Podcast
Questions and Answers
When considering public opinion, what does the 'intensity' dimension primarily reflect?
When considering public opinion, what does the 'intensity' dimension primarily reflect?
- The strength of feeling individuals have about their preferences. (correct)
- How frequently individuals discuss their opinions publicly.
- The number of people who share the same opinion.
- The variety of different opinions held by the public.
What is a key measurement issue that can affect the validity of public opinion polling?
What is a key measurement issue that can affect the validity of public opinion polling?
- The wording and clarity of questions influencing responses. (correct)
- The use of complex statistical analysis.
- The exclusion of certain demographic groups.
- The limited sample sizes used in most polls.
Why are single-issue voters unique in the evaluation of politicians?
Why are single-issue voters unique in the evaluation of politicians?
- They do not focus on specific issues when voting.
- They consider a broad range of issues.
- They prioritize a single issue above all other considerations. (correct)
- They are more likely to be swayed by political campaigns.
What is Multilevel Regression and Poststratification (MRP) primarily used for in the context of public opinion?
What is Multilevel Regression and Poststratification (MRP) primarily used for in the context of public opinion?
What is the distinction between 'responsiveness' and 'congruence' in policy representation?
What is the distinction between 'responsiveness' and 'congruence' in policy representation?
According to Achen, what does 'proximity' characterize in the context of representation?
According to Achen, what does 'proximity' characterize in the context of representation?
Why is understanding public opinion considered important in a democracy?
Why is understanding public opinion considered important in a democracy?
How does federalism influence the relationship between public opinion and government action?
How does federalism influence the relationship between public opinion and government action?
In terms of state government revenue, which of the following is a primary source?
In terms of state government revenue, which of the following is a primary source?
What generally occurs during the state budget process?
What generally occurs during the state budget process?
What distinguishes a regressive tax from a progressive tax?
What distinguishes a regressive tax from a progressive tax?
Why are state sales taxes often considered regressive?
Why are state sales taxes often considered regressive?
What is the key characteristic of 'earmarked taxes'?
What is the key characteristic of 'earmarked taxes'?
What is a primary restriction on state budgets in the United States?
What is a primary restriction on state budgets in the United States?
What is the primary purpose of intergovernmental transfers?
What is the primary purpose of intergovernmental transfers?
In education policy, what is a key responsibility of state governments?
In education policy, what is a key responsibility of state governments?
What was the main requirement of the 'No Child Left Behind' Act regarding educational standards?
What was the main requirement of the 'No Child Left Behind' Act regarding educational standards?
What characterizes the role of local governments, including school districts, in education?
What characterizes the role of local governments, including school districts, in education?
What is a key goal of magnet schools?
What is a key goal of magnet schools?
What was the main goal of Florida's Amendment 4 in 2018?
What was the main goal of Florida's Amendment 4 in 2018?
Flashcards
What is public opinion?
What is public opinion?
The opinions of the public.
Two dimensions of public opinion?
Two dimensions of public opinion?
Preferences and intensity.
Intensity in public opinion?
Intensity in public opinion?
How much individuals care about whether it is X or Y.
Normal voters evaluate politicians?
Normal voters evaluate politicians?
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Single-issue voter?
Single-issue voter?
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Importance of knowing public opinion?
Importance of knowing public opinion?
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Public opinion polls?
Public opinion polls?
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Measurement issues in public opinion polling?
Measurement issues in public opinion polling?
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Sampling issues in public opinion polling?
Sampling issues in public opinion polling?
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MRP in public opinion?
MRP in public opinion?
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Achens characterize 'proximity'?
Achens characterize 'proximity'?
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Dynamic responsiveness?
Dynamic responsiveness?
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Challenges measuring state public opinion?
Challenges measuring state public opinion?
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Policy representation standard?
Policy representation standard?
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Significance of measuring responsiveness?
Significance of measuring responsiveness?
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What is fiscal policy?
What is fiscal policy?
