State and Local Government Flashcards
What were the priorities of the people who wrote the Articles of Confederation
- limit national gov
- no state should exceed the authority and independence of others
How did the people who wrote the Articles of Confederation make the states maintain an equal authority
the Articles of Confederation could not be amended without the approval of each state, and each state received one vote in Congress, regardless of population.
(specific) problems with the Articles of Confederation
- Congress struggled to conduct business and to ensure the financial credibility of the new country’s government. (ie getting the states to pay the Revolution debt. Attempts to recoup these funds through the imposition of tariffs were vetoed by states with a vested financial interest in their failure.)
How did the Constituion give more power to the fed gov?
2 more branches (executive and judicial)
implied powers
powers not clearly stated are inffered
Which clause do implied powers stem from?
elastic cluase
Which clause does this statement come from? “make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the Foregoing powers.”
elastic clause
What kind of issues does the elastic clause specifically help the fed government play a role in?
controversial ones (ie healthcare, expansion of power, reg of interstate commerce ect.)
supremacy clause
declared that the U.S. Constitution and any laws or treaties made in connection with that document were to supersede constitutions and laws made at the state level.
The power of the states under the constitution
ie:
- they now had the power to establish local governments This gave states sovereignty, or supreme and independent authority, over county, municipal, school and other special districts.
- ratify the amendments to the constitution
Ratification of amendments to constitution
Throughout U.S. history, all amendments to the Constitution except one have been proposed by Congress and then ratified by either three-fourths of the state legislatures or three-fourths of the state conventions called for ratification purposes. This
How could the states propose an amendment?
If at least two-thirds of the state legislatures apply for a national convention,
Why were reserved powers added to the constitution?
To pacify the Anti Federalists
Reserved powers
“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”
aka 10th amendment
What powers did the states have after the constitution
reserved powers and concurrent powers
concurrent powers
responsibilities shared with the national government.
Are these reserved, concurrent, or inferred powers:
the state and federal governments each have the right to collect income tax from their citizens and corporate tax from businesses. They also share responsibility for building and maintaining the network of interstates and highways and for making and enforcing laws
concurrent (bcuz the state and fed gov share the power)
Evolution of state power
Expansion of National: FDR expanded national gov power with political programs durring great depression (originally overturned by Supreme Court, but they eventually changed their decision)
Expansion of National: in 1964 Lyndon B Johnson designed program to help poor people
Expansion of National: Gradually gov started making demands and not funding them
Expansion of state: Unfunded mandate reform act.
Expansion of state: More recently, states have been granted the flexibility to set policy across a number of controversial policy areas.
What does the constitution say about the dispersion of power between states and localities within each state.
It’s silent on this issue
Why can we assume between localities and states, that power indepenedent of fed gov is first given to the states
The fact that states are mentioned specifically and local jurisdictions are not
How do states decide what to require of local jurisdictions and what to delegate.
Through their own constitutions and statutes,
Dillon’s Rule
Dillon argued that state actions trump those of the local government and have supremacy.10 In this view, cities and towns exist at the pleasure of the state, which means the state can step in and dissolve them or even take them over. Indeed, most states have supremacy clauses over local governments in their constitutions.
Why do states give local gov give any power to the local gov?
-state and local governments must work together to ensure that citizens receive adequate services. Given the necessity of cooperation, many states have granted local governments some degree of autonomy and given them discretion to make policy or tax decisions.11
What is the added independence that states give to local governments called
home rule
Given the necessity of cooperation, many states have granted local governments some degree of autonomy and given them discretion to make policy or tax decisions.11 This added independence is called 1. __________ and the transfer of power is typically spelled out within a 2. ________
- home rule
- charter
Where do local govs get their money from?
- Other levels of gov
- tax collections
- other
Where can property taxes be assessed
Property taxes can be assessed on homes, land, and businesses.
Why can the local gov’s reliance on property tax be a prob?
that property values vary with the economic health of a given area, the quality of school districts, and the overall desirability of a state, municipality, or county.
Why was the mortgage crisis a problem for local governments?
In 2007, the mortgage crisis caused home values to fall, leading many homeowners to default on their mortgages. This resulted in less property tax revenue for local governments. States also reduced aid, and overall tax collections dropped due to economic conditions and challenges in collecting income tax from online sales.
How does a state’s climate affect tax?
States with abundant natural resources, like Alaska, can leverage oil or natural gas reserves for funding education or tax reduction, while states with favorable climates for tourism and retirees, such as Florida, generate revenue that supports widespread infrastructure improvements, resulting in varying economic fortunes and implications for tax levels.
What makes states unique
- climate
- political cultures
- attitudes and beliefs about the functions and expectations of gov
government. In the book, American Federalism: A View from the States, Daniel Elazar first theorized in 1966 that the United States could be divided into three distinct political cultures:
moralistic, individualistic, and traditionalistic
Moralistic political culture
- means to better society and promote the general welfare.
