Government_Ch11_Homework-1

=**Government Chapter 11 Homework #1**= Use the readings to answer the questions:

1. State constitutions are important for several reasons. First, state constitutions create the structure of state government. Like the federal Constitution, every state constitution provides for separation of powers among three branches (executive, legislative, and judicial). Second, state constitutions establish the different types of local government, such as counties, townships, municipalities, special districts, parishes, and boroughs. Third, state constitutions regulate the ways state and local governments can raise and spend money. Finally, state constitutions establish independent state agencies, boards, and commissions that have power in areas that affect citizens' lives directly such as public utilities and education boards. All state constitutions have rights protected like the federal Bill of Rights. State constitutions are much longer and have much more detail than the federal Constitution. State constitutions are able to be amended, or changed. Some states (including PA) allow voters to vote on an issue, which is called the referendum.
 * As compared to the U.S. Constitution, state constitutions have more (A) articles (B) detail (C) branches (D) power (E) all (F) none**


 * Which principle of the U.S. Constitution is seen in all state constitutions? (A) federal supremacy (B) commerce clause (C) separation of powers (D) ratification (E) all (F) none**


 * Some states allow voters to vote on an issue called (A) initiative (B) referendum (C) convention (D) commission (E) all (F) none**

2. State legislatures pass laws that deal with a variety of matters, including health, crime, labor, education, and transportation. The state legislature has power to tax and spend as well as borrow money. In PA, the legislature is often called the General Assembly. Most states (including PA) have a bicameral legislature - having a state house and a state senate. PA is divided into 203 state house districts and 50 state senatorial districts. The state house is led by a speaker and the senate is headed by the lieutenant government (like the vice president at the federal level). The lawmaking process in a state works much in the same way as at the federal level. Most of the legislative work is done in committees. A bill has to pass both state chambers before going to the governor to sign. State executive branches are headed by the governor. Members of state legislatures and the governor are elected by a plurality of voters. A plurality is the largest number of votes in an election even if the candidate with more votes than the others doesn't have over 50% of the vote. Many state governors (including PA) have term limits much like the president. The main job of the state executive is to carries out the laws of the state legislature. Governors often try to obtain grants from the federal government for different projects. The governor has the power to pardon for state crimes, in control of the state national guard, proposes a yearly budget, and overseas the state bureaucracy. In most states, governors have the power of line item veto, which is the power to turn down one section or item of a bill without vetoing the entire bill. At the state level, there are other executive positions that are elected and therefore independent of the governor's control unlike the federal level. The state attorney general is elected separate from the governor and overseas the state's legal matters. The state treasurer is also elected and overseas the state funds. the secretary of state at the state level deals with state records. In PA, state judges are elected (federal judges, remember, are appointed). Two types of cases are heard at the state court level. Civil cases involve a dispute between two or more private individuals or organizations and criminal cases are when the state brings charges against someone for violating the law.
 * How do PA judges get their jobs? (A) appointed by the governor (B) members of the bar or attorney (C) elected (D) chosen by the General Assembly (E) all (F) none**


 * In the states, most legislative work is done by (A) the governor (B) Senate (C) House (D) committees (E) all (F) none**


 * Who is president of the Senate in the states? (A) speaker (B) vice president (C) lieutenant governor (D) attorney general (E) all (F) none**


 * Which position is elected and supervises the legal activities? (A) governor as head of the bureaus (B) General Assembly as law makers (C) attorney general (D) lieutenant governor (E) all (F) none**


 * What is the job of the state secretary of state? (A) advise on foreign policy (B) head the state government (C) advise the governor on state records (D) in charge of state records (E) all (F) none**


 * What is the line-item veto?**

3. In the U.S., every business corporation must have a charter issued by a state government. A corporate charter is a document that grants certain rights, powers, and privileges to a corporation. A charter is important because it gives a corporation legal status. There are various regulations on various businesses. Regulations on banks, insurance companies, and public utilities are especially rigorous. A public utility is an organization, either privately or publicly owned, that supplies such necessities as electricity, gas, telephone service, or transportation service. States also have the power of regulations to protect consumers in various areas including landlord-tenant regulations, health-care industries, and legislation over sales and services of goods. States also provide workers' compensation, which are payments to people who are unable to work as a result of job-related injury or ill health. Workers who lose their jobs may receive unemployment compensation under programs that are set up and regulated by their states. State governments actively try to attract new business and industry. Governors often travel around the country and even to other countries to try to promote business in their state. States often given incentives in tax credits or reduction in taxes to encourage businesses to come to their state. States deal with environmental issues. Many states have the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) within their states. Some states agree with the "climate change" issue and enact measures that deal with that issue. States also can enact laws that deal with land use in efforts to conserve natural resources and protect the lands. States are also responsible for criminal laws. The majority of crimes and criminal law that the courts deal with are from the state level. Many states have mandatory sentencing for certain crimes, which is a system of fixed, required terms of imprisonment for certain types of crimes. States are protected by the Constitution with extradition, which means if a suspected criminal flees the state where a crime was committed by going to another state, that suspect must be returned. State police forces have been formed to enforce state laws. The first actual state police force was the Pennsylvania State Constabulary, established in 1905. State courts handle the great majority of criminal cases in the U.S. State prisons, county and municipal jails, and other houses of detention throughout the state make up a state's correction system. Jail time is a sentence for a crime, but probation could be too, which is a period of time that a convicted person is free but must abide by strict rules to stay out of jail. Parole means that a person serves the rest of the sentence in the community under supervision of a parole officer. Health, education, and welfare programs combined make up the largest part of state spending. The states are largely responsible for these areas. However, there are federal mandates that control the states to an extent in these areas.
 * States make sure people have electricity, heat, water, and other necessities, which are all called (A) public welfare (B) corporate charter (C) public utilities (D) jobs (E) all (F) none**


