State and Local Politics

2008 Midterm Study Guide

The structure of the midterm is as follows:

4 of 6 identification terms—define the term, explain its significance, and give an example. (5 points each)

Answer 2 of the short essay questions. You get to choose one; I get to choose the other.  (20 points each)

You can bring in a 1 page review sheet of notes.

Some advice for essay questions

1. Make a coherent argument in response to each question. Make sure you answer each sub-question and relate it back to the larger argument.

2. Use the readings and authors’ names in your answer.

3. Use specific examples to support your arguments.

4. Make sure to define the concepts you use in your answers.

You essay answers will be evaluated based upon

1. the clarity of your argument

2. the use of the readings and lectures

3. the creative use of examples from lectures, case studies, presentations, and readings to make your arguments

Identification Terms

Yes, some of the terms are not terms, but questions. The questions are good for identifying the significance of the terms however.

Madison and Hamilton’s views states will always retain the balance of power against the federal government.

James Bryce’s view of assimilation

Devolution revolution

Constitutional basis of federalism

Dual federalism, layer cake model

Marble cake federalism

Commerce clause

Why the GOP devolution revolution has fizzled

Internet taxation

Examples of GOP power grab

How GOP congressional mandates differ from Democrat congressional mandates

Tragedy of the commons

Race to the bottom

Race to the top, California effect

Corporate chartering, Delaware

Gambling, Iowa

Nathan’s view of federalism

Opportunistic federalism

Federalism as providing an “ideological balancing role”

Dilger- how national grants to states have changed

preemption

Marriage, Defense of Marriage Act and Nevada

1. Do you find the arguments and logic of Federalist No. 17 and 45 persuasive? Can you detect any flaws or mistakes?
2. How does the picture of local governments provided by Bryce compare with American local governments today?
3. Are these authors’ observations out of date? Why or why not?

1. Under what circumstances do you think the national government should try to impose national standards on state and local governments? Under what circumstances do you think the state government should try to impose state standards on local governments?
2. Should states and localities have responsibility for performaing more tasks and for raising money to pay for them? Why or why not?
3. What are the key examples used by Carney that the federal government under the Republican controlled Congress has actually engaged in a power grab as opposed to to the process of devolution? Do you think her argument is persuasive

Gray’s socioeconomic explanation of politics

Population growth, population in poverty, location, climate, natural resources, per capita income

State ranking on policy indicators

changing pattern of immigration

internal migration trends

Elazar’s political culture model of politics

origins of state political cultures

Individualistic cultures

Moralistic subcultures

Traditionalistic culture

Hero/Tolbert’s Racial Ethnic Diversity Interpretation

Bifurcated state

Heterogeneous state

Homogenous state

Hero/Tolbert critique of state political cultures

Hero/Tolbert critique of moralistic states concern for “commonwealth”

1. What are the origins of the three political cultures posited by Daniel Elazar? Does what you know about the politics in your state confrom to the arguments he makes? What forces may have contributed to a blending of these three cultures over time? Have any forces worked to keep the cultures distinct?

2. Does a state’s economy/demography shape its destiny? Which socio-economic variables are most important in shaping policy outcomes? What states seem “out of place” in the state rankings on selected policy indicators? Why do you think this happens?

1. How do Hero and Tolbert measure diversity? What is the relationship between diversity and political culture?
2. What are the consequences of diversity for public policy and democracy in the states?

Discuss the various structural changes states have undertaken to make mass participation easier and to increase officeholder diversity

Impact of districting on the racial/ethnic/gender makeup of collegial bodies

Majority minority districts impact on representation of black interests in Mississippi

At large (AL) vs. single member districts (SMDs)

Cumulative Voting

Trends in officeholder diversity

resurgence of state parties

state parties as service agency

elements of party institutionalization

legislative campaign committees

nationalization of state parties

consequences of strengthened state parties

Parties as networks of issue oriented activists

Candidate centered politics

VO Key’s views on the problems of 1 party system

VO Key’s views on the demise of 1 party system in south

The demise of Idaho Democrats

Politics of parity

Video poker in Alabama

Prison guards in California

When do interest groups or interest system result in positive contributions of lobbying and when do they corrupt politics and bias public policy?

1. Are gambling interests in South Carolina, prison guards in California, and special interests in New York powerful? Why? How do we know? What steps, if any, could be used to limit these groups power to bias public policy?
2. What would Gray and Lowery say is the answer to the corrupting influence of interest groups?
3. Gray and Lowery devote considerable attention to issues of organizational maintenance, niche theory, the sources of finance of state and national lobbying organizations, and interest group mortality rates. Why do they devote this attention and what are their findings?
4. What are their findings with regard to the density and diversity of different state interest group systems? Where are CA, SC, and New York on their charts?

How and why has interest group activity changed since the 1970s and since the 1990s? What is driving these changes?

How are political parties and interest groups in competition with each other? Why do they sometimes cooperate?

Section II. Short Essay Questions. You choose one, I choose 1. Note, the short amount of time per question rewards those who are able to make their arguments in a quick and concise fashion sans BS. Please make sure to refer specifically to the readings and examples from class presentations in making your arguments.

1. Many of the authors we have read suggest we are in the midst of a devolution revolution, characterized by the transfer of much policy making and responsibility from the national government to state government. Please write an essay in which you discuss the future of the devolution revolution (DR). Please be sure to address:
1. A historical assessment of the political forces in favor of devolution (Madison and Hamilton) and centralization (Bryce) and the balance of power between state and federal government.
2. Whether a devolution revolution is occuring is happending or not? (Carney, Dilger)
3. The policy consequences of greater devolution of responsibilities to the states (Nathan, Donahue).

2. We have examined three radically different theories for explaining state policy choice: socio-economic status, state political culture, and state racial-ethnic diversity. Please write an essay in which you summarize the arguments of each of the three alternatives and provide specific policy examples to support their arguments. Whose theory provides the most accurate or compelling explanation of state policy choice and why?

3. One of the most significant changes in state politics since 1960 is the quantitative and qualitative increase in the participation and diversity of political actors like voters, parties, and interest groups. What are the causes and consequences of the increase in voter participation, the resurgence of state parties, and the explosion of interest group activity?

4. Strong political parties are the best way to ensure facilitates positive contributions of organized interests and minimize the bias of public policy. True or false?

1. Why are certain state interest groups powerful and how do they use their influence to bias public policy?
2. Compare the experience of video poker gambling interests in South Carolina in the 1990s with what would happened under the one party politics of the South described by V.O. Key.