Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
68 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
How is public opinion linked to policy in the states?
|
Public opinion effects who becomes a public elite which effects statewide politics
Part of the reason we get what we want is because of who we put in the legislature |
|
What are the shifts in opinion and partisanship that have taken place recently?
|
Partisanship has changed in the south
The northeast has become more liberal Where direct correlation between state partisanship an state ideology used to be minimal it has emerged |
|
What factors shape state opinion and policy?
|
Population diversity
-More diverse = more liberal Political competition -More competitive states produce more liberal policy Opinion diversity -More liberal opinion produces more liberal policy |
|
What states adopt policies first?
|
Wealthier states
More diverse populations Moralistic cultures States facing specific problems |
|
Who do new policies spread?
|
Learning from other states
Competition with other states Both processes are facilitated by: -Geographical proximity -National professional organizations -National interest group organizations |
|
What is the snowball effect?
|
Local adoptions create pressure for state to act
-More likely in states with pro legislatures and with strong interest groups in the policy area |
|
What is the pressure valve effect?
|
Local adoptions reduce pressure for states to act
|
|
What are the fiscal constraints faced by states?
|
National economy
State economic base Amount of federal aid Legal constraints -Tax limits -Balanced budget amendments |
|
What about sales tax?
|
Generally retail
Generally levied as a flat percentage Regressive Not particularly stable Efforts to broaden it to include services Difficult to levy on internet sales |
|
What about sales tax and the internet?
|
Businesses must collect and pay if they have a physical presence in state
If not - citizens must pay a use tax |
|
What is sin tax?
|
Type of sales tax
Used to raise revenue and discourage immoral behavior Can be levied at local level in certain areas |
|
What about income taxes?
|
41 states have it on individuals
Usually progressive About 5 brackets Easy to administer Flat rate in a few states On corporations -Usually flat rate Businesses threaten to relocate if rate is too high |
|
What about property tax?
|
Oldest type of tax
One of earliest ways for gov to raise money Primary source for revenue for local governments levied as a flat rater per 1,000 value of a property (aka mill rate) Originally progressive but becoming more regressive Rising housing values rise tax |
|
What is Proposition 13?
|
California rule that capped property tax rates - imposed 2/3 majority rule for state legislature to raise other taxes
Forces trade offs in policy responsibility |
|
Which taxes do people prefer?
|
Sales
Income Property User Charges |
|
What are user charges?
|
Education tuition
Tolls Fees to park |
|
What are other revenues?
|
Income from pension funds
Rents, royalties, fines Liquor stores Utilities Investments, trust funds Lottery |
|
What about state lotteries?
|
Popular with voters (in 41 states)
Viewed as voluntary tax About 30 percent of sales actually collected as taxes Generally regressive, though the majority of tickets are not purchased by poor people Most earmarked for education |
|
What is morality policy?
|
Conservative attempts to use government to restrict immoral behavior
-Prohibition -Abolition Black and white debates about policy goals rather than shared goals Book says only one side makes morality argument |
|
What is difficult with morality policy?
|
Monitoring morality is hard
Many still want to engage in activity Those charged with enforcement may not want to |
|
What about health and welfare?
|
Responsibility for such polices started at local level and then state levels
Health care spending has been fastest growing part of state government budgest in the last 10-15 years |
|
What are the major health and welfare programs?
|
Social security
-Retirement program Unemployment insurance -Joint Federal and state program Medicare -Healthcare for elderly Medicaid -Healthcare for poor |
|
When did the federal government get involved with state education?
|
When desegregation came
now NCLB |
|
What do new federal education provisions include?
|
Certified teachers in classroom
Measurement for performance Public school choice for students in failing schools Threat of loss of federal funds for failing |
|
What are the criticisms of federal government involvement with education?
|
Not fully funded
Limits of standardize tests Encourages schools to set low expectations and alter performance |
|
What are proposed education reforms?
|
Spend more money
Empowerment movement Higher education funding |
|
What are the conflicting needs among public universities?
|
People want:
-Affordability -Quality -Access prep -Career prep Faculty wants: -Resources -Freedom -Prestige States want -Happy voters -Economic development |
|
What is politics?