 * Which is NOT one of the three parts of the largest part of state spending? (A) health (B) welfare (C) education (D) environment (E) all (F) none**


 * Conservation is the protection of a state's (A) government (B) natural resources (C) records (D) climate (E) all (F) none**

4. States get much of their revenue by taxation. The U.S. Constitution has some limits on the state's ability to tax - cannot tax exports, federal property, or uses taxes to deprive anyone of life, liberty, or property without the due process of law. The biggest source of state revenue comes from sales tax, or tax on goods that consumers buy. A general sales tax is on a wide range of items such as cars, clothing, food, and other types of merchandise while selective sales tax, also called excise taxes, are more specific and are on the manufacture, sale, or transport of an item such as gasoline, liquor, and cigarettes. Sales tax is a type of regressive tax since the ability to pay is harder for those with lower income. States also collect a small amount in income tax. The income tax is considered a progressive tax since the rate increases as income increases. PA also has a corporate or business income tax, which is one of the highest in the country. This makes it difficult to convince businesses to relocate to PA. States can get revenue from other sources as well. States have the ability to borrow money from the federal government although that would cause a deficit and budget issues. Many states use this, however, but do accumulate debt. States often get money from lotteries as well. States can get money from the federal government in grants as well for various projects or programs. States can charge fees for things such as drivers' license, inspections, professional licenses, fishing license, hunting license, and tolls on the turnpike.
 * What is the biggest source of state revenue? (A) borrowing (B) sales tax (C) income tax (D) property tax (E) all (F) none**


 * What are 2 examples of state fees?**

5. Although the U.S. has a strong tradition of local self-government, local governments have no legal independence. Established by the state, they are entirely dependent on the state governments under which they exist. The state can assume control over them or even abolish them. State constitutions usually lay out the details for local government. The biggest unit of local government in PA is the county. The state is divided into 67 counties. Each county is divided into a township. Inside each township are cities, boroughs, towns, and villages. In PA, a board of three commissioners is in charge of each county. A major breakdown within a township is a municipality, which is an urban unit of government - a town, borough, city, or urban district that has legal rights granted by the state through its charter. A special district is a unit of local government that deals with a specific function, such as education, the water supply, or transportation. School districts are the most common example. A municipal government can be formed when a group of people asks the state legislature to permit its community to set up, or incorporate, legally. In this, incorporation process, a community must usually meet certain requirements. These vary from state to state, but they typically include having a minimum population and a petition for incorporation signed by a certain number of residents. At times, a referendum, or special election, may be held to determine whether residents want incorporation. After a community is incorporated, the state issues it a charter granting legal status and allowing the community to have separate government. The oldest and most widely used form of municipal government is the mayor-council form with executive power in the hands of the mayor and legislative in the hands of the council. The commission form combines the executive and legislative functions into a commission. Some today have a council-manager form in which a council is the legislative body and a city manager is the executive. This form usually also contains a mayor with very limited functions.
 * What is the largest subdivision of a state? (A) county (B) township (C) borough (D) city (E) all (F) none**


 * Who controls PA counties? (A) a mayor and council (B) a manager and council (C) the courthouse (D) three commissioners (E) all (F) none**

6. Local governments provide many critical services - education, fire and police protection, water service, sewage and sanitation services, trash collection, libraries, and recreation facilities. Providing education is one of the most important functions of local government. In many states, a large share of local tax dollars fund public schools. Local governments also use zoning to regulate the way land and buildings are used, thus shaping how a community develops. Zoning boards can regulate growth, preserve neighborhoods, and prevent the decline of land values. Local governments feel zoning is proper to keep people and property safe while opponents say it violates one's to control his/her own property. Police and fire services are expensive and make up a large part of the local budget. Police protection is the second-largest expense of many American cities, behind public utilities. Local governments make the vital decisions regarding water service. Water service may be contracted with privately owned companies or could be run by the local authority. Local government is also responsible for sewage disposal. Untreated sewage, if it is allowed to return to the natural water supply, can endanger life and property. Many local governments maintain sewage treatment plants to deal with the problem. Mass transit is a function of city governments and include buses, subways, and trains. Many local governments also offer important social services to citizens who cannot afford them. Such services include for those with special needs, low income, unemployment, health, or disabilities. Recreational and cultural activities are also functions of some local governments. A metropolitan area is a big city and its surrounding suburbs, or small towns around the big city. The major source of revenue for local governments is property tax. School districts collect a separate school tax to help fund the public schools. Local governments often get grants from the federal government for projects such as infrastructure, or building roads, bridges, dams, or piping for water and sewage. Other sources of revenue include fines for things such as driving or parking if done illegally. Local governments have fees for things like permits, such as a building permit to build on your property or a burning permit to burn items in a burning barrel.
 * What is the biggest source of local revenue? (A) borrowing (B) sales tax (C) income tax (D) property tax (E) all (F) none**


