POLS 207 Lim Exam 3 TAMU

County Budget for Law Enforcement

50%

County Budget for Roads and Bridges

10-30%

County Budget for Health and Welfare

10%

In Texas, what is the agency that is the one to grant our welfare programs including TANAF?

Health and Human Services

What are the 2 types of cities?

1. Home Rule Law Cities

2. General Law Cities

General Law

Texas has this city law for all cities

Home Rule Law

If the population is > 5,000 people, you can do this type of law

You make your own statutes, laws, and regulations

What are the different types of municipal government?

1. Council Manager 50%

2. Mayor Council 41%

3. Town Meeting 6%

4. Commission 3%

What is the most frequent municipal government in Texas?

Council Manager

Council Manager

-Texas cities favor this form of city government and, in fact, Dallas and San Antonio are two of the largest cities in the country using it

-An elected city council of 5 to 15 members appoints a city manager who is responsible for hiring and firing department heads and for preparing the budget

-A mayor is elected at-large or by the council, but, except for presiding over the council, has the same powers as the other council members

-Proponents have argued that it is the most efficient form of city government and that it allows for some separation of politics and administration, but in reality politics and administration cannot be separated completely

-Voters --> Council --> City Manager --> Hire police and fire chief

Mayor Council

-Weak mayor-council form and Strong mayor-council form

-The terms "strong" and "weak" in this context refer to the formal powers given the mayor by the city charter and do not address an individual mayor's ability to influence local politics in informal ways

-Houston is the only ones that operate with mayor-council government

-In order to overcome problems associated with its status as an "unreformed" or "political" model, some mayor-council cities (particularly larger ones) have an official appointed by the mayor to tend to the internal business of the city while the mayor attends to political matters.

-Many political scientists prefer this form of city government because it seems most likely to provide the kind of leadership needed to deal with the problems of major urban areas.

Town Meetings

-Existed in the old New England states

-The voters elect office: fire and police chiefs

-Attend town meetings to make decisions

-Advantage: Very democratic because we get to make decisions

-Disadvantage: Time consuming

Commission

-A historical footnote

-This form of city government is said to have originated in Galveston to meet its emergency needs following a hurricane in 1900

-Elected commissioners administer various departments and collectively comprise the policy-making board of the city

-Has lost favor because many believe that individual commissioners tend to become advocates for their departments rather than public-interest advocates

-Voters --> Commission

Weak Mayor-Council Form

-Other executives such as the city attorney and the city treasurer are also elected

-Most common in small communities

-Los Angelos

Strong Mayor-Council Form

-The mayor appoints other executives and has more significant budgetary and veto powers

-Most common among the nation's largest cities

-Houston

City Services

1. Police

2. Fire

3. Streets

4. Sewage

School Districts

-School board members are publicly elected, usually in an at-large, by-place system.

-School board decisions are generally well publicized.

-There is considerable public interest in and knowledge about school district politics.

-The number of school districts has been steadily declining for fifty years.

-The state is the ultimate authority for basic school policies and partially funds public schools.

-Voters --> School Board --> Supt

-In all areas except in Northeast

African-American % in Population and on Council

-Lots of 0's

-r=.764 (strong positive)

-Places which have gone away form at-large elections have a higher chance of having minorities on council (its an issue of campaign funding in al likelihood)

Special Districts

Inadequacy of Established Governments

-Certain problems, for example flood control, can seldom be solved within a single city or county.

-Cities and counties may find it difficult to finance needed projects.

-Poor organization, lack of personnel, and other problems make local governments incapable of dealing with some problems.

Ease of Organization and Operation

-Local political leaders may promote a special district as a solution to a problem they do not want to become their own and the legislature is willing to go along.

-Creating a special district may spread the costs over several cities or counties included in the special district.

