A Comparative Analysis of the History of Substate Districts in Iowa and Missouri

Abstract

The problem. Prior to the completion of this thesis, a written historical account of the establishment of substate districts in Iowa and Missouri did not exist. The severity of this fact intensifies considering that the political ramifications of substate districts will either directly or indirectly touch the lives of all of us. Procedure. The data on Iowa and Missouri's substate districts was collected by the author from periodicals, books, personal interviews and letters. A large percentaqe of the historical facts noted in this paper are "primary source information," and had not been previously recorded. The gathered data was analyzed, compared, and recorded. Findings. Both Iowa and Missouri were successful in implementing substate districts in their respective states. The primary reason for creating their substate districts was to become eligible for specific federal grant-in-aid monies. The methods employed by the two-states to establish their substate districts substantially. Conclusions. Although both states achieved their goals of delineating their state into substate districts, Missouri's method of creating substate districts is comparatively favorable to that of Iowa's for substantial political reasons.