POLS 207 Exam 2

Describe the role and the mechanism of Dillon's Rule then and today.

"Dillon's Rule" stated that local governments are creations of state and must comply with state statutes. The Dillon Rule today is the principal that local government only exercises (1) powers expressly granted by the state, (2) powers necessarily and fairly implied from the grant of power, and (3) powers crucial to the existence of local government. Dillion's rule in the past meant that a sub state government may engage in an activity only if it is specifically sanctioned by the state government. Today, 39 states employ Dillon's Rule to define the power of local governments.

Describe how tax shifting occurs and why it is used.

"Tax shifting" gains revenue for a state or locality by taxing people or entities outside of that state/locality. Bryan and College Station do this through things like hotels being expensively priced to stay there. Tax shifting is used because it shifts tax burdens on folks outside of your community or state (hotels).

In the Overview section, the staff of the Legislative Budget Board stated in 2014 that many other states get more federal grant money per capita (of the types included in this report) than Texas. In fact, we were ranked 36th on that list at that time. That may make it sound like we got a LOT less money than most other states, but the report also provides some perspective that might calm our outrage a bit. What was the difference between the per capita average and the per capita amount that Texas received?

$116

Compare and contrast %VAP, %VEP, and %Registered as measures of voter turnout with respect to size, accuracy, advantages, and disadvantages.

% VEP = ballots/(adults > 18yo) - ineligibles Many felons (rules vary), all non-citizens More accurate # with respect to the turnout % VAP = ballots/adults > 18yo The difference between the 2 is the denominator!

List the types and frequency of different levels of governments in the U.S.

- 1 federal government - 50 state governments - 90,000 local governments

Chapter 6 Summary

1. Americans have numerous opportunities to participate in their governments, but few do anything more than vote. Very few are politically involved. 2. Only in some presidential elections and in some gubernatorial elections in presidential election years do more than half of Americans even bother to vote. 3. Approximately half of the states allow citizens to make policy decisions through initiative and referendum processes. Large proportions of election participants vote in the contests for office at the top of ballots and skip the policy elections at the bottom. 4. Comparing turnout for our national elections with turnouts in other countries finds us to be poor participants. Several differences account for this low turnout. These are lack of political party/social class cleavages, voter registration procedures, and non-compulsory voting and voter exhaustion. 5. As a broad generalization, turnout is lowest in local elections, highest in presidential election year contests, and in the middle for state off year elections. 6. Turnout in state elections is no longer related to competitive elections or close division of office holders between parties. Turnout is most strongly related to some demographic characteristics of residents, to high school completion and to voter registration. 7. There is some evidence linking higher and lower turnout levels across the states in a given election with results of state policy elections. At the state and local levels, turnout that is lower than the historical norm from many elections is related to higher passage rates for proposals to borrow and spend.

Chapter 4 Summary

1. Changes in society have resulted in different expectations of how government is to help us and to shape what we do. Many of our ideas about government date from periods when government acted differently than it does today. At least some elements of political conventional wisdom are obsolete. 2. Major changes in the way Americans live have resulted in government at all levels becoming more active and more centralized. 3. Government programs attempt to solve problems and meet needs. Popular programs are not always effective and vice versa. 4. There is ongoing conflict over political power and government benefits. There is no guarantee that government will always seek the greatest good for the greatest number 5. Constitutions have changed as ideas about government have changed.

List three reasons that some advocate for states to take less money from the federal government

1. No magical source of federal funds 2. Grants spur wasteful spending 3. Aid allocation (distribution) doesn't match any consistent idea of need ----------------- 4. Grants reduce state policy diversity 5. Grant regulations breed bureaucracy 6. Grants cause policy overload 7. Grants make government responsibilities unclear 8. Common problems are not necessarily national priorities

Chapter 5 Summary

1. When asked, Americans give ambivalent and conflicting answers about taxes in general and income taxes in particular. We want changes to simplify and close loopholes, but we do not want to give up current tax breaks. 2. The principle of user pay works well in the private sector. Governments employ both user pay and ability-to-pay systems to generate revenue. 3. Tax burdens involve both tax rates and tax bases. Almost all advantages are in the details of what is and is not subject to taxation, tax bases. 4. State and local governments tax income, consumption and property wealth. State systems vary greatly in mix, rates and incidences. 5. Tax revenue structures have implications for whether the higher or lower income taxpayers have higher tax burdens. Progressive tax incidence results only, but not necessarily, from income taxes with progressive rates. Income taxes do not always result in larger tax burdens for higher income taxpayers. 6. State and local tax incidences have become more regressive since 1995. In 2015, state and local government tax incidences in all states are regressive. 7. The burden of all government taxes is progressive for those with the lowest 80% of incomes. There is little or no additional progressiveness in total tax incidence for the highest 20% of incomes. 8. Budgeting is incremental in two senses: decision makers contemplate a limited number of alternatives, and budgets usually change slowly over time

Describe the changes in total revenue and funds available for budgeting during the bienniums from 2012 to 2021.

119.1 billion expected to be budgeted in 2021, which is only 112.2 billion in 2017 dollars. It continues to increasing. However, we need to consider inflation because in 2021 we technically made less than in 2017 ($113 Billion) due to inflation.

Public schools in Texas are funded in part by state revenues and in part by local revenues. The article points out that the current budget has the state contributing over $1 billion less than they did in the last biennium. This means that the local school boards and districts will have contribute more than they did previously if they just want to keep their school budgets the same as the previous 2 years, without any increases. However, there are at least 2 factors that will necessitate significant increases in the average school's budget. The first is that inflation will drive up the cost of supplies, fuel, utilities, and other necessities. The second is that Texas schools are expected to add _______ students over the next 2 years.

160,000 (80,000/year)

Explain the composition of state & local revenue sources in 2009, then again in 2013, and explain the differences.

2009: State and local taxes = 51%; Other state and local sources = 24%; Federal support = 25% 2013: State and local taxes = 17%; Other state and local sources = 40%; Federal support = 43% Great recession of 2008 only impacted 2013 revenue sources so federal support increased.

This article comes from one of the very well respected fact-checking groups, Politifact. When Governor Abbott's longstanding support for the prevalence of voter fraud was directly challenged by President Obama during a visit to Austin, the governor responded strongly. When Governor Abbott used the adjective "rampant," this triggered many different media outlets to search for supporting evidence. When Politifact went knocking on doors in the state government for supporting facts behind the governor's statement, the governor chose not to reply, but the state attorney general's office provided some numbers on voter fraud cases. Politifact also found some data in a Heritage Foundation report, one that should be favorable to the governor's position since it is a very conservative policy think tank. What was the approximate total number of recent cases between these two sources?

30 ...and the cases from the Attorney General's office weren't necessarily convictions. They were cases that had been turned over to local prosecutors, who would then determine whether sufficient evident existed to prosecute these individuals.

In Figure 8: Top 100 Federal Funding Sources FY2014, Medicaid is by far the largest grant on the list, coming in at $22 billion. However, you can see that looking at these grants individually doesn't always provide the best picture. In the top 20 grants listed, how many of them help pay for transportation-related projects in Texas?

4

Describe what voter registration drives are and can and cannot do.

According to Ballotpedia: A voter registration drive is defined as the distribution and collection of voter registration applications by two or more persons for delivery to a county clerk and recorder. It is a coordinate, purposeful project to solicit people to sign up as registered voters who are not already registered to vote. Voter registration drives can involve hiring paid registration solicitors to ask people in targeted areas to register to vote. Each state has different rules governing how voter registration drives can be conducted. In fact, some states do not allow the practice at all. Nevertheless, community voter registration drives continue to increase the number of eligible Americans to vote. But, in recent years, state legislatures have attempted to make it harder for voter registration drives to operate. More than half of the states have some laws governing community-based voter registration drives.

Define public and private goods in terms of rivaling and excludability, then explain what that means.

