Chapter 9

Taxpayer Protection Pledge

A commitment made by legislators to oppose any tax increases.

Legislative functions

• Make statutory laws

• Amend state constitutions

• Service constituents

• Bring govt funding to their districts

State Legislatures Ideal

• Members are more personalized (sent by a smaller pool of constituents)

• Representatives are more like regular folk

McNeely on Legislatures

• Value of a legislature is how many votes they can bring for party/cause

• Need to rely on the expertise of others often

• Supermajorities are a threat and can hinder legislative action.

  • Should balance efficiency with diverse representation instead

One person, one vote

A principle asserting that each person's vote should have equal weight in elections.

Gerrymandering

The practice of manipulating electoral district boundaries to favor a particular political party.

Packing

A gerrymandering strategy that concentrates as many voters of one type into a single electoral district.

Cracking

A gerrymandering technique that spreads voters of a particular type across many districts to dilute their influence.

Equal population

A principle where each legislative district should have roughly the same number of inhabitants.

Equal number of voters

A concept where each district should have the same number of active voters, regardless of population size.

Legal criteria for fair apportionment

Guidelines that ensure fair and equal representation in legislative districts.

Voting Rights Act

A landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting.

Independent commissions

Bipartisan or nonpartisan bodies established to draw electoral district lines free from political influence.

Proportional voting

An electoral system that allocates seats based on the percentage of votes each party receives.

Ghost voting

A practice where a member of the legislature votes on behalf of another member who is absent.

Legislative responsibility

The obligation of legislators to act in the interest of their constituents and uphold ethical standards.

Partisanship

Strong allegiance to one’s own political party, often leading to bias in legislative processes.

Accountability

The obligation of legislators to justify their decisions and actions to the public and to their peers.

Legislative process

The series of steps that a proposed law must go through to become an official statute.

Political factors in redistricting

Considerations such as party advantage, demographic shifts, and community interests that influence how district lines are drawn.

Clones of bills

Duplicate or similar versions of a bill that are introduced to increase the likelihood of at least one passing.

Supermajorities

A requirement that a proposal must receive a higher level of support than a simple majority to pass.

Uncontested Calendar

A list of bills in the Senate that are expected to pass without opposition.