Expectations for polticians in moralistic political culture
honest in their dealings with others, put the interests of the people they serve above their own, and commit to improving the area they represent.
How is the political process viewed in moralistic political culture
- seen in a positive light and not as a vehicle tainted by corruption. In fact, citizens in moralistic cultures have little patience for corruption and believe that politicians should be motivated by a desire to benefit the community rather than by a need to profit financially from service.
Moralsitc states tend to believe that the gov should be bigger/smaller
bigger
Which political culture belives government should promote the general welfare by allocating funds to programs that will benefit the poor.
moralistic
Where did moralistic political culture develop?
- among the Puritans in upper New England.
States that adopt which political culture are the most likely to donate their time and or resources to policitcal campaigns and to vote
moralistic
Why are moralistic states more likely to donate their time and/or resources to political campaigns and to vote. (2 reasons)
First, state law is likely to make it easier for residents to register and to vote because mass participation is valued. Second, citizens who hail from moralistic states should be more likely to vote because elections are truly contested.
Which political culture is more likely to support individuals who earn their positions in government on merit rather than as a reward for party loyalty. In theory, there is less incentive to be corrupt if people acquire positions based on their qualifications.
moralistic
Which political culture is the most open to 3rd parties
moralistic
How do states that align with Elazar’s individualistic political culture see the government
as a mechanism for addressing issues that matter to individual citizens and for pursuing individual goals.
What are the expectations of the government for the states that adopt individualistic poltical culture
They expect the government to provide goods and services they see as essential, and the public officials and bureaucrats who provide them expect to be compensated for their efforts. The
What is the focus of the government for the states that adopt individualistic poltical culture
The focus is on meeting individual needs and private goals rather than on serving the best interests of everyone in the community.
Which political culture? ……New policies will be enacted if politicians can use them to garner support from voters or other interested stakeholders, or if there is great demand for these services on the part of individuals.
Individualsitic
Where did the individualsitic political culture originate from?
settlers from non-Puritan England and Germany.
Given their focus on pursuing individual objectives, states with an [name this political culture] mindset will tend to advance tax breaks as a way of trying to boost a state’s economy or as a mechanism for promoting individual initiative and entrepreneurship.
individualistic
What is the objective of government as seen by the states that adopt individualistic poltical culture
this theoretical lens assumes that the objective of politics and the government is to advance individual interests,
As a result of these personal motivations, citizens in ____________ states will tend to be more tolerant of corruption among their political leaders and less likely to see politics as a noble profession in which all citizens should engage.
individualistic states
Elazar argues that in_____________ states, electoral competition does not seek to identify the candidate with the best ideas.
individualistic
Which poltical culture do states that had slaves use?
traditionalistic
Traditionalistic culture view on gov
sees the government as necessary to maintaining the existing social order, the status quo. Only
Which political culture?
Only elites belong in the political enterprise, and as a result, new public policies will be advanced only if they reinforce the beliefs and interests of those in power.
Compare and contrast individualsitic culture and traditionalistic culture
Like the individualistic culture, the traditionalistic culture believes in the importance of the individual. But instead of profiting from corporate ventures, settlers in traditionalistic states tied their economic fortunes to the necessity of slavery on plantations throughout the South.
traditionalisic view of political participation
traditionalistic cultures are more likely to see it as a privilege reserved for only those who meet the qualifications.
Critiques of Elazar’s theory
- ## things might have changed with the times
Why did public opinion drop so low in 2014
partisan rivalry, media coverage that has capitalized on the conflict, fiscal shutdowns, and the general perception that Congress is no longer engaged in lawmaking.
Role of Governor
-spokesperson
-accepts blame or praise for handling decision-making in times of crisis
- oversees implementation of public policy/legislation
Who do governors work with
lawmakers, bureaucrats, cabinet officials, and with the citizens who elected them to office in the first place.
Why do Governors have tremendous power over the legislative branch
because they serve year-round and hold office alone.
T/F The president has more power compared to their legislature then the govener has compared to their legislature
false
Where does state executive power flow from
factors such as the propensity of state legislatures to meet for only part of the year and their resulting reliance for information on the governor and his/her administration, stronger formal tools (e.g., line-item vetoes), budget-cutting discretion, and the fact that state legislators typically hold down another job besides that of legislator.
Three of the governor’s chief functions are to influence the legislative process through:
an executive budget proposal, a policy agenda, and vetoes.
How often do goveners give State of the Union addresses and who do they give it 2?
annually, they give it to the state legislature
What do governors discuss in the State of the Union address?
discuss economic and political achievements, cite data that supports their accomplishments, and overview the major items on their legislative agenda. This speech signals to members of the state legislature what priorities are high on the governor’s list.
