2. State Constitutions
• All have:
o Preamble
o Bill of Rights
o Articles - describe structure, powers
● Most have amendments - Way to change it
legislature
initiative
constitutional commission
constitutional convention
3. Structure
• Similar to Nat’l Gov’t
• Legislative Branch - most are part time
• Executive Branch
o Governor has line-item veto or amendatory veto
• Judicial Branch
o trial, appeals, supreme
4. Local Governments
• 4 Types
• County - largest subdivision of a state
Police, courts, jails
Assess property value for taxes
Keep records - death/birth
Elections and public health
5. Local Governments
• Township
o divides county for roads, police, water/sewage
• Special District - most common type
o provide specific service
schools
fire
water/sewer
parks
6. Local Governments
• Municipality
o village, town, city
o people living close together need services - water,
sewer, police/fire protection
7. Local Governments
• Forms of municipal governments
o Council-Mayor (leg-exec separate)
o Council-Manager → Manager hired by council, may
have a mayor too (leg-exec separate)
o Commission → 5-7 members head different depts
(leg-exec combined)
potential issues?
8. Financing State and Local Govt
• Limits on taxing power
o Cannot tax interstate commerce
o Cannot tax federal property
o Cannot deprive people equal protection of the law
• Tax Revenue
o Excise
o Sales
o Regressive
o Progressive
o Proportional
9. Financing State and Local Govt
• Other Revenue Sources
o Bonds
o Lottery
o Intergovernmental Revenue
o Federal Grants
o Categorical-formula grants
o Block Grants
o Mandates
10. Financing State and Local Govt
• Local Revenue Sources
o Property tax - ⅔ of total local revenue
real v. personal property
Assessment
Market Value - what it sells for
• Fees and fines
11. Local Govt Services
• Education
o Elected school board
sets school policy
• Fire and police
protection
• Water, sewage and
sanitation
• Trash collection
• Libraries
• Recreation
• Transportation -
mass transit →
buses, trains,
subway
12. Challenges Local Govt Face
City govt have diff. issues
• Housing
o Urban renewal
o Shortages
o Homelessness - may result from alcohol/drug abuse,
criminal, mental illness, unemployment
• Revitalization and Gentrification
