Term
|
Definition
| Only similarities with town hall meetings are that audience members can pose questions, but they are screened and selected |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Some individuals must makes governmental decisions for the others |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| What the Founding Fathers called such a representative government |
|
|
Term
| State Legislatures main actions |
|
Definition
| Make statutory laws and most play a significant role in amending state constitutions |
|
|
Term
| Where do legislators get their information |
|
Definition
Legislative staff
Bureaucrats
Interest Groups
Citizen Volunteers |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Allow for those concerned to engage legislators, present opinions, and propose solutions.
Legislators can engage further through committee meetings and meetings of the entire chamber |
|
|
Term
| Laws may be of symbolic importance but not of: |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| What legislators do when they help individuals and groups from their districts |
|
|
Term
| Who seems to take more credit for things that boost their districts |
|
Definition
| Members of Congress, State legislators seem less inclined to do so |
|
|
Term
| How are Legislators chosen throughout the US? |
|
Definition
| All are chosen from districts defined geographically |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Local or small portions of states, population usually below 500,000 |
|
|
Term
| State Legislatures determine whose districts? |
|
Definition
| Their own and districts for members of the US House of Representatives |
|
|
Term
| Who set their own districts? |
|
Definition
Counties
Municipalities
School Districts
Other Local Governments |
|
|
Term
| Who sets criteria for Congressional and State legislative districts? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Districts should closely match a square or rectangle, the most compact way to divide a geographic area |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| All portions of the district must be in contact with each other |
|
|
Term
| What is no longer important for dividing districts? |
|
Definition
Geometric compactness
Contiguity still remains |
|
|
Term
| Why does it cost so much to maintain a geographic district? |
|
Definition
| Difficulty representing a heterogeneous district rather than the more homogeneous districts that once were common across the country |
|
|
Term
| How to include minorities? |
|
Definition
| Often necessary to assemble pockets of minorities spread broadly |
|
|
Term
| Characteristics of modern districts |
|
Definition
| Lack compactness and any sense of identity |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Make representation easier but force compromise to take place after elections |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Make representation difficult, especially more minorities, but encourage compromise to win voter support before elections |
|
|
Term
| When did absentee voting by mail begin? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Difficulties of geographic districts |
|
Definition
| Hard to represent, most districts have few interests shared by the large majority of their populations |
|
|
Term
| Other options for redistricting/electing legilslators |
|
Definition
| Each achieves representation that better reflect the characteristics of the governed. Each better copes with the complexity of modern life and employs tools we now have to communicate and gather preferences for certain policies |
|
|
Term
| Central criterion for legislative apportionment and districting |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| In the past, who was over-represented? |
|
Definition
| Those living in rural districts |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Court ruled that federal district courts could consider this issue. A federal district court then ordered reapportionment of the Tennessee lower house based on popultion |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The conception of political equality from the Declaration of Independence, to Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, the 15th, 17th, and 19th amendments can mean only one thing - one person, one vote |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Applied population-based equality for apportioning seats to the US House of Representatives |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Rejected that state senates should be allowed to retain representation on a geographic basis to protect rural interests
-Boundaries needed to be redrawn |
|
|
Term
| States were able to define their own what? |
|
Definition
| Their own population they wanted to be represented |
|
|
Term
| For a long time the rule of thumb for districting populations was: |
|
Definition
| The largest and smallest districts have to be within 1% of each other |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Struck down a congressional redistricting plan that had an overall range of less than 1% |
|
|
Term
| Standard set in Reynolds v. Sims |
|
Definition
Substantial Equality of Population
-An overall range from the smallest to largest of the less than 10 percemt |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| First general election using newly drawn districts: |
|
Definition
| November of the year ending in 2, 2.5 years after the census |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Redistricting plans based on a given census are constitutionally apportioned throughout a decade |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Requires that all laws and procedures concerning elections have no discriminatory effect against specified racial, ethnic, or language minorities.
