Poly Sci

Discuss the impact of term limits on both the legislative process and state elections.

"musical offices" Term limits may prevent a popular and liked official from staying in office. Allows more people to work in office. Term limits strengthen political parties while undermining leadership in the legislature. May make legislature harder to pass. Legislature takes a while to be accepted and new official being brought in may oppose them

Explain how SDSU has taken action contrary to California's master plan for higher education.

According to the masterplan the UC system is meant to be the research universities. SDSU which is a CSU is not meant to do research but does anyways. It also offers Doctoral degrees which according to the master plan a to be only awarded by UC schools

Describe Ehrenberg's proposals for increasing enrollment of low-income students at selective universities

1-The programs from universities such as University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and University of Virginia may succeed in increasing flow of applicants from low-income families. 2-Once admission officers are aware that higher numbers of enrollments of low-income students are a goal of the university, they are likely to take it into consideration in the admissions process. 3-Improved financial aid packages being offered to accepted low income student applicants, it may increase the possibility that these students will accept the university's offer of admission

Explain why Rivlin wants to more clearly divide responsibilities between states and the federal government.

A clearer demarcation of responsibilities between the federal and state levels could improve efficiency, accountability, and performance at both levels. The rising demand for many government programs will put enormous pressure on the federal budget. A clearer separation of responsibilities between the federal and state levels could improve efficiency, accountability, and performance at both levels. One or more common shared taxes could help raise additional revenues with less drag on economic growth

Define a "plural executive" and discuss its implications for gubernatorial power.

A plural executive is a system in which multiple executive officers are elected to be the leaders of the state. In California, the governor heads the executive branch and works with other elected executives such as the Lt. Governor, Attorney General etc. to implement the legislation passed by the state legislature. The gubernatorial powers in California are weakened because the authority of the executive is consolidated in multiple people. Since each executive is individually elected, this can create friction amongst the executives, given they can be from different political parties, or their different perspectives on particular issues

Describe the "test" that Pickerell and Chen propose for whether the federal government should have jurisdiction over a policy area

A three-part test for determining whether the federal government should assert preemptive jurisdiction over the policy: (1) whether policy experimentation and innovation has occurred and would help determine the substantive merits of the policy; (2) whether the policy preferences on the issue reflect a pattern of state and/or regional diversity; (3) whether state regulation would protect and/or enhance individual rights and liberties. Satisfaction of these three criteria creates a presumption of state authority over the policy, which the federal government must overcome by justifying federalization of the policy.

Explain how Syer wants to reform the California executive branch.

According to Syer he proposes unifying executive power in California based on testimony from the California Constitution Revision Commission. He proposes reducing the number of executives from 8 down to 4. In this system, both the governor and lt. governor are elected together on a two person ticket, and have the treasure, superintendent of public instruction, and insurance commissioner appointed by the governor rather than to be voted into office.

Describe the arguments regarding whether Medicaid should be an entitlement.

Arguments against health care as an entitlement: The classic "free market" argument Medicaid is inefficient --All government programs are inefficient --Cash subsidies would be more efficient than "in-kind" subsidies Medicaid distorts the market Medicaid subsidizes low-wage employers Arguments in favor of health care as an entitlement: The private sector will not provide adequate health care to low-income individuals The health care system does not operate as a free market Other Nations have proven that it in fact works.

Explain how implementing Medicaid block grants would alter how the program is funded and administered

Block grants would pressure the state government to spend their lump sum funding from the federal government efficiently. Block grants would mean that the health care system would be funded by federal government, meaning that block grants would be increasingly supervised by the federal government. It would also cause states to look for the cheapest options for health care service because they do not want to risk spending all the funding allotted to them by the federal government. Overall it would become a more federally monitored system, since the majority of funding comes originates from the federal government

Describe the reasons for K-12 education interdistrict funding disparities within states and the legal and political efforts to address these disparities

Disparities are caused by the use of property tax to fund education. Areas with more expensive houses generate more tax revenue. The result, well-off areas, which often have a lower number of economically challenged students, end up receiving more funds, while poor districts with more need for funding get less money. This fueled the debate about education, as some argued that federal control of education will result in more just distribution of funds, while others opposed it.

Describe the debate over whether citizen or professional legislatures are better.

