Unit 11
State and Local Government and Public Policy
Notes
States
- Each state has a constitution (usually long and often amended), a governor (most have a line-item veto), a legislature (Nebraska is unicameral) and courts (many with elected judges).
- Many states allow initiatives, referendums and recalls; the national government does not.
Local government
- Counties, municipalities and special districts such as school districts. City forms: mayor-council, council-manager, commission.
- Local governments are created by states (Dillon's Rule), though some have home rule. Zoning controls land use.
Paying for services
- Sales, income and property taxes plus federal grants. Property taxes fund much of public education. Most states must balance their budgets.
Making policy
- Agenda setting, formulation, adoption, implementation, evaluation.
- Policy types: distributive, redistributive, regulatory.
Economic and social policy
- Fiscal policy (Congress and president: taxes and spending) versus monetary policy (Federal Reserve: interest rates, money supply).
- Deficit (one year) versus debt (total). Social Security, Medicare (65+) and Medicaid (low income, federal-state).
Topics in this unit
Each topic has its own short notes and practice.
Practice
A referendum puts a legislative measure before voters.
Most governors have a line-item veto; the president does not.
A city manager is appointed by the council.
Fiscal policy uses taxing and spending.
Local governments are legal creations of the state.
Distributive policies give benefits to specific groups or places, paid for by all.
Free response
Write your answer first, then open the scoring guide.
Free-response question
Residents of a town are worried about traffic accidents near the high school, and a parent group wants a new crosswalk and lower speed limit.
(a) Identify which level of government would most likely handle this issue and explain why.
Show the answer and scoring guide
The city or county government would most likely handle it, because local governments maintain local streets, set many local traffic rules and receive their powers from the state. The city council or public works department could approve and build the crosswalk.
Check off the points you earned:
(b) Use the steps of the policy process to describe how the crosswalk could become reality.
Show the answer and scoring guide
The parents raise the problem at a council meeting, putting it on the agenda. City engineers study options and draft a plan (formulation), the council votes to approve it (adoption), and crews install the crosswalk and new signs (implementation). Later the city tracks accidents to see if it worked (evaluation).
Check off the points you earned:
(c) If the city council refuses to act, describe ONE method of direct democracy or civic participation the parents could use, and explain how it works.
Show the answer and scoring guide
If the city allows initiatives, the parents could gather the required number of voter signatures to put a measure requiring the crosswalk on the ballot, and voters would decide. They could also organize residents to speak at public comment and contact council members to build pressure.
Check off the points you earned: