Chapter 1: Introduction to State and Local Government Flashcards
Chapter 1: Introduction Objectives
- Identify the ways state and local governments can affect daily life.
- Discuss how the comparative method can help explain differences between states.
- List some of the basic differences that occur among states and localities.
- Describe the importance of state and local government within the wider context of American government.
Comparative method
A learning approach based on studying the differences and similarities among similar units of analysis (such as states).
Variance
The difference between units of analysis on a particular measure.
Sociodemographics
The characteristics of a population, including size, age, and ethnicity
Political culture
The attitudes and beliefs broadly shared in a polity about the role and responsibility of government
Daniel Elazar’s American Federalism: A View from the States
Created the idea of 3 distinct types of state political cultures: moralistic, individualistic, and traditionalistic.
Moralistic culture
A political culture that views politics and government as the means to achieve the collective good. High political participation, policy innovation, and scandal-free government. Clustered in the Northern parts of the country (New England, upper Midwest, and the Pacific Northwest). Began from Puritans looking for religious freedom.
Individualistic culture
A political culture that views politics and government as just another way to achieve individual goals. Efficiency, laissez faire practices, individualism. Political parties should compete to provide services, like a corporation. As long as the government keeps the show running, some corruption is tolerated. (Example state: Illinois)
Traditionalistic culture
A political culture that views politics and government as the means of maintaining the existing social order. Fundamentally conservative, views the government as overall positive, and gives greater power to the elites in society. Largely agricultural. Found in the Deep South (Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina). Created by settlers moving south for personal opportunity.
Geography and Topography
The variation in the physical environment of the 50 states wildly affects their political policies and culture.
Laboratories of democracy
A metaphor that emphasizes the states’ ability to engage in different policy experiments without interference from the federal government.
Devolution
The process of taking power and responsibility away from the federal government and giving it to state and local governments.
The big 3 internal factors that determine the limits of what a state decides to do.
Wealth, the characteristics of the state’s political system, and the relative presence of organized interest groups.
Interest group
A group of individuals with the same views that attempt to sway public policy.
How independent are local governments?
Unlike states, local governments are not sovereign. They receive power from the government above them instead of from the people directly. They do, however, have the authority to independently tax and provide public services. The states have far greater control over local governments than the federal government has over the states.
