POLS 207 Smith Final Exam

Know the functions of legislatures

*center of policy making

*main purpose is to enact laws

- 100,000 laws proposed, only 20% actually pass

- TX meets biennially (every other year) for 140 days; cannot call themselves back into session w/o governor calling

*must consider gubernatorial (governor) appointments, constitutional amendments, and state courts

*approving budgets MOST IMPORTANT

- who gets what and when

*redistricting

*serving constituents

*overseeing state agencies

- principle agent model: legislature is the principle (passes the law) and executive is the agent (executes the law)

Why do incumbents win?

*visibility

*resources of the office

*professionalism and careerism

visibility

campaigning for election is almost constant therefore they are seen a lot, may even take more time than lawmaking

resources of staff

staff, offices, expense accounts, travel budgets, franking privileges (mail constituents for free)

professionalism and careerism

professionalism in state legislatures encourage careerism as a result of higher and more consistent pay

what is an apportionment?

The 435 seats of the house of representatives are based on population, currently 36 districts

what is gerrymandering?

the drawing of district lines for partisan advantage (can also be racial). proving gerrymandering is very difficult.

Types of legislative sessions

*regular sesh: when the legislature meets to create and pass laws, frequency varies among the states

- in TX its every other year for 140 days

*special sesh: when the governor calls the legislature back into session at a time not planned as a regular session. this is used in emergency situations or to alleviate chaos at the end of a regular session.

what do committees do?

20-30 committees allow for the work to be divided up into specialty areas, this makes the process of passing a bill more efficient and practical

who determines the membership of legislative committees?

the respective party leaders appoint members to committees, this is often based on leadership and occupational background

What is pigeonholing?

if a committee chair does not like a bill, they do not assign it or hear a debate on it

requirements for election to the texas state legislature

*formal requirements:

- 21 years of age, a citizen of TX for 2 years, resident of the district for 1 year

*informal requirements:

- often upper-middle class, occupations with a lot of flexibility, college education, over 50 years old

how is legislative leadership chosen?

elections by the legislative party members

how long is the legislative session in TX

140 days every other year

Which programs do state and local governments provide?

education, social services (health and welfare), public safety, and transportation

impeachment process

*a political process, not a legal one

*typically initiated in the lower house, tried in upper house, requires 2/3 vote

executive positions in Texas

*lieutenant governor

*attorney general

*treasurers, auditors, comptollers

*secretary of state

*personal staff

*land commissioner

*agricultural commissioner

lieutenant governor

Performs duties comparable to those the vice president of the U.S. does for the president (most powerful position in TX, unlike most states)

attorney general

has more real powers and responsibilities than the lieutenant governor in most states, not in TX. Chief counsel or lawyer of the state

treasurers, auditors, and comptollers

help control the public purse (chief financial officer for the state), budget is law (auditor's job to look for waste/embezzlements)

secretary of state

chief custodians of state records in 35 states, county clerks have major responsibility in voting

personal staff

governors hire a small group of dedicated personal aides

land commissioner

manage veterans affairs, maintain public lands

agricultural commissioner

enforce agricultural laws, gas prices

different powers of the governor in TX

*weak in TX

- plural executive: means TX governor doesn't have much power over major positions

*appointment and removal of the state officials (members of the bureaucracy) with the approval of the senate

- in TX a governor can only remove officials they appointed

*no term limits

*prepare budgets

*veto

*set priorities: want high % of recommendations enacted

*provide leadership: includes rallying public support (going public- appeal directly)

different types of veto

*regular veto

*post-adjournment veto

*line-item veto

*reduction veto

*pocket veto

veto

the ability of the governor to reject a decision or proposal proposed by legislature

regular veto

all or nothing rejection

post-adjournment veto

veto entire bill when out of session

VERY POWERFUL because the legislature cannot override it since they are out of session

line-item veto

appropriation (spending money) bills only

reduction veto

(not TX) reduce spending, move spending

pocket veto

(not TX) not acting on a bill essentially kills it

what is the role of governors in the budget process?

oversees/prepares the budget (not in TX however, the legislature basically does it)

what are executive orders?

a rule or order issued to the executive branch and having the force of a law (only affects the executive branch)

budget process in TX

legislative plan budget in TX by the LBB. it then follows the path of an appropriation bills (reviewed by committee, signed by governor)

What is the No Child Left Behind Act?

