POLS 207 Exam 3 Review 1

Which programs do state and local governments provide?

- Health care
- Safeguarding of water supplies
- Hospitals, health centers, and nursing homes
- Medicaid and Medicare

Know the impeachment process

Presentation of formal charges against Government official

House → Senate

House brings up charges and needs simple majority on at least 1 issue to move on

Senate needs 2/3 vote to convict

Chief Justice of Supreme Court only involved if president is getting impeached

Know the executive positions in Texas

Governor and Lieutenant Governor

Comptroller of Public Accounts

Land Commissioner and Agriculture Commissioner

Attorney General

Texas Railroad Commission, State Board of Education, Secretary of State.

Know the different powers of the governor in Texas

Can veto (no pocket veto)

Can appoint members to commissions (with senate)

Call special legislative sessions

Can pardon with approval of Board of Pardons

Proposes a budget

Very minimal Powers overall

Know the different types of vetoes.

Pocket Veto: Texas Governor CANNOT do this (basically just wait and congress stops meeting so no bill)

"Regular" Veto: Bro rejects a bill

Line-Item Veto: Rejection of specific items within a bill

What is the role of governors in the budget process?

Propose budget bill (2 years of funding for agencies)

Legislature debates and modifies

Governor may line-item veto parts

What are executive orders?

a rule or order issued by the president/Governor to an executive branch of the government and having the force of law.

Why is the post-adjournment veto so powerful?

Because the Legislature cannot do anything about it until they are in session again. By then it is likely that the legislature will have other, more pressing issues to deal with.

No Child Left Behind Act?

Established standardized testing to ensure all children within the state were receiving the same education no matter their welfare demographic.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

The sum of the value of all the goods and services produced in the United States in a year is known as the U.S. GDP

Progressive vs Regressive Taxes

Progressive: More you are paid, more you are taxed
ex: income tax

Regressive: Larger burden on the poor
ex: sales tax (larger % of income for poor)

What are the different sources of tax revenue for both state and local governments?

State: income and sales

Local: property and fines (also can add up to 2% onto sales tax which they take)

Why do states look to keep their corporate taxes low?

44 states pay corporate income taxes

Keep it low because the burdens of high taxes are passed to consumers and high taxes drive businesses out of state

What are excise taxes?

Selective sales taxes: cigarettes, alcohol, gas

What is meant by tax burden?

taxes paid as a percentage of personal income imposed on citizens

Which level of government is affected the most by limitations on taxation?

Local Government

How do most Americans feel about taxes?

Most citizens feel they are too high and should be lowered

What are the merit and spoils systems?

Merit: Hired because you’re the best for the job

Spoils: Hired because you’re on the winning team

What is outsourcing?

obtain (goods or a service) from an outside or foreign supplier, especially in place of an internal source.

Revenue Bond vs General Obligation Bond

Revenue Bond: A bond backed by a specific revenue stream. Issued by government for specific projects & backed only by whatever revenue the project generates.

General Obligation Bond: Bond that can be paid through a variety of tax sources. Pledges the full taxing powers of the government to pay both the principal & interest due to bonds. Lenders will be willing to accept lower interest rates on them.

How is academic performance measured?

Educational attainment: # of years of school completed

Dropout rate: % who fail to complete HS

What are magnet schools?

School emphasizing instruction in particular areas in an effort to improve quality and attract students.

What are charter schools?

School operated with public funds by private community groups. Under a charter (contract) and still need to meet educational standards.

What are vouchers?

Government-funded scholarship redeemable for schools other than public school. Controversial because a student could attend public for free.

When can money be given to religious educational institutions?

Money can be given to religious schools if it is used for a non-religious purpose, such as transportation, textbooks, or general education, not religious worship or instruction. The aid must be neutral (available to both religious and non-religious schools) and the government cannot promote religion.

How do states ensure local compliance with state educational policy?

Bureaucratic Oversight: involving state boards of education, state commissioners or superintendents of education, and state departments of education

Financial Control: through state allocation of funds to local school districts

What body typically controls education within a state?

State Boards of Education: Control everything from teacher certification to textbook selection; mostly elected by governors but voted on by the people in Texas

Where do most schools get their revenue from?

State and federal assistance, private funding, property taxes, and then bonds that are issued to pay for special projects.

What do school superintendents do?

- Sets school board agenda

- Recommends policy

- Implements decisions

Why is zoning important?

Helps organize areas of land

May also cause problems such as segregation and socioeconomic inequality

Who is responsible for public welfare?

Federal Government

What is the payroll tax?

Tax taken from paycheck (like income) for social security and medicade

Flat rate for everyone

What has been the effect of Social Security?

Social Security is largely responsible for the elderly's "victory" in the war against poverty. However, this it is a self sabotaging program. When established there were 42 working people for every retired person. There are now 2 working people for every retired person.

Lieutenant Governor

- VERY powerful

- Most have to be elected now

- Many assume the role as the vice president

- Presiding officer of the senate

- Holds the most power in the legislative branch

- Assigns proposed bills to appropriate committees whose compositions were assigned by the Lieutenant Governor as well

Attorney General

- Represents states before the courts

- Carries a lot of weight in Texas because many of the opinions of the attorney general carry the weight of law until the courts officially make a decision on it

- In charge of lawsuits against the state

- Criminal cases are handled by the district attorneys, not the attorney general

- Issue opinions on constitutional amendments before they are passed

- Have to sign off on the legality of voting ballots

Secretary of State

- VERY different than secretary of state at national level

- Chief elections officer of the state-- make sure the ballots are correct

- If you have control of the secretary of state office, you have some control over elections

Treasurer

- Handles the dispersal of funds

- Manages state accounts

Comptroller

- Chief financial officer of Texas' bank accounts

- Controls budgets

- Makes economic predictions

Auditor

- Makes sure that the money spent by the state is in accordance with the laws of the state

- Makes sure the budget is legal

- Budget is a policy statement

Ag. Comissioner

- Advocate for farmers and ranchers

- Leads health investigations at factories

- Protects farmers and consumers

- Regulates any kinds of measurements/ scales

- Includes making sure meat scales and gas pumps are accurate

- Does surprise inspections

Land Comissioner

- Anything to do with land

- Can be in committee and give opinions and such but cannot vote

Railroad Comissioner

- 3 member body with staggered terms

- Do NOT regulate railroads anymore- national gov does

- Regulates oil and gas production

- The one government entity in the executive branch that is susceptible to agency capture

How states choose executors

Popularly elected in most states