Exam 2 Flashcards
What do State Legislators do?
- enact laws (introduce legislation)
- consider constitutional amendments and gubernatorial appointments
- approve budgets
- serve constituents
- oversee state agencies
Average legislator introduces _____ bills a year
10-12 bills a year
Why do legislators introduce so many bills a year?
- introduce as favors
- get a headline in the media
- create issue awareness
What is a “constituent”
A resident of a legislators district
“Sunset laws”
Require for their legislators to reenact programs every few years or else see them go out of existence
Status of a state legislature
- “Upwardly mobile” - not the rich of the rich
- middle class
State legislators occupation
Flexible job or retired
State legislators education
Well educated
Stare legislators age
Typically older (56)
State legislators personal wealth
More affluent than the public
State legislators amateurs
Most have other jobs but more state legislators are becoming full time
African Americans in state legislators
9%
Hispanic-American in state legislators
3%
Women in state legislators
24%
“Incumbency advantage”
Those who choose to run for re-election are seldomly defeated (over 90% are successful)
Challengers rarely win over people running for re-election because…
1) Visibility
2) Resources of office
3) Money
4) Professionalism and Careerism
“Logjams”
- most disorderly phase
- voting blindly on bills often resembling a train
A governor’s “Formal Power”
Powers ANY governor has Ex) Appointments Budget Veto powers
Governor’s “informal powers”
A governor’s personal strengths
Governor’s are expected to be….
5 things
1) state’s chief administrator
2) chief legislator
3) leader of their party
4) ceremonial head of their government
5) chief negotiator
Governor’s age
Young, look good for the media, age has been going down
Governor’s race/ethnicity
-Mostly white
How many black governor’s
3
How many Hispanic governor’s
7
How many Asian Governor’s
5
Governor’s gender
Mostly male
5 Female governor’s
Governor’s political experience
Usually have a lot
Governor’s background
Historically sons of families of great wealth
Most lawyers
Lieutenant Governor
Suzanne Crouch
The presiding officer of the state senate
Attorney General
Curtis Hill
- Usually elected
- chief legal counsel
- represent the state in any suits
Treasurer
Kelly Mitchell
- elected to office
- manage the money
Comptroller
Don’t have one in Indiana
-Pre-audit
Auditor
Tera Klutz
-Post-audit
Secretary of State
Connie Lawson
- usually elected
- chief elections officer
Competition
Usually strong
Gubernatorial vote is when ….
Voters selecte their vote for government based on
- personal leadership qualities
- party affiliations
- issues
- negative voting (where you don’t like either)
How much does small state campaign cost
5-10 million aka A LOT
Why do campaigns cost so much?
Advertising, polling, precisely targeted direct mail AND population growth
What powers do governor’s have?
1) tenure power (term limits)
2) managerial power (executive orders)
3) appointment/removal powers
4) fiscal powers (budget)
Bureaucracies are what branch?
Executive
Bureaucracy is what?
Government regulations
Bureaucracies must give practical meaning to the symbolic measures passed by politicians
True
Bureaucracies expand because…
Government decision making is incremental (things grow over time aka “branch method”
Early bureaucracy:
The patronage system
The patronage system:
Old
Aka “spoils system”
Jobs were handed out by friends, family, political supporters
Why switch from the old system to the new?
Pendleton Act of 1883 - created the federal civil servic commission for selection based on merit
Bureaucracy now:
The merit system
The merit system:
Jobs are given based on:
Competence
Neutrality (not bias)
Protection from partisanship
Representativeness
Workforce reflection the social characteristics of the citizens they serve
-reflects the values and interests of the people
All of the following actions are advantages of federalism except:
A decrease in electoral competition
_________ usually do not endorse in the primary elections
Political parties
Which of the following is not an element found in state constitutions?
Detailed limitations of the rights of citizens
All of the following are effective ways to measure party competitiveness except
How long the party has existed in the state