Amendments passed in 1982 make it illegal for a class of citizens protected by the law to have less opportunity than other members of the electorate to participate in the political process |
|
|
Term
| Section 5 of Voting Rights |
|
Definition
| Requires certain areas of the country to obtain approval ahead of time - preclearance- from the US Attorney General before implementing any changes that affect voting |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Comes from political cartoon in the early 1800s. The Jeffersonian Republic had concentrated Federalists voters into a district where they would overwhelmingly win a single state legislative seat, while the surrounding areas could elect Jeffersonians
-Governor Gerry |
|
|
Term
| How many states allow partisan advantage to be considered in redistricting |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Concerned districts that were redrawn in Texas after Republicans gained control of House
-Documenting partisan advantage as the only motive for drawing districts was not sufficient to demonstrate excessive partisanship |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Drawing district lines so that the minority party is broken up |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Drawing district boundary lines so that the members of the minority party are concentrated or 'packed' |
|
|
Term
| Three standards must be met when drawing legislative boundaries: |
|
Definition
Population Equality
Contiguity
Compliance with the Voting Rights Act |
|
|
Term
| Optional criteria for districting |
|
Definition
Preservation of existing governmental boundaries
Giving advantage to the majority party and/or incumbents
Geographic Comapactmess |
|
|
Term
| General Elections in Texas |
|
Definition
| In more than 2/3 of districts, general elections are contested by only one major party |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Turnout is low
Primary voters tend to be the strongest partisans |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
All representatives to a city council are elected city-wide
-Minorities do not win seats |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Are larger than their upper houses and their senates
-average lower house has 112 members
-senate 40 members
-leaders of greater authority
-limited debate |
|
|
Term
| Average amount of people a legislator in Texas represents |
|
Definition
67,000
-Average lower house in US represents 60,000 |
|
|
Term
| Large districts are more likely to be: |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Ration of passed bills to failed bills |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Most important part of a legislators job |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Complex task
-Language must be clear
-Eventualities must be considered |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Placing it on a desk or in a basket of the presiding office- the "speaker"
-After introduction bills are assigned to a committee |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The act of introduction and assignment to a standing committee |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Schedule public hearings to listen to the views of other legislators, invited experts, interest group representatives, and the general public |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Three options to send bills forward |
|
Definition
Unchanged or 'Clean Bill'
Changed or 'Marked Up Bill'-(Committee Substitute)
Clean Bill and recommended amendments |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Goes to floor for consideration |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Floor
-the debate and amending process |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Pass/Defeat Bill from second reading
-further amendments permitted
-recorded vote taken |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Two House
-Both houses must pass identical text for bill to move forward |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Composed of member of both houses to discuss the bill and iron out differences |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
25%
40% - including identical bills |
|
|
Term
| Override the governor's veto |
|
Definition
| 2/3 of each chamber must vote for the bill |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Assigned to an agency to administer, which entails forms and procedures |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Once law is implemented, parties affected by it can bring lawsuits arguing that it is unconstitutional |
|
|
Term
| Who takes credit for tax dollars spent? |
|
Definition
| Legislators rival Congress, commonly called pork |
|
|
Term
| Average Compensation of a state legislator |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Five states that pay over average |
|
Definition
California
Illinois
Michigan
Massachusetts
Pennsylvania
New York
Wisconsin |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Correlated Professional Legislature with something: |
|
Definition
Larger Population
More Metropolitan
More Bills Introduced
Longer Sessions
Greater Compensation |
|
|
Term
| Average turnover of state legislator |
|
Definition
24%
-Average turnover for states with term limits is 35%
-Greatest in Western states |
|
|
Term
| Age to become state legislator |
|
Definition
21-lower house
25-upper house or senate |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Women
African-Americans
Hispanics |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| More accurate legislative representation is linked to: |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Model for federal constitution |
|
Definition
Massachusetts constitution
English city government |
|
|
Term
| Colony term limits for governor |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| We expect governors to be "vigorous, incisive, and thoroughly trained leaders |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Representative of public
Spoils System |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The winning president or governor appointed supports to all available governmental offices |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Problem-Solving Legislation |
|
|
Term
| Governor's powers derived from Constitution |
|
Definition
Length of term
Veto Powers
Fragmentation of the state executive and appointive powers for lesser offices
Budget-making power |
|
|
Term
| Low point it trust for governors |
|
Definition
Elected for two-years
-encouraged responsiveness and representativeness |
|
|
Term
| Two states that still have 2-year terms |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| On average how long do governors serve |
|
Definition
| Few serve more than 8 years |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Governors can disapprove a bill |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Veto portions of the bill while allowing the remainder to become a law
-typically limited to appropriation bills |
|
|
Term
| States that use vetoes extensively |
|
Definition
Maryland
New York
New Mexico |
|
|
Term
| How many other state-wide elected excutives |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Effective administrative but lack the personality that could make them memorable as a 'great' governor |
|
|
Term
| Power of Party Organization |
|
Definition