All public goods are non-excludable and non-rivaling - everybody can use without denying to others. Some public goods are merit goods. All private goods are excludable and rivaling - only those who pay gets the goods.

Describe a "zero-sum" game as it applies to taxes and why it is hard to generate interest in addressing tax-related problems for the non-winners in a society.

Always a zero-sum game. No services exist without someone paying the bill. Want to increase services? Bill must increase too! Limited redistribution of wealth is built into the system. But equality and other social objectives are expensive! - rarely funded at promised levels. Always a high level of politician and citizen disinterest in these realities as long as they are winning! Self-interest always in play, generosity runs out quickly.

Characterize the "Municipal Government" period, how American had changed, and how that altered governments' functions.

America's cities swelled as nation was fundamentally changed. Industrial revolution: factories required huge amounts of labor. Immigration: Large influx of immigrants came from Europe. Urbanization: Bulk of population began shifting to cities; led to new large-scale problems arising from congestion. Ballooning city populations demanded large-scale services: water, sewage, waste, crime, health and building codes, mass education. Nasty results were piles of putrid garbage, unsafe streets, epidemics, unassimilated immigrants. Municipal governments grew in power and scope to provide solutions... but so did corruption! Political corruption became rampant in almost every major city. Municipal leaders built networks to build and retain power; called themselves "political machines" due to size and effectiveness. Boss-led "Machines" fed on patronage, bribes, graft. "Ward heelers" secured votes in local neighborhoods. Drew most power from those in great need: immigrants! Not all bad news, though - good things were emerging. Elections were most strongly attended in US history. Organizations became critical to winning of elections. New ideas arose about the relationship of government and citizens. Government's job should be to work for public interest. Government leaders should uphold public trust.

"Municipal Government" Period (1850 to 1895)

America's cities swelled in factories, immigrants, and urbanization as the nation was fundamentally changed, the ballooning city populations demanded large-scale services (water, sewage, waste, crime, health and building codes, mass education), and political corruption became rampant in almost every major city. But, not all bad news, though - good things were emerging like strongly attended elections and new ideas about the government and its citizens.

Characterize the base, rate, incidence, and revenue predictability of income tax.

Base: Personal or corporate income subject to taxation. Can be much lower than the total income. Lowered by exemptions, deductions, etc. Rate: Progressive. With a single person often paying a bracket of rates (...remember the Vlog video?) Incidence: Widely accepted as progressive, although not nearly as progressive as some think it should be. Revenue predictability: Moderate (not super stable but not volatile)

Characterize the base, rate, incidence, and revenue predictability of property tax. List the recipients of this tax revenue in Brazos County and compare their associated mil rates.

Base: Property subject to taxation Rate: Flat (fixed). Local funding for public education is completely dependent on property tax... Incidence: Regressive Revenue predictability: High (property tax takes a while for somebody to lose their home or get foreclosed on)

Characterize the base, rate, incidence, and revenue predictability of sales tax.

Base: Sales subject to taxation (varies by state) Rate: Fixed Incidence: Regressive (people with lower income spend higher %) Revenue predictability: Low (ex: you can't predict the oil cycle)

Characterize why and how the national government took on the roles of guardian and protector during this period.

Because of the reasons from #4 above, the national government stepped up to take on the role of guardian and protector. The national government provided income for the elderly and disabled, put American labor back to work, ensured quality education, civil rights, a clean environment, etc., and defended against existential threats of Axis Powers, Communism, nuclear annihilation, etc..

Explain when state and local governments can and do go into debt and why this is associated with issues of equity. Illustrate these concepts using the example of a public parking garage and "pay as you go" and "pay as you use" approaches to funding the parking garage.

Because they can get assets quicker. When you borrow you go from pay as you go to pay as you use. All governments borrow money. Even states do this (their "balanced budget" requirements apply only to operating funds). Average state debt load is 8% of budget. Debt used to purchase capital goods, NOT for operating funds. Businesses do the same! Expected, routine business practice to keep cash on hand while also investing in the future. Interest paid on loans is viewed as a minor investment to achieve a long-term payout from a new factory, modernized equipment, etc. Borrowing shifts costs from "pay as you go" to "pay as you use" "Pay as You Go": New building funded by current revenues (paid cash) All bills paid before building opens Result: Some pay, but do not get. Others get, but do not pay! (It takes them 4 years to build it because they have to collect the money. Some pay but don't get. Others get but don't pay.) "Pay as You Use": New building funded by bonds sold with 40-year term (construction funded by long-term loans) Result: Those who get, pay... And those who pay, get! (Less time to build, payments start to be due once the garage is starting to open. Many more people pay for it over the long period of time. Those who get, pay. And those who pay, get.)

Characterize the timeline and nature of Voter ID laws in the US in 2012.

Before 2011, only Georgia and Indiana required voters to show photo IDs. By 2012 election, not all states had laws but about half did. Much of the south had either strict photo standard (Texas) or photo with exception, more middle and northern states had non photo ID. Note that not all "Voter ID Laws" are created equal!

Explain why the relationships in #13 are likely not as robust and clear as democratic theory would predict. Discuss how this argues for greater voter participation, not less.

Biased outcomes should be expected when turnout is low. As long as voters are unlike non-voters. No clear, consistent evidence of causal linkages between turnout and quality of representation, responsiveness, or policy. One likely reason: turnout is too low for voting to operate more like we expect it should! Likely to remain this way until citizen participation in elections increases. Presence and consequences of biased voters are clearly established facts.

Describe how state tax burdens in 2010 varied when comparing families with low incomes to those with high incomes. Explain the meaning and rationale behind this pattern.

Bulk of the states are placing burden more highly on families with lower income, and Texas is one of the lower in this graph. Vast majority of states place higher burden on low incomes.

Describe the concept of capital goods and provide examples, then discuss what and why questions of equity are associated with capital goods.

Capital goods are goods used by one business to help another business produce consumer goods. Consumer goods are used by consumers and have no future productive use. Capital goods include items like buildings, machinery, and tools. Examples of consumer goods include food, appliances, clothing, and automobiles. Equity asks: Do residents get the benefit from what they paid for? Did residents pay for the benefit they are now getting? Equity is often an issue because capital goods have useful lifespans of many years. Ex: Streets, fire engines, parks, etc. So is it equitable if...? Citizens relocate, some are born, others die while capital good is in service? Some helped pay, but will not use? Some will use, but did not help pay?

Explain how government budgets are highly accurate policy statements.

Comparing budgetary policy is an important way to measure political differences between states." Follow the money" to learn the actual priorities of any government The Budget Policy Statement (BPS) is a Government policy document that sets out the broad strategic priorities and policy goals to guide the National Government and the County Governments in preparing their budgets for the subsequent financial year and over the medium terin. Budget policies are typically adopted to clarify the budget process. Operating budget policies address roles and responsibilities of the budget process, timelines, definitions of a balanced budget, and budget controls such as fund balance levels.

Explain the complicated relationships between voter turnout and population characteristics that would usually be expected to influence whether voters participate. Also, do the same for the complicated relationships between voter turnout and the policy outcomes that might be driven by voter turnout.

Conservative Ideology (voting eligible) Moderate and Liberal Ideology (Voting eligible) Median age of population (Voting age and voting eligible) College degree (Voting eligible) Percent Anglo population (Voting age and voting eligible) Percent African American population (Voting age and voting eligible) Percent Hispanic of Latino population (Voting age)

Draw and explain the profiles from 1950-2010 of the 3 largest sources of federal tax revenue.

Consistently about 40% Individual Income Tax Starts off about 25% Corporate Income Tax, but decreases to about 5% Starts off about 10% Payroll Taxes, then increases to about 40%

State the Shelby County v. Holder decision, its impact on the VRA, and the likely problems that would soon arise according to Justice Ginsburg's dissenting opinion.

