Alaska State Government & Politics (Alaska Historical Commission Studies in History ; No. 208)

742 Pages·1987·3.41 MB·English

by  Gerald McBeath

Alaska State Government and Politics
title: Alaska Historical Commission Studies in
History ; No. 208
author: McBeath, Gerald A.
publisher: University of Alaska Press
isbn10 | asin: 091200620X
print isbn13: 9780912006208
ebook isbn13: 9780585200781
language: English
Alaska--Politics and government--1959- ,
subject Executive departments--Alaska,
Administrative agencies--Alaska.
publication date: 1987
lcc: JK9531.A43 1987eb
ddc: 320.9798
Alaska--Politics and government--1959- ,
subject: Executive departments--Alaska,
Administrative agencies--Alaska.
Page i
Alaska State Government and Politics
Page ii
Marble columns mark the entrance to Alaska's state capitol in Juneau.
(Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.)
Page iii
Alaska State Government and Politics
Gerald A. McBeath
Thomas A. Morehouse
Editors
University of Alaska Press
Fairbanks
Page iv
(c) 1987 by the University of Alaska Press
All rights reserved. First printing.
International Standard Book Number: Cloth 0-912006-20-X
Paper 0-912006-21-8
Library of Congress Card Number: 86-051368
Alaska Historical Commission Studies in History Number 208
Printed in the United States of America
Research and preparation supported by a grant from the Alaska
Historical Commission.
Opinions expressed by individual authors are their own, not those of
the compiling editors or the Alaska Historical Commission.
Publication coordination, design and production by Deborah Van
Stone with assistance from K. Fiedler Morack
Cover design by Wanda Seamster
Page v
CONTENTS
Preface vii
Acknowledgements xi
Introduction xiii
Gerald A. McBeath and Thomas A. Morehouse
Part One: Environment of Government in Alaska
1 3
Toward Statehood
Claus-M. Naske
2 27
Alaska's Constitution
Victor Fischer
3 53
Alaska's Political Culture
Gerald A. McBeath
4 83
Federalism in Alaska
David C. Maas
Part Two: Process of Alaska Politics
5 111
Alaska's Elections
Thomas A. Morehouse
6 145
Alaska's Political Parties
Carl E. Shepro
7 161
Interest Groups and Lobbying in Alaska
Clive S. Thomas
8 187
Public Opinion and Political Attitudes in Alaska
Richard L. Ender
9 213
The Press and Alaska Politics
Richard A. Fineberg
Page vi
Part Three: State Government Institutions
10 233
The Alaska Legislature
Stephen E. Johnson
11 261
Alaska's Governor
Gerald A. McBeath
12 289
Alaska's Administrative System
Gordon S. Harrison
13 319
Courts in Alaska
Andrea R. C. Helms
Conclusion 335
Gerald A. McBeath and Thomas A. Morehouse
Glossary 341
Index 353
Page vii
PREFACE
Alaska state government and politics include much that is fascinating:
a volatile legislature, dramatic statewide elections, large numbers of
independent voters, strong interest groups, and much more. During the
first 25 years of statehood, Alaska saw wide swings in state revenues
and fiscal policies, shifts in the balance of power between the
governor and the legislature, development of an administrative
bureaucracy, emergence of a court system recognized as one of the
most progressive in the nation, and changing orientations of Alaskans
toward their political system.
Unfortunately, no comprehensive treatment of Alaska state
government has previously been available. In 1984, the twelve authors
of this book-eleven political scientists and one historian-began to
discuss and plan a book on government and politics in Alaska. We
conducted research and collaborated on this study because of our
consuming interest in Alaska's political development. We learned a
great deal and believe we acquired a better understanding of the
dynamics of state politics.
With this book we present the product of our efforts and hope that it
will give others a better understanding of public affairs in Alaska and
lead them to share our fascination with Alaska state politics and
government.
Each of the authors bears responsibility for his or her own chapter,
and each chapter bears its author's particular stamp. Thus, the chapters
of this book represent a range of perspectives and vantage points on
Alaska state government rather than a single, unified point of view.
Our intent is to enrich understanding, not to convert or persuade. The
authors are: