Chapter 8 Flashcards

Governors

Happens when a governor rejects a portion of a bill

Line-item veto

Place that has the responsibility for creating a state budget

Governor’s office

Something most governors are able to do

Veto legislation

Granted to governors by state constitutions

Formal powers

True or false: States vary widely in terms of which other offices are held by elected officials

True

Governor’s ability to select people to run state agencies is called this

Appointment power

Dominant concern in most gubernatorial contests

State’s economy

Most powerful tool governors have

Shaping state budgets

A governor is expected to be this

Be a strong leader in times of crisis

Those in favor of electing many officials argue that it ___

Gives the public a greater voice in shaping state programs

Governors had this much power after the American Revolution

Very little power

How Attorneys General have become major political players

Banding together on a partisan basis to sue the federal government

True or false: Governors achieve their agendas through exclusive use of their formal powers

False

Historically what most governors have been

White males with previous gov’t experience

What most states have done regarding the lieutenant governor’s office

Expanded the purview

States with this have administrations where the various offices are elected, and the governor is one office among many

Plural executive system

Senate elections are ___ following national trends than are gubernatorial elections

More prone to

When a governor recruits and raises money for candidates for statewide offices and the legislature

Party chief

Why some legislatures send bills to the governor even though they will get vetoed

To make the governor’s opposition official and public

Example of a formal power of a governor

Appointment

Primary reason for limited gubernatorial power in the early days of the United States

Distrust

What is true of gubernatorial demographics?

Women are being elected to governorships with greater frequency

Power that can be useful for governors who want to deal with issues right away

Power to call special sessions

Power that can help legislators and other officials more readily accept the need to go along with a popular governor’s program

Popular support

Example of an informal power of a governor

Power to communicate