Court found that the Section 4 infringed State's rights under the 10th Amendment and doctrine of equal treatment of states o Law required all ad any changes to voting laws by "covered states" be submitted for federal review o "Non-covered states" could make same voting law changes without pre-clearance; if feds sued, these states would still not be as disadvantaged as a "covered state" (a state on the preclearance list) o Congress "has ignored progress made" by covered states

Discuss the possibility and probability of Congress passing a new VRA with a revised Section 4.

Court stated Congress may draft a new coverage formula (a new Section 4) based on current conditions o Permission and practicality are very different things - highly unlikely that revised Section 4 will ever happen Justice Ginsburg authored the dissenting opinion The dissent argued there were two reasons to leave the law in place, unchanged: o 1. "...facilitate completion of impressive gains thus far made" o 2. "...would guard against back sliding" The dissent also pointed to the separation of powers as sufficient reason for the Court to let the law stand o Congress has sweeping powers under the Constitution to oversee voting rights o "Overwhelming support" in both Houses reauthorized this law o Therefore, the Court should defer to Congress here Finally, the dissenting opinion challenged the majority's logic o "The sad irony of today's decision lies in its utter failure to grasp why the VRA has proven effective... o "The Court appears to believe that the VRA's success in eliminating the specific devices extant in 1965 means that preclearance is no longer needed... o With that belief, and the argument derived from it, history repeats itself."

List the reforms that were successful in taming the political machine beasts and describe how they were effective.

Created "Dillon's Rule," which stated that local governments are creations of state and must comply with state statutes. Instituted non-partisan city elections, meaning that no parties were listed on ballots. Placed all municipal hires under civil service: merit vs. loyalty. Separated school districts from municipal governments - created independent school districts (ISD).

Characterize the difference between federal government debt and that of states and localities. Explain how evidence of state and local debt can be found in their governmental budgets.

Debt always explicitly linked to capital projects they are funding. Unlike federal government. Capital budget is separate from operating budget: Financed through borrowing, not other revenue. Excluded from "balanced budget". Evidence of borrowing does appear in operating budget. Usually labeled as "debt service".

The lower revenue projection for the 2018-2019 biennium is explained as being exacerbated by a decision made by the previous legislature to "earmark" (definition here (Links to an external site.)) an amount of sales tax revenue each biennium to help pay for roads and other transportation projects. This amount is expected to be $4.71 billion this biennium. In which category of the "Projected Revenue" charts (with all of the boxes and lines) that we discussed extensively in lecture will this earmark fall?

Dedicated Revenue Yes. "Dedicated Revenue" does not only include Federal monies, but also all state revenues that Texas law requires be spent in particular ways.

Explain what GDP does and does not measure.

Does not measure wealth because it fails to account for inequality. GDP is the commonly used measure of the size, health, and power of the economy of a nation (and sometimes a state) that is measured annually. Gross = everything, all-encompassing Domestic = not international Product = goods and services created/provided in a specific year

Explain the purpose of the Rainy Day Fund and how it is funded.

ESF = Economic Stabilization Fund (or "Rainy Day Fund") Reserve for ESF comes from General revenue ($0.90) Economic stabilization funded by General revenue set aside for emergencies.

Describe the general breakdown of average state and local government expenditures: the largest components, the breath of categories.

Education is 25% - not a federal responsibly but a state and local one. Social Services and Income maintenance is 23% - a social safety net for people struggling. Left side, see all the variety and things the state and local government do. Education (26%), Social services (23%), Insurance trust (11%), Transportation (9%), Environment & Housing (8%)

Explain what ITEP says about the fairness of state tax systems overall and about the Terrible 10.

Effective Tax Rate = Tax Burden Virtually, every state tax system is fundamentally unfair. The absence of a graduated personal income tax and overreliance on consumption taxes exacerbate this problem. The lower one's income, the higher one's overall effective state and local tax rate The 10 states with the most regressive tax structures (the Terrible 10) In the 10 states with the most regressive tax structures, the bottom 20% pay up to 7x as much of their income in taxes as their wealthy counterparts

Explain the different advantages of having multiple levels of government and provide examples.

Efficiency- Tailored to local need. Ex: One city may focus of needing/wanting new roads while another city needs/wants better parks. Equity- Those who pay also benefit. Ex: We don't want to pay for icy roads if we don't get snow, meaning if it isn't happening to us then we don't want to pay for it. Participation- Local decisions affecting local decision makers. Ex: You can be involved and can implicate change by running for simple local politic roles such as school board members or city council, or even voting for who you want to be in your local government. Protection against tyranny- Difficult to usurp power from dispersed power center. Ex: Let's say someone invaded our country and tries to "take control" over our government. Well, they really can't do that because our power is diffused down into smaller government such as state and local. Choice- Relocation can resolve conflicts with previous state/local governance. Ex: If you don't like the choices that are being made in the state and local government of where you live, then you can pack up and move anywhere else in the U.S.

Characterize the degree of success that Texas state comptrollers have making successful estimates of tax revenues across the years. Explain the risks associated with estimates that are significantly too high or too low.

Estimates have to be very close. Good to have more than you expected, however it's bad if you underestimate tax revenue by a lot because that means you could've spent a lot more money.

Describe the relationship between the U.S. Bill of Rights and the bills of rights in state constitutions, both in their nature and their specific content.

Existence of the Bill of Rights in state constitutions was original justification for the absence of the bill of rights in the main body of the U.S. Constitution, which has since added one as amendments. No state may deny a right given in the U.S. Constitution, due to that document's supremacy clause. However, states may specify additional rights that are not included in the U.S. Constitution (Ex: adding "disability" as a protected category in addition to gender and race. This category appears in federal law, but not in the U.S. Constitution).

Explain the basis for disagreements about the divisions between state and national government responsibilities and powers.

Federalism points to a method of allocation of powers between top and lower-level governments. American federalism assigns governmental powers to one or both of the State or National levels. Federal law is asserted as supreme over state law. Differences in constitutional interpretation still leaves a lot of room for debate about correct power allocation. States regularly contest federal supremacy claims, especially in areas of power traditionally held by states.

Characterize the total expenditures by state and local governments and by the federal government from 1930-2011 and how this supports the idea of a Federal Government period.

From 1930-2011, the majority or about 2/3 of expenditures were paid by Federal. Only about 1/3 or less of expenditures were paid by State and Local From their Own Sources. This supports the idea of a Federal Government Period because the government began to take control to get us out of the great depression and stuff, so the Feds started to spend way more money and the states were spending more Fed money, and a lot of federal taxation and federal spending was in place.

Describe how the final estimate of funds available to the legislature for budgeting is determined, starting with the General Revenue amount.

General Revenue Funds Available for Certification ($72.20) Subtract the amount of ESF Reserve/rainy day fund and previous year overrun/shortfall from the General revenue.

Describe the particulars at issue in Alabama that formed the basis for Shelby County v. Holder.

Had a history of repeatedly discriminating to prevent people from electing someone of their own choice.

Explain the relationship between state constitutional laws, statutory laws, and local ordinances.

Hierarchy ranking: 1. Constitutional laws 2. Statutory laws 3. Local ordinances

Describe the US Constitution's protection of any citizen's right to vote.

Historical, now-denounced tactics: White primaries; Poll taxes and other barriers. Current, controversial procedures: Registration limitations/barriers; Voter ID requirements; Whether you can register online, on paper, if there's a certain early date you must vote by, etc.

Characterize how and why different states use different type of taxes and weight them differently than other states.

If taxes are higher or lower than most states in one tax field, then they are getting their money from another field. For example, Texas doesn't have income tax, which is the highest percentage and source of money for most other states. Since it is in Texas' Constitution to not have state income tax, we make up for it by paying higher taxes in other areas that other states pay a small percentage in, like sales or property tax.

Describe the role of Texas in Shelby County v. Holder and how what actions the state government took immediately afterwards.

Immediately moved to enact two voting-related laws still pending preclearance with Federal government o Voter ID Law o Redistricting Plan No additional state action required to implement TX voter registration changes - had not yet been challenged by the Federal government.

