Why Does State Government Work the Way It Does? Vincent Sheheen to Explain at Lander

For anyone who has ever wondered why South Carolina government works the way it does, Vincent Sheheen offers a perspective shaped by years of public service.

Sheheen, whose political career spanned 20 years as a member of the South Carolina Senate and South Carolina House of Representatives, will speak at Lander University on Thursday, Sept. 24, to share his keen understanding of the history behind the institutions that govern the Palmetto State.

The event, scheduled for 5:30 to 8 p.m. in the Abney Cultural Center Auditorium, will feature an author talk and book signing for his book, The Concise Guide to South Carolina State Government.

Published by the University of South Carolina Press, the book provides a nonpartisan and accessible look at the history, institutions and people that have shaped government in South Carolina. It also is designed to help readers understand why the state operates as it does today because of its structure, leadership and reorganization efforts over time.

Throughout the book, Sheheen brings that history to life through profiles of notable South Carolinians who have served in elected and appointed positions. Among them are Solomon Blatt, the first person of Jewish faith to serve as speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives, and Jean Hoefer Toal, the first woman to serve on the South Carolina Supreme Court and later as the court’s chief justice.

In an interview with SCETV, Sheheen said that the idea for the book grew from his experience teaching students at the University of South Carolina Honors College. The available textbook on South Carolina government had been published in the 1990s, and much about the state’s government had changed in the decades since.

Seeing an opportunity to approach the subject in a fresh and more relevant way, Sheheen pitched the idea for a new book to USC Press.

“I want people to understand our government,” said Sheheen, the mayor of Camden. “I hope the book itself will say this is how the government works, not just the academic side …but also as an insider’s view of it.”