Written during the era of the construction of the information superhighway, this book presents an analysis of the pros and cons of continuing state regulation of telecommunications, using a positive political economy perspective to analyze enduring state-federal conflicts.

Deregulation continues to be a fiercely debated issue in the US. The proper role and amount of government intervention or oversight is constant fodder for politicians, analysts and talk radio, and the anti-regulation movement within the federal government formed in the 1970s. While that debate rages, however, regulation at the state level remains below the radar screen, yet it is a crucial part of the picture. Some states are even countering the federal trend by supplementing their own regulatory efforts. Thus the push toward devolution of powers may actually be helping states strengthen...