Explain the reasons that many southern states have rewritten their constitutions more often than other states.

In 1861, Texas' and the southern states' secession from the U.S. did a global find-and-replace of "Confederate" for "United" in front of "States of America" In 864-1865 Texas and the southern states lost the "war against the states" and had to reverse the changes made in 1861. In 1867-1868 reconstruction was enforced. Enacted new documents required by Congress in post-slavery, Union-dominated post-war era. In 1874-1902 white power returned. North had lost interest in safeguarding rights in post-slavery South. Whites reshuffled their constitutional decks to return them to their positions of power and prestige and keep them there. Texas is on its 8th constitution, ratified in 1876.

List the common problems that often exist in arguments for or against Voter ID laws.

Incomplete information and omission of context Appeals to fear and gross exaggerations Dismissal of concerns about ulterior motives Labeling and asserting instead of respecting and discussing

Explain the tension between increasing election security via Voter ID laws and efforts to encourage more citizens to exercise their right to vote.

Increasing election security via voter ID laws/the more serious attack on ballot integrity has been discounting millions of ballots. The ballots are lost or people are just scared to vote or don't want to because of the laws.

Explain the reasons why claims of voter fraud are often not found to be factual.

It is important to protect the integrity of our elections. But we must be careful not to undermine free and fair access to the ballot in the name of preventing phantom voter fraud. Falsely claimed the 2016 and 2018 elections were marred by millions of people voting illegally. However, extensive research reveals that fraud is very rare Demonstrated that most allegations of fraud turn out to be baseless and that most of the few remaining allegations reveal irregularities and other forms of election misconduct. Numerous other studies, including one commissioned by the Trump administration, have reached the same conclusion.

Describe the variation among the states (with Texas) in dependency on state income tax.

It is standard for states to have income tax States like Oregon, Colorado, and New York are dependent on income tax Texas and a handful of others have no income tax

Describe how the time period in which the Texas Constitution was written and Texas conservativism have shaped the document.

It reflects the times when it was written because it is a reaction to the carpetbag rule, strongly conservative, and agrarian in interest. It contains a lot of "deadwood." This is unenforceable provisions that conflict with the U.S. constitution (...remember the "no religious test as long as you believe in God" in the Texas Bill of Rights?) It is a very long and very poorly organized document. 2nd longest in the U.S.; difficult to read and interpret. Contains many details of policy and governmental organization to avoid abuse of governmental powers and protect various private interests.

Describe how different voter turnout measures can be accidentally or intentionally confusing and used to misrepresent changes in turnout over time.

Know the composition of each measure and which measure is being used Turnout statistics vary by definition (denominator is key- smaller % when the denominator is larger). Popular media and politicians can and do inflate "turnout" by using "registered voters" as denominator (vs. VAP or VEP). Can also deflate "turnout" by using VAP or VEP! Don't just always use "registered voters" and be done with it because problems with between-state comparisons (laws controlling registration processes are state-specific and can vary a lot) and voter registration rolls are sometimes bloated with previous voters who are now dead, or have moved out of a precinct or state, etc.

Explain the purposes of a constitution.

Legitimacy (origin of power) Organizing government Allocating power in government Limiting governmental power (establishes boundaries, both internal and external) - Same purpose of constitution at both state and federal levels.

Describe the variation among the states (with Texas) in their combined state-local dependency on property tax.

Local funding in Texas is very dependent on property tax. Texas has among the highest dependency on property tax.

Discuss Texas voter turnout for state constitutional amendment elections from 1993 to 2011 and the pattern that largely exists between turnout and approval rate.

Lower turnout is typically related to success in passing amendments. The more amendments approved to be passed, the lower the turnout rate will be. 2011 was an exception.

The article mentions that in the most recent session the legislature "backfilled some expenses," which means they had some bills that hadn't been paid by their previous budget. Sometimes this happens accidentally, and sometimes on purpose. For which category of funding does the legislature already recognize that their budgeted funding will likely be at least $1 billion short, requiring them to again use future money to pay off past bills?

Medicaid

Describe the positions of the Presidential candidates on Voter ID laws during the 2012 and 2016 elections.

Mitt Romney was for Voter ID Laws. Barack Obama was against Voter ID Laws. (Hillary Clinton, Johnson, and Stein)

"No-Government" Period (1776 to 1850)

Most Americans lived in rural, agrarian settings, county officials were faces of "government", and "Best government was least government" was common attitude.

Characterize the "No Government" period, what America was like at the time, and how this period differs from today's conservative slogan: "The least government is the best government."

Most Americans lived in rural, agrarian settings. Very dispersed population, relatively few interactions. Daily life was centered on self-dependence. Citizens rarely encountered government directly - it was as if there was no government much of the time. County officials were faces of "government". Performed very traditional roles. Recorded property ownership, protected property." Best government was least government" was common attitude. Expression of desire to keep things as they were - something that could not and would not happen. Back then, they wanted absolutely no governmental control and the laws and rules that go with that control. Today, it means that we need and want government, but the government should not intervene any more than is absolutely necessary.

Characterize the range and types of political participation in the US. List the types that are most and least frequent.

Most Frequent 50% - Voting 35% - Talking about politics 33% - Joining civic or political organizations 25% - Attending public meetings 20% - Communicating with representatives 13% - Contributing resources 5% - Campaigning <5% - Initiating and repealing laws (in some states, localities) Initiative and referendum <1% - Seeking public office Least Frequent

Describe the patterns that exist on a 50-state heat map ranking states by their amount of per capita debt.

Most populated states have higher amounts of debt per capita.

Describe the pattern of changes between the incidence of tax systems in each state between 1995 and 2010.

Most states have become more regressive since 1995.

Describe the variation among the states (with Texas) in their dependency on state sales tax.

Most states have sales taxes. In Texas it is our most profitable tax because we don't have income tax. No geographic pattern.

Describe what New Federalists wanted to change starting with the Reagan administration. Explain why this was or was not successful.

New Federalism was an attempt to reset allocations to better favor states based on: 1). Decisions - individuals and businesses make better choices than governments, but if a government must make them keep the decisions as close to home as possible (state/local ones make better decisions than federal) 2). Size of Government - Less is better than more New Federalists expected large transfers of federal power back to states. Some transfers did occur, but not as many as expected. States realized that with responsibilities came new bills and thus the need for new taxes. The New Federalism of the Reagan administration sought to cut federal underwriting to domestic programs. States had the choice of either paying for or abandoning programs. New Federalism was to include 1). devolution of power from federal to state and local government, 2). massive deregulation to transfer power from government to the private sector and 3). tax cuts to transfer power from government to citizens. Other important goals included 4). decreasing federal spending and 5). changing the annual federal deficit to an annual surplus. This was successful.

Explain why normative language is often used when commenting about taxes and how this can obscure empirical facts related to taxes.

Normative language prevails when debating taxes - accurate math is an afterthought! Normative means "what should be": this is right, or that is wrong! ... this is too much, or that is too little. After all, taxes are all about priorities .Comparisons (right, wrong, high, low) because details are too hard to know. But absence of empirical analysis can create illogical conclusions. Polls of citizens: Taxes too high, but services too low or just right. (Taxes are too high but government needs to do more for us - want to pay less but get more benefits). This erroneous equality exists at federal state and local levels (...and the math just doesn't add up).

Explain why voter advocacy groups already considered the Texas voter registration laws "harsh" prior to the new changes.

Only 16 other states have a 30-days-before-the-election deadline for registration like Texas (15 states and D.C. permit registration on election day). Does not have automatic voter registration (18-year-olds must opt-out to not register) Does not have online voter registration.

"State-Intercity Government" Period (1895 to 1932)

Opens with political corruption still rooted in cities, state governments subsequently acted to impose changes (Dillion's rule, etc.), and party machines decline in power - most will die, but at different rates of speed.