| Recalcitrant legislators in their governor's party can be pressured to support the governor for the good of the party |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Governor's party also holds the majority of seats in both chambers of state legislature |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Exists when both parties have control of either the governor's office or one of the legislative chambers |
|
|
Term
| Over ten year time period, party control: |
|
Definition
Divided: 54%
Unified R: 31%
Unified D: 15% |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Weakens the governor and other elected executives |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Presidents can gain primetime access on the TV networks and goes "over the heads" of Congress |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Reasons for governor leaving office |
|
Definition
Term limits
Voluntary retirement |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
The lower house passes the charges against the governor and senate serves as jury
(Except Oregon) |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Requires a certain number of registered voters to sign a petition for recall |
|
|
Term
| Who receives largest salary of elected officials (state) |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Other benefits of Governor |
|
Definition
Housing
Automobiles
Airplanes
Helicopters
Travel Expenses |
|
|
Term
| What are state legislative salaries related to? |
|
Definition
Population size
Percent living in metropolitan areas |
|
|
Term
| When are election for governors most often? |
|
Definition
| Even-numbered years between presidential elections |
|
|
Term
| Percent turnout in governor elections |
|
Definition
| 15% lower than in the presidential election year |
|
|
Term
| Positions governors hold before being elected |
|
Definition
Law enforcement
State legislators
Office won by state-wide election |
|
|
Term
| Texas lieutenant governor |
|
Definition
Nominal job is presiding over the house
In TX the governor has the opportunity to influence all legislative decisions and many executives actions |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Second most often elected executive
-more occupied with civil law than criminal law
-pass opinions on a bill concerning constitutionality before it is passed |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Chief clerk of state
-responsible for collecting maintaining and archiving legally required reports
-responsible for administrating elections |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Deposits state money in banks |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Start funds are properly and legitimately spent |
|
|
Term
| Percent of US workers employed by state |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Education
Health care and hospitals
Police
Fire |
|
|
Term
| What type of governments are more efficient: |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Made partisan involvement by federal employees illegal |
|
|
Term
| Unions want decisions based on: |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Percent of courts that are federal |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What type of cases are most commonly prosecuted in state courts |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Serious violations
-substantial fines and imprisonment penalties |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| How many criminal cases filed in state courts |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| States dealt with what percent of criminal cases? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| How many civil cases were filed to the states? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| States dealt with what percent of civil cases |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Disputes between two or more individuals where individuals include both people and legal entities such as corporations, partnerships, and others. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Supreme Court
Intermediate Appellate Court
Trial Courts |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| One state and one federal |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
More criminal cases
Unanimous agreement of 12 jurors |
|
|
Term
| When were the Bill of Rights extended to state courts? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Rights of accused person in criminal trials
-indictment of a Grand Jury
-Double jeapordy
-Cannot be a witness against yourself |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Right to speedy trial and more criminal trial protections
-speedy and public trial
-impartial jury
-informed of nature of crime
-know witnesses against him
-right to counsel |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Bails and Punishment
-excessive bail should not be required
-no cruel or unusual punishments |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Trial by jury and compliance with common law |
|
|
Term
| Intermediate Appellate Court |
|
Definition
| Review procedural decisions made during trials and decide whether to uphold or overrule those decisions |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
State Supreme Court
-Texas and Oklahoma have two, one for civil and one for criminal |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Friend of the Court
-Individuals and groups not involved in the original trials may submit documents to the court that give advice about issues in the cases |
|
|
Term
| Courts divide their trial courts by: |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Accepts fewer than 200 cases
-most frequent complaint it that state is in violation with US constitution |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Refers to decisions that find government laws or behavior unconstitutional
-decisions that do not follow legal precedents set by previous courts
-checking and balancing |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Critics prefer a more limited role, as interpreters, not law makers |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Majority rule v. minority right |
|
Definition
| Make minority rights the more important, more fundamental concern |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Excludes illegally seized evidence from being presented in trials |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| No search warrant, found porn, unlawfully obtained |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Gideon had to represent himself, was not offered counsel: unconstitutional |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Was not told what he said could be used against him or that he had the right to an attorny |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Reading off the Miranda rights |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Struck down unconstitutional law that allowed for death penalty of a man that committed rape where the victim did not die |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Unconstitutional and forbidding the states from criminalizing and punishing the behaviors involved |
|
|
Term
| Brown v. Board of Education |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Racial limitations on marriage violated the due process guarantees of the 14th amendment |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Could not make private sex lives a crime
