POLS 207 Lecture 2

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The textbook is a difficult read; be careful to look for what might be important

Chapter 1: 50 States and 90,000 Local Gov'ts

There are 90,000 Local Governments

State and local gov'ts account for 43% of all money spent by the US Gov't.

US Term Limits v. Thornton (1995)

States may not impose restrictions on who could run for congress

Federalism

Interaction between federal gov't and state/local gov'ts

When does federal gov't step in?

Who wins when federal and state don't agree? (federal)

Why does evidence of the effect of proposed laws weigh so little in their enactment by other states? Is there a "six shooter" mentality in many states? Should there be local standards on this issue? Should there be local standards on all issues, including drug saftey or highway standards?

Laws and regulations are everywhere! AAAH!!

State governments move at a much faster speed than the federal government. This makes them susceptible to making more mistakes

Law of unintended consequences: all policy decisions create externalities