POL 303: Wisconsin Government & Politics Study Guide

Vocabulary flashcards detailing key terms, court structures, election calendars, and local governance institutions for Wisconsin Government and Politics (POL 303).

Lieutenant Governor (Wisconsin)

The executive-branch official who is first in line to succeed the governor and performs duties assigned by the governor, such as task forces, outreach, and policy initiatives.

Attorney General (Wisconsin)

The head of the Wisconsin Department of Justice who represents the state in court, oversees criminal appeals, crime laboratories, and specific investigations, and can adopt legal positions independent of the governor.

State Treasurer (Wisconsin)

A constitutional executive officer who sits on the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands; most historical financial responsibilities were reassigned to other agencies, and voters rejected abolishing the office in 2018.

Secretary of State (Wisconsin)

A constitutional officer whose main duties involve certifying specific official state records and documents; this official does not administer Wisconsin elections.

Municipal Courts (Wisconsin)

232 judges • Terms set locally

Local ordinance violations and fines

No prison or jail given, mostly tickets

the lowest level of the state’s trial court system

Circuit Courts (Wisconsin)

Wisconsin's primary trial courts consisting of $249$ judges serving $6$-year terms across at least one branch per county, handling evidence, witnesses, and jury trials in civil, criminal, family, and juvenile matters.

Court of Appeals (Wisconsin)

An intermediate appellate body of $16$ judges across $4$ districts serving $6$-year terms that reviews circuit-court trial records to correct legal errors, usually convening in three-judge panels.

Supreme Court (Wisconsin)

The state's court of last resort composed of $7$ justices elected to $10$-year terms; it is the highest state court. It interprets Wisconsin laws and the Wisconsin Constitution, establishes precedents, evaluates constitutionality, and supervises the state court system.

Precedent

An earlier judicial ruling that establishes legal principles and guides subsequent cases.

Legal Factor (Judicial Decision-Making)

A decision-making influence based on the explicit language of constitutional provisions, statutes, and prior legal precedents.

Ideological Factor (Judicial Decision-Making)

A decision-making influence rooted in a judge's personal political views, values, and philosophies.

Strategic Factor (Judicial Decision-Making)

A decision-making influence driven by anticipating the reactions of judicial colleagues, the public, and other branches of government.

Merit Selection

A judicial selection system used in $21$ states where a nominating commission vets and recommends candidates to the governor, who makes the final appointment.

A commission recommends candidates and the governor selects one. This system is nonpartisan judges are chosen based on their professional qualifications, experience, and reputation, rather than through direct partisan elections

Retention Election

Voters decide whether a sitting justice should serve another term

General-Purpose Government

A local government entity that delivers a broad spectrum of public services, exemplified in Wisconsin by counties, cities, villages, and towns.

Provide multiple public services in Counties, cities, villages, towns

Special-Purpose Government

An independent local governing body designed to administer a single public service or policy function, such as a school, technical-college, sewer, or stadium district.

County Board of Supervisors

The elected legislative and policy-making body in each of Wisconsin's $72$ counties, elected on an officially nonpartisan basis to adopt budgets and approve local ordinances.

County Executive

A county official elected countywide who wields an independent political mandate and possesses the executive power to veto county board actions.

County Administrator

An administrative professional appointed by the county board to manage county departments and compile executive budgets, as seen in La Crosse County.

Annual Town Meeting

A direct-democracy assembly where eligible town residents in attendance vote directly on specific municipal affairs, which can include town property-tax levies.

Home Rule

The legal doctrine granting Wisconsin cities and villages to have authority to govern local affairs without state permission, but still has to follow state law. (state can override)

Dillon's Rule

The legal doctrine restricting the powers of Wisconsin counties and towns strictly to authorities expressly granted or reasonably implied by state statute.

Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District

A specialized special-purpose district governed by an appointed board with oversight responsibilities for American Family Field.

Nonpartisan Primary (February)

An annual preliminary election held in February that winnows the field of candidates down to the top two finishers for the April nonpartisan election.

Nonpartisan General Election (April)

An annual spring election held in April to elect municipal officials, mayors, school boards, county officers, and judges without party designations on the ballot.

Open Partisan Primary (August)

A biennial election held in August of even-numbered years where voters can cast a ballot in any single party's primary without having to register a partisan affiliation.

Partisan General Election (November)

A biennial election held in November of even-numbered years featuring party labels on the ballot for federal and state offices, which typically yields the highest voter participation.

Crossover Voting

The practice in an open primary where an elector votes in the primary contest of a political party they do not normally support.

Direct Democracy

A governance mechanism allowing voters to decide policy questions directly on the ballot rather than delegating the decision entirely to elected representatives.

Referendum

A ballot measure submitted by government officials that allows voters to approve or reject a policy, with officials retaining authority over wording and scheduling.

Constitutional Referendum

s a statewide vote where citizens decide whether to approve or reject a proposed change to the state constitution.

School Operating Referendum

A local ballot measure seeking voter approval to increase property taxes to finance recurring operational expenditures, including staff compensation and academic programs.

School Capital Referendum

A local ballot measure requesting taxpayer funding dedicated specifically to facility construction, additions, or significant infrastructure renovations.

Recall Election

A constitutional mechanism used in $19$ states, including Wisconsin, allowing electors to remove an elected official prior to the expiration of their term after they have completed at least one year in office.

Recall Signature Requirement

The requirement that petitioners obtain signatures equaling $25\%$ of all votes cast for governor in that district during the previous gubernatorial election within a window of $60\text{ days}$.