Dr. Lisa Parshall, distinguished professor of political science and a policy fellow at the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government, and Daemen Trustee and former Buffalo Mayor, Byron Brown, were co-editors and chapter writers for Governing New York State Through Crises, recently published by SUNY Press. 
The book — also co-edited by professor and European Commission Jean Monnet Chair (2026-28), Laurie A. Buonanno, and professor and Secretary of the Buffalo Fiscal Stability Board, Frederick G. Floss — provides insight into how New York’s institutions and policymakers have managed the state amid a series of contemporary crises.
“There is a resurgence of interests in state and local politics at the moment. This book examines New York State as at the forefront of the many challenges of governing through the crises of the modern period,” said Parshall. “Spanning the fiscal crisis of 1975 to the present moment, we look at how crisis management has reshaped state institutions and resulted in policy learning. What makes the volume unique is that it bridges the perspectives of both academic scholars and practitioners. It also highlights the role and impact for local government with chapters on contemporary policy issues like immigration, housing, education, and climate.”
Parshall recently published an essay on the book’s companion site, Municipal Aid in the New York State Budget: Cities in Crisis, on June 13.
In addition, Parshall served as a conference organizer and panel moderator for the Local Government Lab — an annual conference of local government researchers, practitioners, and policymakers — held at the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government in Albany, N.Y. on June 26.
Governing New York State Through Crises is available now in hard cover. Parshall, Brown, Buonanno, and Floss will be doing book signings this fall. The soft cover is available for pre-order and will be available in December.