Chapter 6: State Legislatures

Legislatures engage in three principle functions: policymaking, representation, and oversight. The first, policymaking, includes enacting laws and allocating funds. The start of the second decade of the twenty-first century found legislators debating issues as budget shortfalls, healthcare, higher education, and alternative energy sources. These deliberations resulted in the revision of old laws, the passage of new laws, and changes in spending, which is what policymaking is all about. Legislatures do not have sole control of the state policymaking function; governors, courts, and agencies also determine policy, through executive orders, judicial decisions, and administrative regulations, respectively.
In their second function, legislators are expected to represent their constituents, the people who live in their district, in two ways. At least in the theory, they are expected to speak for their constituents in the legislative chamber, to do the will of the public in designing policy solutions. A legislator seldom has much of a clue about public opinion. Moreover, on noisy issues, constituents' will is rarely unanimous. Individuals and organized groups with different perspectives may write to or visit their legislator to her their their vote on a certain law or a pending bill.
The third function, oversight, is different from the policymaking and representation functions. Concerned that the laws they passed and the funds they allocated frequently do not produce or create the intended effect, lawmakers will begin to pay more attention to the performance of the state bureaucracy. Legislatures have a number of methods for checking up on agency implementation and spending.
Now, how does this all fit in with how California and their legislature handle a certain objective within law? Its quite simple, with those simple three functions: policymaking, representation, and oversight. These are the basic fundamentals any state legislature should know.

iLead and its mission

Hello intellectuals of the world,

As you know my CP (community partner) iLead, is an organization that is part of a bigger organization called Hagar Coalition Services. Now, regarding iLead and its future. iLead does not rely on money nor services, because iLead is an individual internship program that only allows the help and the integrity of fellow young adults like myself. As of late, iLead relies on the application of young adults who are willing to participate in making a huge impact in their communities, but mostly for the world. That's the beauty about iLead, they wish to see more young adults active in their communities and hopefully change them for the better; for future generations to come. Furthermore, iLead is just a small concept that not a lot of people know about, however, iLead's intention is to f=inform the young adults and younger generation to strive for a better community, strive for better leadership skills and strive for a better, equal world.

Hagar Coalition Services and their Hallmarks

Hello intellectuals of the modern world,

My community partner Hagar Coalition Services is a political organization, whose main purpose to teach and serve those who are in deed in search of justice or more political activism. There are many values that Hagar or iLead has to offer. They spend their money and their resources all on the community, thus ensuring that their community prospers.

Hallmarks:

Hallmark 2: We Honor the Dignity and Sacredness of Each Person.

Hallmark 3: We Educate for and act of behalf of Justice and Peace in the World.

Hallmark 4: We commit ourselves to community service.

Hallmark 5: We embrace the gift of diversity.

Hallmark 7: We develop holistic learning communities which educate for life.


All of the Hallmarks mentioned above are the keys for what iLead is comprised of. iLead is an educational roller coaster that provides each and everyone of the young people they try to influence to make a change in this world. As I mentioned before iLead spends their money and their budgets on the community, specifically the young people who choose to make a difference in this world. Hopefully, with their involvement their actions within the iLead program, their wishes shall be granted.

iLEAD/Hagar Services Coalition

Hello intellectuals,

My community partner known as iLEAD operates in Palo Alto, CA. iLEAD has a building in a rural area of Palo Alto, CA. My group and I haven't actually visited where iLEAD operates, we are hoping to do that in the coming weeks. The mayor of Palo Alto, is a huge factor inn wanting to change Palo Alto. Yes, in fact iLEAD's foundation is solely based on the participation of influencing young adults like myself and my group to be involved in government.

Sincere Thanks,

Eric O'Neal

Hello intellectuals of the future,

In recent weeks, we've had speakers come to our school and attend our class to talk about certain issues that we Americans don't necessarily agree with. Now, feel free to agree or disagree with me, when I say we as Americans and it is our duty to help others in need. In deed, in our Constitution the first line of the Constitution states, "We the People." What does that entail? That entails that it is the American duty to help, serve and protect other people who are of a different religion, race or color of the skin. 

Two or three weeks ago, my class had a speaker who was gay and he brought on the issues that gay people face in America. I find it quite unbelievable that there are people in the (South) are so backward and wish to not conform to the society. Instead, of lending a helping hand or fulfilling the American duty to help and protect the people; they're people who wish to seek or destroy someone else's happiness. As the speaker began to talk, he went on to say that they're are actual seminars that people take, because they feel they could get rid of the (impurity) that they find in themselves in gay. I found the presentation to be an eye-opener, due to the views that people have about the LGTBQ community. 

We also had another group of people who presented to my class. TOP (Table of Plenty) is an organization that helps the homeless and the needy and they provide food to them. I found they're presentation to be emotional, because I am familiar with helping the homeless or the needy and giving them food. TOP (Table of Plenty) does what Americans should do, which is to help those in need. That is the American duty, it is our duty to help others. 

Thank you...Until next time!

Rumi quote

"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there"
 -Rumi

This quote relates to State and Local government, because we are living in a world where people are restricted to voice their opinion on a certain topic in politics. There is no right or wrong doing in politics. Being political about a certain cause, should make people want to fight for something, not let someone within the world of politics to twist someone's words and turn it back on them. Now, there is always a better tomorrow, and that tomorrow is in the form of a field. What do you picture in a field? Green, lush grass, blue skies and the sun beaming, and nobody is in site. This is serenity, this is what government should be, a serene field where people have the freedom to say something and voice their opinion in the world of politics.