What are the three ways the citizens of Nevada can directly change the law quizlet?

Although the Mexican-American War, the movement of the Mormons, and the Gold Rush did not initially pertain to the settlement of Nevada, historians state that those were the milestones that ultimately led to the settlement. After the Mexican-American War, the United States gained control over California, Utah, Nevada, and portions of Arizona, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Colorado. The Mormons were rejected by society at the time due to their beliefs clashing with traditional Christians and after the murder of Joseph Smith in Indiana, Brigham Young proclaimed a relatively new territory in 1849 known as "Deseret", composing of Utah, Nevada, southern California, and parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Idaho, and Colorado. However, in 1850 congress changed the name of "Deseret" to Utah and included only half of the area Young had previously claimed. But Mormons gain strength through numbers, and continued settling in western Utah (present-day Nevada) when Joseph Demont established a trading post in Carson Valley to exchange goods with the gold rushers of California. At first it was only a temporary post, but after discovery of gold in Gold Canyon, Carson Valley quickly became home to non-mormons otherwise known as "gentiles". Thus, unofficially becoming the origin of the settlement of Nevada.

When Nevada was finally established as a separate territory, territorial governor James Nye appointed heads to territorial offices, created a judiciary, and planned to hold elections for a legislature. These actions formed an essential political organization in the territory, ending the "era of anarchy and confusion" (11). enforce law and order, estagblish mining rights. dtmn capital

In 1863 an election was called for to test the waters for the possibility of statehood of the newly acclaimed Nevada Territory. With results of overwhelming support, the delegates drafted an unauthorized constitution. This 1863 Constitution, however, failed to address the mining tax and combined the ballot for state officials with its ratification. It also suffered a split in the Union Party. Ultimately, the constitution was defeated.

It wasn't until later that Senator James Doolittle introduced a bill to Congress allowing Nevada to hold a constitutional convention and establish a government that statehood become a real possibility. The bill guaranteed President Lincoln the votes to assure a two-thirds majority for the abolition of slavery, as well as the electoral votes to help the president win the next election. It also appealed to the Radical Republicans and secured a Republican nominee. The national election and many of the political factors unrelated to Nevada is what essentially allowed the territory to become one of the first western states.

After this bill, the second constitutional convention was held and the 1864 Constitution was created, adjusting its predecessor's flaws. It was approved with overwhelming support.

Like the United States Constitution, Nevada's constitution includes both civil rights and civil liberties. The Declaration of Rights in Article 1 of the state's constitution outlines the government's role to protect the people from acts against one another and grants the people inalienable rights. The article lists a virtually identical version of the Bill of Rights, a list of liberties which serve to protect the people from the power of the government. Like many states, Nevada has had flawed moments. For a long time, Nevada was described as the Mississippi of the West. For example, in the 1861 Territorial Legislature meeting, Nevada prohibited any "black person, or mulatto, or Indian, or Chinese would be allowed to give evidence in court either in favor of or against any white person" (Bowers 29). The Chinese for example, were discriminated against because white people viewed them as a threat to their jobs when the Central Pacific Railroad was being constructed across the Great Basin. Despite the Chinese were allowed to give testimony in court in 1881, their word was not taken seriously. In a 1903 case, more than twenty Chinese witnesses testified against five white men who beat two elderly Chinese men and all five were acquitted. The Chinese gain some basic human rights back after employment prohibitions were repealed in 1959. With the addition of numerous cases held from 1920-1969, the U.S. Supreme Court mandated the U.S. Bill of Rights were mandated to apply in the states via the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

There are several distinct differences between the U.S. Congress and the Nevada Legislature. To start, the Nevada Legislature only meets every other year for 120 calendar days and a legislative position is considered a "part-time job" and is not nearly as lucrative as being a member of the U.S. Congress. Due to the seldom meetings, the Nevada Legislature is heavily reliant upon the Legislative Counsel Bureau and the Interim Finance Committee to research support, deal with financial problems between legislative sessions, bill drafting service, and to perform audits that are reported. Another difference is how Nevada and Congress pass a bill. In Nevada, to override a veto on a bill placed by the governor, the legislature must obtain ⅔ of elected membership of each house, whereas in Congress only ⅔ is required of those present and voting. Finally, the houses in Nevada's legislature are not restricted to the type of bills they propose, but the members are prohibited from attaching any riders (e.g. an unrelated amendment) to the legislation.

The first executive officer is the Governor of Nevada, and their duties entails those of Chief Executive, Chief of State, and Chief Legislator. As Chief Executive, the governor sees that the laws are faithfully executed and also appoints other executive branch officials. As Chief of State, the governor meets with the President and other state governors, representing Nevada and its interests. Chief Legislator manages budget proposals, proposes legislation, holds the power to veto, and the ability to call special sessions. The governor is also considered the Commander-in-Chief of the Nevada National Guard as well as Chief of Party.

The Lieutenant Governor can occupy the governor's position through vacancy or absence from the state. Considered a part-time position, the Lieutenant Governor has few powers. He or she is designated the president of the senate, the governor's confidant and advisor (if the two get along), and the chairship of Commission on Tourism.The most important day-to-day activity of the Lt. Governor is to direct efforts relating to tourism and economic development.

