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State and Local Governments Provide most services Schools Transportation Land use Social services Make most decisions Regulate driving, occupations, families Criminal behavior to be tried. The Legislative Branch What do State Legislators Do? Lawmaking Oversight - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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State and Local Governments•Provide most services
• Schools• Transportation• Land use• Social services
•Make most decisions• Regulate driving, occupations, families• Criminal behavior to be tried
The Legislative Branch•What do State Legislators Do?oLawmakingoOversightoApprove all appropriations•Who Are the State Legislators?
o The nation has 7,382 state legislators who are mostly business persons or lawyers.
•What do Legislative Committees Do?•What Influences State Legislators?
o Political PartiesoLobbyist and Interest GroupsoOther Influences on State Legislators
o Ombudsmeno Committees
Government in Typical State Constitutions• State constitutions
follow this general outline having many officers.
• States have to deal with a much wider range of functions, educational provisions, and criminal codes than the U.S. Constitution.
• For that reason, state constitutions would be so much longer than the national constitution.
State Constitutions & Number of Amendments
The Diversity of State LegislaturesType 1: Full-time, High-Pay, Large-Staff “Professional Legislatures”California Illinois Michigan OhioFlorida Massachusetts New Jersey Pennsylvania
New York Wisconsin
Type 2: In-Between HybridAlabama Hawaii Minnesota South CarolinaAlaska Iowa Missouri TennesseeArizona Kansas Nebraska TexasColorado Kentucky North Carolina VirginiaConnecticut Louisiana Oklahoma WashingtonDelaware Maryland Oregon
Type 3: Part-Time, Low-Pay, Small-Staff “Citizen Legislatures”Arkansas Maine New Hampshire South Dakota Georgia Mississippi New Mexico Utah Idaho Montana North Dakota Vermont Indiana Nevada Rhode Island West Virginia
Wyoming
How a Bill Becomes Law
A Profile of State Legislatures
Women in State
Legislatures
16%
24%
1988 2008
Women in Statewide
Elected Offices
13%
24%
1988 2008
Source: Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University
Current Percentage of Women in State Legislatures
Party Control of State Legislatures
The Legislative Branch•What Influences State Legislators?
o Political Parties•Only Nebraska has a nonpartisan, unicameral legislature •Candidates for state legislatures are nominated by political parties and are elected as party members. The role of parties varies widely from state to state.
oLobbyist and Interest Groups• Interest groups are a significant and growing source
of influence on state legislatures through the use of lobbying.
oOther Influences on State Legislators
Modernization and Reform•Legislative Term Limits: Problem or Solution?o Higher professionalism’s gains wiped out by term limitso Promotes the ideal of “citizen” legislators
•Legislative Leaders
• Assembly Speaker
• Majority Leader
• Minority Leader
Term Limits in the States
The Politics of Drawing Legislative District Lines
•Redistricting•Gerrymandering•Malapportionment
•One Person, One Vote
•No Majority-minority Districts
•New Rules for Redrawing the Districts
•In California, Citizen Redistricting CommitteeoProposition 11 by voters in November 2008oProposition 20 in 2010
Direct Legislation: Policy Making by the People?
•Initiative
•Referendum
•Recall
•The Debate over Direct Democracyo 58% were approved in 2008o Stimulates voter turnout, civic engagement,
political efficacyo Can target minoritieso Allows interest groups much influence
Citizen-Initiated Initiative and Referendum at the State Level
States That Provide for Citizen-Initiated Recall of Elected State Officials
The California Legislature Eligibility – At least 18 years of age Residency – California resident for three years, at least one
year in the district. Term Limits – Two, four-year terms for the senate (8
years) and three, two-year terms (6 years) for assembly. Senate seat rotation – 20 seats each even-numbered years. Assembly seat rotation – All 80 seats even- numbered
years. Code of Ethics – Binds both houses, may expel a member
by two-thirds vote. Compensation - $99,000 salary and $121 per day living
expenses when in session; telephone and gasoline expense allowance for a state-licensed automobile; limited health and retirement benefits.
The Functions of the California Legislature
1. Make State Laws2. Establish Taxes3. Confirmations4. Redistricting5. Can Place Constitutional Amendments on the Ballot6. Spend State’s Money (Appropriations)7. Oversight
State Expenditure ComparisonCalifornia
& Massachusetts
California Political Parties
American Independent www.aipca.orgDemocratic www.cadem.orgGreen www.cagreens.orgPeace and Freedom www.peaceandfreedom.org Natural Law www.natural-law.orgReform www.reformpartyca.orgRepublican www.cagop.orgLibertarian www.ca.lp.org
California Interest Groups1. Business2. Agriculture3. Labor Unions4. Professional Associations5. Education6. Government7. Ideological Organizations8. Racial, Ethnic, or Religious Organizations9. Public Utilities10.Miscellaneous
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