Unit 7

Unit 7

State, Local, and International Government

I. Levels of Government

A. Splitting Powers

Federal State Powers

Powers

Concurrent Powers

1. Federal Powers –a. Foreign and interstate commerce]

b. Declare War

2. State Powers-a. Education

b. Transportation

3. Concurrent Powers- Taxes

B. Different Levels

1. Federal (national) Washington DC

2. State (50), Harrisburg

3. Locala. County (67)

b. Municipalities (Cities, boroughs, townships)

c. School Districts (501)

C. State Government

1. Executive Branch

a. Governor – Ed Rendell (D)

b. Governors are distrusted because of the Royal governors of colonial days.

c. Allowed two terms, each four years in length.

d. Elected in Gubernatorial elections in even, non-leap years.

e. Powersi. Vetoii. Commander-in Chief of National Guardiii. State of the State address

f. Departmentsi. PLCBii. Penn DOTiii. State Policeiv. PDE

g. Other executivesi. Lt. Governorii. Treasureriii. Auditor Generaliv. Attorney General

2. Legislative Branch

a. General Assembly – bicameral legislature

b. House of Representativesi. 2 year terms

ii. All elected at same time

iii. Elect a Speaker

c. Senatei. 4 year terms

ii. Only half are elected at once

iii. Lt. Governor is President of Senate

3. Judicial Branch

a. State Supreme Court in Harrisburg

b. 7 justices

c. Elected for 10 year terms

D. Local Government

1. County

a. Larger than cities and townships.

b. Philadelphia and Allegheny (Pittsburgh) are most populated.

c. Warren, Venango, and Crawford make up TASD.

d. Executive and Legislative Branch are combined.

f. Officials:i. Commissioners

a). 3 are elected.

b.) They choose a chair.

c). There must be commissioners from both parties.

ii. Sheriff

iii. Treasurer

iv. Prothonotary – clerk, record keeper.

v. Commissioners and other officials sit on committees to set rules and services for county.

vi. Departmentsa). Housing

b). Aging

c). Assessment

d). Child and Youth Services

g. Judicial Branchi. Court of Common Pleas

ii. Service depends on population.

iii. Family matters

iv. Criminal law

v. Civil law

vi. Estate disputes

vii. Juvenile Court

2. Municipality

a. Roads, water and sewage, property and income taxes.b. Cities

i. Divided into three classes by size.ii. Elect a mayor & council.iii. May appoint a manager &officers.

c. Boroughsi. Same gov’t as cityii. Smaller with less services.

d. Township.i. Supervisors run township like county commissioners.ii. They also are workers for townships.

3. School District

a. 1834 – First free public schools organized by state.

b. Municipalities ran schools due to center of population.

c. Agrarian calendar.

d. Today organized into 501 districts.

e. Biggest school districts are still run by cities (Philadelphia and Pittsburgh)

f. School Boardi. 9 membersii. Elected – every 4 years in odd numbered years,

only half at a time.iii. Non-payiv. They choose officers

a). President Donna Popieskib.) VP – William Lovec.) Secretary/Treasurer can be member or employee.

v. School board meeting once a month.vi. Organize into committees during work sessions.vii. Critiques: Not necessarily professionals or

experienced educators.g. Administrators – they hire district officers

i. Superintendent – Karen Jezii. As. Sup. Terry Kerr

h. TASDi. 1869

ii. 2,412 students

iii. About 15,000 citizens

iv. Between $15 and 20 million budget.

v. Most funds come from property taxes.

vi. Some come from state and federal grants.

II. International Government

A. Iran1. President and legislature2. Receive their offices through election3. Religious Supreme Leader and the Guardian Council

supervise them. 4. No one or party can run for office without approval from

the religious officials. 5. They have veto power over the rest of the government. 6. Religious laws under the Sahri’a prohibit immoral dress

for women, inappropriate sexual relations, gaining unfair profit, and other actions.

7. Punishable by amputation of limbs, adulterers and homosexuals can be whipped, beheaded, or crushed by boulders.

8. People choose the president and legislature and there are some checks over religious leaders, Iran is a theocratic republic.

B. Saudi Arabia

1. A hereditary monarch rules over this Middle Easter nation-state

2. Crown controls all oil wealth, construction, and local communities.

3. King does allow the existence of religious police who roam the country looking for violators of Holy Quran

4. Schools must use the official religious text for education5. Discussion of other religions in a favorable manner is

forbidden.6. Citizens and foreigners must follow the Sahri’a. 7. All citizens must be Islamic. Since the religious police

are subject to the king, it is referred to as a theocratic monarchy.

C. China1. Totalitarian Dictatorship 1950-1970 under Mao Zedong2. Communist Totalitarianism (1970 – Present)3. Central Party leads from Beijing4. Local Party controls regions.5. Complete loyalty of military6. Elections do occur for party leaders.7. Legislative elections are rigged, other parties are

puppets of Communists.8. Large social welfare system does not reach rural

areas.9. Industrialization has advanced cities with some

capitalism.10. Government is secretive.11. Very little freedom of speech, press, assembly,

petition, or religion. 12. Protest in Tiananmen Square in 1989 was crushed by

army.

D. United Kingdom1. Constitutional Monarchy – Parliamentary Democracy2. First-past-the post elections occur where winner gets

plurality of vote. 3. Prime Minister – Toney Blair (HG)4. Queen Elizabeth II (HS)5. She appoints the PM from the majority party of the

lower House of Commons.6. PM appoints minister to run departments.7. Upper House of Lords acts as Supreme Court, nothing

more.8. Major parties:

a. Labour (similar to Democrats)b. Liberal Democratsc. Conservatives (Similar to Republicans)

9. Many social services including health care and tuition.

E. France

1. The Fifth Republic is a presidential democratic republic.

2. Bicameral legislature.a. National Assembly –represent specific communities.b. Senate elected by electoral college.

3. President (HS) elected for 5 year term is head of state and appoints Prime Minister.

4. Pres. may dissolve National Assembly5. Prime Minister is (HG). 6. French Socialist Party (Democrats)7. Rally for the Republic (Republican)8. Nationalists – pro-French only!

F. Germany1. Federal system.2. Parliamentary democratic republic.3. 1949 Constitution4. Bicameral legislature

a. Lower Bundestag – parties get membership = to % of the vote they receive (proportional).

b. Parties with less than 5% of the vote do not get seats.c. They choose a Chancellor – head of government.d. Upper Bundesrat – Federal council, members elected from

each state.

5. Convention chooses president (head of state)6. Christian-Democrats (religious conservatives)7. Social Democrats (like our Democrats)8. Free Democrats (limited government)9. Green Party10. Coalition government – parties join together to rule.