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dyer test 1

Terms in this set (46)

1. What is meant by state 'police powers'? What are some of the many policy responsibilities of states and local governments?
Power to make laws for the general welfare of their communities
To promote
Health
Safety
Welfare
Morals
Goals are defined by the community and its values
2. What are some of the factors that may help explain why particular states and communities adopt certain policies and not others?
Populations and political actors
Social and economic conditions
Cultures and historical circumstances
Intuitions and political systems
3. How has the overall U.S. population changed in recent years? Which states and regions form the greatest part of this trend? How has the overall population of Texas changed?
Uneven growth among states and localities
Signifies economic social political benefits and costs of growth
Texas gained 21%
4. What are some demographic trends in various racial and ethnic populations in the U.S?
Hispanics are projected to be the majority of the state in Texas
United states could become a majority minority nation by 2043
5. What is religiosity? What are the ways political scientists have measured it?
How powerful/ important is religion as a social force?
Measured by
Worship attendance
Prayer frequency
Belief in God
Self-indicated importance of religion in ones life
6. In the United States, which government is in charge of immigration policy? What are some of this government's responsibilities?
The federal gov makes immigration law
US constitution defines national citizenship
Federal gov defines refugee status, naturalization
7. What are some ways states and localities have responded to U.S. immigration policy?
Sanctuary cities, restrictions on welfare and services, AZ's immigration enforcement polices
8. In your own words, what is political ideology?
Set of assuptions about how society works
Set of beliefs and general philosophy about gov and what it should do
Ideology does not = party affiliation
the role of government in the economy
liberal: Highly value economic equality
Value markets and property
Gov should intervene in the economy to regulate it and promote individual welfare

conservative: Economic efficiency
the role of government in society?
liberalism: social freedom
gov power should not restrict social choices
policies promoting social freedom and economic equality

conservative: Gov should regulate social choices
Gov should regulate economic
Policies promoting social order and economic freedom
a libertarian
value social freedom and economic efficiency, stress importance of individual autonomy and minimalist role for gov
a populist?
value gov intervention in economy to benefit average citizens against wealthy and powerful, intervention must conform to traditional moral and social values, distrust of elites but not anti-capitalist, emphasis of individualism, equality of opportunity, property rights
12. What is political culture, and what is the causal mechanism that drives these differences?
Shared framework of values, beliefs and habits related to gov and politics, historical styles and traditions in state politics
Differences attributed to cultural values of early settlers and immigrnts
individualistic
"the government should not get in the way"
Wealth and power seen as qualifiers for governing
German and English settlers in the mid atlantic states
Emphasis on individual initiative and the market
Gov proticets individual rights anf makes way for individual initiative
Material self interest motivates people to enter public life
Ambition and self advancement motivte office seekers, corruption is tolerated
Partisian orientation, elections focus on gaining office and not issues
Unfavorable view of civil service bureaucracy
moralistic
"government is a positive force for good"
Puritans in new England and Scandinavian settlers
Gov advances the public interest and serves as positive force in citizens lives
Emphasis on common wealth
Issue based politics
Citizens have a duty to serve and participate in politics
Politicians seek office to advance issues
Corruption is not tolerated gov service is public service
Civil service bureaucracy views favorably
Traditionalistic
"Elite lineage is all that matters"
Settlers in southern colonies
Gov serves the elites who created it to serve them
Useful for maintaining existing social order and economic hierarchy
Ambivalent toward the market and the common good
Politicians are form the social elite
Elite have family obligation to govern, few expectations for the rest
Politics focused on rival elite factions, not class based
Civil service bureaucracy seen as interfering with personal relationships
15. What kind of political culture does Texas have?
Traditionalistic: long history of one party rule, low levels of voter turnout, social economic conservatism: general hostility to gov, economic individualism, traditionalistic on social issues, still advocate for gov to fix problems
Individualistic: strong support for private business, opposition to bg government interference, faith in individual initiatives
16. What are the key functions of constitutions?
Legitimacy: where political power comes from, what it may be used for
Basic framework organizing gov: allocate power to institution, create rules for decision making
Limiting gov power: establish formal limits to gov power, internal and procedural limits too
17. In what ways are most state constitutions similar to the federal (U.S.) constitution? What are some ways in which they are different?
Similar: state level separation of powers , system of checks and balances, emphasis on legislative power, hierarchy(constitution, state states, local ordinances
Local govs are subdivisions of state gv no federalism between state and local gov
The US constitution is the law of the land while state is not as venerated, rarely changed, state constitutions create winners and losers
18. Which feature(s) of state constitutions tend to make them much longer than the U.S. Constitution? Why might individuals, lobbyists, and interest groups want to get a policy written into a state constitution rather than simply passed as a regular law?
Constitutions used to carefully control their gov
Longer and more specific: contain detailed restrictions of gov power, address specific area of public policy
State constitutions contain many policy decisions
Groups attempt to enshrine their preferences in the constitution: more difficult to alter or revoke, cant be undone by ordinary law
Constitutions are the higher law: writing policy in the constitution removes it from ordinary legislative process
Lots of regulatory language, taxation and finance specifics, limitations on debt
19. How does the Texas constitution compare to the U.S. Constitution?
Long poorly organized, many details of public policy and gov organization: avoid abuse of power by the gov, to protect various private interests
Conservative, agarian, and react to carpet bagging
Contains lots of dead wood( unenforceable provisions that conflict with the US Constitutions
Structural similarities: three branches of power, separate powers among branches, limited gov,
Longer and much more restrictive of gov power and its use
20. What is the difference between representative democracy and direct democracy? At which levels of government (federal, state, local) can these be found in the United States?
Representative: the people elect reps to make laws for them, includes mechanisms of accountability, elect various national and state officeholders as reps,
Framers argument: refine public opinion, less likely to be carried by certain whims, too many lawmakers chaos

