Transcript Topic 6

Topic 6:
Environmental
Politics
Discussion: Mon 9/17 & Wed 9/19
Homework Due: Mon 9/21
Questions for homework
What are the benefits of our political
decision-making process?
 Where does the process fail us?

EXPLAIN your answers.
 Due Friday, September 21

Political Decision-Making

Who decides?

Competing interests (potentially)
 science
 ethics
 economics

may point to conflicting conclusions
Problems

science
 multiple
options with varying impacts
 uncertainty
 multiple routes to similar results
 no moral values attached
 no economic impact
Problems

economics
 uncertainty
 some
things are difficult to assign hard
numbers to
 externalities
 no moral values attached
Problems

ethics
 competing

ethical systems & viewpoints
different value systems
 economic
impact may not be not
considered
 scientific validity may not be considered
Modes of governing
Single decision-maker
 Group decision-making

 one-person,
one-vote
 representative democracy
winner take all
 apportioned

 consensus
Groups

What is the best approach to group
decision-making? Why?

Each group takes one mode:
 Single
decision-maker
 one-person, one-vote
 winner take all representatives
 apportioned representatives
 consensus-building
The Illinois 2008 Budget - spring

Gov B
 we
need health care coverage
 pay for it with gross receipts tax

Legislature
 we
need to pay for our current
commitments first
 gross receipts tax is DOA
The Illinois 2008 Budget - summer

Gov B
 no

health care coverage = no budget
Legislature
 budget
with details (atypical)
 no new revenue, no new health-care plan

Gov B
 line-item
vetoes & reductions
 I’ll use the excess $$ to start my health-care
program
The Illinois 2008 Budget - fall

Legislature
 House:
we will override vetos
 Senate Pres: I won’t call it for a vote
 House: we’ll have hearings

Wed., Sept. 26, 2008, 6:00 pm
 Appropriations
Committee hearing
 budget comments
For Wednesday
Review the budget & cuts
 Are the cuts good or bad?


Consider this
 Does
a new health care plan to cover the
uninsured outweigh other items?
 Does the state need to raise more money
or stay within current limits?
Questions for homework
 What
are the benefits of our
political decision-making process?
 Where does the process fail us?
 EXPLAIN
your answers.
 Due Friday, September 21
Comments

Are the cuts good or bad?

Consider this
 Does
a new health care plan to cover the
uninsured outweigh other items?
 Does the state need to raise more money
or stay within current limits?
Groups

Does a new health care plan to cover
the uninsured outweigh other items?

Does the state need to raise more
money or stay within current limits?
For the committee
Which cuts are we concerned with?
Why?
 Which cuts are OK? Why?


What do we think about health care?

Does the state need more revenue?
Why? OR Why not?
Questions for homework
What are the benefits of our political
decision-making process?
 Where does the process fail us?


OR: Written testimony for committee
EXPLAIN your answers.
 Due Friday, September 21