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Types of taxes states impose?
Types of taxes states impose?
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Flat, progressive, regressive taxes?
Flat, progressive, regressive taxes?
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State sales tax?
State sales tax?
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Property taxes?
Property taxes?
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Study Notes
- Public opinion is the opinions of the public.
- The two dimensions of public opinion are preferences and intensity.
- Preferences in public opinion are measured by asking questions like "Do you prefer x or y?".
- Intensity in public opinion refers to how much individuals care about whether it is X or Y.
- Normal voters evaluate politicians using their preferences on multiple issues, such as environmental policies, taxation, abortion rights, and national defense, weighing them relatively evenly.
- A single-issue voter only cares about one issue and will vote for someone aligned with their preferences on that issue regardless of other positions.
- Learning about public opinion is important in a democracy because it helps translate public opinion into government action, hones politicians' agendas, and provides insights into voter satisfaction.
- Aspects to learn about regarding public opinion include vote choice, party ID, ideology, preferences on specific policies, and 'policy mood'.
- Public opinion polls are surveys given to members of the public to measure public opinion.
- Measurement issues in public opinion polling include questions that can be leading, unclear, or measure multiple things, and may not accurately capture the intensity of preferences.
- Sampling issues in public opinion polling arise because polls cannot survey everyone due to costs, leading to reliance on simple random samples.
- MRP, or Multilevel Regression and Poststratification, is a tool used to estimate public opinion based on respondent place and characteristics.
- Congruence means legislators and constituents share the same preferences; responsiveness measures if constituent preferences correspond to legislative action.
- Achen's characterization of 'proximity' in representation refers to the closeness of a legislator's preferences to all constituents, which may not always reflect their effectiveness.
- Dynamic responsiveness is responsiveness measured across time.
- A common workaround for measuring responsiveness involves focusing on whether responsiveness is greater than 0, indicating any responsiveness in the right direction.
- Challenges in measuring state public opinion include the expense of surveys and the fact that a nationally representative sample may not adequately represent sub-national opinions.
- The highest standard for policy representation entails legislators acting in accordance with the preferences of their constituents.
- Measuring responsiveness helps assess whether legislative actions reflect changes in constituent preferences.
- Conducting a few thousand respondent surveys may cost thousands to tens of thousands of dollars.
- Federalism interacts with public opinion as different levels of government influence and are influenced by public opinion.
- Public opinion is important in American government because it relates to concerns about representation.
- The federal structure of American government is complicated because different levels of government are responsible for different tracks, leading to unclear accountability.
- Fiscal policy refers to taxing and spending by the government.
- State governments generate revenue through taxes, federal transfers, fees, and usually property taxes.
- The state budget process involves governors submitting budgets, legislatures crafting them, and the budgets being passed and signed as bills.
- Thirty states budget annually, while 20 states budget biennially.
- States can impose personal income tax, sales tax, property taxes, and earmarked taxes.
- A personal income tax is a tax where individuals pay a proportion of their income to the state.
- Some states have no income tax, some have flat taxes, and some have progressive income taxes.
- A flat tax taxes all income at the same rate; a progressive tax taxes higher income at a higher rate; regressive taxes disproportionately affect lower-income individuals.
- The states with no income tax are Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming.
- A state sales tax is an additional tax added on when purchasing goods.
- Sales tax is considered regressive because wealthy individuals do not spend all their money on goods, while lower-income individuals do.
- Property taxes are taxes paid on owned property, usually local taxes for city or county services.
- Earmarked taxes are taxes specifically targeted to fund public goods related to the tax's area, like gas taxes for road maintenance.
- The types of fees states collect include point-of-use fees such as state park entry fees, DMV registration fees, and tolls.
- A significant portion of state budgets comes from federal transfers.
- States must have balanced budgets and cannot run deficits.
- Municipal bonds are a type of debt issued by states to raise funds for infrastructure projects.
- Major areas where states spend money include Medicaid/CHIP, education, transportation, and intergovernmental transfers.