For: May express the interests of the people more closely. Lives in the community. Less aptitude towards working the system. Against: May lack experience. No education in the matter May work on emotion and biases more. Professional For: Experienced with the trade. Knows how politics works. Studied the subject in law school. Against: Greater chance of being corrupt. Usually a small demographic of rich white men. Revolving door politics.

Describe the arguments for and against legislative districts with small populations.

For: More direct democracy, Closer to the people, personal politics, easier elections Against: Can get unqualified people in office

Describe the major sources of state revenue

Funding from the Federal Government/Intergovernmental Transfers Income Tax is the largest source of revenue in California. Sales Tax is relied heavily on in most states. States vary in what is exempted from sales tax.

Define "gerrymandering" and explain how it limits competition in legislative elections.

Gerrymandering is the process of systematically redrawing State district lines, to serve an interest group or political party. Mayors may do so to prevent competition in mayoral elections and pass legislature suiting their interests. By redrawing the district lines, this act is meant to carve out any opposition to the legislature's political affiliation. This effectively reduces opposition to whatever legislature is to be passed.

Explain how grants-in-aid influence state-federal relations.

Grants-in-aid are when the Federal Government provides money to a state and requires the state to comply with a specification or goal relating to a public project. Federal funding is sought out by states to alleviate the burden from the high costs required by projects. In order for the States to secure the funding, they must comply with the Federal Government's orders. If they do not follow, their funding could be severed or reduced. This makes States more loyal to the Federal Government when used.

Describe the political dynamics of the 2003 gubernatorial recall election in California

Gray Davis' public perception waned and people started to dislike him. At the same time, California's economy was crashing due to the energy crisis of 2001. Gray Davis entered office when this crisis had already been developing. People blamed him for not responding appropriately.

Explain why Rosenthal argues that the old saying that making laws is like making sausage is not accurate

He argues that they are not the same, in fact they are quite the opposite. The legislative process is accessible to all people through c-span coverage, unlike a sausage plant that maintains a strict closed door access. Also, in a sausage plant everyone works as one team to produce the same consistent product in the most efficient manner. Unlike the legislative process, there are competing interests and groups of people which creates friction and leads to an inefficient legislature

Describe the difference between a "professional" and "citizen" legislature.

In a professional legislature, legislature are given a full time base salary, and are in session a majority of the year. The professional legislature also are provided large staffs to help legislators understand policy and as well help them create introduce new policy. States like California use the professional legislature because of the large range of issues that directly affect Californians. In contrast a citizen legislature is much less professionalized with most legislators making a second income from another job. Their staffs are much smaller and are spend far less time in session compared to the professional legislature system

Explain why Schrag thinks California is worse off today than we were in the 1950s and 1960s.

In the 1950s and 1960s, California was viewed by many as the land of paradise, with booming economy that drew mass influx of immigrants from other states. During these periods, the state increased investment in public infrastructures such as flood control and water delivery systems, roads, and highways. However, after 1960s, due to disinvestment in public infrastructures, the conditions of California roads and public infrastructures ranked among the lowest in the nation. Moreover, the "three strikes" law ballooned prison populations and costs. After Prop 13 pass, which cap the property taxes to 1% of the property value while limiting the state and local governments to raise taxes, the state and local governments' revenue decreased precipitously, causing massive budget cuts and chronic budget deficit crises. State's spending on K-12 and higher education decreased, leading to ballooned class sizes and lower students' performance from its public schools. Meanwhile, tuitions and fees at colleges and universities went up dramatically, contrary to the intended goal of the state's master plan, which stipulated that students should pay no tuitions except for only moderate fees for noninstructional services. Although Prop 98 passed to guarantee the allocation of at least 40% of the state's General Fund to K-14 education, it left the legislature little room to maneuver when they tried to balance the state's budget, contributing to the state's frequent budget deficit crisis.

Describe how the U.S. Supreme Court changed their federalism jurisprudence starting in the 1990s

In the 1990s, the Supreme Court began revisiting the relationship between the state and federal government. Its decisions on cases like United States v. Lopez, a gun control case, and other cases seem to be part of a trend. The trend was seen as a shift towards federalism, and chipping away at congressional powers to protect state sovereignty.

