205: Civics 102: What Do State Governments Do?

Dear White Women

We’re back in our Intro to Civics course! You know, the one you probably took in third grade and maybe, if you were lucky, in some form in middle and high school and didn’t pay enough attention to? Or maybe you never took it, if you live in the 60% of states that don’t require students to take a civics exam as a graduation requirement - which is something we learned about in Episode 203, “I’m Just A Bill,” where we focused on the federal level.

This episode, is going to focus on the states, get a little deeper into what our own local officials are doing, and how we can all get more involved in our own governance.

You're probably with us in being sick and tired of feeling like we can’t make a difference or make positive change. SO get ready - we think you’ll be blown away when you learn how much local politics affect us on a daily basis.

What to listen for:

• All about the 10th Amendment, which is the one that gives states So Much Power separate from the federal government
• The mandates and grants and structures that give the government the funding to work
• How you can interact with the state government - even by streaming committee meetings in your living room! - because they shape your communities through schools, taxes, policing, and more.

https://ballotpedia.org/Comparison_of_state_legislative_salaries

https://votesmart.org/education/states

https://static.votesmart.org/static/pdf/govtable.pdf

https://leg.colorado.gov/content/citizens-guide-effective-legislative-participation