State and local politics

Gubernatorial powers

• Often have better control of budget

• Little military control BUT controls state national guard chapters

• Can usually fill vacant seats for US house and senate

• Almost always 4 year terms, except its 2 in UT and NH

Structure of state legislation

• All but NE have a bicameral legislative, like congress

• Almost always unified

• State house/assembly: About 100 members, representing 50,000

• State senate: 40 members, 150,000

Structure of state courts

• Each state has a supreme court

• High population states usually have separate appellate court

• Regulate intrastate (within) commerce (states exclusive powers)

• Provide laws for health, safety, and morals

• Where most modern conflicts in criminal justice result in resolution or incarceration

How often judges are elected

29 states, judges are appointed and the rest are elected. Usually dont serve for life

STATES control in elections

• Rules for qualification and state candidate finances

• Election rules, procedures and timing

• Ultimate oversight of all elections

• Investigates and prosecutes wrongdoing

• Maintenance of elections data

FEDERAL control in elections

Usually overseen by secretary of state or appointed official/board

• Timing/rules for federal candidates

• Constitutional guarantees (14, 15, 19, 24, 26th)

• State cases can go to SCOTUS

Federal revenue

Primarily comes from income, payroll, and corporate taxes

• Progressive

State taxes

• Sales, dominant

• Excise (alcohol, tobacco, etc.)

• Corporate

• Usually flat/recessive

• Property

• Income (9 states dont)

County

• Oversee large tracts of land, usually encompassing multiple cities

• Official state divisions

• Cities are corporate charters, city=county sometimes

• Board of commissioners, functions similar to city council

• County executive can be elected separately or appointed by county board, usually serves on that board

Municipality

• Town meetings regularly, no formal government, except managers

  • Common in small northeast cities

• City managers appointed by city council to do its work

• Council mayor, usually ceremonial, from council

• Mayor usually has significant powers

Structures for municipal politics

Council manager and mayor council

Council manager

• City council dominant, executive chosen by council

• City manager and council mayor

• Common in mid size cities

Mayor council

• Mayor and council share power, separately elected

• Common in very like cities, like Jacksonville

Federal: Education and elections

• Little say in education

• Funding, enforce civil rights, accountability rules

• Minimum protections

• Federal election rules

• Funding and competitive grants

• K-12 standards

• Student loans

• DOE

State: Education and elections

• Primary authority: Standards, curriculum, testing, licensing, funding, monitor schools

• Control voter registration, ballot access, voting rules, district, certification

• Half funding for k-12

• Administer most college systems

Local: Education and elections

• Half k-12 funding

• Most major budget decisions

• Many key curriculum decisions

• Collective bargaining

• School hirings

• Administer elections: Polls, ballots, voter rolls, countimg votes

Differences in local/state and federal politics

• People pay less attention to state/local politics

• Little public attention

• State lobbying/finance laws are often weaker

• Most states have a dominant party

• Unified government is common