Direct:the people make the laws, absent in national politics, framers fear for the tyranny of the majority, found only n state and local gvs because it is more manageable on smaller parts
More common in western states with history of populism
States with most: A, CA, CO, MI, MT, NV, ND, OR
21. What is meant by the 'tyranny of the majority'?
When the majority always gets their way simply because they are the majority
Framers fear this concept because then the minority will never have a voice
Nothing to check the power of the majority in direct democracy
22. Which region of the United States do citizens have access to more tools of direct democracy?
AZ, CA, CO, MI, MT, NV, ND, OR western states
23. Explain the methods by which a state constitution might be amended. Which of these are available to Texas voters?
Legislative proposal: state legislature drafts and passes the amendment, submitted to voter in referendum
Popular initiative: petition drive, amendment submitted to voters in referendum
Constitutional convention: legislature proposes calling a convention to voters via referendum (convention draft another referendum
Constitutional commission: legislature creates commission to study and recommend changes
TX: legislative proposal, calling for a commission, no initiative and referendum rights for either amendments or laws, proposed by 2/3 vote of both houses of TX legislature and ratified by simple majority of voters
24. What are some of the pros and cons of direct democracy and its use in the states
PROS:
Leads to gov responsiveness and accountability (the government has a more active effort to solve problems)
Allow citizens' groups to go directly to the public
Leads to public debate about the issues
Stimulates voter interest and increases turnout
Increases trust and diminishes alienation
CONS:
Tyranny of the majority
Public might adopt unwise and unsound policies
Voters not informed enough about policy
Fewer opportunities for compromise and considering alternatives
Interest groups and their money increasingly prominent
Adversial: distrust of gov
25. What are the three principal instruments (or 'types') of direct democracy?
Referendum: voters go to the polls
Vote on: constitutional amendments, state laws, local ballot measures

Initiative: voters get something put on the ballot
Citizen initiated proposals
Petition drive to collect signatures: get law/ amendment placed on the ballot
Bypasses state legislature

