New University of Arkansas Press Book Explores Politics and Government in the Natural State

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Readings in Arkansas Politics and Government, edited by Janine A. Perry and Richard P. Wang (paperback, $39.95), brings together in one place some of the best available scholarly research, both new and not so new, on a wide range of topics and issues of interest to students of politics and government in the Natural State.

Fans of Arkansas politics and government are as passionate as they are numerous. Parry and Wang have long felt a strong kinship with the hundreds, even thousands, of people scattered across the state, now and in decades past, who share their insatiable appetite for all things Arkansas. This book, in a sense, is offered as a bit of indulgence in a shared obsession.

The book’s 21 articles are arranged in four sections, ranging from the state’s socioeconomic and political context to the workings of its policymaking institutions and the key policy puzzles facing the state in the early 21st century.

Some of the topics covered include demographics, legislation, issues of church and state, the role of African Americans in the legislature, term limits, constitutional reform, civil rights, and education reform. There are also fascinating accounts of five of the most influential political figures of the 20th century — Govs. Faubus, Rockefeller, Bumpers, Pryor and Clinton. Ideal for use in classes on Arkansas politics, the book will also appeal to lawmakers, administrators, journalists and those many fans interested in how politics and government work in the state.

Detailed treatments of several particularly illuminating elections and policy debates are included, while the book’s final section reflects on projections for the political patterns and issues sure to play a central role in the state’s future: partisan and regional voting patterns and education policy in the post-Lake View era.

In his Foreword to the book former Arkansas governor and U.S. senator David Pryor says the book is “a major contribution to the study and practice of Arkansas government by retaining key readings from past collections while exposing us to just how many changes the state’s politics have undergone in just a decade’s time. ... Destined to become one of the major cornerstones of study and practical application within the sphere of the Arkansas political system.”

Janine A. Parry is associate professor of political science in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas and the director of the annual Arkansas Poll. Richard P. Wang is associate professor and chair of political science at Arkansas State University and coeditor of Arkansas Politics: A Reader.