- Intergovernmental transfers are transfers of money between different levels of government, providing states control over local governments.
- State spending on local governments is significant because a considerable amount of state spending is done through transfers to local governments.
- State governments' main responsibilities in education policy are setting standards, distributing funds, monitoring performance, delegating power to local government, and funding and regulating higher education.
- States fund public schools with funding from the federal government, state government, and local government, with local funding often seen as the primary source.
- State funds represent a higher share of school district revenues where local sources (mostly property taxes) are insufficient.
- Performance benchmarks set by states monitor school performance, which is related to but distinct from graduation requirements.
- No Child Left Behind (2002) required states to determine standards while tying federal funding to progress.
- The Common Core initiative, created by the National Governors Association, is a set of educational standards adopted by 41 states to establish cross-state benchmarks.
- Local governments, including school districts, are created by state governments, and most authority for public education lies with the states.
- Charter schools are public schools that receive public funds but operate outside the traditional public school system under a contract with a sponsoring entity.
- Magnet schools are specialized, theme-based schools intended to facilitate diversification and desegregation.
- Universities are often organized into systems under a governing board that receives authority from the state government.
- California Proposition 209, passed in 1996, banned affirmative action by governmental institutions, including higher education.
- Florida's 'One Florida' initiative, an executive order by Jeb Bush, aimed at eliminating affirmative action in state university admissions.
- Factors that shape state funding for higher education include ideological commitments, the importance of universities to the state economy, tuition factors, and economic conditions.
- The right to vote was first withheld from men who violated social norms or committed crimes, with states incorporating provisions in constitutions in the late 18th century.
- Felon disenfranchisement is underpinned by deterrence and punishment.
- Florida's Amendment 4 in 2018 aimed to end felon disenfranchisement, allowing many formerly incarcerated individuals to regain voting rights.
- Governor DeSantis imposed a requirement for payment of legal financial obligations (LFOs) before reinstating voting rights in Florida.
- Legal financial obligations (LFOs) are court costs, fines, and restitution to victims that some states require to be paid in full before voting rights can be restored.
- Challenges formerly incarcerated people face in voting include tough processes for determining eligibility and the imposition of strict requirements on restoring voting rights by many states.
- In a poll, 45 percent of voters supported and 47 percent opposed the bill regarding voting rights restoration in Florida.
- Notes don't provide a definitive answer, indicating that the question remains complex and context-dependent regarding formerly incarcerated people's vote.
- Intergovernmental transfers are transfers of money between different levels of government, providing states with control over local governments and funding for local needs.
- The primary responsibilities of states in education policy are to set standards, distribute funds, monitor performance, delegate power to local governments, and fund/regulate higher education.
- States fund public schools through federal grants, state government, and local government, with local funding often being the primary source.
- States are the primary entity responsible for establishing public school curricula.
- The No Child Left Behind Act is a federal law that required states to increase standardized testing and monitoring, tying federal funding to educational progress.
- The Common Core is a set of educational standards created by the National Governors Association, adopted by 41 states to establish cross-state benchmarks.
- Charter schools are public schools that receive public funding but operate outside the traditional public school system under a contract with a sponsoring entity.
- The structure of state higher education often involves universities organized into systems governed by boards that receive authority from the state government.
- California's Proposition 209, was a 1996 measure that banned affirmative action by governmental institutions, including higher education.
- Voting rights were first withheld from men who violated social norms or committed crimes, with states incorporating provisions in constitutions in the late 18th century.
- Felon disenfranchisement's logic is deterrence and punishment for violating laws.
- Amendment 4 in Florida was a 2018 voter-approved measure to end felon disenfranchisement.
- The 2019 Florida bill required payment of legal financial obligations (LFOs) before voting rights could be restored.
- Legal financial obligations (LFOs) are court costs, fines, and restitution to victims that may need to be paid before voting rights are restored.
