The New Face of State and The New Face of State and Local GovernmentLocal Government

Chapter 21

IntroductionIntroduction

Subnational Governments:– State & local governments have been assuming

new responsibilities and importance since the 1960’s.

– States have become more active players in policymaking.

– States still remain diverse in their populations and policies.

State ConstitutionsState Constitutions

In General…– Each state has its own unique constitution.– Subordinate to the U.S. constitution.– State constitutions have more detail about

specific policies.– It is argued that specific interests worked to

protect their issues in the constitutions, since it is harder to amend the constitution.

State ConstitutionsState Constitutions

Amending State Constitutions– Few states rewrite their constitutions.– States often use the “cut and paste” method of

changing their constitutions by only updating a few sections of the document at a time.

– In general, a state’s legislature proposes a constitutional amendment, and then it is put to a vote in an election.

– Some states allow citizen initiatives.

State ElectionsState Elections

Gubernatorial Elections– Elections are becoming more centered on the

candidates- like presidential elections.– Elections are generally held in even numbered,

non-presidential election years so the governor is the main candidate.

– The elections are expensive and candidates raise most of the money themselves.

State ElectionsState Elections

State Legislative Elections– Have the smallest constituencies for state &

federal governments, yet the least well known.– State districts had to be redrawn after 1962’s

Baker v. Carr specified the “one person, one vote” idea in state elections.

– These campaigns are getting more expensive and more candidate centered.

State ElectionsState Elections

State Legislative Elections– Partisan Competition, Legislative Turnovers,

and Term Limits. Partisan competition is close in most states,

sometimes resulting in divided government. There is generally high turnover in state legislatures

which some think leads to new policy ideas. Some states have decided to “force” turnover by

using terms limits.

State ElectionsState Elections

The Changing Face of State Elected Officials– The old rule of white, male elected leaders is

going away as more women and minorities are getting elected to governorships and legislatures.

– Progress has been slow in recent years, in part because of women running for federal offices.

Governors and theGovernors and theExecutive BranchExecutive Branch

The Job of Governor– Expected to fulfill many duties, some formal,

some not.– There is a wide diversity in the amount of

formal powers each governor has.– Many governors have a line-item veto that

allows them to cancel parts of a bill.– Today’s governors use “personal powers” to

help accomplish their policy goals.

Figure 21.3

Governors and theGovernors and theExecutive BranchExecutive Branch

Formal Powers of Governors

Governors and theGovernors and theExecutive BranchExecutive Branch

Other Executive Officers– Many other state executives are elected

separately from the governor.– Major state executives include:

Lieutenant Governor Attorney General Treasurer Secretary of State Auditor

State LegislaturesState Legislatures

General Information:– Generally operate like Congress– Have become more professional:

longer sessions higher salaries more staff

– But others argue that it takes away from the “citizen legislature” favored by many.

Figure 21.4

State LegislaturesState LegislaturesLegislative Professionalism

State Court SystemsState Court Systems

State Court Organization– Many state court systems are confusing with

many specialized courts.– There have been efforts to consolidate the

number and type of courts.– Many states have established intermediate

courts of appeal to take some of the workload off the state’s supreme court.

State Court SystemsState Court Systems

Selecting Judges– States use a variety of methods in choosing

judges. Election (both partisan and non partisan) Appointment (mostly with confirmation)

– Relatively new method is the merit plan. Governor appoints one of several screened judges Voters approve / disapprove in an election

Direct DemocracyDirect Democracy

Methods of citizen control of the Government:– Initiative: Some states allow proposed changes

to laws be put on the ballot if enough signatures are collected.

– Referendum: Used by most states to let voters approve / disapprove state legislation.

– Recall: A few states allow voters to vote someone out of office.

State and Local Government State and Local Government RelationsRelations

There is no guide for a state and its local governments…– But there is Dillon’s Rule: Local governments

have only those powers and duties explicitly given to them by the state.

– And some states allow home rule where a local government adopts a charter (like a constitution) to govern its activities.

Local GovernmentsLocal Governments

Types of Local Government– Counties– Townships– Municipalities

Mayor-Council Council-Manage Commission

– School Districts– Special Districts

Local GovernmentsLocal Governments

Fragmentation, Cooperation, and Competition– There is not much cooperation among local

governments in a state to solve problems.– Regional governments are able to coordinate

some activities in some areas.– But there are differences in opinion on what the

main issues are that need to be addressed.– COGs can coordinate some activities as well.

Figure 21.9

State and Local Finance State and Local Finance PolicyPolicy

State Government Revenues and Expenditures

Figure 21.10

State and Local Finance State and Local Finance PolicyPolicy

Local Government Revenue and Expenditures

Understanding State and Understanding State and Local GovernmentsLocal Governments

Democracy at the Subnational Level– States have been willing to let local

governments be created to handle local problems and operate very openly.

– But, there are problems with lack of voter participation and coordination among local governments. Add in competition for economic development and there may be problems that need to be dealt with.

Understanding State and Understanding State and Local GovernmentsLocal Governments

The Scope of Subnational Government– State and local governments are growing faster

than the national government.– Some states have sunset legislation that calls

for the reviewing of agencies to see if their programs are still needed.

– Some local governments are better able at policymaking than their states and have taken the lead in solving problems.

Internet ResourcesInternet Resources

Citizen Information Center Council of State Governments National Conference of State Legislatures National Center for State Courts National Governor’s Association U.S. Conference of Mayors Census Bureau Pew Center on the State