Explain how Johnson wants to alter California's master plan for higher education and why

Johnson wants to alter CA's master plan for higher education by having new eligibility goals for the UC and CSU systems to gradually increase by 2025.1-Eligible high school graduates should go from the top 12.5% to the top 15% and for CSU, eligible high school graduates should go from the top 33.3% to the top 40%. 2-The Master Plan should set explicit goals for the transfer from the community colleges to UC and CSU. A target for bigger shares of bachelor degrees awarded to transfer students at both systems should be defined. 3-A new component of higher education policy focusing on outcomes-specifically completion rates should also be added to the Master plan. Johnson wants to do this in order to close the education skills gap.CA has lagged behind other states in college attendance and graduation. According to PPIC, (Public Policy Institute of California), they have identified a shortage of 1 million college educated workers in CA and by 2025, 41% of CA jobs will require at least a bachelor's degree.

Describe the reasons to federate according to Kincaid

Kincaid argues that there is currently a paradox of global integration and regional fragmentation occurring simultaneously. Federalism is needed because it promotes unity and a federal democracy. A common objective is to build a modern nation-state. To foster economic development through a common market. To protect the rights and liberties of its people through elected politicians by creating agreed upon laws and regulations by the constitutional makers. Giving up some freedoms for the protection by a military defense. closer to the people

Assess the effectiveness of the California Redistricting Commission (CRC)

Kogan and McGhee argue the CRC did an ok job no real independence of the Commission it didnt benefit both parties, favored democrats democrats had a lot of influence created compact districts majority minority districts created a few more competitive districts than were previously Created 8 more majority-Latino districts (6 Assembly, 1 Senate, 1 congress) Split fewer cities between districts Districts were a bit more compact Assembly districts were "nested" in Senate districts to a greater extent Created a few more competitive districts Increased odds of Democrats gaining a 2/3rds majority in state legislature Created a few more democratic seats in Congress

Describe "Medicaid maximization" and explain its significance for understanding how Medicaid operates.

Medicaid Maximization is the act of a state setting up their program to receive more Federal funding so that they won't have to spend as much of the State's budget on Medicaid. This is significant for understanding how it operates because it shows that States have great control in how the program operates and is set up. States recognize that the federal funding available through Medicaid allows them to finance health care for the poor with less of their own funds, and all states participate in the program. Reduce in-state expenditures on providing for the poor.

Explain who Medicaid covers and how it is funded.

Medicaid covers the poor, initially poor children( and their parents) and poor individuals who are elderly, blind, or disabled. (The ACA attempts to expand coverage to all low-income ) individuals.Medicaid is funded jointly, by both the state and Federal Governments. Depending on the wealth of a state the Federal government will pay between 50 to 77 percent of the cost for most medical bills.

Explain why most bills proposed in state legislatures do not get enacted into law

Most bills that introduced to the state legislature fail to turn into law due to the legislative process. Committees in the legislature can hold the bill, or can use their influence to stop the bill dead in committee. The amount of legislation being introduced to the state legislation, is also a reason why few bills are passed by the legislature. Most bills are do not carry enough support to become a bill, unless the issue will affect everyone. In which case, those types of bills will attract the most attention of the public and legislature

Explain the difference between open and closed primaries and discuss the political biases inherent in each.

Open and closed primaries are polls organized by political parties to pick candidates. Open primaries allow for any political affiliation to vote at that party's primary. This allows all political affiliations to get their vote in, producing more moderate candidates. Closed primaries only allow those affiliated and registered with the respective political orientation. They lead to more extreme candidates, far right or far left.

Explain what proposition 13 did and the budget problems caused by it.

Proposition 13 locked property tax at whatever the rate was when you bought the house. This caused a decrease local revenue over time because the amount that people paid for their house didn't increase as the price of their house did. This meant that states had to step in to help out the local governments. limited the ability for state govts to raise tax revenue. Hurt funding of public utilities and works.

