Name ____________________________    Date ______________

Chapter 11: State Government

Section 2: State Legislatures

Key Vocabulary:

1)                 Define each of the following terms.

a)                 apportioned-

 b)                initiative-

c)                 referendum-

d)                recall-

e)                 revenue-

f)                  sales taxes-

g)                 excise tax-

h)                 income tax-

i)                   bonds-

Who Are State Legislators?

2)       Over time how has the job of a state legislator changed?

Qualifications and Terms:

3)       What are the qualifications for a state legislator?

Organizations of State Legislatures:

4)       How are state legislatures organized?

Sessions:

5)       For how long to state government sessions usually last?

Representation:

6)       How are seats in the state legislature apportioned, or divided?

7)       What did the Supreme Court decide in Reynolds v. Sims (1964)?

Making Laws:

8)       Describe the process of how state legislatures make laws.

Powers of the People:

9)       What is a major difference between lawmaking in Congress and in state legislatures?

10)     Who were the “progressives,” what did they want, and why did they want it?

11)     Describe how the initiative gives legislative power to the people.

12)     Describe how the referendum gives legislative power to the people.

13)     Describe how recall gives legislative power to the people.

Checking the Other Branches:

14)     Describe the three ways a state legislature may “check and balance” the power of the governor and the judicial branches.

Financing State Government:

15)     What are some reasons that state governments need money?

Taxes:

16)     Where does the majority of revenue, or money in a state come from?

17)     Describe the different types of taxes in a state.

Federal Funds:

18)     How can states get money from categorical grants?

19)     How can states get money from block grants?

Other Sources of Revenue:

20)     How do states use bonds to help raise revenue or money?

21)     What are the pros and cons of using a state sponsored lottery to raise revenue?