A List
12/3/07

Wells' Book About NYS Government Available Online

CANTON - Having been a professor for over 34 years, St. Lawrence University Munsil Professor of Government Emeritus Robert N. Wells Jr. says that people in New York State don't know enough about the state's governmental organization and functions. So Wells, about to finish up several terms as the mayor of Canton, has written a book on the subject and put it online, making it widely accessible.

Wells retired from teaching full-time in 1999, and says, "Having taught state and local government courses over the years, I have become quite aware that the public's understanding of our state government organization and functions is quite low." In response, he researched and wrote New York State Government and Politics in a Nutshell: A Citizen's Primer, which is available online at www.stlawu.edu/wells.

The book, Wells says, is about contemporary New York state and local government, as well as its institutions, political parties, voters and political economy. New York ranks third among the states in population and third in economic productivity, he notes, "but its competitive edge in the country is challenged by high taxes and large budgets." In addition to chapters examining the state's institutions and political process, Wells concludes with a chapter containing 11 "key recommendations for political change which would improve government performance and public accountability."

The text, Wells says, is suitable for high school civics and government classes; college-level courses in state government; and the general public. "We ask our public schools to do a lot in educating students, and I believe that comprehension of our state government is important," he states.

Wells earned his bachelor's degree, master's degree and the Ph.D. from the University of Michigan and began teaching at St. Lawrence in 1965. He is the author of the 1996 book Law, Values, and the Environment and has published widely on Native American education, including a ground-breaking survey of tribal leaders' views on education that gained national attention. Wells is the editor of the book Peace by Pieces: United Nations Agencies and Their Roles and was a Fulbright Fellow in Malaysia in 1995-96.

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