|
Process of making collective decisions that resolve conflicts
|
|
What do collective decisions require?
|
Rules
Means to monitor compliance Means to sanction violations Institutions provide structure and stability |
|
What is a social contract?
|
Agreement between individuals and groups regarding rights of citizens and role / power of government
|
|
What are the key elements to liberal theory?
|
Popular sovereignty
Emphasis on reason Development of citizen rights Limits on government |
|
What about institutions and social contracts?
|
Institutions formalize social contracts
Emphasis on protection from each other, government or positive pursuit of socially good outcomes dictates institutional design Institutions define the rules of the game and they are not neutral to the outcome |
|
What is federalism?
|
Interplay between levels of government that plays out everyday
|
|
Why is healthcare so expensive?
|
Demand for:
Quality Aggressive care Choice Those without coverage turn to expensive alternatives Unhealthy society Legal costs of malpractice |
|
Why are healthcare costs rising?
|
Prescription drug costs
Decline of managed care Rising costs and demand for long term care |
|
What is tax equity?
|
Who bears the burden of paying the tax
|
|
What is a progressive tax?
|
When the wealthier people pay a larger proportion of their total income to cover the tax
|
|
What is a regressive tax?
|
When the poor people pay more of their income to cover the tax
|
|
What is elasticity?
|
How stable or volatile the tax revenues are depending on times of economic boom
|
|
What do elastic and inelastic demand refer to?
|
How responsive people are to certain items or goods
Inelastic items are items people must have |
|
What are tax and expenditure limitations?
|
Set formulas that determine how much revenue and spending can grow
|
|
What is a grant in aid?
|
Money from government to the state
|
|
What are the two types of government grants?
|
Categorical grants - limit how much discretion state and local governments have in using fed money
Block grants - allocated by broad functional area such as community development |
|
What is fiscal illusion?
|
Inflation of public spending for their own purposes
|
|
What is a capital budget?
|
Long term bonds to finance capital investment projects
|
|
What is a balanced budget?
|
When revenues must equal spending
|
|
What is Leviathan?
|
Model of government as an entity that seeks to increase revenues beyond even what the public might demand
|
|
What is issue evolution?
|
How issues come into public agenda
|
|
What is policy equilibrium?
|
When state and local public polices are in sync with the opinion of the majority of the general public
|
|
What is policy shock?
|
When something happens to change policy equilibrium
|
|
What are policy entrepreneurs?
|
People willing to put policy issues on the political agenda
|
|
What are vice laws?
|
Rules to crack down on sinful activity
|
|
What is a cause celebre?
|
Issue causing heated controversy and widespread notoriety
|
|
What is DOMA
|
Defense of Marriage act
Explicitly allowed an exception to full faith and credit allowing states not to recognize same sex marriage in other states Defined marriage for purposes of federal law as man and woman |
|
What is the feminization of poverty?
|
Rise in poverty of female headed households
|
|
What is policy diffusion?
|
When policies spread
|
|
What are public assistance programs?
|
Cash and in-kind aid providers to the poor
|
|
What does means tested refer to?
|
Available only to the individuals falling below the predetermined level of income or assets
|
|
What is welfare?
|
Range of public assistance services provided by government to aid and protect the most vulnerable individuals in society
|
|
What is an entitlement program?
|
Government program guaranteeing level of benefits to participants
|
|
What is temporary assistance for needy families?
|
Program to help move recipients off welfare
|
|
Who are the working poor?
|
Employees earning minimum wage
|
|
What is a living wage?
|
A wage that allows people to live decently
|
|
What is a single payer healthcare system?
|
Doctors and other private health care professionals have fees paid by government at a fixed rate
|
|
What are school vouchers?
|
Financial assistance in the form of vouchers to parents who have children in poor performing public schools
|
|
What are charter schools?
|
Publicly funded and operated freed from administrative staffing and pedagogical constraints facing traditional public schools
|
|
What is the achievement gap?
|
Separation of students across dimensions of race, ethnicity an income
|
|
What is adequate yearly progress?
|
Based on performance on annual achievement tests
|