pols 207

1) Know which level of government is responsible for which different policies

Federal government policies - The only level that can make foreign treaties and declare

war. Cannot manage local police forces.

State government policies - Education, health and welfare, transportation, public safety,

civil rights, physical environment, taxation

2) What is policy conservatism?

A state’s tendency to limit the welfare benefits, deregulate business, keep taxes low, and

generally place less reliance on government and more reliance on individuals and the

marketplace to achieve social goals

3) What is policy liberalism?

A state’s tendency to expand welfare benefits, regulate business, adopt

progressive state income taxes, and generally use government to achieve social change

4) From where do state and local governments derive their revenue?

Majority of local governments' revenue comes from property, sales, and income taxes

Majority of state governments' revenue comes from intergovernmental transfers (federal

grants)

5) Know the different types of government systems (federalism, unitary, confederation)

Federalism: Shared power; A political system in which national and regional governments

share powers and are considered independent equals.

Unitary: Centralized power; Nations in which legal authority is held exclusively by a central

government.

Confederation: Decentralized power

6) Why are state called “laboratories of democracy?”

A metaphor that emphasizes the states’ ability to engage in different policy experiments

without interference from the federal government. States and communities also provide

Excellent “laboratories” for applying comparative analysis such as Socioeconomic

Factors (Education, Income, Race and Ethnic Composition) and Ideologies

(Liberalism and Conservativism)

7) What is nullification?

The process of a state’s rejecting a federal law and making it invalid within state borders;

The theory that a state can invalidate a federal law that the state finds unconstitutional

8) What are enumerated or delegated powers?

Grants of authority explicitly given by the Constitution. List of powers FOUND in Article

1, Section 8 and explicitly gives them to the national government; Powers expressly

given to the federal government in the constitution.

9) What are implied powers?

Broad, but undefined, powers given to the federal government by the Constitution.

These powers not specifically named in Constitution; assumed to exist; Powers that are

not expressly given to the federal government in the constitution but given to it under

Article 1 Section 18: The necessary and proper clause.

10) Know the 10 th Amendment

Constitutional amendment guarantees that a broad, but undefined, set of powers be reserved

for the states and the people. Powers not delegated to the US Federal government by the

constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively or the

people.

11) Know the following cases:

a. Marbury v. Madison (1803) - judicial reviews; Supreme Court may declare legislative

law unconstitutional

b. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) - increased power of national government; Necessary

and Proper Clause and Supremacy Clause

12) Why are federal grants-in-aid important?

Money given to the states for a particular purpose (allows federal control in state matters)

Types:

General revenue sharing grants:

Federal grants-in-aid given with few constraints, leaving states and

localities almost complete discretion over how to spend the money.

Categorical grants:

Federal grants-in-aid given for specific programs that leave states and

localities with little discretion over how to spend the money.

• Project Grants: based on merit

• Formula Grants: amount varies based on formulas

Block grants:

Federal grants-in-aid given for general policy areas that leave states and

localities with wide discretion over how to spend the money within the

designated policy area.

13) What are mandates?

Orders from the federal government to the states (funded, underfunded, unfunded)

Federal mandates: orders the state or local governments to comply with federal laws.

Funded- govt gives $

Underfunded- partial $

Unfunded mandates: issues rules/regulation no pay; Federal laws that direct state action but

provide no financial support for that action.

14) What is preemption?

A legal doctrine allowing federal law to stop state law through the Supremacy Clause;

The process of the federal government’s overriding areas regulated by state law.

15) Know what is usually contained in state constitutions (Bill of Rights, detailed policies, etc.)

A) Bill of rights

B) Separation of Powers

C) Weak governors

D) Legislative powers to make laws

E) Local governments

F) Interest group regulation

G) Taxation and Finance

H) Debt limitation

The one key difference between the federal and state constitution are the laws regarding

local governments

16) What is constitutionalism?

Limited government

Dual constitutionalism:

A system of government in which people live under two sovereign powers. In the United States,

these are the government of their state of residence and the federal government.

