HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT 1 State Government Section 1: The States Section 2: Organization Section 3: State Budgets and Revenues CHAPTER 20

A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON State Government 2 Section 1: The States Objectives: What is the basis of state governments’ authority? In what ways do state governments answer to the people? How do state governments promote the public good?

A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON State Government 3 Section 1: The States States receive their authority from a constitution.

A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON State Government 4 Section 1: The States Ways state governments answer to the people: through initiatives through referenda through recalls

A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON State Government 5 Section 1: The States How state governments promote the public good: improving the quality and reducing the costs of some public services working to advance their education systems trying to increase their efficiency with tracking systems and other methods

A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON State Government 6 Section 2: Organization Objectives: How are state legislatures structured? What are the responsibilities of a state’s executive branch? How are states courts organized?

A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON State Government 7 Section 2: Organization Structure of state legislatures: legislative branch judicial branch executive branch

A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON State Government 8 Section 2: Organization Responsibilities of a state’s executive branch: initiating legislation preparing budgets setting state agendas acting as the state’s chief ambassador advancing the state’s economy and trade

A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON State Government 9 Section 2: Organization Organization of states courts: Trial courts are organized at the county level. Special courts are found in 44 states and are usually organized at the county level. Appeals courts hear appealed cases within the state court system The state supreme court rests at the highest level of the state court system.

A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON State Government 10 Section 3: State Budgets and Revenues Objectives: How are state budgets created? What are the main sources of state revenue?

A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON State Government 11 Section 3: State Budgets and Revenues State budgets process: The governor presents a budget to the legislature. Members of the legislature debate and amend it. The legislature drafts the final budget, which must be balanced, votes on it, and returns it to the governor for signing.

A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON State Government 12 Section 3: State Budgets and Revenues Main sources of state revenue: various taxes fees federal grants loans lotteries and gambling revenue

HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT 13 Chapter Wrap-Up 1.What procedure can voters in some states use to propose a new law? 2.How could a state legislature get direct citizen input on a controversial proposal it is considering? 3.How could dissatisfied voters remove an elected official from office before the official’s term is over?

HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT 14 Chapter Wrap-Up 4.Among what branches is power divided in state government? How does that compare with how power is divided in the federal government? 5.Why is the average age of state legislators younger than that of members of Congress? 6.What are the most common special courts?

HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT 15 Chapter Wrap-Up 7.What is one major difference in the way many state judges get their jobs compared with how federal judges get theirs? 8.What is one key difference between state and federal budget processes? 9.What are several ways states raise revenue? 10.Why would a state want to maintain a high bond rating?