1. How many state and local government employees are there in your state? Which state has the most? The least? How have these numbers changed in the past 10 years? Why do you think these changes have occurred? State Government Employees (State)

2. States with which political culture (individualistic, traditionalistic, or moralistic) spend the most, per capita, on higher education? Why might this be? Per Capita State and Local Government Expenditures for Higher Education (State)

3. In your state, did the percentage of households headed by single mothers increase, decrease, or stay the same between 2006 and 2010? How might any changes in this percentage influence your state’s budgeting decisions? How does this compare to states that neighbor yours? Percent of Households Headed by Single Mothers (State)

4. What is the per capita state and the local sales tax revenue in Delaware? What about in the states immediately surrounding Delaware? How are those states able to collect sales taxes? Why wouldn’t neighboring citizens just drive to Delaware to do all of their shopping? Per Capita State Government General Sales Tax Revenue (State)

5. What is the per capita gross domestic product (GDP) in your state? Is it above or below the national figure? Did your state’s per capita GDP increase, decrease, or stay the same between 2010 and 2011? What differences between your state and others might explain why your state is above/below the national average? Average Annual Percent Change in Gross State Product (1987- ): (State)

6. Did the number of state government employees in your state change due to the Great Recession of 2008–2009? Why did it happen or not happen? Employees in Government (State)

SAGE Stats User Guide

1. On average, the federal government contributes around 10 percent, the state government around 47 percent, and local governments around 44 percent to public K–12 schools. How much money, per capita, does your state spend on elementary and secondary education? Is this an example of compact federalism, dual federalism, or cooperative federalism? Why? Per Capita State and Local Government Expenditures for Elementary and Secondary Education (State)

2. What percentage of your state’s population is enrolled in Medicaid? How does your state compare to the states around it? How might the Affordable Care Act change these numbers moving forward Medicaid Enrollment (State)

3. How many immigrants were admitted to New Mexico in 1997? How many were admitted to Arizona in the same year? How might this difference affect variations in policies regarding immigration Immigrants Admitted (State)

4. What was the incarceration rate per 100,000 people in Utah in 2010? What was the rate in neighboring Idaho? Why might this difference be concerning? State Prisoner Imprisonment Rate (State)   

5. What was the tax levied on agricultural real estate in your state in 1994? What was the amount in a neighboring state? How might these differences affect someone looking to farm? State and Local Taxes Levied on Agricultural Real Estate (State)

6. What percentage of the land in Nevada does the government own? What about in Connecticut? How might this difference lead to different relationships between these states and the federal government? Percent of Land Owned by the Federal Government (State)

1. Some scholars say that unicameral government works best when its citizens are a relatively small, homogenous group. What about Nebraska’s demographics and population makes it suited for unicameral government? Are there any states that are more homogenous than Nebraska? Why do they not have unicameral governments? Population (State)

2. Vermont is the only state that does not have a balanced budget requirement. How does its outstanding government debt load compare to its neighboring states’ debt load? Is this surprising? Why or why not? State Government Debt Outstanding (State)

3. Recall this chapter’s example of a Colorado ballot initiative written at the postgraduate reading level. What is Colorado’s percentage of college graduates? Why might this initiative, as written, be a problem for voters? Are there any states with lower college graduation rates? What are the implications of these numbers? Percent of Population Graduated from College as of (State)

4. What percentage of the population in California is foreign born? What about Montana? How might differences in the makeup of the electorate in these states impact their laws? Percent of Population Foreign Born: (State)

5. What was the percent change in Nevada’s population of eighteen- to twenty-four-year-olds from 2002 to 2012? How might this type of change influence (or not) the kind of policies that the citizens want? What does this kind of change generally do to voter turnout? Did this happen in Nevada? Population 18 to 24 Years Old (State)

6. California has direct democracy, but Nebraska does not. In the case of these two states, does direct democracy lead to higher voter turnout? Why do you think this is? Percent of Eligible Population Reported Voting (State)

1. In 2013 the national per capita federal economic stimulus fund amount was $860. How does your state compare to this average? What might account for some of the variation? Is this the same trend as usual when it comes to your state receiving money from the federal government? Per Capita Federal Economic Stimulus Funds as of (State)

2. Does your state collect income tax? Sales tax? Which source of revenue does your state most heavily rely on? Do you think that this is a good thing? How does it compare with neighboring states? Government Finances: State and Local and Per Capita State Government General Sales Tax Revenue (State)

3. Mississippi collects a relatively high amount of sales tax revenue per capita. Considering its population, why might some people have a problem with this taxation system? Explain why you agree or disagree. Now, look next door at Alabama. Why might these two neighboring states be so different in terms of sales tax revenue? State Government Debt Outstanding (State)

