From the implications of Donald Trump’s presidency on intergovernmental relations to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on state-federal relations, the Eighth Edition of Governing States and Localities introduces you to the most recent challenges, developments, and political changes impacting state and local politics. Employing a comparative approach, bestselling authors Kevin B. Smith and Alan Greenblatt illustrate the similarities and differences in the way states and local governments operate to show you the real-world application of policy and politics to governing, from laws and regulations to institutional structures. Following a crisp journalistic style with magazine-quality graphics and top ten takeaways in every chapter to keep students engaged, this edition provides a comprehensive introduction to state and local governments that is easily accessible to undergraduates in a variety of majors.