Unit 2 Poli Sci 136

What is the legislative process organized by?

state constitutions

How does a bill become a law?

It must pass both chambers and be signed by a governor

Who can co-sponsor a bill in order to increase the survivability of the bill?

Delegates and Senators

If a governor vetoes a bill, how can the houses still pass it?

By a supermajority vote

What is a standing committee?

A permanent committee that focuses on a specific subject matter

What is a select committee?

A committee that is temporary for specific issues

What is a conference committee?

A committee meant to resolve the differences in a bill disputed by both chambers

What are the characteristics of a professional legislatures?

Abundant full-time staff, work in heavily populated areas, high salaries, longer sessions

What is an example of a state with professional legislature?

New York

What are the characteristics of a citizen legislature

few part-time staff, work in rural areas, low salary, shorter sessions

What is an example of a state with a citizen legislature?

Montana

What are the characteristics of a hybrid legislature?

Intermediate part-time staff, work for modern-size population, medium salary

What state is an example of a hybrid legislature?

Virginia

State legislatures were once _______ but then they are __________ (except Nebraska)

unicameral, bicameral

Has there been an increase in women/minorities in legislatures?

Yes

What race and sex is still dominant in the legislature?

White men

Who can legislatures get ideas for bills from?

Lobbyists and interest groups

True or False: state legislatures are not restricted as to how many bills 1 member can sponsor

False

What are some of the meanings of a Governor?

mechanical reference, military commander, and head of state

How old does a governor have to be to run? How many years of residency?

30; 5-7 years

True or False: The governor needs a US Citizenship to be eligible to run for Governor

True

How long is a governor’s term?

4

What is a Lt. Governor’s role?

“acting governor”, be there if the governor is out or deceased.

In Virginia, can a governor be consecutively reelected?

No

What are the formal powers of a governor?

suggest/support legislation, issue executive orders, establish advisory boards, veto, budget creation

What are some informal powers of the governor?

popular support (bully pulpit), party support in legislature, ability to communicate, attend informal policy meeting

What is a package veto?

vetoing a legislative act as a whole

What is a line-item veto?

being able to remove specific items from a bill without it being the whole thing

What is a pocket veto

Congress lets it die by neither signing nor vetoing it. “letting it rot in the pocket”

Is Virginia’s governor cabinet elected?

No

What does the Secretary of State do?

interstate diplomacy, manage elections, redistricting

What does the Attorney General do?

chief judicial advocate for their state, organize state’s legal profession, separate divisions for criminal and civil cases, interstate relations

What does the state treasurer do?

Administers financial transaction, innovate funding programs for state investment in higher education, grant funds

What does the Superintendent do?

Involved in curriculum management, school performance, finances, and education

True or False: Becoming a governor has gotten cheaper over the years

False

What is neutral competence?

the principle that bureaucracy should be depoliticized by making it more professional, no biasm

How does governor's/mayors leverage neutral compentence?

merit-based systems for hiring employees, promoting transparency, professional development programs/training, holding public servants accountable for their performance

Do Governors matter at the national level?

Yes

Why do governors matter in the national level of government

represent their overall ruling party or the overall government of that state, implementation of policies at the state-level could lead to national policy initiatives, their actions reflect their ideology which can be referenced if they run for federal government, gubernational elections can predict political trends in the next federal election, emergency management and crisis responses

Historically, what did bureaucracy look like? ( a shape)

a pyramid

What does bureaucracy look like now?

a bunch of networks and connections

What was Weberian Style like?

patronage, hierarchical, formal structure between defined positions with the goal of efficiency

What is the current bureaucracy like?

flexible, increased connections due to technology, multiple dimensions of interactions

What color is the book that is the local government’s version of the plum book?

Blue!

Who are “street level bureaucrats”?

administrators are hired and carry out decisions of elected officials from education to social services. Ex: teachers, police officers, social workers

Self representation

tensions between valuing professional expertise and having representation from diverse backgrounds

Responsiveness

When bureaucracies are unresponsive, they are inefficient in delivering services or handling public problems

How can we improve responsiveness?

enhancing communication channels, empowering frontline staff to make quick decisions

How did bureaucracy historically constrain the behavior of bureaucrats?

By inhibiting development of personal responsibility and good judgement borne of active networking

Blind justice

Lady justice: symbol for impartial justice; shown in front of many courthouses

Federalist #78

the federal courts have a duty to determine whether acts of Congress are constitutional; argue the need for an independent judiciary + judiciary is the intermediate body between the people and the legislature.

Dual Court System

federal courts and state courts exist side by side; cases reach federal court through appeal or original jurisdiction (only cases between the US government and a state, two or more states, or a state and a foreign country).

General Jurisdiction

court can hear a wide variety of cases that operate with a single judge with a jury

Limited jurisdiction

court is restricted in what cases it can hear (i.e. small claims court). and are operated by a single judge and no jury

Concurrent jurisdiction

multiple courts share jurisdiction

Appellate jurisdiction

when a case is appealed to a higher court

Common law

past decisions and established law make up legal principles

State bar association

admits lawyers in a given jurisdiction and makes sure they follow the Code of Professional Responsibility.

Specialized Courts

only hear cases within their specific jurisdiction; tax court, traffic court, juvenile + domestic claims court, municipal (offenses against city ordinances), etc

What are the methods for selecting judges?

partisan, non-partisan, appointment, merit system (Missouri plan

What are partisan elections?

candidate runs for election with a party affiliation. More political

What are non-partisan elections?

Candidate runs for election with no party affiliation. Very limited in what they can say throughout campaign; difficult to measure candidate’s views

What are appointments? (not the doctor kind)

governor appoints the judge

What is the most common method to selecting a judge

appointment

What is the merit system aka Missouri Plan

commission sends three options to governor + governor selects one. After a year-ish of service, retention election (voting body votes to retain or remove judge). Attempts to depoliticize the process

What does Virginia’s court system look like?

31 judicial circuits + 120 trial courts; intermediate appellate court; court of last resort includes a 7-justice panel with no jury; 2 limited jurisdiction courts (the general district court and the juvenile and domestic relations court).

What is the 3-tiered structure of state courts

trial court→ court of appeals→ court of last resort/state supreme court

What is the jury’s responsibility?

to hear the facts of the case as presented by the attorneys and make a decision. Informed on matters of law by the judge.

How are juries chosen?

from a state’s voter registration or driver’s license list + given a general questioanaire

What is the suitability questioning process called?

Voir dire

What occupations can be exempted from jury duty?

active military and professional firefighters

What are some other reasons for someone to be exempted from jury duty?

age (too old), pregnancy, mental/physical barriers

In Virginia, how much does a member of the jury get paid (dont think we need to know this but why not)

$30 a day

What are problem-solving courts meant for?

to take the workload off of general trial courts and Supreme Court, more specialized and collaborative by instead of sending them to jail, they offer special help such as therapy or rehab

What is the name of the person being accused on the crime

defendant

Who is the prosecution?

the person pressing charges or the law (if criminal)

Who represents the prosecution during criminal cases?

district attorney

What is an acquittal?

defense argues that the prosecution did not present enough evidence and the judge can resolve the case in favor of the defendant. If not, jury deliberation proceeds

What is considered a civil case?

there are disputes between people/companies/groups

What is considered a criminal case?

Someone broke the law and is facing criminal charges

For criminal cases, what is the offer between the prosecution and defendant about formal charges?

plea bargin

For civil cases, what is the offer between the prosecution and defendant about formal charges

settlement