Unit 12: State and Local Government

Unit 12: State and Local Government

Objectives:1) Examine the common structures of state governments,2) Consider the diversity of the cultures that impact state governments,3) Analyze the responsibilities of state governments and their officials, and4) Evaluate the differences and similarities in the institutions of the state and federal systems.

Objectives:1) Examine the common structures of state governments,2) Consider the diversity of the cultures that impact state governments,3) Analyze the responsibilities of state governments and their officials, and4) Evaluate the differences and similarities in the institutions of the state and federal systems.

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.

• 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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

• There are currently 5 female state governors

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

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

• 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 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.

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

Direct Democracy• Direct democracy: government controlled directly by the

citizens

• Methods 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

Ballot Measures: any proposed policy that is placed on the ballot as a result of an initiative or referenda

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.

• Home Rule: the opportunity provided by state government charters at the city and county levels for citizens to propose or write changes to their laws.

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

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

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.

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.

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.