By comparing partisan and nonpartisan legislatures at the state and local levels, this chapter shows that effective state and local governance is possible and maybe even better under a nonpartisan system. In Nebraska, currently the only state legislature without parties, lawmakers show greater collegiality and satisfaction with their jobs. However, the historical example of the one-party South offers one of the strongest cautionary tales in the book. In this case, partisan entrenchment produced state legislatures more conservative than their electorates.