Discuss the barriers to equitable access to health care for Medicaid-eligible populations, and how the Affordable Care Act attempts to address them, as discussed by Kunz and Atsas

Some Medicaid eligible populations face barriers that prevent them from being insured. One of those barriers is the financial strain states have faced in recent years due to the financial crashes and increased state deficit. To be able to pay these debts, the funding for these programs were drastically cut, reducing the number of people who could be insured under Medicaid. The affordable health care act will allow for more an expansion of funding state medical plans, and work to better the health of citizens on a community level through the development of community health centers to be able to administer health

Describe the legal standing of local governements vis-a-vis state and federal government.

The U.S. constitution give states all powers not specifically delegated to the federal government. Local governments, on the other hand, are "creatures of the state" and thus have no autonomy based on Dillon's Rule. Local could have official powers if these powers are enshrined in the state constitution. So federally, they are an extension of the state, but on the state level, local governments could have real powers if the state's constitution grants such powers. Many states allow "home rule" provisions.

Define a "line item veto" and explain why it is a source of power for governors vis-à-vis legislators

The line item veto allows the governor of the state to veto only certain sections of legislation, as opposed to vetoing the entire bill. If there are sections of the bill the governor does not agree with, such as spending, he can simply veto them. This power can give the governor a better platform from where to negotiate with legislators. Through the line item veto, legislators are often forced to work more favorably with the governor or risk losing funding for district projects.

Describe the advantages and disadvantages of the top-two primary.

The top-two primary system allows for the selection of candidates regardless of political affiliation. Top-two primaries do not take into account party alignment and only runs on votes. Advantages: An advantage of this is that a more diverse list of candidates may enter the race, not just those who are chosen by the Democrats or Republicans. Along with that, anyone can be placed on the list by paying a fee or collecting enough signatures. Disadvantages: Contrary to the greater selection of candidates, the two-party system has made it almost impossible for third parties to get on the ballot. These smaller parties can no longer get on the ballot unless they land in first or second place. No longer did they have to maintain only a 2% vote to be on the ballot, they must now directly compete with larger parties. This means greater cost and impossible odds.

Explain how states vary in the financing of higher education.

There are four models for higher education. The first High tuition and low financial aid. This is justified because higher education is a commodity and since it benefits the students should pay for it. The second is high tuition and high financial aid. This is justified because students who can afford to go should pay and those who cant should still have the opportunity to go. The third model is low tuition and low financial aid. this model is based off the fact that higher education is a social good but that students should have a bit of skin in the game. the last model is low tuition and high financial aid. This model makes it so that low income individuals can go for free and that high income doesn't have to pay a large sum.

Explain why state legislative elections are not very competitive.

There is a huge incumbancy advantage, along with name recognition. Vast majority of voters only vote in non-competitive elections

Describe the role that Greer and Jacobson believe states should play in health care reform

They argue that state should be less involved in the financing of health insurance, and defer to the federal government to lead the health care implementation. To fully reform the health system, there must be changes made on a federal level thus creating a more uniformed policy to all states. They also say if the federal government fails to implement a health care access for all, the possibility of a state being able to do the same is not as likely. To be able to successfully introduce a health care program for the country, the federal government is the only entity that possess the power to make the changes needed.

Summarize Kousser and Phillips's argument regarding the amount of positive and negative power that line-item vetoes confer on governors

They say that line item veto can be used as a negative power by governors because it gives them the power to cut spending that they oppose. It also prevents him from actually advancing any sort of policies or projects that the governor would like to see passed or enacted by the legislature. In contrast they explain that line item veto can be used as a positive power to advance the governors agenda. Governors' can exchange his line item veto power in exchange for guaranteed support on his executive priorities, thus legislators can secure funding district projects

Explain how California got into a budget crisis in the early 2000s and what it did to try to get out of it

This crisis was the result of California deregulating the Electrical generation industry. Being completely privatized, the energy companies sought to manipulate markets in order to generate more income. Many illegal acts such as pipeline shutdowns, energy laundering, and frozen prices on electricity led to great outcry from the public. There were many rolling blackouts which affected millions of people in the Western United States. To get out of it, Gray Davis before he left office, pushed for streamlined applications for new power plants. This resulted in 38 new power plants to supply power to the masses

Explain the difference between a progressive, regressive, and flat (proportional) tax.

With progressive taxes wealthier individuals pay a higher percentage of the tax. With flat taxes all income brackets pay the same percentage. with regressive taxes wealthier individuals pay a lower percentage of their income