Conservative Hurricane — Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the notes on Jeb Bush’s Florida governance (Conservative Hurricane).

A+ Plan

Florida school accountability system tying school grades to FCAT results, increasing state control, narrowing curricula, and stigmatizing low performers with a 'scarlet letter' label.

FCAT

Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test used to grade schools and drive accountability measures.

School autonomy (Chubb and Moe)

Research finding that autonomy in school-level decision making best predicts school success, contrasted with top-down state-driven plans.

Scarlet letter problem

Stigma attached to schools labeled as failing, masking individual teacher/student successes and impacting real estate, enrollment, and community reputation.

Enterprise Florida

Public‑private economic development agency designed to attract investment; expanded governance to accelerate incentives and private deals.

Project Air Conditioning

Code name for the aggressive Scripps recruitment package, signaling a large-scale push to land biotech investment in Florida.

Scripps Research Institute

Major nonprofit biomedical research center recruited to Florida with large state and county incentives; intended to spur a biotech hub, with contested job-creation projections.

Incentives (economic development incentives)

Public payments, tax breaks, land, buildings, and employee salary support used to lure or retain businesses; central to Florida’s growth strategy and privatization debates.

Privatization

Shifting government services to private or nonprofit providers to cut costs or increase efficiency, often raising accountability and oversight challenges.

Convergys

Private contractor hired to manage Florida’s personnel/payroll systems; notable for delays, pay issues, and significant outsourcing of state jobs.

Aramark

Private food-service contractor for Florida prisons; faced problems including spoiled meals and service gaps, highlighting privatization risks.

Foster care privatization

Privatization of child protective services and foster care; regional consolidation and outsourcing aimed at efficiency, with mixed outcomes and accountability concerns.

Medicaid privatization

Proposal to pay private insurers (not providers) for Medicaid costs; pilot programs started, later echoed in other administrations.

Florida Forever

Massive land acquisition and conservation program funded to protect natural lands; a major environmental policy priority.

Everglades restoration

Comprehensive federal‑state effort to restore natural water flow in the Everglades; a landmark, bipartisan environmental initiative with long timelines.

Line-item veto

Governor’s power to strike individual items from the budget; used by Bush to veto specific appropriations and assert executive control.

AAA bond rating

Top credit rating earned by Florida by mid‑2000s, signaling strong fiscal management and contributing to borrowing capacity.

Intangibles tax

Tax on financial assets (stocks, bonds, receivables); reduced as part of tax cuts, but unpopular among wealthier seniors and business interests.

Private market philosophy

Belief that private sector solutions are superior to government intervention, driving privatization and incentive-based reforms.

Efficiency czar

A short‑lived gubernatorial appointee intended to monitor efficiency in privatization efforts; faced autonomy and authority criticisms.

Government Center for Efficient Government

Governor‑level oversight center created to supervise privatization/payroll contracts; criticized for limited independence and accountability.

9/11 budget impact on Florida

Terrorist attacks reduced tourism, shrank state revenues, triggered a special legislative session, and produced budget cuts in education and other areas.

A+ Plan

Florida school accountability system tying school grades to FCAT results, increasing state control, narrowing curricula, and stigmatizing low performers with a 'scarlet letter' label.

FCAT

Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test used to grade schools and drive accountability measures.

School autonomy (Chubb and Moe)

Research finding that autonomy in school-level decision making best predicts school success, contrasted with top-down state-driven plans.

Scarlet letter problem

Stigma attached to schools labeled as failing, masking individual teacher/student successes and impacting real estate, enrollment, and community reputation.

Enterprise Florida

Public‑private economic development agency designed to attract investment; expanded governance to accelerate incentives and private deals.

Project Air Conditioning

Code name for the aggressive Scripps recruitment package, signaling a large-scale push to land biotech investment in Florida.

Scripps Research Institute

Major nonprofit biomedical research center recruited to Florida with large state and county incentives; intended to spur a biotech hub, with contested job-creation projections.

Incentives (economic development incentives)

Public payments, tax breaks, land, buildings, and employee salary support used to lure or retain businesses; central to Florida’s growth strategy and privatization debates.

Privatization

Shifting government services to private or nonprofit providers to cut costs or increase efficiency, often raising accountability and oversight challenges.

Convergys

Private contractor hired to manage Florida’s personnel/payroll systems; notable for delays, pay issues, and significant outsourcing of state jobs.

Aramark

Private food-service contractor for Florida prisons; faced problems including spoiled meals and service gaps, highlighting privatization risks.

Foster care privatization

Privatization of child protective services and foster care; regional consolidation and outsourcing aimed at efficiency, with mixed outcomes and accountability concerns.

Medicaid privatization

Proposal to pay private insurers (not providers) for Medicaid costs; pilot programs started, later echoed in other administrations.

Florida Forever

Massive land acquisition and conservation program funded to protect natural lands; a major environmental policy priority.

Everglades restoration

Comprehensive federal‑state effort to restore natural water flow in the Everglades; a landmark, bipartisan environmental initiative with long timelines.

Line-item veto

Governor’s power to strike individual items from the budget; used by Bush to veto specific appropriations and assert executive control.

AAA bond rating

Top credit rating earned by Florida by mid‑2000s, signaling strong fiscal management and contributing to borrowing capacity.

Intangibles tax

Tax on financial assets (stocks, bonds, receivables); reduced as part of tax cuts, but unpopular among wealthier seniors and business interests.

Private market philosophy

Belief that private sector solutions are superior to government intervention, driving privatization and incentive-based reforms.

Efficiency czar

A short‑lived gubernatorial appointee intended to monitor efficiency in privatization efforts; faced autonomy and authority criticisms.

Government Center for Efficient Government

Governor‑level oversight center created to supervise privatization/payroll contracts; criticized for limited independence and accountability.

9/11 budget impact on Florida

Terrorist attacks reduced tourism, shrank state revenues, triggered a special legislative session, and produced budget cuts in education and other areas.

No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)

Federal education reform act (2002) that mandated statewide standardized testing, increased accountability for schools, and emphasized measurement of 'adequate yearly progress,' influencing Florida's accountability system.

Job creation projections (Scripps)

Contested estimates of direct and indirect jobs expected from major economic development projects like Scripps, often a key justification for public incentives, but frequently subject to debate and revision.

Contract oversight challenges

Difficulties encountered in monitoring private contractors to ensure performance, accountability, and adherence to terms, often arising in privatization efforts like those with Convergys and Aramark.

Growth management laws (Florida)

State policies and regulations designed to manage urban sprawl, protect natural resources, and ensure adequate infrastructure by linking development to available services; often intertwined with environmental conservation efforts.