17) Why are state constitutions long?

amendments; specific powers and duties

18) From where do local governments derive their power?

State constitutions and State Laws

19) How do most states amend their constitution?

Most common method of amending a state constitution - legislative proposal

Legislative Proposal–the most common method; an amendment is passed

by the legislature and put to the voters in a referendum

Popular Initiative–citizens can bypass the legislature for a direct vote if

they obtain a requisite number of petition signatures

Constitutional Convention–has lost favor as a method

Constitutional Revision Commissions–rarely used but effective when

attempted

20) Know the functions of counties and cities

Cities handle day-to-day services, counties do that and handle land.

21) What do special districts do?

School special districts: every inch of land in Texas governed by one of these

Non school special districts: specific job; low public awareness, (ex water sewage)

22) Know the different types of elections (at-large, single member district, etc.)

At-large elections - everyone in a city/county votes

Single-member district elections - geographically defined; House of Representatives

Combination elections - both at-large and single member districts

23) Know the different political cultures

Moralistic culture:

A political culture that views politics and government as the means to achieve the collective

good

Individualistic culture:

A political culture that views politics and government as just another way to achieve individual

goals.

Traditionalistic culture:

A political culture that views politics and government as the means of maintaining the existing social

order.

24) What is the political culture of Texas?

Mix of Individualistic - govt is business, limited and Traditionalistic-social networks, govt for

elite

25) What is the philosophy behind the current Texas Constitution?

Needed due to Governor Davis corruption and power

imbalance allowed in 1869 Constitution

Four goals in this constitution:

1. Strong popular control of government (voters)

2. Powers were to be limited

3. Restrain spending

4. Promote agriculture interests

26) Know the historical development of the Texas Constitution

Know general history

• Constitution of Coahuila y Tejas, 1827

• Republic of Texas, 1836

• Texas State Constitution of 1845

• Confederate Constitution of 1861

• Constitution of 1866

• Reconstruction Constitution of 1869

Dates you need to know:

1845 – Texas becomes a State

1876 – Texas ratifies its own constitution

27) Know the political climate of the Constitutional Convention of 1875 (retrenchment and reform)

Mostly democrat. Lots of farmers/ members of the Grange.

Anti-big government as a result of the terrible Davis administration.

28) What are the differences between the Bill of Rights in the Texas and U.S constitutions?

Texas Bill of Rights was written directly into article 1 of the constitution whereas the US

bill of rights is all amendments. The Texas Bill of Rights also has equal rights laws.

Also in different order of than US bill of rights. Also the Texas on has positive laws, laws

that say what the government can do to you; Texas’s is much longer and more detailed

(10x length)

29) What were the conditions of the annexation agreement for Texas to join the United States in

1845?

Texas got to keep its own public lands, but the US will not repay their debts. This was important

because no other state got to do this. Also, they can use their land to pay their own debts.

30) What is the process to amend the Texas and U.S. Constitutions?

Mainly legislative proposal

Legislature proposes amendments.

• A majority of state voters must approve.

• Majority of those who vote; turnout usually low

• Thus a low number of actual votes needed

31) How has federalism evolved over time?

- Federalism has decreased

- National government has more

power over time (New Deal,

Great Depression, etc)

32) Know the different types of federalism

Dual Federalism

A system of government in which both the states and the national

government remain supreme within their own spheres, each responsible for

some policies

dual-layer cake; where state power begins, federal power ends

Cooperative Federalism

A system of government in which powers and policy assignments are shared

between states and the national government.

cooperative-marble cake; federal government reached into state

33) Know different types of city governments (mayor-council, council-manager, etc.)

Commission: Gives legislative and executive power to a small body, usually of five members

Council-manager: Elected council or commission appoints manager

Elected mayor (hybrid mayor-manager form of government): About two-thirds of council-

manager communities elect a mayor

Mayor-council: May be “strong” or “weak”

Changing city charters: The trend toward hybrid forms: Many options, but getting voters to

support structural changes is difficult

34) Know the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Amendments

16th Amendment- Income tax

17th Amendment- Two senators from each state