Chapter 1 Overview

Chapter 1 Overview

1. Overview

   • american federalism is dynamic
   • can regulate but not infringe
     • right to bear arms
   • changing policies and different goals of government
     • marriage rights
     • marijuana restrictions
   • federal grants to the states gives impressions that states are betweer stweards of government revenue
   • acquiring high quality data on state an local governments is challenging
   • states vary
     • physical and demographic
     • wealth
     • social issues
   • some states are"better" none are "best"
   • patterns help create knowledge more effectively
   • systematic analysis is challenging

2. Population

   • Texas
     • doubles in percentage and more than doubled in number
     • White
       • largest racial group
       • declining
     • African Amer.
       • Stable
     • Hispanics
       • largest minority
       • fast growing
   • US
     • asians
       • highest # foriegn born
       • degree/educated
   • immigration
     • illegal = small
     • natural increases
     • legal immigration
     • Reunification Clause 1965
       • LBJ
       • family reunification (limits)
       • limits
       • level the playing field
   • fertility rates
     • replacement
       • stagnent
     • optimisim
     • children are liabilities
     • education vs. agricultural society

3. Texas Compare

   • Education
     • High School
       • 81.6
       • 86.3
     • Bachelor degree
       • 27.1
       • 29.3
   • Income
     • 52,576
     • 53,482
   • PCI
     • 26,513
     • 28,555
   • Poverty
     • 14.8
     • 17.2
   • Incarceration
     • 792 (4th)
     • 716 (1)
   • # Prisoners
     • 166,043
     • 1,561,500
   • Violent Crime
     • 410.3
     • 368
   • unemployment
     • 4.6
     • 4.9

4. Government

   • National vs. State vs. Local
     • Federal system
       • congress and president
       • state legislatures
       • Supreme Court
         • constitutional????
     • creation of laws that are popular with the people
     • push for social change
   • Supremacy Clause
   • US Congress vs US Supreme Court

5. Expenditures

   • Total Government Spending = 7.3 billion
     • 60% federal
     • 40% state and local
     • per capita = 20,693
     • actuals
       • 65% federal
       • 35% state and local