desire2Learn, and Canvas formats,
contains learning objective–specific multiple-choice and essay questions for each chapter.
You can import the test bank into your LMS to edit and manage questions and to create
tests.
[return to top]
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
The following learning objectives are addressed in this chapter:
1.1 Describe where state and local governments fit in contemporary American politics.
1.2 Identify ways in which states and localities have increased their capacity.
1.3 Outline the challenges that states and localities confront on a daily basis.
1.4 Assess how changing public attitudes influence government behavior.
1.5 Describe the changing demographic landscape in the United States.
[return to top]
WHAT'S NEW IN THIS CHAPTER
The following elements are improvements in this chapter from the previous edition:
New opening vignette focusing on recovery from Hurricane Helene in North Carolina
New tables covering state and local policy initiatives
Updated discussions of state and local responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery
New “It’s Your Turn”: Should States Have the Right to Secede from the United States?
Updated discussion of climate change policy diffusion
Updated examples of state-federal policy conflicts
Updated demographic information on population growth and migration, including new discussion
of age composition and updated discussion on migration and partisan sorting
© 2027 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 3
accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Instructor Manual: Bowman/Kearney/Scavo, State and Local Government, 12th Edition, 2027, 9798214157610;
Chapter 1: State and Local Governments: New Directions
[return to top]
CHAPTER OUTLINE
The following outline organizes activities (including any existing discussion questions in PowerPoints or
other supplements) and assessments by chapter (and therefore by topic), so that you can see how all the
content relates to the topics covered in the text.
I. Introduction (PPT Slides 2 and 3)
a. Discussion of the election of Democrat Josh Stein to governor of North Carolina in 2024,
in a state won by Donald Trump with a solidly Republican legislature.
b. Discuss the learning objectives.
II. From Sewers to Science: The Functions of State and Local Governments (PPT Slides 5–6)
a. How do we measure efficiency?
i. Including discussions of what it means for states to work in a manner that is
efficient, effective, and equitable
b. Why innovate?
c. How has access to modern data tools affected evidence-based practices?
i. Evidence-based practices: Making decisions based on the best research
findings available.
d. Define state capacity.
i. Capacity: Ability to respond effectively and efficiently and to manage conflict.
e. How does the system of federalism affect capacity? Discuss jurisdiction here.
i. Jurisdiction: Territorial range of government authority.
f. Give examples of innovation and how federalism may impact these innovations (Tables
1.1 and 1.2)
III. The Capacity of States and Localities (PPT Slides 7–10)
a. Discuss some historical changes of capacity (PPT Slide 7)
i. Proactive: An anticipatory condition, as opposed to a reactive one.
b. How do states increase their capacity?
i. Modernization, amendments, strengthening governor power
c. Improvements of revenue systems to diversify income streams (rainy-day funds, sports
betting)
d. Policy diffusion of innovations
e. Interjurisdictional cooperation and competition
IV. Challenges Facing State and Local Governments (PPT Slides 11 and 12)
a. Fiscal stress
i. Discuss the COVID-19 pandemic and 2008 recession
b. Increased interjurisdictional conflict
c. Political corruption
d. Discuss confidence in local institutions (Table 1.3)
V. The People: Designers and Consumers of Government (PPT Slides 13–16)
a. Current ethnic-racial composition
b. Unauthorized immigration
c. Compare the population growth, age, and migration across the United States and its
consequences
i. Sunbelt: An unofficial region consisting of the South and West.
© 2027 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 4
accessible website, in whole or in part.
Chapter 1: State and Local Governments: New Directions
Instructor Manual
Bowman/Kearney/Scavo, State and Local Government, 12th Edition, 2027, 9798214157610;
Chapter 1: State and Local Governments: New Directions
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Purpose and Perspective of the Chapter......................................................................2
Cengage Supplements....................................................................................................3
Learning Objectives.......................................................................................................4
What's New in This Chapter........................................................................................4
Chapter Outline.............................................................................................................4
Additional Discussion Questions..................................................................................7
Additional Activities.....................................................................................................7
Lecture Launchers......................................................................................................................................7
In-Class Activities......................................................................................................................................8
Internet Resources........................................................................................................9
Appendix.....................................................................................................................10
Standard Writing Rubric.......................................................................................................................... 10
Standard Discussion Rubric.....................................................................................................................11
© 2027 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 1
accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Instructor Manual: Bowman/Kearney/Scavo, State and Local Government, 12th Edition, 2027, 9798214157610;
Chapter 1: State and Local Governments: New Directions
PURPOSE AND PERSPECTIVE OF THE CHAPTER
Public and media attention focuses mainly on the president and Congress and the issues confronting the
national government. As a result, the study of state and local governments receives much less attention,
despite its many responsibilities.
States’ ability to meet these responsibilities depends on capacity, which has increased over time.
However, the previous decade’s fiscal crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic has led states to become
creative in their approach to providing services, especially at a level publicly accustomed to and in a
manner that is efficient, effective, and equitable.
To meet these demands, state governments have tended to improve their revenue streams, foster the
exchange of information, seek more efficiency in service provision, and to innovate (Table 1.1).
Despite these accomplishments, state and local governments face many challenges. The most difficult
problem for states and localities involves money. State and local finances are vulnerable to cyclical peaks
and troughs in the national economy as well as occasional changes in public finance. The economic
challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, forced major cutbacks in programs and services.
Increased interjurisdictional conflict is another challenge, as inherent in a federal system each
governmental entity has its own set of interests as well as a share of the national interest. When one
state’s pursuit of its interests negatively affects another state, conflict occurs, threatening the continuation
of state resurgence.
