This Second Edition blends recent developments with the basic, foundational materials the authors view as crucial to an understanding of the legislative process & the interpretation of statutes. The book retains the basic structure of the first edition, but has been reorganized & expanded to take account of the developments of the 1980?s, as well as to provide more focus on issues common to state statutes. This coursebook contains several approaches that have been found useful in conveying the legislature?s role in shaping the law. The use of political science materials & also of case studies is not necessarily novel. Those trained in law have learned to use appellate cases effectively for teaching certain kinds of legal analysis. Unfortunately, vehicles of equivalent utility have not yet been fully developed to teach the legislative process. This book contains some materials that are in an evolutionary stage of development, & these materials are intended as a contribution towards efforts to develop such instruments.