POLS 207: Ch 10

  1. At times in history we have sought to weaken/discard governors or the executive, but we have also sought to strength this office also. Why?
    To help cope with problems faced by the state.
  2. Name 3 institutional powers of governors.
    • Budgetary
    • Appointment
    • Veto powers
  3. What is the relationship between a metropolitan state and the institutional power of its governor?
    Negative. A metropolitan state is less likely to have an institutionally powerful governor.
  4. What is the relationship between a metropolitan state and the pay its governor receives?
    Positive. A more metropolitan state means that the governor receives more in pay.
  5. What trend amongst gubernatorial elections has become evident in recent years?
    Governors are increasingly elected for 4-year terms with large salaries and other benefits.
  6. Where do gubernatorial campaign funds come from?
    Those who are anxious to get their way on state policies.
  7. Other statewide elected executives are charged to deal with limited aspects of state services. What significance do they have?
    They have little significance other than being training grounds for future governors.
  8. How effective have efforts been to push bureaucracies towrad more efficiency?
    Though there have been many innovative effort there is little evidence of success.
  9. Why is the generalization that governors are similar to the president of limited usefulness?
    The powers of the governors differ from state to state.
  10. What 2 main duties do we expect of our governors?
    • provide leadership to solve social problems
    • representative and responsive to the public
  11. Define policy leadership.
    The expectation that governors are vigorous, incisive, and thoroughly trained leaders.
  12. What has caused the shift in our view of the governor as a leader rather than someone to be mistrusted?
    It was caused by the competition of states in a very complex world economy, crime, and urban decay.
  13. Define spoils system.
    When the winning governor appointed supporters to all available governmental offices as a reward for their support in winning the election.
  14. What do short term lengths encourage among governors? What do they discourage?
    The encourage responsiveness and representativeness, but discourage governors seeking to change state policies.
  15. What type of gubernatorial term has become the norm since the 1950s?
    A four year term instead of a two year term.
  16. Do term limits have any effect on the institutional power of a governor?
    They do not seem to have a major effect with regard to dealing with the legislature.
  17. Define veto power. Define line item veto.
    1) The power of a governor to disallow a bill from being passed. 2) The power of a governor to veto portions of a bill while allowing the remainder to become law.
  18. Item vetoes are typically limited to what type of bills.
    Appropriations bills.
  19. What is the purpose of the line item veto?
    To allow the governor to pass laws without the need to negotiate last minute details with the legislature.
  20. What is the relationship between metropolitan population/state and the number of bills vetoed?
    Positive.
  21. What is the relationship between the number of bills submitted and the number of bills vetoed?
    Strong positive.
  22. What is the purpose of the lieutenant governor?
    Like the vice president, he exercises few powers and stands in the wings in case the governor has to be replaced.
  23. How much appointive power does the average governor have?
    Not much because agencies are governed by boards with staggered terms. The governor, therefore, can only name a minority of new board members.
  24. Does the fact that some states do not have positions that commonly exist in other states pose a problem for the governor?
    It niether helps nor hurts the governor.
  25. What sort of budget-making power do Texas governors have?
    They cannot independently develop both their own revenue estimates and expenditure proposals.
  26. Name 4 non-institutional sources of power for governors.
    • personality
    • party organization
    • media
    • popularity
  27. Why would a party pressure its uncooperative legislators to support a governor in office?
    They expect to be rewarded in in elections for good policies enacted.
  28. Define unified party control. Define divided government.
    • Unified - exists when a governor's party also holds the majority of seats in both chambers of the state legislature.
    • Divided - exists when both parties have control of either the governor's office or one of the legislative chambers
  29. Define the merit system.
    The use of a civil service testing procedure to employ deserving people to certain government jobs.
  30. What is the relationship between the merit system and the power of the governor?
    The merit system weakens the governor.
  31. Define media power.
    The power of an executive official, like the president, to appeal directly to the public for its support via the television or other media.
