copyright © 2009 pearson education, inc. publishing as longman. the new face of state and local...

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman.

The New Face of State and Local Government

Chapter 21

Edwards, Wattenberg, and LineberryGovernment in America: People, Politics, and

PolicyFourteenth Edition


Introduction

Subnational Governments:– State and local governments have been

characterized by revitalization and diversity since the 1960’s.

– States have become more active players in policymaking.

– States still remain diverse in their populations and policies.


State Constitutions

In General– Each state has its own unique

constitution.– They are subordinate to the U.S.

Constitution.– State constitutions have more detail

about specific policies.– Specific interests work to protect their

issues in the constitutions since it is harder to amend them.


State Constitutions


State Constitutions

Amending State Constitutions– Few states rewrite their constitutions.– States often use the “cut and paste”

method of changing their constitutions by only updating a few sections of the document at a time.

– In general, a state’s legislature proposes a constitutional amendment and then it is put to a vote in an election.

– Some states allow citizen initiatives.


State Elections

Gubernatorial Elections– Elections are becoming more centered on

the candidates, like presidential elections.• May lead to divided government at state level

– Today, elections are generally held in even numbered, non-presidential election years so the governor is the main candidate.

– The elections are expensive and candidates raise most of the money themselves.


State Elections

State Legislative Elections– State legislators have the smallest

constituencies, yet are the least well known.

– State districts had to be redrawn after Baker v. Carr (1962) specified “one person, one vote” in state elections.

– Campaigns are getting more expensive and more candidate centered.


State Elections

State Legislative Elections– Partisan Competition, Legislative

Turnovers, and Term Limits• Partisan competition is close in most states,

often resulting in divided government.• There is generally high turnover in state

legislatures which some think leads to new policy ideas.

• Some states have decided to “force” turnover by using terms limits.


State Elections


State Elections

The Changing Face of State Elected Officials– The old rule of white, male elected

leaders is going away as women and minorities are elected as governors and legislators.• 8 female state governors in 2008

– Progress has been slow in recent years in part because of women running for federal offices.


State Elections


Governors and theExecutive Branch

The Job of Governor– Expected to fulfill many duties, some formal,

some not– There is a wide diversity in the amount of

formal powers each governor has.– 42 governors have a line-item veto—veto only

parts of a bill– Today’s governors use “personal powers” to

help accomplish their policy goals.• Public support, character, and leadership style



Other Executive Officers– Many other state executives are elected

separately from the governor.– Major state executives include:

• Lieutenant Governor—second-highest executive official in state governments

• Attorney General—state’s legal counsel• Treasurer—manager of state’s bank accounts• Secretary of State—in charge of elections and record-

keeping• Auditor—financial comptroller


State Legislatures

General Information:– Generally operate like Congress– Have become more professional:

• longer sessions—44 state legislatures have annual sessions

• higher salaries• more staff

– But others argue that it takes away from the “citizen legislature” favored by many


State Legislatures


State Court Systems

State Court Organization– Many state court systems are confusing

with many specialized courts.– There have been efforts to consolidate

the number and type of courts.– Many states have established

intermediate courts of appeal to take some of the workload off the state’s supreme court.


State Court Systems


State Court Systems

Selecting Judges– States use a variety of methods in

choosing judges.• Election (both partisan and non partisan)• Appointment (mostly with confirmation)

– Relatively new method is the merit plan• Governor appoints one of several screened

judges.• After a term, judge faces the voters in a

retention election—17 states use this


State Court Systems


Direct Democracy

Direct democracy: government controlled directly by the citizensMethods of citizen control of the Government:– Initiative: proposed changes to laws be put on

the ballot if enough signatures are collected– Referendum: voters approve or disapprove

state legislation– Recall: voters may vote someone out of office


Direct Democracy


State and Local Government Relations

Interrelationship between states and local governments is not as clearly defined as that between federal and state governments– Dillon’s Rule: Local governments have

only those powers and duties explicitly given to them by the state.

– Some states allow home rule where a local government adopts a charter (like a constitution) to govern its activities.


Local Governments

Types of Local Government– Counties– Townships– Municipalities

• Town meeting: form of direct democracy where citizens gather once a year to make policy; rarely used

• Mayor-Council• Council-Manager (city manager): an official appointed by

the city council who is responsible for implementing and administering the council’s actions

• Commission– School Districts– Special Districts


Local Governments


Local Governments

Fragmentation, Cooperation, and Competition– Not much cooperation among local

governments in a state to solve problems– Regional governments are able to coordinate

some activities in some areas.– Differences in opinion on needs and

competition make cooperation difficult.– Council of Governments (COGs) can coordinate

some activities as well.


State and Local Finance Policy


Understanding State and Local Governments

Democracy at the Subnational Level– States have been willing to let local

governments handle local problems and operate very openly.

– There are problems with lack of voter participation and coordination among local governments as well as competition for economic development.


Understanding State and Local Governments

The Scope of Subnational Government– State and local governments are

growing faster than the national government.

– Some states have sunset legislation that calls for the reviewing of agencies to see if their programs are still needed.

– Some local governments are better at policymaking than their states and have taken the lead in solving problems.


Summary

State and local government are responsible for policies with which we are most familiar—policy, education, trash collection.State governments are similar to, but vastly different from federal government.Local governments are established by states to handle truly local policy issues.

copyright © 2009 pearson education, inc. publishing as longman. the new face of state and local...

Documents

state constitutions

state legislatures

state level

state districts

pearson education

new face of state

female state governors

presidential elections