Which statement below about revenue and budgeting is true?

Over the past 10 years, about $1000 per student in educational costs has been shifted from the state budget to the local taxpayers

Explain the term a state's "own revenue" or "revenue from own sources" and how that broke out into key components in 2009.

Own revenue is made up of several own sources/components. In 2009, State government own revenue made up 75%. Employment Trust Funds made up 6%, Property Tax made up 1%, Sales Tax made up 32%, Fees and Licenses made up 35%, and Income Tax made up 26% (income tax is missing in Texas and a handful of other states and is made up through sales tax and property tax)

Discuss the various ways that Texas laws enforce fiscal (budgetary) discipline on government spending.

Pay as you go (...except where borrowing is authorized): Total appropriations for government operations can't exceed biennial revenue estimate made by state comptroller. Growth limits on some appropriations: Just because there is "extra" revenue doesn't mean it can be spent on just anything. Welfare spending limit: "Shall not exceed 1% of state budget in any biennium" Debt limits: New debt can't exceed 5% of annual amount in that capital fund for previous 3 years Income tax outlawed in 2019: Initially made very difficult to institute in 1993. However, ALL borrowing is not against the rules for state and local governments. In fact, they do it very strategically...

"Federal Government" Period (1932 to 1981)

Period opened with America dropping odd economic cliff into Great Depression and World War II and then the Cold War would follow on its heels (existential Threats to the U.S.), the Federal government took on roles of "guardian" and "protector" in ways never before needed or seen, Feds imposed national standards - exercised supremacy over state laws in new ways, and Federal taxation and federal spending gave the Feds the tools they needed to move into areas where States had previously exercised sole jurisdiction.

Describe the role of political machines during this period and how they both abused and inspired the fundamentals of democracy.

Political machine is a party organization, headed by a single boss or small autocratic group, that commands enough votes to maintain political and administrative control of a city, county, or state. It works to win elections so that it can get power. Municipal leaders built networks to build and retain power; called themselves "political machines" due to size and effectiveness. Boss-led "Machines" fed on patronage, bribes, graft. Drew most power from those in great need: immigrants! "Machine bosses" seemed undefeatable. They abused the fundamentals of democracy by rigging votes, buying people's loyalty and their ballots, giving out government jobs to supporters, etc., which inspired laws to be made against these changes for the fundamentals of democracy.

Describe how and why political scientists often focus on one type of political participation in their research.

Political scientists focus on voting when studying political participation. Key role in theories of democracy. Greatest form of participation at every level of government within the U.S. Data availability makes it the hands-down best form of participation to study.

Explain how a taxation system with progressive tax rates can still create a regressive tax incidence.

Progressive taxes are imposed in an attempt to reduce the tax incidence of people with a lower ability-to-pay, as such taxes shift the incidence increasingly to those with a higher ability-to-pay. Therefore, a progressive tax distribution on income becomes regressive for top earners.

Explain how a flat-rate property tax can have a very regressive incidence.

Property taxes are accepted to be less regressive than sales tax Yet the same principal applies: the wealthier don't usually own expensive enough property so that their property taxes ever equal the same percentage of income as middle and lower-income families How do states try to reduce this regressivity? Homestead Exemptions are reductions in the assessed value of their primary home - because the base is smaller, the tax will be, too. This helps but does not resolve the regressive incidence of this tax. It's expensive to buy property, people with lowest income pay the largest % towards property tax.

Discuss the range of voter turnout for presidential elections around the world and the place that the US holds in rankings of that measure.

Ranges from 22%-98% U.S. - 54% (along with Nigeria, Zambia, and Austria) It's not a good national trend.

Compare and contrast referendum and initiative as forms of citizen involvement in law making. List several pros and cons to these types of elections. Describe the conservative and liberal perspectives on R's and I's.

Referendum - When voters either approve or disapprove a certain act of their legislatures Pros: Provides a level of political support for difficult decisions, creates specific points of negotiation, and creates a mandate to follow. Cons: Allows for false actors to campaign for specific results and it creates division. Initiative - Residents propose changed or new laws and put them on the ballot, then pass or defeat them without legislature or executive intervention. Pros: Checks on activities of the legislature Cons: Result in badly drafted law, sheer number and complexity of issues that voters are expected to vote on, and enable the tyranny of the majority. Conservatives in favor of both? Liberals in favor both?

Describe the weaknesses in the liberal argument for easier voter access and in the conservative argument for greater election security.

Republicans argue that they are worried about voter security and voter fraud, however that is not common like they state it is. Democrats want to lower barriers and focus on making access for voters easier to encourage engagement and claim that the laws discourage people to go to polling sites. However, if they're too scared to do that then obviously something is wrong and the laws need to be in place. It also makes it easier for fraud to take place like non-citizens voting and etc.

Since Texas already has a law requiring voters to show approved IDs in order to vote, why was the legislature busying themselves with passing a law to address voter fraud associated with mail-in ballots?

Residents that mail in their ballot can't physically show their ID, so the Voter ID law doesn't apply.

Describe the similarities between all state constitutions and the U.S. Constitution.

Separation of powers at state level same as federal approach (executive, legislative, judicial). Many checks and balances between powers at state level also similar to federal level, but there are key differences in quantities.

Describe areas of state responsibility that the national government began moving into and how this was possible.

Significant federal involvement (requirements and funding) in State education, highways and transportation, and health. The Feds imposed national standards, which exercised supremacy over state laws in a new way. This was because every state was required to follow it and it was out of the hands of the state to set these standards. These standards included criminal standards like rights of accused, capital punishment, etc., social standards like education, pornography, abortion, etc., and regulation of the marketplace which includes monopoly prevention, worker safety, environmental protection, etc..Federal taxation and federal spending also gave the Feds the tools they needed to move into areas where States had previously exercised sole jurisdiction. Large grants of federal money secured cooperation from many states who needed the money to pay big bills. Ability of the Feds to enter into deficit spending gave them advantage over the States - the States can't borrow in the same way.

Discuss how voting barriers against Black citizens began to fall in the 1940s and 1960s before the Voting Rights Act (VRA).

Smith v. Allwright (1944), Texas case: - Landmark case that declared white primaries unconstitutional - overturned unanimous - SCOTUS decision supporting these 9 years earlier - Argued by attorney Thurgood Marshall, future SCOTUS justice - Seen as beginning of modern civil rights movement Civil Rights Act 1964: - Prohibited unequal standards for who can vote, but only in federal elections - Supreme Court extended to all elections

List and describe the 5 key factors that influence voters to participate or skip an election.

Socioeconomic status is a key driver - Lower income citizens vote less; major parties focus appeals to higher income "likely voters" - Thus, if candidates are not focused on what matters most to you, why go and vote? Interparty competition declining - some voters don't vote because their party's candidate could never win - Largely due to "safe" districts, unopposed candidates Political culture makes status quo seem unchangeable Legal requirements are process gate-keepers - keep some potential voters away - Registration processes and voted ID laws Election exhaustion also widely cited for decisions to stay home - Primary and general elections each year + special/muni elections - >100 offices + amendments + bond issues + ...

Describe merit goods and how they differ across democracies.

Some public goods are merit goods - goods which should not be denied to people who cannot pay for them like public education, transportation, healthcare, etc. States and localities differ in their accepted lists of merit goods. Different nations differ in their accepted lists of merit goods.

Explain the range of state policies on whether and when convicted felons can vote. Discuss why this is a partisan issue between the two political parties.

Some states don't have in their constitutions that felons can't vote and some do. A lot more from minority groups are represented in prison populations. A republican leader in a republican controlled legislature wouldn't want them to come out and vote democrat so they don' let felons vote. Governor of Virginia let felons vote, almost half African Americans, because he was democrat and wanted democratic votes.

Diagram the major sources of state revenue vs. local revenue in 2009 and describe the pattern that appears.