- Eligibility determination processes can be tough, and many formerly incarcerated people do not vote.
- Local funding, often from property taxes, is considered the primary source of school funding, especially when state funds are insufficient.
- States set performance benchmarks related to graduation requirements and standardized testing to monitor school performance.
- The governor often plays a key role in selecting the governing boards of universities in higher education governance.
- Specialized, theme-based schools are intended to facilitate diversification and desegregation in magnet schools.
- Intra-district allows students to enroll in different schools within the same district, while inter-district allows enrollment in schools across different districts for open enrollment.
- Funding formulas vary by state and aim to equalize per-pupil spending across school districts for public schools.
- Federal laws like No Child Left Behind influence state standards but ultimately allow states to determine specific requirements for education.
- Whether a case ends up in state or federal court depends on whether a state or federal law was broken.
- The federal judiciary has jurisdiction over cases where the US is a party, crimes on federal land, constitutional violations, bankruptcy, copyright, maritime issues, and federal laws.
- Most criminal cases end up in state courts.
- States vary in what they consider crimes based on their unique circumstances, public opinion, and morality.
- Law enforcement agencies are responsible for arresting individuals for crimes.
- State and local law enforcement agencies include state bureaus of investigation, state police/state troopers, and local police departments.
- Some states have begun to adopt uniform systems of sentencing guidelines for sentencing practices in the US over the past 40 years.
- State corrections facilities are typically overseen by either a cabinet-level director or a board, with a clear role for the governor.
- 'Prison gerrymandering' refers to the manipulation of prison locations for political advantage.
- Some states contract out prison services to private, for-profit companies.
- States handle the bulk of criminal justice and corrections work, including defining crimes, law enforcement, courts, and corrections in the US criminal justice system.
- Health policy falls under the reserve clause, meaning states have significant authority over it.
- States manage insurance, public health, and regulation in health policy.
- States are the major players in Medicaid, which is a significant insurer funded jointly by states and federal government.
- CHIP is the Child Health Insurance Program, administered by states for children from lower-income families.
- Medicare is funded almost exclusively by the federal government and serves the elderly, those with end-stage diseases, or long-term disabilities.
- Medicaid is funded jointly by states and the federal government.
- People access health care through government programs, employer benefits, self-purchase, or being uninsured.
- The default method of obtaining health insurance in the US is receiving health insurance as a benefit through an employer.
- Health care costs are high due to various economic factors, including the structure of the insurance system.
- Insurance distorts the market by masking true costs, leading to less competitive pricing on healthcare pricing.
- A cycle of increasing insurance premiums and costs is created by increasing insurance premiums.
- States regulated insurers, required certain coverage, ran Medicaid, and provided funding in healthcare before the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
- The ACA changed health insurance availability and coverage requirements.
- The ACA expanded Medicaid eligibility to 133 percent of the federal poverty rate.
- 'Exchanges' or 'marketplaces' created by the ACA are platforms where individuals can directly buy insurance plans.
- A core debate surrounding the ACA is the relationship between state and federal government in health policy.
- The ACA encroaches on states' discretion in Medicaid and their ability to regulate insurers.
- States engage in behavior modification programs, direct public health interventions, and pandemic preparedness as public health initiatives.
- States license healthcare professionals and regulate health insurers as regulatory roles in health policy.
- The structure of state health institutions involves a state department with a cabinet-level head, local/county departments, and varying levels of centralization.
- Governors can declare states of emergency and issue public health emergency declarations during public health emergencies.
- During a public health emergency declaration, actions can include removing licensure requirements for out-of-state doctors, freeing up supplies, and spending emergency funds.
- Dimensions included in state environmental policy are preservation, pollution prevention, climate change, and resource management.
- Yellowstone National Park became the first national park in 1872.
- The National Park Service was created in 1916.
- State parks serve to protect areas of environmental, cultural, or recreational significance not worthy of national park status.
- A historical transition occurred in park systems from ad hoc to institutionalized park systems.