4. How much outstanding debt does your state have? If your state mandates a balanced budget, where did this debt come from? How does your state’s debt load compare to the states around it? State and Local Government Debt Outstanding (State)

5. Which state has the most local government direct general expenditures? Which state has the least? Why do you think that there is so much variation? Do these expenditures translate into jobs and services in these states? State and Local Government Direct General Expenditures (State)

SAGE Stats User Guide

1. Considering the historical support of African Americans for one political party over the other, if you were running for president as a Democrat, would you be more likely to win in Michigan or West Virginia? Why? Black Population (State)

2. If voters in lower-income brackets are less likely to vote than their richer counterparts are, would you expect to see higher voter turnout in Texas or Utah? Why? Per Capita Adjusted Gross Income (State)

3. What is South Dakota’s per capita expenditure on welfare programs? What is Maine’s? What political variables might account for such a big difference between the two states? Per Capita State and Local Government Expenditures for Public Welfare Programs (State)

4. The chapter notes that government leadership is not nearly as white and Protestant as it used to be. How has the percentage of the population in your state that is white changed between 2000 and 2010? What (if anything) does this mean for politics? Percent of Population White (State)

5. Which states have the largest percentage of the population who are marijuana users? How does this correlate with the results of the recent election that legalized marijuana for recreational use in two states? If this trend continued, which states might we expect to see legalize marijuana next? Why? Percent of Population Who are Marijuana Users: (State)

6. How many legal immigrants were admitted to Florida in 1997? How do you expect that this may have changed the political landscape? Immigrants Admitted (State)

1. If you were a lobbyist for the oil industry, would you devote your time working in North Dakota or in Louisiana? Why? Would your answer have been different ten years ago? Why? Daily Production of Crude Oil (State)

2. What percentage of the population in Mississippi is enrolled in Medicaid? Based on this information alone, would you expect Mississippi to favor Democratic or Republican candidates for office? Is your expectation correct? Why or why not? Now, what percentage of the population in Wisconsin is enrolled in Medicaid? Why might Mississippi and Wisconsin have different political leanings considering this information? Medicaid Enrollment (State)

3. How does the per capita state government tax revenue in New Hampshire compare to neighboring Vermont’s? What the state’s history and politics led to this disparity? What are some of the possible implications? Per Capita State Government Tax Revenue (State)

4. How has the percentage of Hispanic residents in Colorado changed since 1995? What do you expect that this has done for Colorado’s political leanings and why? Percent of Population Hispanic (State)

5. In the 1950s, Ray Bliss identified pockets of rural Americans who were not mobilizing to vote. Which states have the highest percentages of rural residents now? Which have the least? How do those states tend to lean politically? Why? Rural Population (State)

6. Which states have the most cattle? Which lobbying groups might you expect to find in these states? Cattle on Farms (State)

1. According to the ballots, in 2010, 54.3 percent of the eligible population turned out to vote in Washington State. What percentage of the eligible population reported voting? Why might there be a discrepancy here? Percent of Eligible Population Reported Voting (State)

2. In 2012, the Virginia legislature was late in passing its state budget. What was its budget in 2010? Was this higher or lower than the national average? What is the problem with comparing the total budgets between states? State Government Total Expenditures (State)

3. Utah has a very Republican state legislature, while Vermont has a very Democratic one. What is the difference in the state and local tax burden of these states? How might the partisan makeup of the state legislatures influence this? State and Local Tax Burden as a Percent of Income (State)

4. State legislatures determine most of the budgetary allocations in their states, including spending on health programs like Medicaid. Which state spends the largest percentage of its budget on Medicaid? Which spends the least? What might account for the differences? Estimated Medicaid Expenditures (State)

5. How has the crime rate in your state changed since 2000? Is this what you expected? Why or why not? Crime Rate (State)

6. Which states have the most farms? How might this affect the campaign strategy of someone running for state legislature? Number of Farms (State)

1. In 2003 the governor of Illinois commuted the death penalty for 167 prisoners and pardoned 4 more. How many death sentences have been overturned or commuted in the United States since 1973? Which state has had the most? The least? Might there be political or cultural explanations for these numbers? Death Sentences Overturned or Commuted (Cumulative from 1973) (State)

2. In 2010 Arizona citizens voted to increase the sales tax rate by a penny. How has the per capita sales tax revenue in Arizona changed between 2005 and 2011? Does this make sense? What is a possible explanation? Per Capita State and Local Government General Sales Tax Revenue (State)

3. The governor in most states can direct transportation funding toward specific projects, such as repairing deficient bridges. How many deficient bridges are there in your state? How does this compare to the national average? Do you think that this is something that should be prioritized in the budget? Deficient Bridges (State)

