Florida Government Study Guide Exam 1 Chapter 1 Section I Introduction tourism Florida s development has been centralized around real estate and Transportation also aided in development of the state riverboats and railroads were key In 1940 less than 2 million people lived in the state In 1950s middle and upper class residents of Northeastern and Midwestern states were attracted to Florida because of weather and resorts In 1960s migrant workers came to the state to harvest fruits and vegetables During the past four decades the political economic and social complexion of Florida changed dramatically The politically strong north Florida began to lose their grip on dominating government to the rest of the state Florida became truly heterogeneous more moderate and Republican Context for Politics in Florida Post WWII there was significant population growth First group 1950s of migrants were from the north upper class protestant mostly retirees seeking warmth they typically settled in the southwest and southeast part of the state Second group 1960s 70s of migrants were blue collar Midwesterners and northerners of a variety of ethnicities Seeking service sector jobs in the southeast and along the gulf coast Third group of migrants were least excepted by the new Floridians Cubans Haitians Dominicans Nicaraguans Colombians and other Central and South American nationalities They were mainly poor less educated culturally different spoke little or no English The diversity of the residents made for a mix of political views The Panhandle Region blue collar and military presence 1 still part of the Bible Belt shifted from the southern wing of the democratic party to Republican NW Gulf Region very protective to Social Security and Medicare generally conservative and Republican in the northern counties but tend to vote Democrat in the urban areas Hillsborough Pinellas SW Gulf Region mainly a resort and retirement area typically more affluent and educated than those in the NW gulf coast Unless given a reason not to do so they vote Republican SE Region Miami Fort Lauderdale Palm Beach are the most populous region of the state and a mix of many cultures Strong Jewish presence in Broward County gives a Democratic vote Miami Dade County varies between both parties because of its dominant northern and foreign influence of Central Florida relies on tourism and growing number working class families and retirees Residents are mainly conservative and increasingly Republican The large retiree population remains protective of federal entitlement such as Social Security and Medicare programs The fractured political geography leads to no homogenous image of the state Most Florida residents do not consider themselves Floridians therefore maintaining the same values and ideologies of their previous locations Growth Political Rootlessness Due to the explosive growth the state has experienced both positive Positive increase in international business other commercial and negative consequences ventures and tourism space center high tech industrial base and higher education Florida s varying partisanship makes it a key state in Presidential elections incarceration deteriorating air and water quality water shortages and highway traffic Rapid growth caused partial breakdown of Florida s government The government has required local government to tackle increase in international drug trafficking crime rate and Negative 2 Comprehensive Plan Committee many issues while political leadership ad financial assistance should come from Tallahassee billion to catch up with the backlog of local government infrastructure needs estimated that it would take 52 9 Massive influx of newcomers to FL has produced a sense of political rootlenssness within the state First lacking traditional political references they were accustomed to in their former home Second responsible for a mindset that poses a significant challenge to state and local officials Newcomers want an expansion in the number and level of services but are opposed to the increase in taxes or fees that would be required Politics Policymaking The Influence of the States Constitution Florida has had six constitutions the most recent one went into effect in 1968 To date 110 amendments to the present constitution have been proposed and 81 have been ratified Florida s constitution has a tempering affect on how politics is practiced and eventually on the content of policy decision Amending the Constitution 1 result from resolutions adopted jointly by both houses of the legislature by a margin of 3 5 of the membership of each house 2 Requires a joint resolution approved by a vote of each house of the legislature followed by a special vote of the citizenry before the next general election 3 Initiative petition The proposed amendment appears at the head of petition forms requesting that it be placed on the ballot at the next general election For the proposed amendment to make the ballot the number of signatories must equal 8 of the number of Floridians who voted in the most recent presidential election including 8 of the number of votes in at least half the US congressional districts 4 Recommendations that result from deliberations of the Constitutional Revision Commission 5 Constitutional convention may recommend amendments In a 6 year procedure that has not been used since 1885 3 Experiments in Government Although located in Conservative south Florida has been Sunshine laws progressively bold and has led the way in experimenting with governmental structure and pro democracy activities require public officials to hold meetings in the open so the public and press may attend Require all public documents and papers be open to public inspection Florida s Cabinet system was abolished in 1999 The system was thought to weaken the office of governor Political Culture Attitudes in FL Chapter 2 In moralistic political culture Elazar explains government is seen as a means of achieving a good in society Goal is accomplished through direct government action In an individualistic political culture competition between the parties is not about issues but about the distribution of benefits from government Southern states adopted a traditionalistic culture that discouraged large portions of the population from participating in elections Whites and blacks were disenfranchised to ensure that elites would control the government and politics Since 1950 southern states have undergone significant changes