Ebooks - Cengage eReader

Page 1: Organization of States

• Governance Efficiency

  • States are organized into smaller regional units for efficient governance.

  • Internal boundaries reflect the power balance between national government and regional units.

• Unitary States

  • Central authority (e.g., Japan) manages most governance with some autonomy to local prefectures.

  • Examples include: France, the United Kingdom, and Norway.

  • Laws and policies are conveyed top-down from central government.

• Federal States

  • Power is divided among regions (e.g., United States).

  • Regional units like states or provinces maintain self-governance and autonomy.

Page 2: Understanding a Divided Cyprus

• Cultural Boundaries

  • Cyprus has a majority Greek population and a Turkish minority; it was partitioned in 1974.

  • Lebanese archaeologist Anna Antoniou explored unity among divided communities.

  • Residents desire cultural unity despite political divisions.

Page 3: Unitary vs. Federal States

• Unitary States

  • Majority of UN member countries are unitary; have centralized power.

  • Decisions are made by a single government entity (e.g., Norway).

• Federal States

  • Distribute power across multiple levels (e.g., Mexico).

  • Federalism contributes to regional diversity and responsiveness.

Page 4: Pros and Cons of Governance Structures

• Unitary Advantages

  • Efficiency and rapid implementation of laws.

  • Examples: Norway and the Netherlands.

• Unitary Disadvantages

  • Centralized government may overlook local needs.

• Federal Advantages

  • Diversity of laws allows for regional governance by local issues.

• Federal Disadvantages

  • Potential for conflicts and inequitably distributed policies across regions.

Page 5: Sharing Powers in Federal Systems

• U.S. Federal System

  • Powers shared among federal, state, and local governments.

  • Local governance allows citizens to influence local policies more directly.

• State Powers

  • Examples include establishing school curricula and regulating utilities.

Page 6: Patriotism and Nationalism

• Concept Definitions

  • Patriotism is love for one's country; nationalism can lead to exclusionary practices.

• Impacts of Federalism

  • Federalism can enable diverse political representation but can also lead to conflict among states.

Page 7: Advantages and Disadvantages of Federal States

• Federalism Benefits

  • Local governance promotes political engagement.

• Challenges

  • States can prevent federal progress on central issues (e.g. civil rights laws).

Page 8: Case Study: Nunavut

• Nunavut as a Federal Territory

  • Established for Inuit self-governance; has its legislation and official Kit languages.

  • Benefits from federal government support for local needs.

Page 9: Electoral Geography Overview

• Census and Redistricting

  • Census impacts congressional district configuration and representation.

  • Reapportionment reallocates congressional seats based on population.

Page 10: Gerrymandering Tactics Explained

• Gerrymandering

  • Process of manipulating district boundaries to favor one party over another.

  • Techniques include packing (concentrating opponent's votes) and cracking (spreading votes).