POLS 207 504 Exam 2 Notes 03 04 2016 Chapter 4 Participation in State Politics 4 points added to test for attendance scores posted will be raw scores wont be posted before Monday Political Participation Political participation is the essence and definition of democracy Political participation includes voting running for office participation in marches or demonstration giving money or time to efforts attending rallies or events writing letters emails wearing button discussing issues belonging to an organization o Conventional voting helping campaigns signing petitions running for office o Unconventional protests marching and demonstrations war conflict civil disobedience Sustained political participation refers to consistent voting in presidential and nonpresidential elections o For democracy to work there has to be some sustained voting o You cant have democracy where a group votes every once in a while because there would be no means of prediction Protest as Political Participation Not nearly as common as people think but IS more common than before o Thought this because of media coverage o Protests really aren t spontaneous Have to be covered to get the message out Protest direct collective activity to obtain concessions Civil disobedience Break unjust laws and accept the punishment o Silent protests the lunch counter Violence criminal generally irrational and self defeating o Doesn t really help people need to get behind protests for them to be effective News media their response often key to success The effectiveness of protests highest when goal is clear Official responses to protests may be genuine symbolic or token State local governments bear costs of protests busted budgets For protest to be successful Remain nonviolent have a clear goal and media has to cover it Political Participation 30 55 of the population votes in midterms TX lowest 26 TX usually is around 30 35 for normal presidential 40 45 TX is always on the low side of the scale Difference between voting in US and other countries civic culture Voter turnout is declining across the globe Monday March 28 2016 Political Parties loose nominations of the states Liberals and conservatives in one state are different than those of another National committees don t control anything states do etc o ONLY influence o Each level s parties have different platforms State Party Organization runs the state Micromanage the parties State Party Organizations State Laws Govern Parties State Committees Help run day to day operations State Party Chairpersons person who actually handles things County Committees Organizes at county level Goes down to the precinct level Lowest level you can participate in Local Party Organizations Party control of government is everything at state level Can tell what policies will be pushed circle independent left and right bases must also turn out to win Chapter 6 Legislators in State Politics Fucntions of the State Legislators Enacting Laws Collectively consider 101 000 per session pass 19 000 Considering constitutional amendments gubernatorial governor appointments and state courts Often shared processes Approving budgets May be single most important function o Some years that s all they do all states MUST have balanced budget Serving constituents Requires great deal of legislators time o Constituents anyone living in that district Overseeing state agencies Frequently need to challenge state administrators o Principal agent model someone who makes the decision but isn t the person who carries it out legislator principal makes laws exec branch agent carries it out Congress has legislative oversight over the bureaucracy Making of a State Legislator Typically selected from upper middle class segments of population Occupation groups with flexible work responsibility or retired persons lawyers business owners physicians Education most are college educated Age avg is 56 yrs Personal wealth recruited from affluent families Lawyers trained to deal w public policy Amateurs most st legislatures are part time bodies Descriptive representation Do legislators mirror the people NO Substantive representation do legislators represent the interests of group YES 140 days out of every 2 yrs bi annual session o paid 7200 The Great Incumbency Machine Visibility campaigning for reelection is almost constant may take more time than lawmaking o Get reelected 85 of the time o Best way to get reelected is do what their constituents want them to do Resources of office Staffs offices expense accounts travel budgets Money Interest groups contributions go overwhelmingly to incumbents Professionalism and careerism professionalism in state legislatures encourages careerism Franking mailing stuff free of charge The Great Incumbency Machine Visibility Campaigning for reelection almost constant o May take more time than law making Resources of office Staffs offices expense accounts travel budgets Money interest groups contributions go overwhelmingly to incumbents o Interest groups don t buy votes They buy votes Professionalism and Careerism professionalism in the state legislatures encourages careerism o Texas doesn t promote careerism o If theyre doing it its not for the Legislative Apportionment and Districting The impact of reapportionment o 435 seats in house TX had 32 seats in 2010 36 in 2012 increase in pop redistrict Districting Partisan and Incumbent Gerrymandering o Gerrymandering drawing of district lines for partisan advantage Happens all the time nothing illegal about it until the reasons are something other than legitimate The Seats Votes Relationship Affirmative Racial Gerrymandering o Minority voice o Hard to prove in court Multimember Districts District Size Who draws the lines o In TX done by legislature redistricting board o In 2001 fed judges drew tx lines o Can predict the election by how the district is drawn How often to redistrict o Nothing that says you cant redistrict more than once only that you have to at least once o Nothing is breaking through How a Bill becomes a law Only members of the legislature introduces bills Anyone can write a bill literally anyone Lots of technical language is used but if you know how to write that way anyone can write it Bills can be introduced in the house or senate o Revenue bills must be started in the house o Can be worked through both at the same time Read Given a number referred to committee Legislative Committee Committee back ground of legislature Most of the work is