ABSTRACT
This chapter attempts to provide a framework for understanding state agricultural and rural policy development. In agriculture and rural development, most federal, state and local government alternatives fall into one of three major categories: crisis intervention, innovation, and prevention. States are the middlemen in the intergovernmental community, and most of their agriculture and rural development policy initiatives fell into the category of innovation. A simplistic view of state government would lead one to believe that the governor is a strong corporate chief executive officer, solely responsible for all state government policies and programs. The primary purpose of government is to address problems of fairness or access experienced by citizens. Crisis intervention is the most costly type of government program and is seldom used by states. Prevention is the least costly, most long-term government policy and its programs are educational and pianning-oriented.
