This book provides a comprehensive examination of the Keystone State’s formal and informal political institutions and players, past and present, and elucidates the place each holds in governing the commonwealth today. Covering a period of more than three hundred years, this volume presents a clear and succinct overview of• the commonwealth’s political history, culture, and geography;• interactions between office holders, civil servants, special interest groups, and the media;• policy development and implementation;• how laws are created, enacted, and enforced;• hierarchy and interaction among state, county, local, and special district government bodies and officials;• tax collection and disbursement; and• the political upheaval in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 presidential election. Featuring practical appendixes and interviews with current and past office holders, bureaucrats, party leaders, and political journalists, this astute and informative book is an indispensab