Vol. 19, No. 36 |
July 20, 2000 |
New book examines First State's recent history
 Governing Delaware: Policy Problems in the First State, a new book by William W. Boyer, Charles Polk Messick Professor Emeritus of Public Administration, is a critical examination of the First State in modern times.
Published by the University of Delaware Press just in time for the fall elections, the book reviews Delaware's recent history, analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of how Delaware is faring in several crucial areas from education to the environment and offers possible solutions to some of its problems. Governing Delaware is not about the structure of Delaware government, Boyer said, but the actions of government at all levels and its interaction with the private sector, focusing especially on the influence of the business community. As he writes in the book, "Delaware's political culture puts business first," pointing out that the Republicans and Democrats "have pushed ideology aside. When it comes to business, they tacitly agree not to disagree. Both are committed to the marketplace." As a case in point, Boyer studied the career of David Levinson, Delaware's insurance commissioner in the 1980s who had political aspirations. He concluded that a major factor in his lack of success, in addition to his "confrontational style," was that he "challenged big business interests." Although the book focuses on Delaware, it was written for anyone interested in public policy issues facing state and local governments, Boyer said, and can also be used in the classroom. "In some ways, Delaware is a microcosm of the other 49 states, and many of the issues and problems it faces are similar to those in other parts of the country. Because of its small size and population, Delaware can be more readily studied as it moves into the new century," Boyer said.
"I began writing Governing Delaware through the back door," Boyer said. "I kept hearing about the high quality of life in Delaware. However, when my first wife died of cancer and I myself had cancer, I learned about Delaware's exceptionally high death rate from the disease and began examining the factors that led to these statistics. One thing led to another, and my interest expanded to the entire political and cultural landscape of Delaware. "When I retired, Dan Rich, [dean of the College of Human Services, Education and Public Policy], offered me an office and assistance to write the book. It was not an easy book to write, but since I have observed life in Delaware firsthand as a political scientist, I felt I had the experience and maturity to take on the project," Boyer said. Governing Delaware is divided into three parts: "Political Culture," "Governance" and "Public Policy Problems." The first section discusses Delaware's "business-friendly environment," its wealth, its industries and agriculture, as well as an analysis of the terms of several of Delaware's governors starting with Charles L. Terry Jr. in 1965. "Governance" examines the different levels of government from state to local, the influence of the du Ponts and the role of business and nongovernment agencies. This section also deals with public finance. Boyer wrote that "in spite of some glaring negatives, public finance in Delaware deserves plaudits in several respects," citing such factors as state debt under control, high bond ratings, the corporate franchise tax, lack of sales tax, decrease in income taxes and relatively low property taxes. In the final section, "Public Policy Problems," Boyer addresses six areas?land-use planning, the environment, health, public education, welfare and crime and justice. In these areas, in spite of Delaware's per capita wealth and low unemployment rate, Boyer takes exception to claims that Delaware's quality of life is among the best, citing pollution, high crime rates, major health problems and a black population that "remains a grievously troubled minority." He concludes "Delaware needs to adopt an action agenda to improve its quality of life.... Simply put, Delaware can do much better in public affairs for the 21st century." In an appendix to the book, Boyer suggests an across-the-board action agenda, such as increasing funding to promote state tourism, stricter regulations for polluters, improvements in welfare programs, gun control regulations and reducing the prison population. A graduate of the College of Wooster, Boyer received his master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Serving as an assistant to the governor of Wisconsin and a research associate of the state's legislative council and in other government positions, Boyer has experienced the workings of government firsthand. At UD, he was cofounder of the master of public administration degree program and helped establish study abroad programs in Geneva and Costa Rica. Boyer has written or edited 13 books on public policy issues. In addition to Governing Delaware, his most recent books include United States-Taiwan Relations, Public Administration Issues in Bulgaria and Rural Development in South Korea. Governing Delaware is available at the University Bookstore and other bookstores in the area. — Sue Moncure |
Boyer, who came to UD in 1969 to chair the Department of Political Science, has been a longtime observer of the Delaware political scene. An expert in public policy issues here and abroad, Boyer has served as a lecturer, consultant and visiting professor all over the world, including Eastern and Western Europe, the Caribbean, Costa Rica and Asia. He has written extensively about public policy issues of those areas and of the United States.