 Political culture represents shared values or beliefs about the political world.  There are three basic types of political cultures:  Moralistic: Its primary function is to promote the common good. Government responsibilities increase.  Individualistic: The individual is the priority. The role of government is limited.  Traditionalistic: Emphasis is placed on status. The role of government is to maintain the existing power structure.

 Government participation is highest in states with moralistic cultures.  Moralistic politicians tend to be more honest.  Traditionalistic and individualistic governments rely less on merits when hiring employees.  Moralistic states spend more on welfare.

 Cooperative federalism is the current framework within which states work with the federal government.  Each state offers services such as:  Education  Welfare  Transportation  Law enforcement  Public health  Regulation of utilities

 State constitutions provide a framework for state governments.  State constitutions are the supreme law of the state.  All 50 state constitutions call for legislative, executive, and judicial branches.  Super legislation is the process of inserting a group’s policy preferences into the state constitution.

 Initially, state governments had limited powers.  After political parties were established, the power of state governments grew.  Party growth resulted in fraud and corruption in state politics.  In the early 1900s, the Populist and Progressive movements responded to the corruption by focusing on the common good.  Additional reforms in the 1950s and 1960s focused even more on developing strong state governments.

 In a direct democracy, the people themselves, not their representatives, have the power.  Direct democracies are emerging in states through:  Initiatives, which allow citizens to drive the process of making constitutional amendments  Referendums, which allow citizens to approve or disapprove of legislation  Recall elections, which allow citizens to vote an elected official out of office before the end of the term

State Institutions

 Legislators are elected officials who represent their constituents.  Legislatures are composed of legislators and are responsible for:  Creating budgets  Raising revenues  Passing laws to govern schools, roads, and criminal activity

 The governor heads the state’s executive branch.  The governor’s roles include serving as:  Head of state  Commander in chief of the National Guard  A check on state legislation through use of the veto (which may include the line-item veto)  State constitutions limit the powers of governors more than the federal Constitution limits those of the president.  The governorship is a highly visible political office that can lead to future national positions in government.

Local Governments and State and Local Revenue

 The U.S. Constitution does not address local governments.  States can determine the structure of local governments.  Types of local governments include:  Municipalities, or towns and cities  Counties  Other local units

 Municipalities are structured in different ways. The two most common are mayoral and council-manager.  Mayoral government  The mayor is the chief executive.  Larger or older cities typically have this form.  Council members are elected by district.

 Council-manager government  The chief executive is an appointed manager.  This is a nonpartisan form of city government.  Council members are elected at large.

 After World War II, urban neighborhoods became increasingly poorer as suburban neighborhoods flourished.  Reformers established metropolitan-wide governments (governments including cities and their suburbs).  Cities also began receiving federal aid to assist with urban renewal efforts and mass transit.

 States fund services primarily through taxes:  Sales taxes  Income taxes  Property taxes

 The taxing power of states is limited.  States cannot tax imports or exports between states.  States cannot tax the federal government.  States cannot levy taxes that violate the equal protection and due process clauses of the 14th Amendment.

Political Parties

 A political party tries to promote its ideas and policies by gaining control of government through the nomination and election of candidates.  Political parties link voters and officials by explaining what candidates stand for and holding them accountable.  Political parties help unify the parts of government fragmented by the separation of powers.  Political parties provide a voice for the opposition.

 Each party has its own ideology—its vision of how government should deal with issues and problems.  Traditionally, Democrats have followed a liberal ideology, Republicans a conservative one.  Party ideologies attract coalitions (groups of people who join to further common interests).  Candidates run on a party platform, the policy positions the party says its elected officials will put into effect.

 The Pull toward Moderation

 The Pull toward Extremism

Electioneering = Recruiting and nominating candidates, defining policy agendas, and getting candidates elected  Recruiting candidates  Parties fill national, state, and local offices.  Parties find it especially hard to run candidates against incumbents (those already in the office).

 Nominating candidates  Nominations can unite or divide parties.  Most candidates are chosen in primaries, which can be open, closed, or presidential.  Delegates to presidential primaries are chosen at nominating conventions.  Defining policy agendas

 Preparing for the general election  Running candidate-centered ads  Organizing and mobilizing voters  Training candidates in campaign tactics  Providing instruction on election laws  Polling public opinion  Raising funds

 Controlling government  Influencing the federal bureaucracy  Determining who holds leadership positions, including chairs of legislative committees  Determining the legislative calendar  Determining the rules governing debate and amendments

 Executing the policy agenda  Keeping party promises  Overcoming the effects of split-ticket voting, which results in divided government and limits the party that is not in control from keeping its promises  Being accountable to voters for policy agendas and ideas for government