This new edition has been extensively updated to reflect developments in Georgia politics and government since 2007 - a decade that has seen three presidential election cycles, two midterm elections, and a census. Updates reflect not only changes in how Georgia is governed but also the economic and social trends helping to drive those changes. These include the continued growth and dispersal of Hispanic and Asian populations; the decline, by a variety of measures, of rural areas; and the moderating effect of probusiness government factions on social conservative agendas. This edition maintains the book's comparative approach, which examines the state from three revealing perspectives. This allows readers to determine the extent to which Georgia is similar to its peers on such topics as the length and features of the constitution, the organization of the state government, and the nature of policies. All this allows students and scholars to have a better understanding of the political and economic dynamics of Georgia and the relationship of those dynamics to national political and economic developments. The result is a thorough, up-to-date resource on Georgia's dynamic political system.

This new edition has been extensively updated to reflect developments in Georgia politics and government since 2007 - a decade that has seen three presidential election cycles, two midterm elections, and a census. Updates reflect not only changes in how Georgia is governed but also the economic and social trends helping to drive those changes. These include the continued growth and dispersal of Hispanic and Asian populations; the decline, by a variety of measures, of rural areas; and the moderating effect of probusiness government factions on social conservative agendas. This edition maintains the book's comparative approach, which examines the state from three revealing perspectives. This allows readers to determine the extent to which Georgia is similar to its peers on such topics as the length and features of the constitution, the organization of the state government, and the nature of policies. All this allows students and scholars to have a better understanding of the political and economic dynamics of Georgia and the relationship of those dynamics to national political and economic developments. The result is a thorough, up-to-date resource on Georgia's dynamic political system.

By state law, graduates of public colleges and universities in Georgia must demonstrate proficiency with both the U.S. and Georgia constitutions. This widely used textbook helps students to satisfy that requirement, either in courses or by examination. This brief and affordable study aid begins with a discussion of the ways that state and local governments, in providing services and allocating funds, affect our daily lives. Subsequent chapters are devoted to
- the development of our federal system and the importance of constitutions in establishing authority, distributing power, and formalizing procedures
- how the various state constitutions differ from each other, even as they all complement the U.S. Constitution
- how constitutions in Georgia have been amended or replaced
- Georgia's governmental institutions at the state, county, and city levels
- elections in Georgia, including the basic ground rules for holding primaries, general elections, and runoffs

Key terms and concepts are covered throughout the book, as well as important court cases at the national and state level. In addition, helpful lists, diagrams, and tables summarize and compare such information as
- the structure of Georgia's court system
- the number of constitutions each of the fifty states has had, the number of times each state's constitution has been amended, and the length of each state's current constitution
- various procedures used by the states to amend their constitutions
- Georgia's ten constitutions, with highlights of their major changes or features
- the number of amendments voted on in Georgia from 1984 to 2012
- the executive branch officials elected by the public across states
- the constitutional boards and commissions in Georgia, with details on the methods by which members are chosen
- the number and types of local governments in Georgia since 1952 including counties, municipalities, school districts, and special districts
- the major federal cases in which Georgia has been a party, on issues of discrimination, representation, freedom of speech and the press, the accused or convicted of crimes, and the right to privacy
- rights and liberties, and how constitutions guarantee and protect them