Geography-wise the republican party support came from what area?
The south
Rule of Law: Democratic party V. Jones
Do away with the Blanket Primary, all candidates on one ballot.
Government tends to be organized on a no partisan basis at the ____ level?
Local
The 2002 McCain - Feingold campaign Finance Law place limits on ____ money?
Soft
Another term for Lobbyist?
Legislative Liason
Indirect lobbying involves (three things)
Media, rallies and other ways of influencing public opinion
Cause lobbyists often use _____ to sway public opinion and pressure public officials?
Media
State Parties have evolved into ____ organizations?
Consulting
Who supports the Democrats?
Women, Minorities and the poor/underprivileged.
Who supports the Republicans?
Coperate america/ small businesses, Males, wealthy, protestants
The role of political parties in american life can best be described as _____?
Ineffective/ less dominant
Political Machines (bosses) encourage?
Patronage (reward for loyalty), Corruption, higher degree of turnover for offices
______ are meetings of delegates during which candidates are nominated and party agendas are established.
Party Conventions
Define Realignment and Dealignment elections.
Switch form one party to another
Lack of nationwide acceptance of one political party/ no party dominance.
Political parties often are the ones to_______ and ______?
Nominate candidates and raise funds
Variation in political competition across states can be contributed to?
Increase mobility of population
Interest groups
redistricting
shift in political culture
Why haven't independent and third parties been successful in the US?
they take votes form reps and gems
winner take all system
How do Interest groups help political change?
Funding
advertising
organizing campaigns
Ticket Splitting?
voters supporting a republican president while at the same time supporting a democrat senator.
Swing voters?
Inconsistent voters who hold no loyalty to any party.
PAC (Political Action Committee)
Group formed to raise money for a candidate
Cause Lobbying?
When interest groups back or promote and issue
Contract Lobbying?
When lobbyists work for various clients
Candidate Centered Politics
Candidates promote themselves rather than their party
Redistricting makes most races _____ for most incumbents?
Safe
What is the responsible party model?
Theory that parties give clearer policies and that they are accountable for the outcome
T/F Political parties tend to play a larger role at the state level as compared to the national level?
T
T/F Primaries allow rank and file voters to choose nominees for public office?
T
T/F In 1996, the US supreme court placed a limit on independent expenditures by Political Parties?
F
T/F Interest groups tend to support incumbents over new candidate for office?
T
Which state has the largest number of States Legislators?
New Hampshire
What happens to most bills introduced in state legislators?
They are killed in committee
Retired persons account for about ____ % of state legislators nationwide?
12-15%
Which stat has the largest % of women serving in state legislature?
Colorado
State legislatures today are ____.
More effective and more fair than in the past. more transparent with more women
Professional legislatures.
Meets full time with high pay and large staffs
Staes with part time legislatures:
Minnesota, Idaho, New Mexico, S & N Dakota, Kansas, Wyoming, Montana
The largest battles in a state legislature tends to be _____?
Budgets
What affects the introduction of legislation?
Constituents, governments, lobbyists
Who tends to have the largest effect on whether or not legislators introduce a bill?
Constituents
The likelihood that a legislature will address an issue can be affected by?
Personal intersets, constituent interest, Interest group activity, change in composition of legislature.
What is constituent work (case work)?
Work done by legislators to help earn the vote in his district.
What is oversight?
Legislative role in observing the executive brand in executing the law.
American public's perception of legislators is....
that they do nothing / spend their time doing nothing
What is gerrymandering?
Redistricting in favor of a party.
Baker v Carr
1962, Gerrymandering is unconstitutional
1 man = 1 vote
Wesberry v Sanders
1964, Us reps must represent 50% = 50%
Reynolds v Sims
1964, State legislature must be based on population.
What are Majority-minority districts?
Members of a minority group make up the majority of the pop. or electorate.
The national conference on state legislature term limits poll reveals that term limits have made legislative staff more _____.
Important
Logrolling and Pork Legislation:
The practice of vote trading for favors
Money for states through unnecessary legislation
Riders:
An amendment to a bill that is not central to the bill's intent. Will not work if a governor has the line-item veto.
Only state state with a Unicameral legislature?
Nebraska
Reasons for a bicameral legislature:
The great compromise:
Equality between large and small states
House = population - reps are everyday man
Senate = equality - reps are elites
What is Pigeon holing?
Killing a bill by putting it on the bottom of the pile
What is a Filibuster?
A debate that under US senate rules can drag on, blocking final action on he bill under consideration and preventing other bills from being debated
Cloture Rule:
1917, vote to end a filibuster 1/6 of the senators
Trustee and Instructed Delegates:
Legislators who believe that they were elected to follow their own judgements
Legislators who believe that they were elected to represent the desires of his constituents
Malapportionment
A situation in which the principle of equal representation is violated
The public tends to have a _____ view of Professional legislators?
negative
State legislatures tend to address issues _____ the Federal Government addresses them?
Before
Ever since _____ the press has taken an adversarial position toward government?
Watergate
T/F Newspapers tend to write stories that criticize legislatures?
T
The Three basic purposes of all state legislators are to?
Create Law
Oversight to other branches
Serve constituents
What is a "citizen legislature?"
A part time legislature with few resources with a small staff and low pay
The four functions of State Legislatures:
Law making
oversight
representing
constituent service
T/F Today governors serve longer terms than in the past?
T
Most governors are able to do what?
Veto
Voters see governors as ......
Mini Presidents
T/F After the American Revolution governors held almost no power?