4. The authors refer to governors as mini-presidents. Considering the population in some of the larger states, is this the case? How do the budgets of these larger states compare to those in the smaller states? What are the implications of these differences? State Government Total Expenditures (State) and Population (State)

5. The governor of Maryland has more control over the state budget than any other governor. Has this power made Maryland’s per capita outstanding debt better, worse, or similar to the surrounding states? Per Capita State and Local Government Debt Outstanding (State)

6. Which states have received the most money from grants for homeland security? Do these states need this money, or is it a political ploy? Homeland Security Grants (State)

1. What is the per capita state and local government expenditure on corrections in your state? How does this compare to the national average? Do you think that this amount is too little, too much, or just about right? Why? Per Capita State and Local Government Expenditures for Corrections (State)

2. Which state had the most authorized wiretaps in 2010? Which had the least? What factors may have contributed to this? Authorized Wiretaps (State)

3. How many prisoners have been sentenced to death since 1973 versus how many have been executed in Texas? What about in Massachusetts? Why is there such a discrepancy? Prisoners Sentenced to Death (Cumulative from 1973) (State) and Prisoners Executed (1977- ) (State)

4. Which state spends the most per capita on state-supported alcohol and drug prevention programs? Which state spends the least? What are the implications of these numbers for drug and alcohol–related arrests? Expenditures for State-Supported Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Prevention Programs (State) and Reported Arrests for Driving Under the Influence (State) and Reported Arrest Rate for Drug Abuse Violations (State)

5. How much do trial court judges make in your state? Do you think that it is a fair salary considering the scope of the job? Would you raise or lower this amount? Are there some states where you think it is reasonable that justices would make more money? Why? Base Salary for Judges of General Trial Courts (State)

6. What state has the highest occurrence of arrest-related deaths? Is this something we should be concerned about? Arrest-Related Deaths (State)

1. What is the average salary for a full-time government worker in California? Why might a state such as California have to have relatively high wages for government workers? Now, compare this to a state that has lower salaries. Is the difference reasonable? Why or why not? Average Annual Earnings of Full-Time State Government Employees (State)

2. How many state government employees are there in your state? If, for example, budget cuts forced a 5 percent reduction in the government workforce, how many people would lose their jobs? Rate of State Government Employees (State)

3. Which state has the highest number of law enforcement agencies? Why might they have so many, even though they may not have the highest population? Does this number lead to an increased or a reduced crime rate? Why do you think this is? Percent of Households with Food Insecurity: (State)

4. How does your state compare to the average in terms of per capita state and local government expenditures on welfare programs? How do you think that this would translate into the workforce that is necessary to administer these programs? Per Capita State and Local Government Expenditures for Public Welfare Programs (State)

5. How many K-12 public school teachers are there in your state? Do you normally think of teachers as part of the bureaucracy? Why or why not? Does the number of teachers tell us anything about the performance of schools in your state? Public Elementary and Secondary School Teachers (State)

6. What is the average salary for a state employee in your state? What other industries have a similar average? Average Annual Earnings of Full-Time State Government Employees (State)

1. How has local government spending across the states changed between 2000 and 2011? Where has it changed the most and the least? What might account for some of the changes? Local Government Total Expenditures (State)

2.  How has local government tax revenue changed in the states between 2000 and 2010? Where has it changed the most? The least? What might account for some of the changes? Local Government Tax Revenue (State)

3. Which state has the highest level of local government direct general expenditures? Which has the least? How does state population affect these expenditures? Why? Local Government Direct General Expenditures (State)

4. What is the homeownership rate in your state? How do changes in this rate affect the local governments’ budgets? What does the homeownership rate in states like North Dakota, that have been relatively financially secure even during the recession, look like? Is there a connection? Homeownership Rate (State)

5. What is the average value of new housing units in your state? Now, compare your state to a state that neighbors yours. How do these numbers affect local government budgets? Should governments encourage people to buy more expensive houses? Average Value of New Housing Units (State)

1. There are a large number of local governments in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. How does Pennsylvania stack up against the rest of the country in terms of the number of elected officials? Is this surprising? Why or why not? State Elected Officials (State)

2. Kansas City is unique in that it is actually made up of two cities, Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas. Say you live in Kansas City, Kansas, and work in Kansas City, Missouri. Should you gas up your car close to home or close to work? Why? What are the implications of this? State Tax Rates on Gasoline (State)

3. How has the number of public high schools in Nebraska changed between 2001 and 2011? Why has this change occurred? What (if anything) should the state and local governments in Nebraska do about this? Public High Schools (State)

4. New York, northern New Jersey, and portions of Pennsylvania make up the largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States. What is the average household income in these states? What might this tell us about the relationship between these states? Do we have enough information here to make this analysis? Median Household Income (State)