- The purpose of the National Conference of State Parks was to share knowledge and borrow information from the National Park Service.
- Challenges among states regarding park purposes include relatively little unity of purpose regarding preservation, recreation, and tourism.
- State parks are not a cabinet-level position and are part of different departments in various cabinet positions across the states.
- State park directors are in the executive branch but lower down the hierarchy.
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established by Executive Order in 1970.
- The Clean Air Act allows the EPA to set emissions standards.
- The Clean Water Act allows the EPA, with state and local help, to regulate the dumping of pollutants into water sources.
- CERCLA regulates and provides funding for the cleanup of hazardous waste sites.
- States generally have organizations dedicated to pollution prevention and environmental protection.
- The EPA works through state and local agencies to monitor compliance with regulations and laws.
- The tragedy of the commons occurs when a common-pool resource is over-used because individuals lack incentives to moderate usage.
- Examples of environmental policy areas viewed through the lens of the tragedy of the commons include fisheries, forestry resources, unpolluted water/soil/air, greenhouse gas emissions.
- States can be seen as both agents who over-consume resources and as regulators seeking to address these problems in relation to resource management and climate change.
- 'Race to the bottom' in environmental policy means states may try to boost their economies by being less attentive to environmental regulations.
- There is relatively little evidence that the 'race to the bottom' issue in states is a significant issue.
- States address the tragedy of the commons through regulations and creative solutions.
- Interstate compacts can serve as a collaborative approach for states to address environmental issues.
- States vary in their environmental preservation efforts based on public opinion filtered through government.
- The executive branch has strong powers as the overseer of the state bureaucracy, including appointments, proposing laws/budgets, and issuing executive orders in environmental policy.
- Election administration has historically been a state-dominated policy area.
- Federal encroachments have occurred at times to protect civil rights and other interests in election administration.
- Qualifications to vote for the House of Representatives are based on state rules for the lower state legislative chamber.
- The Reconstruction Acts of 1867 required 'manhood suffrage,' meaning all men could vote, to be included in new state constitutions for southern states' readmission to the Union.
- Section 1 of the 15th Amendment (1870) states that citizens cannot be denied the right to vote based on race or previous condition of servitude.
- In Williams v. Mississippi (1891), the court upheld Mississippi's disenfranchising laws, ruling they did not explicitly discriminate based on race.
- The Supreme Court declared white primaries unconstitutional in Smith v. Allwright (1944).
- The 24th Amendment (1964) prohibits poll taxes in elections for federal officials.
- Wyoming's territorial legislature granted women the right to vote in 1869.
- The 19th Amendment (1920) nationalized women's suffrage, granting women the right to vote.
- The Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibits racial discrimination in elections and establishes a preclearance requirement for certain states/counties.
- Contemporary concerns in election administration include line length, Shelby v. Holder, vote by mail, and voter ID.
- Long lines discourage subsequent voting and are considered a form of poll tax.
- Absentee voting is a vote cast by a person who is absent from their usual voting district and permitted to vote by mail.
- No-excuse absentee voting is voting by mail without the requirement to prove a legitimate absence from the jurisdiction on election day.
- Early voting is a system that allows voters to cast their votes ahead of election day, generally in person.
- Universal vote by mail is a system where every registered voter is mailed a ballot in advance and expected to return it via mail.
- South Carolina's voter ID law in 1950 was the first state to require ID when voting, although not a photo ID.
- States like HI, TX, FL, and AK followed suit, leading to 14 states adopting voter ID laws by 2000 following South Carolina's voter ID law.
- The 2005 Commission on Federal Election Reform recommended states adopt some form of voter ID.
- Other recommendations from the 2005 Commission include state-level registration lists with cross-state sharing, restoration of voting rights to ex-felons, and greater independence in state election administration.
- There is limited evidence that voter ID laws significantly affect turnout on average.
- Voter ID laws may disproportionately affect minorities, potentially leading to counteractive effects on voter mobilization.
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