o Reynolds v Sims legislators represent people not trees or acres o Equal number of people in the district State legislatures create districts for themselves and US House Race and ethnicity Chapter 9 Notes Legislating Policy and Representing the People Legislative Branch Make statutory laws Amend state constitutions Constituent service Bring government funding to district Representation Geographic o Heterogeneous districts o Homogenous districts Non geographic o Entrepreneurial o Random selection Legislative Apportionment Equal population BASE POPULATION RANGE 1 Redistricting o Voting Rights Act 1965 o Fracturing o Packing or concentrating Partisan gerrymandering One person one vote Legislative Districting 1000 Registered Voters o Republicans 40 o Democrats 60 Districting Choices Winners 3 Democrat 2 Republican Winners 5 Democrat 0 Republican Acceptable and Unacceptable Racially Districting Requirements Contiguity Population Equality Voting Rights Act o Impact o Shape Gerrymandered District Shapes and Compactness Unacceptable Texas 30th o Congressional District 1990s Acceptable Illinois 4th o Congressional District 1990s 1 OOO PEOPLE 600 CHILDREN 200 ADULTS NOT REGISTERED 200 ADULTS REGISTERED 1 OOO PEOPLE 500 CHILDREN 200 ADULTS NOT CITIZENS 200 ADULTS CITIZENS NOT REGISTERED 100 ADULTS CITIZENS REGISTERED 1 OOO PEOPLE 900 CONVICTED FELONS 40 ADULTS NOT REGISTERED 60 ADULTS REGISTERED VOTERS VOTERS VOTERS WA OR ID MT WY NV CA UT CO AZ NM AK HI ME NY VT NH MA CT RI NJ DE MD DC DC PA VA ND SD NE KS OK TX MN IA MO AR LA W I M I IN IL OH WV KY TN MS AL GA NC SC FL Less than 15 Percent 15 to 20 Percent 20 to 25 Percent 25 to 30 Percent More than 30 Percent Partisan Gerrymandering Percentage Turnover of St Legislatures Elections 06 07 Secrets of the TX Legislative Process Larger Population Larger Population More Metropolitan More Metropolitan Figure 9 2 How a Bill Becomes a Law Affecting Us Major vs Minor Bills Committee Reports Bill Assignment to Committee Committee Pigeon holes Holds Hearings and Marks up Bill Competition Unopposed Appointment Incumbent defeat Voluntary retirement Major Bills 56 Minor Bills 44 Processing of Major Bills Introduced earlier More companion More even across committees More amendments More likely to die Later final action Agenda of Active Bills TX Legislature 3000 1500 Not all bills are intended to pass Bills are not independent of each other Bills do not receive equal consideration Texas Legislative Workload As technology increases we create more laws to make society run smoothly 75 of bills are killed Our Congress house members senate is a professional body paid a living wage Primary job is to make laws State bodies are different most are amateur not paid living wage o Meet once ever 2 years Bill Drafted Bill Introduced First Reading Bill on Calendar Second Reading Debated Third Reading Vote on Bill If passed Signed Into Law by Governor If Amended Sent to Governor for Signature Conference Committee to Make Identical Bureaucracy Administers to Legislature s Satisfaction Judicial Review of Constitutionality We are Affected by the Law r 57 r 41 More Bills Introduced More Bills Introduced r 66 r 70 r 86 Greater Compensation Greater Compensation More Full Time More Full Time Legislators Legislators Figure 9 4A 20 000 15 000 r 57 NY MA 5 000 MN TN HI CT ME RI AR MS NM WV IA OR NH NV LA AL VT ND MO IN AZ WI WY ID NE OK SC KY CO UT IL PA NC NJ GA OH 10 000 000 MD WA MI VA FL 8 0 0 2 7 0 0 2 s n o i t c u d o r t n I l l i B 10 000 0 0 TX CA r 41 NY 20 000 000 Population 2007 30 000 000 40 000 000 Population v Bill Introduction 2007 2008 Strong positive 57 Outliers CA NY MA CA TX IL PA CT MD RI FL NJ VA MI WA TN MN HI OR AL IN NC MO WI MS IA AR NM ME WV MT VT WY SD ID AK ND KY NE KS NH OK GA LA UT OH AZ NV CO SC DE 40 60 Percent Metropolitan 2006 80 100 0 20 20 000 8 0 0 2 7 0 0 2 s n o i t c u d o r t n I l l i B 15 000 10 000 5 000 A Model of Legislative Professionalization Longer Sessions Longer Sessions Figure 9 4B Figure 9 4C Figure 9 4D Percent Metropolitan v Bill Introductions Positive 41 Outlier NY More urban more bill introductions Bill Introductions v Length of Session Strong positive 66 Outlier NY professional 17 000 bills in 2 yrs TX low Legislative Compensation v Full Time Legislators Strong Positive 86 Outliers PA CA TX very low Models of Responsiveness Representational Congruence State Legislators 7800 legislators in all 50 states o 181 in Texas 150 house 31 senate o Nebraska unicameral Education 75 have some college Employment 800 600 8 0 0 2 7 0 0 2 n o s s e S i f o h t g n e L 80 60 40 20 8 0 0 2 7 0 0 2 s r o t a s g e L e m T l l i i l u F t n e c r e P r 66 NY 400 OH NJ WI MI RI PA CA MA IL TN MN TX 200 NH SC ME NC CT HI DE AZ OR KS NE VT CO OK LA KY ID WY SD IN MO FL MD WA MT NV AL WV VA UT AR IA NM MS 0 0 5 000 10 000 Bill Introductions 2007 2008 15 000 20 000 PA CA r 86 MD MA WI NY IL MI OH HI CT NJ WA DE CO OK AK AZ MS ME IA OR IN UT MT WV AL NM WY NH ND RI SD TN VA LAKY NE VT TX AR ID SC GAFL NV KS MN MO 0 0 50 000 100 000 Legislative Compensation 2007 2008 150 000 200 000 o Legislators more prestige o Professionals managers proprietors o Not estimated wealth but upwardly mobile middle class o Flexible work schedule o Public contact attorneys o Agriculture o Education overrepresented o Labor and government underrepresented Sex male 80 90 Mobility over 75 born in district Psychological more self confident self sufficient extroverted dominant tolerant less authoritarian more favorably disposed toward minorities Table 9 4 Top and Bottom States for Differences between Legislators and Population No underrepresentation for African Americans New Mexico has proportional Hispanic representation Texas has underrepresentation for Hispanic 2nd largest gap o Colorado Nebraska have biggest gap Attorneys o California no over representation o Texas overrepresented by 33 Chapter 10 Executing the Laws and Representing the People Executive branch implement laws is supposed to be lower than legislative law make laws Recruitment of Governors Prior experience in public service being legislators before becoming governors o Exception George Bush didn t have civil public service before TX governor Statewide office o Control of public accounts example o House member of district is not statewide office State legislature Gubernatorial Elections Partisan …
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