T
What is the Appointment Power?
The governor's ability to select the people who run the government.
As chief spokesperson for a state, a governor is expected to...
attract jobs and industry and to lobby money from members of congress
Governors wishing to promote their states will do what....
travel to promote tourism, make deals with out of states companies
As Party Chief for the state, the governor often is expected to do...
select party chairman, raise money, campaign for individuals, patronage, commander in chief of the national guard
T/F The national guard id deployed by the governor in times of crisis?
T
What are formal powers?
Explicitly granted powers given to the governor
The final governor to be fronted power to veto legislation was from....
North Carolina 1997
Governors power to grant pardons recently has been affected by.....
DNA testing, governor of Illinois pardoned 167 inmates in death row
Popular support for a governor can do what....
Cause other legislators to accept his programs
Historically most governors have been....
White middle aged men with previous experience
The comment issue in gubernatorial elections has been?
State Economy
Gubernatorial campaigns are....
expensive, more professional, attract more attention
The most successful governors are those who....
Raise funds
When are the majority o gubernatorial elections held?
every four years during the presidential elections
Managing state elections fall on who?
Secretary of State, he drafts the ballot
What are informal powers?
How you persuade people, your character and personal abilities
Governors can use their appointment powers to....
Influence policy
Appoint people to gov. jobs, committees and boards
award supporters
What is a recall election?
A Special election that allows the people to remove an elected official from office. Needs to be instigated with a petition
Governors are generally viewed ______ favorably than legislators?
More
List 5 formal powers of most Governors:
Appointment
veto
Call special sessions of the legislature
pardon
prepare the budget
The role to the lieutenant governor and the attorney general:
preside over the senate, assign bills, break deadlocks, head of state agencies, appoint
Institue civil suits, force open meetings
List three informal powers of the governor:
popular support
party support
ability to communicate
T/F A state may grant many power to its governor still may elect a weak individual into office?
T
T/F The Governor, and not the Federal government has the Final authority over where to deploy the National Guard?
F
Governors can only achieve their agenda through their Formal Powers?
F
T/F The power to prepare the state budget may be governors most powerful formal tool?
T
The power to call a special legislative session is an example of a _____ power?
Formal
The various roles governor must assume upon taking office:
Chief legislator
head of state/chief executive
chief spokesman for state
party leader
What are the three methods of sentencing guidelines employed by states?
Truth and Sentencing Laws
Habitual offender (three strikes) Laws
Mandatory minimum sentences
What is Precedent?
The use of the past to intemperate decision making in the present.
Immediately following the American Revolution how were judges chosen?
Appointment
6th Amendment
Right to speedy and public trial in criminal cases
In a criminal case, how many members are on the jury and the jury decision must be ......
12, Unanimous
In noncapital cases the sentence is issued by.....
the judge through a bench trial
JAIL 4 Judges advocates....
Punishment for judges for unpopular decisions
What is a plea bargain?
When an accused person pleads guilty for a lessened sentence.
Why give judges lifetime tenures?
Their decision would not be swayed by the public. Guaranteed independence
State courts of Appeals are know as
Intermediate Appeal court
Courts of last resorts
How are judges selected on the state level?
Merit
election
appointment
Retention election is part of the _____ plan?
Missouri, if a vacancy offers three individuals are nominated, that the governor select on, in the next election the official can run again to keep his position.
Supportes of electing judges say that...
Elections allow greater popular control over judiciary/ more public accountability
Compatible with democratic traditions
Greater representation of minorities and women
prevents elitism.
What is a Pure appointive system?
Judicial officials are appointed by the governor solely
Merit selection of judges is an attempts to.....
Limit partisan politics
strike a balance between partisan election and life time appointment.
Partisanship is shown by judges serving _____ terms?
Longer
Who or what is a prosecutor?
A gov. official or lawyer that prosecutes in behalf of the people/state
Defense attorneys jobs are made more difficult by....
large case loads
fewer resources and inadequate funding
no oversight
Prosecutor jobs are made more difficult by
Big cities (more lawyers/staff/dealing with more serious crime)
Balancing the need to serve justice along with the pressures of winning cases
6th ant 7th amendment are found where?
Bill of Rights
Defendants rights include....
Innocent until proven guilty, safe from arrest/searches, right to a lawyer, jury trial, confront witnesses, due process/equal protection, punishment is not cruel and unusual.
Amount of time offenders spend in prison has been increased by....
habitual offender laws
mandatory minimum sentence
truth and sentencing laws
Who or wha is a magistrate?
A local official or attorney granted limited judicial authority
Attempts to alleviate judicial caseloads include:
Alternative dispute resolution
Rocket docket
"Three Strikes" legislation is an example of?
Habitual offender laws - Life imprisonment.
What is legislative criminalization?
The passing of a law that makes a crime out of anything the public doesn't like
Define crime:
Violating the law
What is a civil case?
A dispute between two private parties.
Voir Dire
Interviewing and examining the jurors
What is discretionary jurisdiction?
The power of a court to decide where or not to hear a case
Judicial accountability is ensured by the.....
Elections
What is a grand Jury?
A group of between 16 and 23 citizens who decide if a case should go to trial. If the grand jury decides that it should, and indictment is issued
What is an Activist Judge?
A judge who is said to act as an independent policy maker by creatively interpreting the constitution or a statute
Author
Anonymous
ID
287480
Card Set
state and local government
Description
Political Science State and Local government chapters 6-9
