Midterm Review Ch 1 Why Study State Politics must operate effectively efficiently equitably and within budgets Creates Policies and provides services The governments Increase Capacity and Improved Performance Policy capacity A government s ability to respond effectively to change makes decisions efficiently and responsively and manages conflict Good government is a function of capacity Federalism Allows for action between different Jurisdictions State federal State state State local Improved Revenue systems Diversified legalized gambling rainy day funds Equitable property tax breaks for the poor and elderly New Revenue Sources Specialty license plates state gift cards and merchandise Expanding Scope of Operations States have taken on new roles and added new functions AMBER Alert System California stem cell research Faster Diffusion of Innovations States look to neighbors for advice and information Successful solutions spread form one jurisdiction to another National State Conflict As state operations Expand and capacity increases national state conflict is bound to happen Unfunded mandates conflict with balanced budget requirements Immigration enforcement Remaining Challenges Fiscal stress Great Recession of 08 11 Inter jurisdictional Conflict between states or state and federal Political Corruption People as Designers and Consumer of Government People are Key People are the building blocks of government things from their government transparent government equitable government efficient government People Are Diverse This diversity is both a blessing A large part of our national identity is that we area nation of immigrantsPeople hold close their ethnic identities And a curse Immigration is often difficult to deal with Illegal immigration is a large problem This diversity has an effect on state politics and policies Also people are multiplying Political Culture is an important concept in explaining state politics and policy The attitudes values and beliefs that people hold toward government People in different areas have different views about government differences in political culture Three primary types of political culture Individualistic People participate in politics because of private motivations Moralistic Politics is an effort to establish a good and just society Traditionalistic Politics functions to maintain existing order Moralistic states tend to exhibit more policy innovation than traditionalistic states and today these cultures are mixed together States do things for reasons other than political culture Socioeconomic and political structural characteristics also determine who does what Let s take handgun regulations as an example What are some possible explanations Political culture moralistic Socioeconomic More urbanized and non white Political structure More women in legislature Culture Wars Political conflicts that emerge from deeply held moral values gay rights abortion payer in school Silent highly mobilizing issues and they engender different forms of political activism Linking Capacity of Results States Tackle Problems At their core the primary function of states is to create policies Their ability to do so is largely a function of their capacity It s important to consider how capacity and results are related 3 Characteristics Diversity competitiveness and resiliency all interact to facilitate and complicate their goal States and communities are diverse with different preferences and fiscal capacities These states are essentially competing with each other for resources States are resilient in the face of adversity Ch 2 The concept and History of Federalism What is Federalism Governments fall under three general forms Unitary systems Confederacies Federal systems Unitary Systems Most legal power located in the central government local governments are very limited France UK Japan Confederacies Very weak most power held by the states Federal Systems Between unitary and confederate at least 2 levels of government Each level can act on people in jurisdiction without permission from other authorities Citizens hold dual citizenship Advantages and Disadvantages of Federalism Helps manage sociopolitical conflicts but bad solutions can lead to more conflict Promotes efficient administration but can make it difficult for different governments to coordinate Katrina BP responses Encourages innovation but can result in duplication and confusion Differences in banking insurance tax laws History of Federalism Framers wanted to control lower forms of human behavior while still allowing citizens to have a voice Madison saw the problem in terms of factions or Groups that pursue their own interests without regard to the interests of society as a whole Controlling Factions The Constitution contains three ways to control the dangers of factions System of representative government where citizens elect people to filter the views of the masses Separation of powers into the three branches Federal system where the majority could be controlled by the sovereign states The goal was to check interest with interest class with class faction with faction Articles of Confederation We had a unicameral Congress to act as the national government It could only wage war make peace enter into treaties alliances appoint ambassadors regulate Indian affairs and create a postal system States immense authority within their borders central government effectively had no authority to make states pay for things had Constitutional Convention Big states wanted a Congress based on population small states wanted one with equal representation The Connecticut Compromise created the current bicameral Congress This constitution also specified the powers of the new national government Enumerated delegated powers are those expressly named in the Constitution Concurrent powers are those exercised by both the state and national governments Powers National government powers coin money regulate interstate commerce make war and treaties and regulate postal system State government powers regulate intrastate commerce establish republican forms of state local government anything not delegated to national or denied to the state Concurrent powers tax seize property make enforce laws and administer a judiciary federalism Federalists preferred nation centered federalism Republicans favored state centered Compact Theory Many saw the Constitution as a compact This compact theory holds that the Constitution is a compact between the