Political corruption is also a major problem for state and local governments. Most political systems can
tolerate the occasional corrupt official, but if corruption becomes commonplace, it undermines
governmental capacity and destroys public trust.
State and local politics are also influenced by the fact that the United States is a large and diversified
country with an expanding population. Population changes carry economic and political consequences for
nonnational governments. Power and influence are acquired by states with an expanding population. A
state’s representation in the U.S. Congress and its votes in the Electoral College is impacted by
population changes from one census to another. The migration and population growth trends of the United
States have produced a steady shift to the southern and western states and away from those on the East
Coast and Midwest. Also, as minority populations become larger, their political power increases and
public policy reflect their political influence. Another aspect affecting states is the degree of political
sorting, with interstate migration potentially changing geographical constituencies nationwide.
Necessary to understanding state and local governments is political culture: the shared beliefs, attitudes,
and values of a state. Using Daniel Elazar’s typology, differences in state levels of political corruption can
be explained by the type of political culture found in the state. For example, the level of innovation and
policy adoption varies remarkably across moralistic, individualistic, and traditionalistic states.
Recent trends in federalism have resulted in more responsibility for state and local governments and a
reduced role for the national government in many domestic areas of public policy. The states’ capacities
to tackle some of the most pressing problems in the country are affected by the interaction of diversity,
competitiveness, and resiliency. Overall, it appears that state and local governments will continue to be
the primary government for delivering important domestic governmental services, such as education,
health and welfare, and public safety.
© 2027 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 2
accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Instructor Manual: Bowman/Kearney/Scavo, State and Local Government, 12th Edition, 2027, 9798214157610;
Chapter 1: State and Local Governments: New Directions
[return to top]
CENGAGE SUPPLEMENTS
The following product-level supplements provide additional information that may help you in preparing
your course. They are available at www.cengage.com in the Instructor Resource Center.
Transition Guide
o A chapter-by-chapter list that highlights content changes and updates in the new edition
of the textbook and courseware design.
PowerPoints
o Ready-to-use and customizable visual presentations for each chapter that include
interactive activities and prompts to generate class discussion, promote comprehension,
and foster student engagement.
Test Bank
o Test Bank content, offered in Blackboard, Moodle, Desire2Learn, and Canvas formats,
contains learning objective–specific multiple-choice and essay questions for each chapter.
You can import the test bank into your LMS to edit and manage questions and to create
tests.
[return to top]
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
The following learning objectives are addressed in this chapter:
1.1 Describe where state and local governments fit in contemporary American politics.
1.2 Identify ways in which states and localities have increased their capacity.
1.3 Outline the challenges that states and localities confront on a daily basis.
1.4 Assess how changing public attitudes influence government behavior.
1.5 Describe the changing demographic landscape in the United States.
[return to top]
WHAT'S NEW IN THIS CHAPTER
The following elements are improvements in this chapter from the previous edition:
New opening vignette focusing on recovery from Hurricane Helene in North Carolina
New tables covering state and local policy initiatives
Updated discussions of state and local responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery
New “It’s Your Turn”: Should States Have the Right to Secede from the United States?
Updated discussion of climate change policy diffusion
Updated examples of state-federal policy conflicts
Updated demographic information on population growth and migration, including new discussion
of age composition and updated discussion on migration and partisan sorting
© 2027 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 3
accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Instructor Manual: Bowman/Kearney/Scavo, State and Local Government, 12th Edition, 2027, 9798214157610;
Chapter 1: State and Local Governments: New Directions
[return to top]
CHAPTER OUTLINE
The following outline organizes activities (including any existing discussion questions in PowerPoints or
other supplements) and assessments by chapter (and therefore by topic), so that you can see how all the
content relates to the topics covered in the text.
I. Introduction (PPT Slides 2 and 3)
a. Discussion of the election of Democrat Josh Stein to governor of North Carolina in 2024,
in a state won by Donald Trump with a solidly Republican legislature.
b. Discuss the learning objectives.
II. From Sewers to Science: The Functions of State and Local Governments (PPT Slides 5–6)
a. How do we measure efficiency?
i. Including discussions of what it means for states to work in a manner that is
efficient, effective, and equitable
b. Why innovate?
c. How has access to modern data tools affected evidence-based practices?
i. Evidence-based practices: Making decisions based on the best research
findings available.
d. Define state capacity.
i. Capacity: Ability to respond effectively and efficiently and to manage conflict.
e. How does the system of federalism affect capacity? Discuss jurisdiction here.
i. Jurisdiction: Territorial range of government authority.
f. Give examples of innovation and how federalism may impact these innovations (Tables
1.1 and 1.2)
III. The Capacity of States and Localities (PPT Slides 7–10)
a. Discuss some historical changes of capacity (PPT Slide 7)
i. Proactive: An anticipatory condition, as opposed to a reactive one.
b. How do states increase their capacity?
i. Modernization, amendments, strengthening governor power
c. Improvements of revenue systems to diversify income streams (rainy-day funds, sports
betting)
d. Policy diffusion of innovations
e. Interjurisdictional cooperation and competition
IV. Challenges Facing State and Local Governments (PPT Slides 11 and 12)
a. Fiscal stress
i. Discuss the COVID-19 pandemic and 2008 recession
b. Increased interjurisdictional conflict
c. Political corruption
d. Discuss confidence in local institutions (Table 1.3)
V. The People: Designers and Consumers of Government (PPT Slides 13–16)
a. Current ethnic-racial composition
b. Unauthorized immigration
c. Compare the population growth, age, and migration across the United States and its
consequences
i. Sunbelt: An unofficial region consisting of the South and West.
© 2027 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 4
accessible website, in whole or in part.