County Revenue

Property Tax >50% (PRIMARY)

Licenses and Fees

Grants from state and federal government

Fines

Local Governments

Counties 3,000 (We don't make anymore)

Municipalities 19,000 (Grow instead of making more)

Townships 17,000

School Districts 15,000 (Decreasing)

Special Districts 37,000 (Increasing and are single function entities)

Population and Local Governments

-There is a .57 correlation between state population and number of local governments

Texas is high

Local Government Own Source Revenue

1. Property Tax

2. Charges and Misc (fines and stuff)

3. Utility Revenue

4. Sales Tax (Low, on top of state tax)

-CSTAT has 1% which is the max

Local Government Spending

1. K12 Education

2. Environment and Housing

3. Utilities

4. Public Safety

5. Transportation (includes roads and highways as well as public transit)

-Oil and gas interest groups discourage rail systems and instead we get perpetual road construction and half-asses public transit

6. Hospitals

County Government

Counties, the oldest form of local government in America

-Enforce state laws

-Keep state records

-Collect taxes

-Conduct state elections

Board or Legislative body—in Texas, Commissioners Court

-Not a court of law

-Legislative body

Elected Executives: Sheriff, constable, county clerk, tax assessor, treasurer, county attorney

Appointed Executives: individuals and boards, auditor, health officer, coroner, library board

Public Participation in Politics, a Hierarchy of Influence (lowest to highest)

1. Non Participants (Apart from Presidential Elections > 60%)

2. Vote for Elected Offices (Indirect Democracy 10-60% depending on type of election)

3. Initiative and Referendum (20-50% in western states)

4. Attend Public and Meetings 3-20%

5. Protestors (Uncertain)

6. Run for Office (Less than 1%)

Non Participants (Apart from Presidential Elections > 60%)

People who don't participate in system, don't vote, don't run for office, etc.; no impact

Vote for Elected Offices (Indirect Democracy 10-60% depending on type of election)

Less than 10% in democratic/republican primaries

Initiative and Referendum (20-50% in western states)

-Form of direct democracy

-Voters can create public policies they want-get an initiative, get signatures, up to majority to vote on it

Attend Public and Meetings 3-20%

Very high because of affordable care act

Protestors (Uncertain)

Uncertain participation, civil rights, Vietnam war protest lowered voting age - old enough to go to war but not old enough to vote

What does democracy include?

Voting, elections to choose representatives, freedom of press (media is most important source of information), freedom of speech

Forms of Public Participation

-Voting

-Talk about politics

-Organizations

-Attending public meetings

-Contributions

-Communicating with representatives

-Campaigning

-Initiating and repealing laws

Initiative and referendum

-Seeking public office

Is Texas a state of Referendum?

No

Is Texas a state with Initiative?

No

Participation

-Uncommon

-Participants not representative of population

Turnout in Various Elections 1960-2014

Lowest turnout - US House Non Presidential Year

Turnout is higher during Presidential Year elections

Governor non-presidential year: 2nd lowest ~20-23%

We don't want high turnout, want Texans to care about Texas issues - that's why we don't have governor elections during presidential year elections

1. Governor, Presidential Year

2. Presidential

3. US House Presidential Year

4. Governor, Non-Presidential year

5. US House Non-Presidential Years

Voting Age Population and Voting Eligible Population Turnout 2960-2014

100 people in a population, 20 are not eligible (international students), 20 show up to vote

-25% of population voter turnout would be more accurate than 20% of total population

Voting eligible rates are more accurate - always higher than voting age

Natural born - born in US

Naturalized citizen - born somewhere else, become a US citizen later, can't be president

Texas Voting Age and Voting Eligible Population

Ineligible felon rates have increased

Non citizen rates have increased

Voting eligible have increased ~16%

VAP Excluded From VEP 2014

16% of voting age population are not eligible to vote in Texas

Darkest states have highest number of immigrants

Explanations of Non-Voting

1. Alienation

2. Cost-Benefit

3. Satisfaction

Alienation

Why should I vote? It will not help.

Decline in sense of community results in alienation

Public policy is written for those who vote

Cost-Benefit

It is too much effort to remain invested in politics for the benefit that you get.

