Take an architectural tour of the extraordinary New Illinois Statehouse at Springfield. Inside you will find the architectural history and fascinating stories behind each major room in the New Statehouse, accompanied by over 120 full-page photos. The book begins with the story of the New Statehouse, its design and construction. Learn about the European and ancient Greek precedents which inspired its architecture. Then, embark on a personal tour of this magnificent building, from the basement tunnels to the top of the dome. Step inside grand halls and private rooms alike, breathtaking examples of Old World craftsmanship. Dozens of close-up photos bring intricate details to hand. Discover the stories of the sculptures, paintings, and ornamentation (and the artisans who made them) which make this building unique both in Illinois and across the nation.

The American statehouse, then, is not just a temple - of the state - but a temple of democracy - of the people."--BOOK JACKET.

The inside story of one of the country's most secretive and misruled statehouses by a former New York State senator;. "Democracy takes decades to take root and flourish. New York is learning that it takes just three men in a room to maim and seriously harm a vigorous and representative system of government."-from Three Men in a Room It might be a scene from a movie: three powerful and secretive men sit in a private corner of an exclusive New York club, imperiously making decisions that affect the lives of millions of people. But the scene takes place in Albany, New York, and the exclusive members are the governor, the senate majority leader, and the speaker of the assembly of the New York State legislature. Three Men in a Room is an insider's exposé of how one of the country's largest and most powerful governments-with the fourth-largest budget, behind only the federal government's, California's, and Texas's-has become a model of corrupt, inefficient, and undemocratic governance. Seymour Lachman ran the New York City Board of Education, taught political science, and was then elected to New York's legislature. What he found when he arrived in the halls of the state senate was a Potemkin village of government where legislators vote on bills they haven't read during legislative sessions they haven't attended. After four terms, Lachman left his safe seat in disgust, and has now written this sharp, mordant, and impassioned call for reform. Although Lachman's story takes place in one of the country's most progressive states, the problems described in this book are rampant in statehouses throughout the country.

...The proceedings of the re-dedication of the Old State House; includes the remarks of Alderman Charles H. Hersey, Mayor Samuel A. Green, Hon. Marshall P. Wilder, and letters from Governor John D. Long and Com. O. C. Badger; appendix includes papers relative to the Town House of 1657, the rebuilding in 1711, the fire in 1747, report of the City Architect, extracts from the will of Captain Robert Keayne, and information on the lion and the unicorn, Faneuil Hall and the Old City Hall...