Sources of state government revenue: from local governments = 1%; from federal government = 24%; own revenue = 75% Sources of local government revenue: from state governments = 24%; from federal government = 3%; own revenue = 73% Own revenue for state and local are almost the same at about 75%. Local government is more dependent on state government than state government is dependent on local government. State government is more dependent on federal government than local government is.

Explain when and how southern states carefully eradicated the Black vote. Use the clip from the movie Selma as an example.

Southern states "creatively" limited or eradicated the black vote in the Post-Reconstruction South Registration barriers: Poll tax - pay in advance; minorities given no advance notice or had to pay more expensive amount that they didn't have Literacy tests (Never used in TX; LA example on next slide) Testing understanding of Texas Constitution Good character reference from community(think of video from movie w/ Oprah Winfrey) Whites-only" primaries: Because primary elections were run by parties, and parties were private organizations, primaries were not subject to 15th Amendment at that time Blacks could vote in general elections, but whites had already locked in their own desired outcomes

Describe the time cycles of Texas state budgets and the means of generating revenue estimates that can be used by the legislature to build the budget.

State budgets are written and approved by the legislature every 2 years (Biennium- each budget covers 2 years). Assumes a specific amount of revenue from various sources. Directs how expenditures will be made (on what and how much). The State comptroller is responsible for providing the budget drafters with the official revenue for the next 2 years

Explain why state official's harsh criticism of high levels of local government debt may be unmerited and even necessary given the division of labor between state and local governments and restrictions placed on local government revenue streams by the states.

State leaders' frequent perspective: Local leaders are poor fiscal managers. Taking on unnecessary and excessive risk for residents. Local government's viewpoint: Debt is absolutely necessary to provide for real needs. Population growth and aging infrastructure - state doesn't offer much money to help pay these bills. Low risk (almost "free" money) due to extremely low interest rates at present time.

Discuss the rankings of Texas and New York regarding state and local debt in 2009.

State: NY highest, TX lowest Local: NY highest, TX second highest

In the Executive Summary, what is ITEP's criteria for state membership in their "Terrible 10?"

States where the poorest residents pay significantly more of their annual income in state & local taxes than the richest ones do.

Explain how a flat-rate sales tax can have a very regressive incidence, and the steps that some states use to reduce that regressivity.

Studies have widely shown that as a family's or person's income rises, differences in purchases don't increase proportionately. Results in wealthier citizens paying out a much smaller percentage of their income via this tax than lower-income citizens. Some states try to reduce this regressivity through special rules. Exempting some food items, medicines, etc. Texas admin code on food exemptions. Special "tax holidays" or "tax-free weekends" for specific types of purchases (ex: school clothes and supplies). It is a flat rate that is applied uniformly to all situations, regardless of the payer. Some states try to reduce this through special rules (Exempting some food items, medicines, special "tax holidays" or "tax-free weekends" for specific purchases (e.g., school clothes and supplies)

However, it is important to remember that this "measure" of federal funding is not all-inclusive. Reading in the Federal Funds Appropriations section, there is a list of several high-cost components of several programs that are excluded, with each being a major infusion of federal funds in the state's economy. Which option below is NOT in that list, meaning that ITEP DID include it in their appropriations measure? (NOTE: Minor amounts of additional research may be required to match program names to their descriptions below.)

Subsidies to help pay for school lunches for qualifying students -------------- Did include: The funds used by qualified citizens to help buy groceries Payments to qualified individuals to help pay expenses when they lose their job Paychecks of federal employees and contractors

Discuss the rationale behind the previous SCOTUS decisions that upheld the VRA, as well as the rationale used to uphold Alabama's demands in 2013.

Supreme Court declared Section 4 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act unconstitutional o Decision cleared the previous list of "covered states" and dismantled the Congressionally approved means of building a new list based on the previous criteria Allowed Section 5 (preclearance process) to stand, but left it toothless o Now applied to no one 5-4 majority decision written by Chief Justice Roberts stated clearly that the Court did not think that past problems were completely resolved o Openly acknowledged that voting discrimination still exists o Reaffirmed a "permanent, nationwide ban on racial discrimination in voting" BUT, also characterized Voting Rights Act of 1965 as having used "extraordinary measures to address an extraordinary problem" o Section 4 have outlived its usefulness o Section 4 could not be justified by current needs

Explain the relationships between total value, tax base, tax rate, and tax bills, as well as how the terms progressive and regressive apply to tax rates.

Tax Bill = (Base) x (Rate) Total Value = Total income, total value of property, etc. Tax Base = The item/amount subject to taxation (but usually not entire value/amount) o Ex: You don't pay federal income tax on your entire income. You do pay based on your adjusted (or taxable) income; a number ("base") much lower than how much you earned Tax Rate = The percentage set by legislature (for states) o First data point of choice in discussions or ads about taxes o Progressive Tax Rate - Higher the base, the higher the rate o Fixed (or flat) Tax Rate - Same rate independent of base o There isn't regressive tax rates because the higher the base, the lower the rate would be unamerican and rigged Tax Bill = Taxes paid in a year by a person or business o Second data point of choice when discussing or debating about taxation amounts

Describe the formula that calculates tax burden and why that measure is considered the most accurate assessment of the fairness of a tax system. Explain why political actors like to talk about tax bill and tax rate much more often than tax burden.

Tax Burden = Tax Bill / Total Value (greater than or equal to Tax Base)Tax burden is the most accurate data point to compare taxation effects, but is rarely used. Most accurate because it includes all forms of taxation. It isn't talked about often because it isn't uniform and varies widely based on an individual's circumstances, and is very socioeconomic in structure (not fair/equal?).

Explain the significant difference between the federal corporate income tax rate and the tax burdens on major companies in 2012.

Tax Burdens for Corporations Paying Largest Tax Bills 2012 Tax rate for all 35%... the world's highest! Burden was way lower than 35%... it was from 2-13% $$ amounts below are in billions of dollars. Are these "scoundrels" for taking advantage of loopholes, or are they "winners" because the loopholes were intentionally places there for them?

Explain the difference between tax burden and tax incidence.

Tax Incidence: Characterizing tax burdens across a range of incomes Progressive incidence / : Wealthy pay higher proportion of income in taxes Neutral (or flat) incidence --- : All pay same proportion of income in taxes Regressive incidence \ : Poor pay higher proportion of income in taxes Tax incidence compares tax burdens across income groups.

Characterize how the tax brackets work in the federal income tax system.

Tax brackets show you the tax rate you will pay on each portion of your income. For every dollar of income you earn that falls into each bracket, you owe a percentage of that dollar in taxes. You belong in a certain tax bracket based on income. Higher brackets pay into all the lower ones.

List the three major sources of revenue in Comptroller's projection. Explain each one.

Taxes ($76.90) Federal Income ($70.20) Fees, Interest and Other Income ($30.80)

List the most common sources of revenue for state governments.

Taxes (ex: property, income, sales, excise, severance) (not the only way the government gets $$!) vvv "non-tax" revenue vvv Federal grants Fees and licenses (ex: auto registration, barber license, hunting license) Interest on investments Direct sales (State-owned liquor stores) Borrowing Gambling/Lottery

Compare and contrast taxes and user fees. Provide examples, including services and resources where both are used.

Taxes are based on an "ability-to-pay" model. Are public goods and services, and everyone benefits (K-12 education). User fees are based on "user-pay" model. Distributes benefits only to those who pay. User fees for hunting licenses, fishing licenses, etc., are "user pay". More "capitalist" than ability-to-pay model but cannot provide broad spectrum of public goods.

Explain how taxes are based on an ability-to-pay model and what that means about contribution and benefit distributions.

Taxes are based on an "ability-to-pay" model. Those-who-have pay the costs. Often, those-with-more pay more. Policy determines who needs to pay, and how much they pay. Benefits are public goods and services (includes cost of government). Every eligible resident gets benefits - not tied to share of costs paid. Policy determines who is eligible.

