Pennsylvania Government and Politics gives readers an overview of the government institutions and the politics of the keystone state. It explains how Pennsylvania compares to other states on a wide variety of demographic and economic areas, and examines detailed statistics relating to election results and political trends, with an emphasis on the current party realignment. This comprehensive coverage takes over where historical examinations end by providing specific contemporary data and detailed discussion of the state's political system. The book opens with a profile of Pennsylvania and its rich historical and political heritage. Subsequent chapters are devoted to the history of political parties and elections in the state, the Pennsylvania State Constitution, as well as the three institutions of government: the General Assembly, the executive branch, and the judiciary. The book closes with a chapter on local governments in Pennsylvania. Designed to blend engaging exposition with statistical information that enhances the readers' insights into both institutions and events, Pennsylvania Government and Politics is an ideal text for courses relating to Pennsylvania government and history within the state. It can also be used as a supplemental text for introductory courses in American national government and state and local government. Its tone and style make the book appealing to any lay reader with an interest in the topic.

The genealogist trying to locate families, the surveyor or attorney researching old deeds, or the historian seeking data on land settlement will find Pennsylvania Land Records an indispensable aid. The land records of Pennsylvania are among the most complete in the nation, beginning in the 1680s. Pennsylvania Land Records not only catalogs, cross-references, and tells how to use the countless documents in the archive, but also takes readers through a concise history of settlement in the state. The guide explains how to use the many types of records, such as rent-rolls, ledgers of the receiver general's office, mortgage certificates, proof of settlement statements, and reports of the sale of town lots. In addition, the volume includes: cross-references to microfilm copies; maps of settlement; illustrations of typical documents; a glossary of technical terms; and numerous bibliographies on related topics.

The federal government wastes your tax dollars worse than a drunken sailor on shore leave. The 1984 Grace Commission uncovered that the Department of Defense spent $640 for a toilet seat and $436 for a hammer. Twenty years later things weren't much better. In 2004, Congress spent a record-breaking $22.9 billion dollars of your money on 10,656 of their pork-barrel projects. The war on terror has a lot to do with the record $413 billion in deficit spending, but it's also the result of pork over the last 18 years the likes of: - $50 million for an indoor rain forest in Iowa - $102 million to study screwworms which were long ago eradicated from American soil - $273,000 to combat goth culture in Missouri - $2.2 million to renovate the North Pole (Lucky for Santa!) - $50,000 for a tattoo removal program in California - $1 million for ornamental fish research Funny in some instances and jaw-droppingly stupid and wasteful in others, The Pig Book proves one thing about Capitol Hill: pork is king!