In 2001, this required all public schools who want to receive federal funding to administer annual standardized tests.

what is gross domestic product?

GDP is the total value of all goods and services produced in a country in a year (measure of the size of an economy)

what are progressive taxes?

taxes based on your ability to pay (increased income leads to increased taxes)

what are regressive taxes?

the opposite of progressive (as income decreases, tax burden increases)

what are the different sources of tax revenue for both state and local governments?

*local property taxes

*state sales tax

*selective sales (excise) taxes

*state income taxes

*corporate taxes

*lottery and gambling revenue

local property taxes

Largest source of revenue for local governments; are usually regressive (TX has this statewide)

state sales tax

most important source of revenue for state governments (6.25%)

Selective sales (excise) taxes

- cigarette, alcohol, and gas: states vary a lot

State Income Tax

imposed by all but 7 states, may be progressive or flat, w various exemptions

corporate tax

in 44 stated, popular w voters but may cause businesses to relocate leading to a loss in jobs

Lottery and gambling revenue

administrative costs take 50%

Why do states look to keep their corporate taxes low?

businesses would just relocate to other states-losing jobs, therefore hurting the local economy. by the same idea, lower taxes/no taxes will bring jobs and economic stability (trickle down economy)

which taxes are considered regressive?

*local property tax

*sales tax

what are excise taxes?

taxes on specific products (sin tax: alcohol, cigarettes, gas) as an attempt to govern behavior

what is meant by tax burden?

taxes as a % of a person's income (the more income paid in taxes, the higher the tax burden) we use this to talk about taxes rather than in actual dollars

which level of government is affected the most by limitations on taxation?

local governments

how do most americans view taxes?

strong disdain

What are the merit and spoils systems?

*merit: getting a job based on your ability to do the job

*spoils system: not about what you know but who you know

What is outsourcing?

obtain (goods or a service) from an outside or foreign supplier, especially in place of an internal source.

different types of bonds

*general obligation bonds

*revenue bonds

general obligation bonds

paid back from the general obligation fund of the city (sales taxes, hotel occupancy taxes)

revenue bonds

paid back through revenue generated from whatever is built or whatever the money is used for

How is academic performance measured?

Dropout rate, SAT Score, educational attainment (high school/college diploma)

what are magnet schools?

schools emphasizing instruction in particular areas in an effort to improve quality and attract student

What are charter schools?

schools operated with public funds by private community groups under a charter from public school districts or other granting agencies

What are vouchers?

a government-funded voucher redeemable for tuition fees at a school other than the public school that a student could attend free

When can money be given to religious educational institutions?

*Everson v. Board of Education (1947), the Supreme Court upheld the provision of school bus service to parochial school children at public expense on the grounds that the "wall of separation between church and state" does not prohibit the state from adopting a general program that helps all children, regardless of religion, to proceed safely to and from schools.

*Mueller v. Allen (1983) the court upheld a state income tax deduction for educational expenses even though the vast majority of deductions were used for religious school expenses.

How do states ensure local compliance with state educational policy?

*Bureaucratic oversight, involving state boards of education, state commissioners or superintendents of education, and state departments of education

*Financial control through state allocation of funds to local school districts

What body typically controls education within a state?

State boards of education

state boards of education

control everything from teacher certification to textbook selection; mostly elected by governors but voted on by the people in texas

Where do most schools get their revenue from?

*state and federal assistance

*private funding

*property taxes

*bonds that are issued to pay for special projects.

what do superintendents do?

they are responsible for the management of the public schools

what are a superintendents three major responsibilities?

*sets the agenda for school board decisions.

*makes policy recommendations.

- most agenda items will carry a recommendation.

*implements board decisions.

why is zoning important?

helps the government coordinate services with land use, stabilize property values, and community planning

who is responsible for public welfare?

the government

what is the payroll tax?

*tax that is used to pay for other's unemployment benefits

*tax that is taken even before you see the paycheck

What has been the effect of Social Security?

ensuring retirees have enough income

what changes occurred with the introduction of the TANF program?

Federal aid for state programs of cash assistance to poor families. It replaced the AFDC federal entitlement program

*Included the devolution of responsibility for cash assistance programs

*Entitlement program

*Emphasis on "work" and "necessary"

what is medicare?

Medicare is the federal health insurance program for:

*People who are 65 or older

*Certain younger people with disabilities

*People with End-Stage Renal Disease

Which public assistance program do states spend the most on?

medicaid