Characterize the rationale for taxes with respect to public goods. Use public education as an example.

Taxes are required if there are public goods. Public goods are "nonexcludable," so markers can't pay for them - those markets that did would fail. Who pays for K-12 education in the U.S., and how? Property tax is money that goes to school districts. Why is K-12 education designated a public good in the U.S. policy? Education, opportunity, prepares them to be better contributors, where people learn patriotism and to became Americans, how to listen to authority and plan time and work with others, and socialization skills

Describe how taxes redistribute wealth and who makes the decisions behind that redistribution.

Taxes do redistribute some wealth. They use money (from those who pay more) to provide services (for all, and often more for those who paid less). But where this redistribution happens, and to what degree, are tax policy decisions - made differently within each state and locality by the residents and their duly elected representatives. In other words, we redistribute because we decide to do so!

State the position of the current Texas governor on the incidence of voter fraud in Texas and describe possible issues between those assertions and the available evidence.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott (Oct 2016): 110-vote loss "largest voter fraud investigation in Texas history" ... No evidence of any charges or prosecutions resulting from this. Texas Governor Greg Abbott (Mar 2016): "voter fraud is rampant" ... Case referenced here was 5 fraudulent votes out of 1 million cast. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott (Mar 2006): "an epidemic of voter fraud is infesting the electoral process" "several" "3 people"

Describe the series of events and the current status of the Voter ID requirement in Texas after challenges in federal court.

Texas NAACP v. Steen: - 2014: Federal district judge found Texas law unconstitutional - 2015: 5th Circuit Court (3-judge panel) agreed it was "discriminatory in affect" - 2016: Full 5th Circuit Court concurs and orders district judge to work with Texas to modify voter ID requirements for November 2016 election so they wouldn't illegally discriminate o State of Texas agreed to accept sworn affidavits instead of picture IDs in certain cases - critics argue affidavits can be intimidating - 2018: 5th Circuit (3-Judge panel) agreed with new Texas law o Trump DOJ will not appeal to supreme court Here is a list of the acceptable forms of photo ID today: Texas Driver License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS. Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS

Characterize the turnout in Texas gubernatorial elections from 1970 to 2010 by party of the winner and in comparison to average state turnouts during those same years.

Texas barely breaks 18%... Texas doesn't barely vote Compared to national average for gubernatorial turnout is 30-50%! From 1970-1990, turnout was higher for democratic party. From 1994-2010, turnout was higher for republican party.

Explain the major types of taxes used in Texas, the state's reliance on them, and what their profiles looked like during and after the Great Recession.

Texas doesn't have an income tax. We have sales tax, property tax, severance tax (applies to minerals '"severed" from the land), "tax shifting", franchise tax (business tax), Motor Vehicle Sales and Rental tax, Motor Fuel tax, Oil production tax, Insurance taxes, Cigarette and tobacco taxes, Natural gas production tax, Alcoholic beverages taxes, hotel occupancy tax, utility taxes, inheritance tax, other taxes. Sales and property tax are Texas' main taxes that makes up for not having income tax. Sales taxes are the highest tax in Texas.

Characterize how Texas ranks in voter turnout from 1980-2010 and explain the periodic movement that occurs in turnout measures over time.

Texas is in the back of the pack in voter turnout. Last quartile if split into 4ths. It stays there over time. Percentage of registered voters who showed up is always higher than percent of voting age population who showed up.

Explain where Texas ranked in 2014 on expenditures compared to the average state in different spending categories and overall. Also characterize the differences that existed between that spending and the states rankings in 2003

Texas is one of 15 most populous states in the U.S. and is ranked 46 highest spender out of 50 states (at the bottom - low spending state). We're spending a little but more now in education, etc., but still conservative on spending. Texas only spends about ¾ for expenditures, match education, and about ¾ for highways and etc. We went from ranking 40th to 27th in education but stayed the same everywhere else since 2003.

Characterize the variation in state and local government spending between states, describing any geographic patterns that exist.

Texas is one of the lower spending states Most southern states are lower spending states. Northern states are more high spending, especially Wyoming (Alaska too). Varies a lot, Alaska and Wyoming spend the most. Most of low expenditure (including Texas) are grouped in the South

Explain how the Texas projected revenues for 2012-2013 compared to the revenue breakdown of the average state in 2009. Provide reasons that may account for significant differences.

Texas projected revenue in 2012-2013 was 43% taxes, 39% Federal Income, and 17% other income. Average State Revenue sources were 1% from local governments, 24% from federal government, and 75% own revenue. Texas has more federal income than the average state because they don't collect near as many taxes from their own state residents state as average states do. (own revenue for Texas = other income - 17%)

Describe the tax incidence of state taxes compared to federal income tax.

The Burden curve across this group of federal income is progressive For state and local taxes is regressive So, is it accurate to only look at federal income tax when talking about "what is fair"? Federal income tax is higher than tax incidence of state taxes

Summarize the differences between how the federal and state constitutions empower their respective governments.

The Texas constitution and U.S. constitution differ in how they provide power to the government: - The U.S. Constitution is much more flexible in allowing government to act. - The Texas Constitution is much more restrictive of government power.

Characterize the range of sizes of state constitutions and why a state might choose to have a very long constitution.

The U.S. Constitution is 7,591 words long. The shortest state constitution, New Hampshire, is only 911 words long. The longest state constitution, Alabama, is 389,000 words long (over 50x longer than the federal constitution). The desire of any state to carefully control its government will often be reflected in the length of its constitution. Long constitutions contain many detailed restrictions o governmental power, and preserve hose restrictions by making them difficult to alter or revoke.

"New Federalism" Period (1981 to Now)

The federal government can better achieve some goals by collecting taxes and assigning more responsibilities to state and local governments. Lower government taxing and spending can be beneficial by permitting individuals to make decisions for themselves. Government should take responsibility to soften economic hardships, help us in our old age, and assure health coverage. The federal government should take responsibility when private sector failures cause economic catastrophes. National defense and international involvement are also continuing responsibilities of the national government. States can choose to resist and work against federal programs they do not agree with.

List reasons why the chart about the expected implementation costs of state Voter ID laws should be questioned and not immediately accepted as fact.

The graph was made on a website that includes the words "democrats.org" which is more than likely biased.

Explain what caused the transition between the Municipal Government and the State-Intercity Government periods

The political corruption that was still rooted in cities through "Machine bosses" even though there were high rates of strongly attended elections and new ideas arising about the relationship between government and citizens. They decided to act to impose changes because the government's job should be to work for the public interest.

Characterize highlights from the Texas Bill of Rights.

There is a Preamble that is humbly invoking the blessings of Almighty God, the people of the State of Texas, do ordain and establish this Constitution. Article 1 Bill of Rights: Purpose in the opening line - That the general, great, and essential principles of liberty and free government may be recognized and established, we declare... 29 Sections - each a separate right or grouping of rights. Section 1: FREEDOM AND SOVEREIGNTY OF STATE. Texas is a free and independent State, subject only to the Constitution of the United States...Section 4: RELIGIOUS TESTS. No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office, or public trust, in this State; nor shall anyone be excluded from holding office on account of his religious sentiments, provided he acknowledge the existence of a Supreme Being. Section 20: OUTLAWRY OR TRANSPORTATION FOR OFFENSE. No citizen shall be outlawed, nor shall any person be transported out of the State for any offense committed within the same. Section 26: PERPETUITIES AND MONOPOLIES... monopolies are contrary to the genius of free government, and shall never be allowed.

List different types of voter fraud and explain which ones can be targeted through Voter ID laws.

There is mail-in ballot voter impersonation, in-person voter impersonation, double voting (mail in + in person), ineligible voter registrations, etc. Voter ID Laws are designed to best address in-person voter impersonation.

Characterize the differences between the ideal, anticipated, and actual graphs of the distribution of wealth in the United States.

