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.
Tabela de Conteúdo
Preface
Introduction
Peter J. Galie and Gerald Benjamin
I. The Care and Maintenance of the State Constitution
1. Cleaning the Constitution Part I: Institutions and Rights
Peter J. Galie and
Christopher Bopst
2. Cleaning the Constitution Part II: Public Policies
Peter J. Galie and
Christopher Bopst
II. Institutions
3. New York State’s Allegedly Unified Court System
Daniel L. Feldman and
Marc C. Bloustein
4. These Seats May Not Be Saved: A Fair and Rule-Bound Legislative Reapportionment Process
Jeffrey Wice and
Todd A. Breitbart
5. “Mixed Messages:” The Governor’s Message of Necessity and the Legislative Process in New York
Peter J. Galie
6. “Mind the Gap”: The Promise and Limits of Home Rule in New York
Richard Briffault
III. Policies
7. “Till Debt Do Us Part”: The Opportunity for New York Finance Law to Enter the Twenty-First Century
Kenneth Bond
8. “The Gift That Keeps on Giving”: New York’s Approach to Gifts and Loans of Public Money and Credit
Christopher Bopst
9. “Forever Wild”: The Treatment of Conservation and the Environment by the New York State Constitution
Paul Bray
10. Gaming the Constitution: Why New York’s Constitutional Gambling Prohibition Does Not Prohibit Gambling
Gerald Benjamin
IV. Constitutional Change
11. “All or Nothing at All”: Changing the ConstitutionThe Reform Dilemma
Gerald Benjamin
Coda. Should Voters Approve the 2017 Ballot Proposition Calling for a Constitutional Convention?
List of Contributors
Table of Cases
Index
Sobre o autor
Peter J. Galie is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Canisius College.
Christopher Bopst is Chief Legal and Financial Officer at Sam-Son Logistics. They are the coauthors of
The New York State Constitution, Second Edition.
Gerald Benjamin is SUNY Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Director of the Benjamin Center at the State University of New York at New Paltz. He is coauthor (with Daniel L. Feldman) of
Tales from the Sausage Factory: Making Laws in New York State, also published by SUNY Press, and coeditor (with Henrik N. Dullea) of
Decision 1997: Constitutional Change in New York.
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