The founders of this blog, Maurice T. Cunningham of UMassBoston, Jerold Duquette of Central Connecticut State University, and Peter Ubertaccio of Stonehill College are all political science professors with great passion and curiosity for Massachusetts politics. Each of us reads a great deal about the commonwealth’s government and politics, from daily newspapers and blogs to think tank reports and government documents. In addition we each read widely in the literature of our field and we aim to bring political science more into the mainstream of discussions about Massachusetts politics. We’d like to make this contribution on a loose model of themonekycage.org which has brought political science principles more fully into public dialogues across the subfields of political science (international relations, comparative politics, political theory, and American politics). We will post links to articles by political scientists, scholars from other disciplines, and other reports that might bear on our own state’s politics, and comment on them. We will post snippets of our own research as it develops in hopes of garnering suggestions (enlivening our intellectual inquiry and preventing us from too many errors).
We’ll try to extend the commentary of the day in ways that go beyond the daily news or partisan commentary. For example, when Scott Brown defeated Martha Coakley in 2010 the pollster commissioned by the AFL-CIO to find out what went wrong termed the election “a working class” revolt. Perhaps it was, but we might also take issue with the definition of “working class” that was used.
Some of the time we’ll simply react to events in a way that reflects our own intellectual interests with remarks that might not be fully developed. That’s a good way to get into trouble but we hope readers will not be shy in correcting us.
This is a blog about Massachusetts politics but we’ll all weigh in on occasion on matters that involve national politics. So expect some commentary on our congressional delegation, and on national issues. Since Professor Duquette has written on baseball’s antitrust exemption, we’ll feel free to offer the Red Sox advice when Theo Epstein is in need. Professor Ubertaccio is a leading innovator in travel-learning courses so expect some posts on the pedagogy of political science.
We’re doing this to have some fun. We don’t plan to notify readers of our kids’ school field trips but if something interesting happens outside of the discipline of political science (remote as that likelihood may be) it is fair game.
That should about cover it. Come back often, and post comments. Thanks for visiting masspoliticsprofs.com.
Ever since colonial times, counties have existed in conjunction with Massachusetts government. Barnstable County was founded in the year 1685. Initially, counties had mainly judicial purposes; however, gradually more and more duties were assimilated, like management of the local prison system, control of specific medical care institutions, roadway maintenance, farming matters and recording of real estate deeds. Massachusetts statutes decreed the process by which elected public officials were chosen, such as county commissioners, clerks of courts, county sheriffs, registers of deeds and probate, as well as district attorneys. Up until a quarter century ago, Barnstable County was akin to other counties within the state; it had no legislative power. That all changed with the Barnstable County Home Rule Charter of 1988. It created specific rights of home rule, along with more and better prospects for improved citizen involvement regarding the Cape Cod regional government. The Charter authorized establishment of a regional legislative body known as the County Assembly of Delegates, which has the power to promulgate laws of regional impact and jurisdiction. Said Charter declares: ” We, the people of Barnstable County, in order to gain for ourselves and for our communities all the rights, powers, privileges, duties, and obligations which may now or in the future be derived from county government, do establish for ourselves and for our communities the means and structure to deal with regional issues which transcend the existing boundaries of municipal governments. This home rule charter for Barnstable County places the power and responsibility to deal with unique problems of Barnstable County in a county government directly responsible to the people of Barnstable County.”
In recent months, members of the “Barnstable County Special Commission on County Governance” (appointed by the County Commissioners) have been and continue to hold meetings to explore and examine the structure and role of the regional government here on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. As a native-born Cape Codder, I take this opportunity to express my views regarding the structure and status of our regional government. In recent years, I have first-hand experience in dealing with the County Administrator, the Assembly of Delegates, the County Commissioners, as well as other county components. I have always found each of these experiences to be highly positive, enlightening, informative, worthwhile and cordial.
The Special Commission claims it seeks to address the need for strong executive county administrative leadership; the existing two branch structure of the regional government; the representation and role of the Board of regional Commissioners; the representation and role of the Assembly of Delegates; as well as the County’s relationship with the fifteen towns of Barnstable County,
The Special Commission needs to fully approach its task in a fair and balanced manner, something it has apparently failed miserably at up to this point in time. Furthermore, it needs to be logical and reasonable about any final recommended changes to the Cape Cod Regional Government.
I have a very straightforward and simple statement to communicate to the Special Commission. The existing fundamental structure of our regional government is just fine at present and functions quite well exactly the way that it presently is! It does NOT require any drastic changes (like a ‘mayor of Cape Cod’) or “tweaking” as some others may have suggested. Many Cape Codders (myself included), would be vehemently opposed to any sort of radical reorganization or restructuring of our County government from its current existence. I would like to emphatically voice my absolute opposition to one particular ill-advised and undemocratic course of action recently presented to the Special Commission, the complete abolition of the County Assembly of Delegates. The Assembly of Delegates is the duly elected democratic voice of the people of Cape Cod, and provides us with the requisite protections against overzealous special interest groups and power hungry individuals. The County Assembly as a representative legislative body is the epitome of the American system of “checks and balances” as embodied in both the Barnstable County Home Rule Charter and the United States Constitution.
RON BEATY
245 Parker Road
West Barnstable, MA 02668
Phone: (508) 362-2043
Terrific blog
Whom may i contact directly to ask more specific questions regarding MA political tracking and promise tracking? Thank you for your information.
Dennis
Our bios all have university affiliations, just get in touch with one of us.
Dear Sir,
My name is Catherine Defontaine and I am working at The Nation magazine in New York. We would like to keep you updated with information and news from The Nation. Could you give me your contact information (email address, phone number, city)?
We would greatly appreciate that.
Thank you in advance.
Best Regards,
Catherine