Hi, everyone! This thread will serve as a review for exam #3 (I'll go over this review in class on Monday as well). Exam #3 takes place in class on Wednesday, November 20. It will be of similar format to exam #1 & exam #2. You simply need to bring pen and photo ID.
To prepare for the exam, you should read through the blog assignments on the choosing judges and the structure of local government. You should be familiar with my post, the articles I link to, and the comments of your colleagues. In terms of material covered in class, you should be familiar with all of the material on the courts and local government, (from the fourth set of lecture notes) tax policy (the fifth set of lecture notes), and education policy (the sixth set). All sets of lecture notes were distributed in class and are also on the blog. Specifically, from class, you should be familiar with:
1. the different methods for choosing judges, including their advantages and disadvantages.
2. the different structures for local government, including their advantages and disadvantages.
3. the different expectations that people have for local government.
4. how college towns are different from other cities.
5. the role of NIMBY and PPIMBY issues.
6. the difference between progressive, proportional, and regressive taxes, including which taxes fall into which categories, and why some states have less regressive tax systems than do others.
7. the arguments for and against school choice,
8. the arguments for and against the equalization of school funding between districts (counties, in many cases) and between states.
9. the arguments for and against the increased use of standardized testing.
10. the reasons why it is more difficult to fund higher education than elementary and secondary education,
I will have my usual office hours on Wednesday, in case you want to ask questions. You can also email them to me at the email address on the syllabus. Finally, you can use the comments section on this thread for questions. You'll then be able to ask your questions on the blog and read my answers to questions from other students in the class. Email and blog questions are due by 9 pm on Tuesday, November 19. Good luck!
I missed the lecture on how college towns are different from other cities...Are there any key points I need to know for the exam?
ReplyDeleteSorry for late reply. This (and others) did not come through to my email. Someone asked this in class yesterday at the review, so I'll assume you got the answer. If not, respond to this, and I'll reply later today.
DeleteWhy do some states have less regressive tax systems than others?
ReplyDeleteSorry for late reply. This (and others) did not come through to my email. Answered in class yesterday. History matters, but so does politics. Democratic governors and strong labor unions lead to less regressive tax systems.
DeleteUnder the "commission" local government structure, I have "largely discredited" written but I am not sure why it is largely discredited. Is it because the commission structure ends up with higher levels of government spending because they do not work as a group? Thank you!
ReplyDeleteJulia Nass
Sorry for late reply. This (and others) did not come through to my email. That is correct. Also, each commissioner acts as an advocate for the people in the department they "oversee", so they end up overlooking poor performance, etc.
DeleteWhen you were talking about the four structures of local government, Under Council- Mayor, what did you mean by Jerry Springer?
ReplyDeleteHe was mayor of Cincinnati under the council-weak mayor format. That's not hugely important to your understanding of the concept.
ReplyDeleteWhat are some examples of a proportional tax? I seem to have some for regressive and progressive but not proportional.
ReplyDeleteWe talked about this at some length during yesterday's review. There is no tax that is exactly proportional. The closest is probably the Pennsylvania income tax, which is about 3% on virtually all income. However, the poor get a bit of a break (called "tax forgiveness") as some of their income is excluded, and the rich can get a bit of a break, as the state isn't allowed (by federal law) to levy a state income tax on the interest earned on US Treasury bonds, bills, and notes (which tend to be owned by rich people).
Deletethank you! Also, what do you exactly mean by "Equalization plans generally lower the ceiling rather than raise the floor."
DeleteMost plans to equalize funding between school districts lower the funding for richer districts (lower the ceiling) rather than raise the funding for poorer districts (raise the floor).
DeleteJust to be clear for regressive tax examples, I understand that cigarette, alcohol, and gas are considered to be regressive but is FICA as well. I understand what FICA is and how it works but my notes are clear on what category it falls under.
ReplyDeleteThe FICA tax appears to be proportional (7.65% of income, matched by employer), but it only applies to earned income (wages, tips, self-employment income, but not to dividends, interest, or capital gains). Also, most of the tax (6.2%) only applies to the first $113,700 of income. Between those two things, the FICA tax impacts the rich less than it does other people, so it's regressive.
Deletewhat do you mean by the different expectation people have for local government? also I know you briefly went over the role of NIMBY and PPIMBY in the review, but I could not write that fast and was wondering if you could briefly explain that again. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteSee the first section of the lecture notes on local government (people expect local government to be more accessible, maybe more corrupt, maybe less, less competent, and more likely to hire through the spoils system (than higher levels of government).
DeleteNIMBY (Not in My BackYard) issues get people very upset. They all agree that the community needs something (like a sewage treatment facility), but they think it should go in someone else's neighborhood. They are concerned that something like that would lower property values and impact their children. PPIMBY (Please Put It in MY BackYard) issues are not as nasty. They involve something you'd like for your neighborhood (maybe a pool or park), but if you don't get it, you're not any worse off than you were before.