The Attorney General is the chief legal advisor, tasked with creating the biennial report on the condition of law enforcement. The Attorney General provides legal advice to various government agencies, defends the state in court, and oversees the district attorneys. He or she is also a member of the Board of State Prison Commissioners, the Board of Examiners, and the Board of Pardons Commissioners. Interestingly enough, the Attorney General is not legally required to be an attorney but it is implied that they would be.

The fourth officer is the Secretary of State, responsible for signing all state grants and commissions along with serving on the Board of State Prison Commissioners and the Board of Examiners, and keeping the record of official acts and journals of the legislative and executive branches.

The Controller position issues warrants to the Treasurer. He or she has the duty of chief bookkeeper of state expenditures and chief auditor. The Controller advises the legislature on how to pay claims against the state.

The Treasurer receives all the money paid to the state and spends it upon the the receipt of a warrant from the controller. The Treasurer deposits state funds and ensures their security along with accumulating interest.

The four major sectors to Nevada's judicial system include the Nevada Supreme Court, the district courts, and the justice and municipal courts.

The Nevada Supreme Court makes the final decisions in important cases unless when a federal issue is involved, and has both appellate and original jurisdiction. The court also has the power to issue various writs. Because of an increase in population and an exponential increase in workload, the supreme court faces extensive backlog. To try and avoid the inevitable backlog, the supreme court only hears "questions of law" (e.g., was a confession illegally obtained) and divides the work among two panels and seven justices. Justices hear arguments from opposing attorneys and then convene and cast their votes. Justices are elected for six-year, staggered terms and must be at least 25, licensed attorney to practice law in Nevada, and be a two-year resident of the state.

The district courts hear cases by individual judges, not panels. Like the Supreme Court, judges are chosen in nonpartisan elections for six year terms but unlike the Supreme Court, the terms are not staggered. Defendants in serious criminal cases where they may be incarcerated for more than six months are granted trial by jury. The courts also have both original and appellate jurisdiction. In original jurisdiction, the district courts see a broad number of serious criminal offenses and civil cases over $10,000, as well as appeals from state administrative agencies. In appellate jurisdiction, the district courts hear appeals from the municipal and justice courts. An unique aspect of the district court is that it involves family court where they also handle domestic violence cases, child custody, etc...

The courts of limited jurisdiction are the lowest tier of the judicial system. Municipal courts only have original jurisdiction, seeing minor criminal and civil cases mostly consisting of traffic violations and violations of city ordinances. The justice courts hear cases involving minor criminal offenses and civil cases less than $10,000. The justice courts also hold preliminary hearings to determine if there is probable cause to proceed with the trial in district court. These two courts limit the number of moot cases that reach the higher courts, and they are required to record their proceedings to limit the number of new trials at the next level of the system. Judges in the municipal courts serve four-year terms whereas justices in the justice court serve six-year staggered terms.

The primary sources of state revenue are taxes, fines and fees, and the federal government. There are a variety of gaming taxes that make up the state's revenue. The industry taxes the gross income of each casino, live entertainment, and each gaming table and slot machine. While revenue helps fund education and other needs, hits to the gaming industry can lead to recession and a drop in revenue for the state.

Sales taxes in Nevada are some of the highest in the United States. By relying mostly on tourism, the state has shifted the tax burden away from residents by enforcing a very low property tax. However, sales taxes are relatively unstable as it relies on tourism. This makes it difficult to estimate state income over a biennial period. Therefore, when there is a greater need for social services due to population growth or an economic downturn, sales tax will decrease, and responding to immediate needs becomes difficult. Also, the tax system is regressive, favoring those with higher income over the poor, while the significantly low amount of taxes in the state already limit social services.

Property taxes in Nevada are utilized more at the local level, and the state has put a cap on property taxes to prevent the sharp increase in home valuations and the stress on individual property owners. Excise taxes are collected only on specific items and they contribute to the maintenance of public roads. The state also collects fines for parking and traffic violations, as well as a variety of fees. The federal government provides grants to the state, usually for designated purposes such as education, highways, airports, and similar needs.

The author mentions the hypocrisy of certain demographics in Nevada, specifically the growing number of retirees and those in more rural areas. Many of these individuals are critics of Nevada's reliance to the federal government, despite the fact the federal government paved the way for Nevada's success. From investing in mining (which pulled Nevada out of a lot of debt, numerous times) to allowing the state to regulate gaming.

The retirees require government pensions and greater medical care, and yet they are known to refuse funding for social services that do not benefit them personally. Such as the development of new schools and parks. Meanwhile, Nevada's urban population is increasing, putting strain on sales taxes and the limited water supply. With Nevada's significantly low taxes, the funding for social services is already quite low compared to other states. This public revenue structure combined with the regressive tax system do not favor less fortunate residents.

There is also hypocrisy among those who refuse federal assistance, when the federal government contributed the most to Nevada's growth and prosperity. For instance, more rural counties are often advocats of turning federal lands over to the states, which was a goal of the Sagebrush Rebellion in the 70's. They are against raising the rent on grazing lands and mining claims, despite the below average rates. Water supply in these areas is on the decline, creating conflict between urban and ranching communities. Most of Nevada's irrigation is used for crops and agriculture; so as population increases, the state will have to look into buying water rights.

What are the three forms of direct democracy used in the US quizlet?

What is in direct democracy?

What are the three ways the citizens of Nevada can directly change the law?

What is Article 1 of the Nevada Constitution about?