 * A city's roads, bridges, water, and sewage is called --- which often gets federal grant money. (A) property (B) public utilities (C) infrastructure (D) assessment (E) all (F) none**


 * Local government passes regulations to ensure property value and safety in --- laws. (A) agriculture (B) education (C) social services (D) zoning (E) all (F) none**


 * What are two local fees (not fines or taxes)?**

7. Recall the kinds of population shifts that have taken place in recent years. Cities in the Northeast and Midwest have lost population while those in the South and West have grown rapidly. The population of small towns and rural areas has increased and many people have moved from cities to nearby suburban areas. As the population in an area increases, available land becomes more scarce, and hence, more costly. Local governments often have to decide whether available land should be used for new housing, industry, stores, or office buildings. Municipal governments attempt to manage land use to provide an environment for orderly growth. Aware of growing inner-city problems, mayors of large cities appealed to the federal government for help. As a solution, the federal government offered an urban renewal program. Spending hundreds of millions of federal dollars for new construction in the 1950s and 1960s, cities attempted to address their housing problems. However, all of the federal spending did not do much to improve the impoverished areas of cities. Large cities face serious social problems. The concentration of poverty, homelessness, crime, and drug and alcohol abuse is easily identified in large cities. Large cities try to work on the problem of homelessness by providing homeless shelters and soup kitchens. Sometimes, funding and donations are unable to keep up with the demand. Drug abuse is closely related to homelessness and poverty in the inner city. There is not much incentive to more a business into a neighborhood that is full of drugs and drug-related gangs, if you are a business owner.
 * What is a major problem facing inner-cities?**

8. Read the follow excerpt from a Bill O'Reilly talking points memo from January of 2014. //By Bill O'Reilly// 50 years ago President Lyndon Johnson announced that America would wage an intense war to lift millions of citizens out of poverty. Johnson's vision centered on giving folks a fair chance to develop their talents in order to make a good living -- it was a noble idea. But extensive analysis by the Heritage Foundation says the war on poverty has actually harmed the nation because nearly $21 trillion taxpayer dollars has been spent over the past 50 years and the state of poverty in America has not really improved very much. If the country had handed the $21 trillion directly to the poor, given them the money, poverty would have dropped drastically. All the social engineering has failed. Writing in the "Wall Street Journal" yesterday, Robert Rector lays it out. In 2012 the fed spent close to $1 trillion, that year alone, on 80 welfare programs that give cash assistance to about 100 million Americans. Those stats do not, do not include Medicare and Social Security. Of course, welfare beneficiaries comprised a solid core of the Democratic Party. And so we see the Dems ramping up for this year's election by promising even more benefits in their quest for income equality. But true poverty is being driven by personal behavior. Not an unfair economic system. In 1963, just 6 percent of American babies are born out of wedlock. Now 41 percent are and that includes 72 percent of African- American babies. According to Heritage, single parent homes are four times more likely to be living in poverty. And children raised by single parents are three times more likely to end up in prison, 50 percent more likely to be poor as adults. So, maybe we should have a war against chaotic, irresponsible parents. But America will never launch that kind of war because it's too judgmental and deeply affects the minority precincts. Therefore, cowardly politicians and race hustlers continue to bear false witness that our economic system is at fault rather than bad personal decision making. "Talking Points" has exposed that ruse before and will again. No matter how much money the government takes from the haves and gives to the have-nots, poverty will not change until personal behavior does. Addictive behavior, laziness, apathy will all override social justice programs. Every child on this planet can learn. But parents must drive the process by forcing the kids to perform in school. Every American can work hard, and if you do, you will make money. Every American can practice self-respect, and if you do, people will hire you. But if you are dishonest, embrace intoxicants, conceive children you can't support, act in a crude, disrespectful way and generally believe that you are owed prosperity -- poverty may well come knocking. And all the President's men can't prevent that. And that's "The Memo." //- You can catch Bill O'Reilly's "Talking Points Memo" weeknights at 8 and 11 p.m. ET on the Fox News Channel and any time on foxnews.com/oreilly. Send your comments to: oreilly@foxnews.com.// Transcript Date: Thu, 01/09/2014 Transcript Show Name: O'Reilly Factor Transcript Talent Byline: Bill O'Reilly
 * Read and give your opinion.**

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