They thought wealth was dividing the country into 5 groups. 9/10 say it should be more equitable. Actual is shockingly skewed. Dreaded socialism is all wealth in the country distributed equally. Ideal is an upward curve where nobody is poor. What people think is poor and middle class roughly struggling but it isn't bad. Actual is way worse than what we think, top 1% is off the charts. Top 1% of American has 40% of Americas wealth. Only 7% to poor and middle class. 80%+ are good. Just because people work hard doesn't mean they make money. We must wake up and see reality isn't at all what we think it is, but socialism isn't the answer. Doesn't show how Americans can improve themselves. Our sociability ladder is broken right now, and many are struggling a lot more than they ever have. The top 1% have more wealth than what Americans think the top 20% should have (40% of the nations wealth). Lower 80% only have 7% between them.

Explain how the total projected state revenue is split into Dedicated and General Revenue groups and the purpose and restrictions on each.

Total State Revenue ($177.80) slits up into: Dedicated Revenue ($100.50)- Funds that must go for pre-specified purposes; includes all Federal Income General Revenue ($77.30)- Funds available to legislature to spend, after ESF/rainy day fund is set-aside

Diagram the relationships between the public, the states, and the national government in a unitary government, confederacy, and a federal form of government.

Unitary government: Primary source of power is central government Confederacy: Primary source of power is state government Federal government: Primary source of power is both the central and state governments

The "more rare than a lightening strike" argument is interesting. The odds of one person being struck by lightening in 12 years' time is 1 in 80,000. The odds of a fraudulent ballot in Texas between 2000 and 2012 is 1 in 2 million ballots [ (37 allegations against voters) / (72 million ballots) ]. But the odds are even lower if you are trying to make the case for voter IDs. This is because there are many forms of fraudulent voting, with only a few of them addressable through the use of voter IDs. According to Professors Levitt and Minnite, which type of voter fraud below would voter IDs potentially help reduce?

Voter impersonation when voting in-person

Describe the US national turnout during 1972-2012 in Presidential elections and in gubernatorial and US House elections that are held in Presidential election years, as well as those that occur between Presidential elections. Explain the differences.

Voter turnout is way higher in presidential election years, and way lover in between presidential elections.

Explain the scope and enforcement mechanisms of the VRA.

Voting Rights Act 1965, 1970, 1975, 1982, 2006 1965: Suspended all voting barriers Section 4 of the law contained "coverage formula" determined which states/localities had to comply with Section 5 (these were known as covered states/localities) Section 5 of the law required states with history of discriminatory voting practices to seek federal "pre-clearance" of any proposed change to their voting laws In most extreme cases, Feds could send federal monitors or even registrars to state/local elections Has been renewed regularly by Congress, most recently in 2006 for 25 more years gave you the right to vote at 18 years of age

Characterize the changes in the mix of three major revenue sources in Texas revenue projections from 2012-2013 to the following biennium. Also describe them in terms of the mixes that existed from 2006 on.

Went from $177.80 in 2012-2013, to $208.2 Billion in 2014-2015 Biennium. Will keep increasing, but we have to watch inflation.

Explain the causal mechanism that moved the U.S. into the Federal Government period.

With political machines now out of the picture, a new government that was fair and structured was necessary. The country was also suffering from the economic cliff into Great Depression, WWII, and the Cold War. These threats made the citizens feel unsafe and helpless, which lead to them finding themselves seeking a sense of control from the government that would guide them out of this rough time and protect them from it happening ever again.

The legislature used two methods to close a $3 billion gap between the projected income and their desired spending over the next two years. They dodged a constitutionally mandated $2 billion payment into the new Highway Fund (established to help the state catch up on a multi-billion-dollar backlog of road and bridge repair projects). The way they did this was to shift the date of the payment from this biennium (2-year period) to the start of the next biennium. This is like shifting your rent payment from the 30th of the month to the 1st--looks better on paper for the current month, but the bill won't be any easier to pay just because it is 1 or 2 days later! What was the other method the legislature used to balance this current budget?

Withdrew funds from the Rainy Day Fund

Discuss the main components of the new Texas voter registration drive requirements passed in 2011. Use the example of UTD student Julia Shomenta to illustrate.

Workers must be state residents. Must be trained deputy voter registrars in each county they will work in (Counts on nationwide groups that assist with these drives). Voter registration cards must be hand-delivered to county voter registrar (Can no longer be mailed to county official). Julia Shomenta is a senior at UTD who wants to help students register to vote. To do so, she must be deputized twice, attend redundant training, and spend hours delivering registration slips in person to the tight officials. "Adding extra hurdles right before an election." The law prohibits out-of-state volunteers. UTD is on the border of Dallas and Collin counties. The Dallas registration cards must be driven downtown. The Collin County cards go to McKinney. Such rules are the most burdensome in the nation.

The Table of Contents stretches for almost 3 full pages, giving us a very rough appreciation of the breadth of federal fiscal investment in Texas. Which of the following options is NOT one of the federal grant programs listed here? (Hint: Deduce the category of the provided "grant," then look in that category.)

Workforce Investment Act--Former Convicts ------------- Are federal grant programs: Sport fish restoration Rural and Low-Income Schools Airport improvement program Adoption Assistance (Title IV-E) Crime Victim Compensation

Explain the major events that coincided with the largest increases in Federal spending from 1948 until 2011.

World War 2 had just ended and the Cold War had just recently begun. This drastically increased federal spending in military areas to defend the country against existential threats of Axis Powers, Communism, nuclear annihilation, etc.

Private equity firms are designed to __________________, and their primary beneficiaries are _____________________.

make strong profits / investors in the private equity firm

What type of empirical relationship would we expect between Amount of Derogation and Strength of Paralinguistic Cues, based on the findings reported in this article?

negative

Central Ideas from the No Government Period

• Families are self-dependent, but you can count on your neighbors. There is a "sense of community." • Government is not an institution that you turn to when there is trouble. When you have contact with any government, it usually affects you adversely. The best government is the least government. • Government should do what it traditionally has done— very little

Central Ideas from the Municipal Government Period

• Government can help solve problems, especially local government because it is closest to the people. • Candidates are more likely to gain voter sup port if they promise certain actions if elected. • Those who win public office can make decisions affecting everyone—elections matter. • By being organized, you can win elections • Inefficiency and corruption in government can cost individuals higher taxes, especially those with money. • Those in public office can violate public trust and can be criticized for doing so.

Central Ideas from the Federal Government Era

• Government should take responsibility to soften economic hardships, help us in our old age, and assure health coverage. • National defense and international involvement are also continuing responsibilities of the national government. • National standards for discrimination, food and drug standards, pornography, car safety, and even the quality of education can override local standards. • National funds can be given to state and local governments with conditions attached. • The federal government can spend more than its revenue by borrowing money. • For world, national, and even local problems, we turn to the federal government.

Central Ideas from the State Intercity Government Period

• State government could also become active. Many problems were forcing such governments to become active. • Under the name "the reform movement," many sought to undo urban machines, using state government to pass laws shaping municipal elections and procedures that were forced on the cities under the Dillon rule. • The decline of urban machines as a result of the "reforms" enacted led to the belief that laws can shape behavior and outcomes. • The success achieved by opponents of machine government created recognition that, in the American federal system, you could lose at one level, shift the contest to another level, and win there. • States could regulate intercity or intrastate commerce, require municipalities to institute health and building codes, and supersede common laws.

Central Ideas from the New Federalism Era 1980-The Present

• The federal government can better achieve some goals by collecting taxes and assigning more responsibilities to state and local governments. • Lower government taxing and spending can be beneficial by permitting individuals to make decisions for themselves. • Government should take responsibility to soften economic hardships, help us in our old age, and assure health coverage. • The federal government should take responsibility when private sector failures cause economic catastrophes. • National defense and international involvement are also continuing responsibilities of the national government. • States can choose to resist and work against federal programs they do not agree with.