New York's Broken Constitution

The Governance Crisis and the Path to Renewed Greatness

Peter J. Galie, Christopher Bopst, Gerald Benjamin, Peter J. Galie, Christopher Bopst, Gerald Benjamin

• Publisher: SUNY Press
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN: 9781438463322, 9781438463339
• eBook ISBN: 9781438463346
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: American Government
• Index: Politics & International Relations

On its face, New York State's constitution is an elaborate and impressive aggregation of processes, powers, mandates, and limits. But many of these are "inoperative, " and New Yorkers who read the document and believe what it says will come away with a massive misunderstanding of the realities of state government. The essays in New York's Broken Constitution seek to clarify the realities by bringing attention to the gaps between what the constitution says and how the state is actually governed, and they provide a disquieting picture of the state of the state's constitution. Among the topics addressed are state debt and budgeting practices, legislative redistricting, local government, gambling, conservation, and the process of amending the constitution. Written by knowledgeable professionals, the chapters explain the constitutional provisions in question, including the reasons for their constitutional status; how they have been used and interpreted; and the extent of the gaps between the constitutional provisions and practice. Various proposals for reform are also examined.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Preface
• Introduction
• I. The Care and Maintenance of the State Constitution
• II. Institutions
• III. Policies
• IV. Constitutional Change
• Coda: Should Voters Approve the 2017 Ballot Proposition Calling for a Constitutional Convention?
• List of Contributors
• Table of Cases
• Index
• Back Cover