(High cost especially for poor people who a) take hourly wage, b) do not own personal transport, c) poor precincts have long lines and less machines and take longer)

The benefits are not really tangible, so cost is higher, especially for the poor

Calculate the cost of voting Voting = Cost + Benefits + Error (Cost will be greater than benefits, not worth voting)

Cost: Subscriptions, time, money, education, hourly wage earners

Benefits: performed civic duty, getting public policy you want i.e. lowering tax rates

Error: civic duty - people vote

Satisfaction

Performing civic duty

If you do not get satisfaction from getting a neat sticker or performing civic duty then you do not have that motivation to vote.

-This is a main motivation for educated people.

What is the highest predictor of voter turnout?

Education

Are African Americans with college eduation more likely to vote than white people with college education?

Yes

What is the lowest voter turnout?

Asian Americans despite high education levels

Why do Americans vote less?

-Lack of party-group linkage

-Registration restrictions

-Non-compulsory voting

-Voter exhaustion

Lack of party-group linkage

Two major political parties are "catch-all parties"

-Just want as many supporters as possible

If we don't see direct benefits in a party platform we are less inclined to vote

Other countries have strong party linkages - they show up to vote

Institutions matter

the rules of the game impact your behavior - encourage people to vote

Registration restrictions

Creation of new rules to encourage/discourage people from voting

Prior to Voting Rights Act of 1965, KKK killed people trying to help minorities register to vote

Motor Voter Registration (90s) - you can register to vote when you get your license

Non-compulsory Voting

Encourages voter turnout

Voting on Saturdays, no work if on a weekday

Voter Exhaustion

Too many elections, too long of a ballot

US turnout isn't very bad considering how many we have

% of Voting-Age Population Voting in National Elections 1972-2006

Less than 1/3 showed up to vote in 2006 off-year election

Texas voter turnout is lower than the US average

Civil Rights Act 1964

Redundant again but we had to pass it because people are garbage. *not a Lim quote

Lim quote: the reason we have it is because we did not treat our citizens equally.

Kennedy was in Dallas to gather support from texas democrats to pass his civil rights act but he was assassinated. Lyndon B followed up on it and got a civil rights act to pass

Voting Rights Act 1965, 1970, 1975, 1982, 2006

In 2006, the renewal was contentious: "we are no longer racist in the south"

Grandfather Clause

If your grandfather did not vote you cannot vote. Therefore your family and immigrants cannot vote.

Voting Rights for Racial Minorities

-15th Amendement

-White Primary

-Registration Barriers

Poll Tax

Unequal Application

15th Amendement

Gave freed slaves the right to vote, superfluous because as citizens (14th) they already had the right to vote

White Primary

minorities never had a choice in the elections. If you could not vote in the primaries, you could not vote for real since Texas is a one party state.

Registration Barriers

Prior to Motor Voter Registration, states made it difficult to vote

This is now a federal standard

Poll Tax

-Prevents poor people from exercising their right to vote

-Has a high correlation with minorities as well.

-Illegal now

Unequal Application

-workers at precinct may ask for certain documents even if they aren't necessary (prior to photo ID laws

Voting Laws in Texas

-White Primary

-Poll Tax

-Registration Barriers

Factors Associated with Turnout

-Socioeconomic Status

-Interparty Competition

-Tradition/Culture

-Legal Requirements

-Election Issues

Political Parties and Interest Groups are...?

Natural outgrowths in a democracy

What is the biggest difference between political parties and interest groups?

Interest groups do not run for elections because their interests are very narrow.

Ex: bicyclists group- making sure there are more bicycle lanes

Founding Fathers opposed or supported political parties?