  32. What kind of media power does the governor have?
    The governor has no media power because there is no state-level media and local level media is out of his/her control.
  33. How is the popularity of governors compare to the popularity of the legislature?
    Governors remain more popular than the legislature even after taking unpopular action, such as raising taxes.
  34. What is the relationship between metropolitan states and institutional power of governors?
    There is almost no relationship.
  35. What regions of states have the most powerful governors?
    Eastern, Midwestern, and Western states.
  36. What did Beyle and Ferguson conclude about governor's personal power? What is its relationship to institutional power? What is its relationship to personal power?
    There is no regional pattern for which governors have more or less personal power. Personal power is unrelated to institutional power. Personal power is negatively related to metropolitan population.
  37. What is the relationship between powerful governors and policies?
    There is no evidence that more powerful governors are linked with better policies.
  38. What are the typical requirements to become a governor? What are some "informal requirements"?
    Formal: Be at least 30 years old, a resident for 5 years, and a citizen. Informal: Older, white, educated, upper middle class male.
  39. What are the two leading causes for governors leaving office?
    • Term limits
    • Voluntary retirement
  40. What are the 4 ways in which governors can be removed from office?
    • Term limits
    • Voluntary retirement
    • Impeachment
    • Recall
  41. What other individuals receive a larger salary than the governor?
    • University president
    • Football coaches
  42. Name 3 items of compensation states provide a governor with?
    • Housing
    • Travel and expense allowances
    • Salary
  43. How are governor salaries and institutional powers related? How are governor salaries and personal powers related?
    Salaries and institutional powers are unrelated. Salaries and personal powers are unrelated.
  44. What is the relationship between metropolitan population and governor salary?
    There is a strong positive correlation.
  45. What is the most likely reason governors might have higher salaries?
    Legislators may approve high salaries for their states' governors in orderto give themselves high salaries.
  46. What is the correlation between governors' and legislators' salaries?
    Strong positive relationship.
  47. When do most gubernatorial elections occur?
    In the years between presidential elections.
  48. Which elected state official is punished more for an increase in taxes?
    Governors
  49. What is the relationship between state population and the cost of gubernatorial campaigns?
    Strong positive relationship.
  50. Where does the Texas lieutenant governor get his powers from?
    A combination of powers granted by the state constitution and legislative rules.
  51. What type of law does the attorney general deal with?
    Civil law, including giving legal advice and dealing with statewide corrupt practices.
  52. What is the job of the secretary of state?
    Chief clerk responsible for collecting, maintaining, and archiving legally required reports.
  53. What is the job of the treasurer? What is the job of the auditor?
    • Treasurer: deposits state money in banks
    • Auditor: sees that state funds are properly and legitimately spent
  54. Define bureaucracy.
    The numerous workers in the various agencies of government called upon to administer and implement the many laws and programs passed by state government.
  55. What are the majority of state and local employees involved in?
    Primary and secondary education
  56. What is the relationship between state population and percent of population employed by state and local governments? What does this suggest?
    Strong negative. This suggests that larger governments are more efficient.
  57. What bureaucratic group is more likely to vote?
    Schoolteachers are organized enough to affect election outcomes.
  58. Define Hatch Act.
    The Hatch Act made most partisan involvement by federal employees illegal; keeps the active bureaucracy in becoming involved in campaign activity.
  59. What affect has the merit system had on diversity?
    It has reduced discrimination based on race, ethnicity, age, gender, and disability.
  60. What is the difference between civil service systems and unions?
    Civil service systems use merit principles to determine promotions and salaries while unions want these decisions to be based primarily on seniority.
  61. What is the relationship between collecive bargaining and productivity?
    There is no relationship.
  62. What is the relationship between bureaucracy reorganization and bureaucracy productivity?
    There is little evidence to support a relationship between reorganization and a better bureaucracy.
Author
sarahzim
ID
118410
Card Set
POLS 207: Ch 10
Description
poli sci
Updated