Recall: removal of an elected official from office
Removal of an elected official from office before end of regular term
Primal response to political dysfunction
Executive recall most popular, judicial least
26. To what extent is direct democracy available in Texas at the state level?
State level referenda on constitutional amendments but proposed by legislature not initiated by the people
No state level popular initiatives: all state level referenda on amendments from legislative proposal (or commission)
No state level recall for officials, only available in home rule cities
27. What steps must be taken to pass an initiative and turn it into an amendment or state law? Describe some of the features of initiative campaigns.
Initiative campaigns becoming more sophisticated and expensive
Organizational challenge: get signatures, get information to voters, get people out o vote
Many citizens initiatives sponsored by interest groups
Local initiatives: local ordinances
28. What are term limits and what are some arguments for and against them? For which officials can states pass term limits? Does Texas have state-level term limits?
Provisions limiting number of times officials can run for office
Popular initiatives used to impose term limits on state officials
TX: no state level term limits
PROS:
Legislatures don't become career politicians, more open seat races, competitiveness and variation
CONS: restricts the peoples choice, career politicians have institutional knowledge, expertise and know how, less reliant on lobbyists, staff, and bureaucrats for policy info
1. In what ways can power be shared between a central government and subnational units (such as states)? Describe each of these arrangements.
Unitary system: national gov creates sub-national govs and goves them power, subnational govs have no independent authority
Confederation: central gov has only those powers given to it by the sub units, a loose alliance of sovereign entities
Federal system: power constitutionally divided between central and subnational govs
Different levels of gov control the same people in the same territory
Important policy making powers at different levels
Each level of gov protected from encroachment by the other
Each unit has the power to influence he behavior of the other
Set of legal and political relationships
2. Name a few countries that provide examples of each of these power-sharing arrangements.
Unitary: north Korea, France
Confederate: the confederacy of south
Federalism: US
3. What are some of the arguments in favor of having a federal system of government? By contrast, what are some of the potential problems federalism can bring?
Pros: different policies better suited for different states and their peoples, allows local communities to manage their own affairs,
Cons: conflict between different levels of government, public policy may become fragmented, preserves inequalities between state populations
5. What is meant by the "enumerated" and "implied" powers of the national government?
Enumerated: Explicit grans of congressional authority
Implied: powers that stem form the necessary and proper clause
6. What happens if a state law conflicts with a national law or the U.S. Constitution? Why?
The constitution trumps the state law because the constitution is the law of the land
Supremacy clause
7. What are the so-called "reserved powers" of the states? What are the traditional uses of state power (i.e. of states' police powers)?
The tenth amendment
Broad and undefined
Many concurrent powers
Police powers: make laws for the general welfare of their communities
Aims: health, safety, welfare, morals
8. As spelled out in the U.S. Constitution, what are some of the national government's obligations to the states?
Garuntee states territorial intertie
Garuntee of a republican form of government
Equal representation in the US senate
Protection from foreign invasion
Protection from domestic violence
9. What are some of the ways in which the U.S. Constitution gives states an important role in national politics?
Election of the president by electoral college
Governors powers to fill congressional vacancies
Apportionment and redistricting
State laws govern elections of national offiials
3/4th of states approval required for US constitutional amendment process
10. What are some of the states' obligations to each other?
Full faith and credit: to public records, acts, judicial proceedings
Extradition
Privileges and immunities: states cant discriminate against citizens and residents of other states
30. How has the federal courts' interpretation of the U.S. Constitution's commerce clause increased the power of the national government?
Broad legal definition of interstate commerce
Increased regulatory power of national gov
What counts as commerce
What purposes can congress regulate commerce
31. Which power of the national government allows it to use federal grants-in-aid to make payments to state and/or local governments?
The general welfare clause
32. What is the difference between a block grant and a categorical grant? Generally speaking, which do liberals prefer and which do conservatives prefer?
Block grant: money given for broad " function" (public health, community development), more discretion for states and communities (liberal)
Categorical: money tied to specific narrow projects, more federal oversight and control (conservative)
33. Explain the basic differences between 1) dual federalism; 2) cooperative federalism; 3) centralized (or "regulatory") federalism; and 4) new federalism.
Dual: clear division between national and state function (layer cake)
Cooperative: national, state, and local gov mix resources to solve problems (marbles cake)
Centralized: fiction of cooperation and assistance breaks down, national gov akes lead in setting agenda and objectives, more direct aid to local gov
New Federalism: the devolution revolution, transferring some policy responsibility to states, lessended state dependence on federal money, more flexibility and discretion in use of federal funds
34. What is "devolution"?
the transfer or delegation of power to a lower level, especially by central government to local or regional administration.
Transferring back some policy responsibility to states
Pros: efficiency and innovation and tailored policies
Cons: policy fragmentation
35. What is an unfunded mandate? Why might Congress pass laws containing unfunded or underfunded mandates?
A mandate set by the government that is not funded but must be followed like the no child left behind
36. In recent years, how has the U.S. Supreme Court revived federalism in its decisions?
Scaling back commerce power
Invalidating laws commandeering the states
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