5. One of the drawbacks of metropolitan growth is the dependence on cars that it creates. Which states have the most cars per driver? Which have the least? Why is there such a large difference? Do these same states have the highest and lowest amount of pollutions released? If not, why? Motor Vehicles per Driving Age Population (State) and Pollution Released (State)

1. How has the per capita amount of revenue that states receive from the federal government changed from 2000 to 2010? What accounts for this change? Per Capita State and Local Government Revenue from the Federal Government (State)

2. How did the average public school eighth grade math scores change in Montana from 2005 to 2007? What about from 2007 to 2011? Do you think that the state’s exemption from NCLB will change this trend? Average Public School Eighth Grade Mathematics Score (State)

3. In 2013, which state had the highest average ACT composite score? Which had the lowest? What are some of the variables that might cause this difference? Do these same states have higher average income levels? Discuss the possible connection between the two. ACT Average Composite Score (State)

4. For the most recent year available, which state has the largest percent of their schools operating as charter schools? Which has the smallest? Why is there such a difference? Percent of Public Elementary and Secondary That are Charter Schools: (State)

5. In 2000, what was the national average salary for a public elementary or secondary school teacher straight out of college? How does your state compare? Is this enough? Why or why not? Do teacher salaries correlate with student performance? Why or why not? Average Salary for Public Elementary and Secondary School Teachers With a Bachelor's Degree and No Experience (State)

6. Which state had the highest dropout rate for black students in 2010? Was this surprising? Why or why not?  Average Time Between Property Crimes (State)

1. In 2009, what percentage of the population in Washington were marijuana users? What was the percentage in Colorado? How do you think these numbers influenced the recent passage of recreational marijuana use laws? Percent of Population Who are Marijuana Users: (State)

2. It costs around $90,000 more per year, per prisoner to keep someone on death row in California rather than in regular confinement. In 2010, how many death row prisoners did California have? How much per year would California save by commuting these sentences to life in prison? Prisoners Under Sentence of Death (State)

3. What is the reported crime rate at colleges and universities in your state? Do you think that this is an accurate number? Why or why not? Crimes Reported at Universities and Colleges (State)

4. In 2001, what was the average, national, annual operating cost of correctional facilities per state prisoner? How does your state compare? Does this seem like a reasonable amount to you? Why or why not? State Government Expenditures for Corrections (State)

5. How many drug laboratories were seized in your state during 1999? How did this change by 2006? What might account for this change? Drug Laboratory Seizures (State)

6. What was the average time between property crimes in Florida in 2012? How does this compare to the national average? Can this statistic be used to evaluate the quality of law enforcement in Florida? Average Time Between Property Crimes (State)

1. Which state spent the largest percentage of its GDP on health programs in 2009? Which state spent the least? Why do some states spend more than others? Health Care Expenditures as a Percent of Gross Domestic Product (State)

2. How did healthcare spending in your state change between 2000 and 2009? What might account for this change? Health Care Expenditures as a Percent of Gross Domestic Product (State)

3. In 2011, which states had the largest percentages of their population aged 85 or older? What are the implications for these states’ healthcare spending? Does political culture make a difference? Percent of Population 85 Years Old and Older (State)

4. How has the population over 65 years of age changed in Delaware between 1997 and 2011? How might this affect healthcare spending? Percent of Population 65 Years Old and Older (State)

5. What was the national average Medicaid expenditure per enrollee in 2002? How does your state compare with others? Why might there be so much variation between states? Medicaid Expenditures per Enrollee (State)

6. What state has the highest per capita rate of alcohol consumption. Why might this be? Adult Per Capita Alcohol Consumption (State)

1. Which states have the highest per capita energy consumption? Is this surprising? Why or why not? Now, look at which states have the lowest number of housing units per square mile. How might these two things be related? Energy Consumption (State) and Housing Units per Square Mile (State)

2. In 2011, which states were responsible for the most pollution? from fossil fuel emissions The least? What is it about these states that might explain this? Fossil Fuel Emissions (State)

3. Which state decreased its pollution from fossil fuel emissions the most from 1996 to 2000? Which state increased the most? Why is there so much variation? Does political culture influence this? Fossil Fuel Emissions (State)

4. Which state has the most hazardous waste sites? To what extent should cleaning up these sites be a priority? Hazardous Waste Sites on the National Priority List (State)

5. In 1995, which states used the most water? Even though we don’t have more recent data, how do you think this might be different now? Daily Fresh Water Withdrawals (State)

6. In what part of the U.S. are most of the nation’s coal mines located? What does this mean for environmental efforts in this area? Coal Mines (State)