They opposed them theoretically, but organized them quickly after forming a new nation

Organization

An organized interest is typically going to defeat an unorganized interest (NRA helped successfully defeat reforms supported by 90% of Americans)

Political Party Constituent Function

Select candidates for office

-you allow the primary voters to select you for office

Formal process governed by state and federal law

Support candidates for office

Political Party Information Function

Develop a program and educate public

Set of beliefs, nearly comprehensive

Policy goals and programs for government

Political Party Government Function

Winners organize government

Legislatures caucus and get committee assignments by party: governor appoints supporters by party

Judges tend to vote together

Interest Group Constituent Function

Limited; do not select candidates but do support candidates

Can support candidates during primary elections

Can and do support both contestants for same office

Support after election is common in Texas

Interest Group Information Function

Beliefs not necessarily comprehensive in scope

Limited policy preferences

Primary target is group members rather then entire public

Interest Group Government Function

Do not organize government

Do provide information and organize for specific policy goals

Political Parties...

Are active during elections

Interest Groups...

Are active between elections

History of American Political Parties

Ratifying the Constitution

Federalists

Anti-Federalist, disorganized, rural

Civil War

Republican North

Democratic South

Machine Politics

urban machine

Democratic Party with no ties with DP

New Deal Democrats

Ratifying the Constitution

Federalists

Anti-federalist

No competition in cities and rural area, or states that were predominantly one or the other

States with equal balance may have competition of state offices.

Federalists

Areas of commerce, support for tariffs (cities)

Anti-Federalist

Small farmers, saw strong central government as threat (rural)

Civil War

Ended state and local party competition

Only Democrat's could win in the South

Only Republican's could win in the North, Republicans controlled presidency because of North's greater population

Machine Politics

Northern cities grow from immigration and after Civil War

New immigrants created "urban machine" to provide municipal services

-These machines were Democrats, with no ties to Southern Democrats, made urban elections uncompetitive in the North

-Made state politics uncompetitive in the North

Lack of industrialization and urbanization in South, remained uncompetitive

New Deal Democrats

FDR put together coalition of northern city dwellers and southerners- made presidential elections competitive, but did little for other offices

Democrats do dominate nationally until 1990's

Homogenizing America

Mobility of population after war has changed traditional areas of party strength

Republicans gaining in urban south

Democrats gaining in North

Hyper-partisanship

1. Maximization of party control of election districts through gerrymandering

2. Expansion of partisan electronic and broadcast media

3. Reduction of bipartisan cooperation and centralization of power in 4. Congress

4. Primary elections

5. Lack of local competition

Why two major political parties?

Dualism

Institutional factors

Party identification

English heritage

Dualism

We have always have two main political parties

Institutional Factors

"Winner-take-all, single-member districts"

Primary Elections- Democratic and Republican candidate have to meet certain requirements to be put on ballots

Party Identification

Only major events such as the Civil War and Great Depression transmit their party ID to children very successfully

Only a small percentage of people refuse to identify with on of the major parties

English Heritage

Tradition of two parties is seen in many countries with this

Primary Election Systems

Closed Primary

Open Primary

Semi-Closed Primary

Top Two

Closed Primary

Must register as Democrat, Republican, or Independent before primary

Only Democrats can vote in Democrat primary, only Republican can vote in Republican primary, Independents cannot vote in either party primary

Open Primary

Do not register as party member in advance, you can chose if you want to vote in Democratic primary or Republican primary in secrecy of voting booth

Semi-Closed Primary

Do not register as party member in advance, you can chose if you want to vote in Democratic primary or republican primary before entering voting booth

Top Two

(Washington and California)

All candidates from both parties run in one primary together

the vote gets face off in general election

Blanket primary

Louisiana

All candidates from both parties run in one primary together

If one candidate receives 50% of the vote they win, if not then the top two vote getters face off in general election

Legislative Caucuses

Elected state legislators of the party met to select candidates for all offices, gave little say to constituents

States have ___________ political parties by requiring primary elections

Weakened

Mixed primaries

Vary state to state that allow

Some may allow independents to choose either party, some may allow crossover voting

Run-off primaries

Some states require a majority to win primary, if none in original primary, have run-off between top two candidates

Primary Election Turnout

Lower in turnout

Primary election voters tend to be more extreme in their views than other party members

Responsible Political Parties

Parties select candidates who support party line and can be disciplined by party if they defeat from party line

Do not have in U.S.