Washington State is a place of political mavericks. Split tickets are a source of pride and independent voters outnumber Democrats and Republicans. Washington was first to have a voter-approved state Equal Rights Amendment, first to elect a woman as governor, and first to elect a Chinese-American to the position. Today, Washington’s open primary election system and voter registration process demonstrate it has not drifted far from its populist roots. Governing the Evergreen State provides an absorbing look at an ever-evolving state political and judicial system and presents intriguing case studies. With chapters on interest groups, the constitution, the environment, media coverage, the court system, the legislature, political parties, changing demographics, and more, this volume updates the popular Governing Washington. Fresh discussions and analysis written by academics from universities across the state, a senator, a pollster, a newspaper reporter/blogger, a former chief justice of the state Supreme Court, and a court administrator offer a springboard for further examination and discussion.

In Washington State, political mavericks often rule. Split tickets are a source of pride and independent voters outnumber Democrats and Republicans. An open primary election system and voter registration process demonstrate the state has never drifted far from its populist roots. Governing the Evergreen State provides an absorbing look at an ever-evolving state political and judicial system and presents intriguing case studies. This updated volume includes chapters on interest groups, the constitution, the environment, media coverage, the court system, the legislature, political parties, changing demographics, and more. Fresh discussions and analysis from legislators and academics across the state offer a springboard for further examination and discussion.

American states have recently reemerged as powerful centers of legislative change and policy innovation, and Washington is no exception. Governing Washington presents contemporary research and updated analysis from prominent regional authorities and commentators to provide a seasoned perspective on the state's ever-changing political landscape.

The recent advent of gridlock and hyper-partisanship in the United States Congress has raised questions about whether similar divides are occurring in state governments, and if so, why? To find out, researchers--working in 2018 and 2019 under a National Institute for Civil Discourse (NICD) grant--conducted a survey of registered lobbyists and public agency legislative liaison officers in all fifty states. They received over 1,200 completed surveys. The researchers hope that understanding reasons behind politicians’ inability to demonstrate civility and reach bipartisan agreements will yield effective, purposeful interventions. In Outside Looking In, scholars from across the country interpret the survey results. Using a variety of lenses, they present unique perspectives, revealing both regional and national insights. Chapters address findings on a variety of topics, including effects of political culture heritage on perceptions of civil discourse phenomena and the impact of legislative professionalization; sentiments about civil discourse and perceptions of their own state legislature among lobbyists; a multivariate cross-state comparison of the relative impact of political culture, professionalism, and term limits; presumed and actual impact of term limits on civility; a comparison of lobbyists with and without prior legislative service; and effects of the rural/urban divide and state-level inequality across the states. Also discussed are the efforts by the National Conference of State Legislatures to advance the cause of civil discourse, and NICD interventions to support civil discourse in state legislatures. Offering rare insights on discourse in state legislatures, this work is a must-read for political science scholars studying state governments, state-level lobbying, and civility in government, as well as for state legislators and public interest groups committed to enhancing civility in government.

With stunning photography on every page, this coffee-table treasure will transport you on a visual journey through the wonders of Washington. Highlighting the state's most beautiful spots and famous landmarks, Washington: The Evergreen State is a must-own for every Washingtonian.

Includes essays on the rising significance of interest groups; the declining importance of political parties; the roles of the governor, the legislature, and the courts; development of the state's constitution; Washington's system of direct democracy; and the workings of various levels of local government.

In the twenty-first century, as many candidates actively campaign against the very government they seek to serve in, and as many people appear to believe their government irreparably broken, T. M. Sell argues that in Washington State, the system works better than most realize. In Washington State Politics and Government Sell explains how the many parts of government function and introduces readers to a diverse array of individuals who work in government, including how they got there and what it is they're trying to do. Sell covers the three branches of state government, plus county, city, special purpose district, and tribal governments. He explains the state budgets and taxes; the functions of major and better-known state agencies; how policy is made; the political landscape of Washington; and parties, voting, and elections. Sell discusses economic development, including the importance of high-tech industry, aviation, Amazon.com, and more traditional parts of the state economy, such as timber and agriculture. He also provides a contemporary look at Washington's elected officials, constitution, judiciary, media, demographics, and political culture and landscape. With this volume, any Washington citizen, student of politics, or specialist in government can gain insight into the state's current political system.

Rather than simply demonizing or directing outrage at Patriot and militia organizations, as some recent high-visibility publications have done, David Neiwert takes the approach of allowing Patriot extremists to speak for themselves and largely on their own terms. His critical journalistic dialogue allows us to better understand the social, economic, philosophical, and religious complexities of how and why these people have come to think the way they do. There is no question that strains of racism, paranoia, ill-will, and even evilness can characterize many of these people, but it is equally true that they--often minimally educated, and economically and socially challenged by the changing times--are desperately responding to feelings of having been marginalized, and even disenfranchised, from the American dream. Neiwert’s comprehensive manuscript presents an overview of the multitude of Patriot organizations and beliefs found in the Northwest today. Neiwert feels it is essential to maintain some kind of dialogue with Patriots because, after all, these people are our neighbors and relatives, and they are here to stay.

Through most of its history, the Boeing Company has been one of the biggest providers of jobs and wealth in western Washington State. But in the 1990s, the company found itself a target of local activists and politicians who saw urban sprawl and "growth politics" ruining the region's quality of life. T. M. Sell grew up in a Boeing family, near Boeing's Renton plant, and later covered the company as a reporter for the Valley Daily News and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. He is a first-hand observer of the drama he unfolds--one personally interested in the future of his community, well informed about the details of its history, acquainted with many of the principal players, and conversant with the theoretical and historical literature that bears on the multifaceted questions he seeks to answer. After a lively sketch of the Boeing Company's history into the last decade of the 20th century, Sell looks at what happened when Boeing tried to expand its facilities in Renton and Everett. It was then that the "paradox of growth" first manifested itself, the point at which the benefits of economic expansion appeared to be outweighed by its costs. Sell examines political power management in Washington State, paying particular attention to Boeing's successful efforts to be a positive influence in the state, to the strategies it used to influence growth-management legislation in Olympia, and to its negotiations with the communities most affected by its efforts to grow. In each case, Sell gives not just an overview of positions and strategies but also sharply drawn portraits of the lobbyists, analysts, and politicians involved, many of whom explain their views in direct conversation. The balanced and comprehensive approach Sell brings to bear on the story is also his recommendation for dealing with inevitable future growth-related contentions. Fostering the continuing health of our economic and political environment, he concludes, will require just such a broad, evenhanded, and sensible approach to the politics of compromise.