State and Local Governments Provide most services Schools Transportation Land use Social services

1. State and Local Governments • Provide most services • Schools • Transportation • Land use • Social services • Make most decisions • Regulate driving, occupations, families • Criminal behavior to be tried

2. The Legislative Branch • What do State Legislators Do? • Lawmaking • Oversight • Approve all appropriations • Who Are the State Legislators? • The nation has 7,382 state legislators who are mostly business persons or lawyers. • What do Legislative Committees Do? • What Influences State Legislators? • Political Parties • Lobbyist and Interest Groups • Other Influences on State Legislators • Ombudsmen • Committees

3. Government in Typical State Constitutions • State constitutions follow this general outline having many officers. • States have to deal with a much wider range of functions, educational provisions, and criminal codes than the U.S. Constitution. • For that reason, state constitutions would be so much longer than the national constitution.

4. State Constitutions & Number of Amendments

5. The Diversity of State Legislatures Type 1: Full-time, High-Pay, Large-Staff “Professional Legislatures” California Illinois Michigan Ohio Florida Massachusetts New Jersey Pennsylvania New York Wisconsin Type 2: In-Between Hybrid Alabama Hawaii Minnesota South Carolina Alaska Iowa Missouri Tennessee Arizona Kansas Nebraska Texas Colorado Kentucky North Carolina Virginia Connecticut Louisiana Oklahoma Washington Delaware Maryland Oregon Type 3: Part-Time, Low-Pay, Small-Staff “Citizen Legislatures” Arkansas Maine New Hampshire South Dakota Georgia Mississippi New Mexico Utah Idaho Montana North Dakota Vermont Indiana Nevada Rhode Island West Virginia Wyoming

6. How a Bill Becomes Law

7. A Profile of State Legislatures

8. Women in State Legislatures Women in Statewide Elected Offices 24% 24% 16% 13% 1988 2008 1988 2008 Source: Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University

9. Current Percentage of Women in State Legislatures

10. Party Control of State Legislatures

11. The Legislative Branch • What Influences State Legislators? • Political Parties • Only Nebraska has a nonpartisan, unicameral legislature • Candidates for state legislatures are nominated by political parties and are elected as party members. The role of parties varies widely from state to state. • Lobbyist and Interest Groups • Interest groups are a significant and growing source of influence on state legislatures through the use of lobbying. • Other Influences on State Legislators

12. Modernization and Reform • Legislative Term Limits: Problem or Solution? • Higher professionalism’s gains wiped out by term limits • Promotes the ideal of “citizen” legislators • Legislative Leaders • Assembly Speaker • Majority Leader • Minority Leader

13. Term Limits in the States

14. The Politics of Drawing Legislative District Lines • Redistricting • Gerrymandering • Malapportionment • One Person, One Vote • No Majority-minority Districts • New Rules for Redrawing the Districts • In California, Citizen Redistricting Committee • Proposition 11 by voters in November 2008 • Proposition 20 in 2010

15. Direct Legislation: Policy Making by the People? • Initiative • Referendum • Recall • The Debate over Direct Democracy • 58% were approved in 2008 • Stimulates voter turnout, civic engagement, political efficacy • Can target minorities • Allows interest groups much influence

16. Citizen-Initiated Initiative and Referendum at the State Level

17. States That Provide for Citizen-Initiated Recall of Elected State Officials

18. The California Legislature • Eligibility – At least 18 years of age • Residency – California resident for three years, at least one year in the district. • Term Limits – Two, four-year terms for the senate (8 years) and three, two-year terms (6 years) for assembly. • Senate seat rotation – 20 seats each even-numbered years. • Assembly seat rotation – All 80 seats even- numbered years. • Code of Ethics – Binds both houses, may expel a member by two-thirds vote. • Compensation - $99,000 salary and $121 per day living expenses when in session; telephone and gasoline expense allowance for a state-licensed automobile; limited health and retirement benefits.

19. The Functions of the California Legislature • Make State Laws • Establish Taxes • Confirmations • Redistricting • Can Place Constitutional Amendments on the Ballot • Spend State’s Money (Appropriations) • Oversight

20. State Expenditure Comparison California & Massachusetts

22. California Political Parties American Independent www.aipca.org Democratic www.cadem.org Green www.cagreens.org Peace and Freedom www.peaceandfreedom.org Natural Law www.natural-law.org Reform www.reformpartyca.org Republican www.cagop.org Libertarian www.ca.lp.org

23. California Interest Groups • Business • Agriculture • Labor Unions • Professional Associations • Education • Government • Ideological Organizations • Racial, Ethnic, or Religious Organizations • Public Utilities • Miscellaneous