-overruled Bowers v. Hardwick |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Proscribing sodomy
Against Homosexual Conduct |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Criminal offense in 1/2 of the states |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Does not recognize same-sex marriage |
|
|
Term
| Appointment with state senate advice and consent |
|
Definition
| Governor appoints judges with the consent of a majority of the state senate |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Gain seat by a majority vote of the state legislature |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Voter must cast a vote for a Democrat or Republican for judge |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Candidates compete for judge by majority vote |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Merit System
-Limits candidates to 3-6
-Fill vacancy for 1-3 years
-Retention Election
-Repeat |
|
|
Term
| Terms for judge in Rhode Island |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Frequent minimum age for judge |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Characteristics of judges |
|
Definition
Male
White
Middle Class
Educated
Wealthy |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Agree to plea guilty, no trial needed |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Counsel appointed has to be REALLY bad to be unconstitutional |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Counsel sleeping through trial, determined unfit |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| How conservatives view a crime |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| How liberals view a crime |
|
|
Term
| Who is more likely to forgive individuals |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| How do conservatives seek to correct problems? |
|
Definition
| Seek to identify the faulty characters as early as possible |
|
|
Term
| Where do nearly half of state expenditures go? |
|
Definition
Education
Protection from crime |
|
|
Term
| Reason for SAT score decline |
|
Definition
Increasing proportion of high school seniors taking the SAT
-results from making higher education opportunities more available |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Below 22,050 for a family of 4 |
|
|
Term
| When did poverty reduction occur the greatest? |
|
Definition
From 1960-1969
-Dropped from 22% to 12%
-Followed policy changes by Kennedy (New Frontier) and Johnson (Great Society) |
|
|
Term
| How many people does 1% represent in poverty |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Where has the age of poverty been shifted |
|
Definition
| From older people it has shifted to younger people |
|
|
Term
| Goals of the welfare reforms of the 1990s |
|
Definition
| To limit welfare benefits and require employment |
|
|
Term
| Why is there a downturn in crime |
|
Definition
| Larger proportion of the population shares the benefits of a strong economy and demography |
|
|
Term
| Correlation between High School completion rate and poverty rate |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Empirical Linkages between: |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What is different about our Education system |
|
Definition
| Least centralized in the world |
|
|
Term
| How do we measure education? |
|
Definition
| Percent over 25 that have a high school degree (or equivalent) |
|
|
Term
| How do states get more educated people to move to their state? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| State that has the lowest rate of high school completion |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Emphasize Standard Tests
Financial Incentives to school for good scores
Financial penalties for bad scores
Students may relocate if they have bad scores
Emphasize standardized tests
Financial compensation for good scores
Penalties for bad scores
Ability to relocate if child's scores are bad
Not funded |
|
|
Term
| Relationship between contemporary education spending and outcomes |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| States where students pay more for education: |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Largest and best funded programs |
|
Definition
| Involve partnership between federal and state governments. The federal government establishes a framework of eligibility and benefit rules and provides a baseline level of funding. State governments have the option of adjusting eligibility and benefit rules and supplementing federal contributions with state resources |
|
|
Term
| Multiple programs to deal with poverty |
|
Definition
Social insurance
Income Security
Health and Nutrition |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Largest welfare program
-35.4 billion
-provide medical care |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
US Department of Agriculture' Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
-Helps buy food (food stamps)
-30 billion |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
-provide money directly to the poor
-25.6 billion |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
State Children's Health Insurance Program
-health insurance for kids in poverty
-5.4 billion |
|
|
Term
| Strongest relation amongst welfare programs? |
|
Definition
| Higher TANF benefits results in lower poverty rates |
|
|
Term
| Contemporary Conservatism |
|
Definition
| Desire to keep taxes as low as possible |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Undertaken only under federal court order |
|
|
Term
| Criminal Justice program is: |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Three major crime rate indexes |
|
Definition
Total crime
Property crime
Violent crime |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Not intended to reflect the complex social interrelationships at the state level that result in problems and attempt to deal with them |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Controlling for the impact of the other independent variables |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Provide info on both relative importance of each independent variable and whether each has a positive or negative relationship with the dependent variable acceleration |
|
|
Term
| Value for variance explained |
|
Definition
| Denotes how well the independent variables combined account for the pattern of the dependent variable |
|
|
Term
| Ten common economic, demographic, and political variables |
|
Definition
Per Capita Income
Metropolitan Population
Region
Self-identified Liberal Population
Self-Identified Democrats
Control of legislature by Democratic party
Major party competition in legislature
Turnout in election for governors
Legislative professionalism
Governors' formal powers |
|
|
Term
| 10 Factors and 4 welfare organizations relationship |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Police and Criminal Multi-varient relationship
(Includes property and violent crime rates) |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Women's right to an abortion in the first trimester, protected by 14th amendment |
|
|
Term
| Webster v. Reproductive Health Services |
|
Definition
| States retained power to place restrictions on how abortion services are provided |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Licensed Physician
Hospital
Insurance Coverage
Waiting period
Parental involvement for minor |
|
|
