Texas Government 2306 chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 – Flashcards

the system by which a state or community is governed

the practice and theory of influencing other people

broadly shared values, beliefs, and attitudes about how the government should function and politics should operate; American political culture emphasizes the values of liberty, equality, and democracy

the belief that government should be active in promoting the public good and that citizens should participate in politics and civic activities to ensure that good

the belief that government should limit its role to providing order in society, so that citizens can pursue their economic self-interests

the belief that government should be dominated by political elites and guided by tradition

a narrow, limited, and self-interested view of the world often associated with rural values and notions of limited government

trade treaty among the United States, Canada, and Mexico to lower and eliminate tariffs among the three countries

an individual who promotes, organizes, or helps to finance a particular endeavor

a state-imposed tax on voters as a prerequisite for voting; poll taxes were rendered unconstitutional in national elections by the Twenty-Fourth Amendment, and in state elections by the Supreme Court in 1966.

the process by which people move from rural areas to cities

Second to California. 268,601 sq. miles

Interior Lowlands

Pine Belt

creates new economies and destroys old ones.

oil

reinvigorated Texas's oil industry.

computers, electronics, and other high-tech products.

an international trade agreement.

a time of chronic economic problems beginning in late 2007 that drew analogies to the Great Depression of the 1930's

natural increases as a result of the differences between births and deaths

False

Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, and San Antonio.

size, location, natural resources

True

26 million

-rooted in New England Puritanism -the common good (expressed through politics) is everyones concern -government should promote the public good -Example states: MN, IA, WI, CA, WA, ME, VT, NH

-focuses more on commercial success -government should provide order and protect property -bureaucracy viewed as interference -less concern for mass participation in politics -Example states: NY, PA, OH, IL, NV, TX

-rooted in plantation values of social hierarchy -focused on tradition and maintaining existing social order (keep standing arrangements) -politics engaged in by established wealthy families -Example states: TX, AZ, FL, MS, AL

True. Some states are a blend of both.

-Due to long lasting patterns in state: a. the one party system (has changed) b. provincialism (has changed) c. business dominance (still true)

-unions are mostly absent -consumers are environmental concerns not especially influential

-associated with Jeffersonian notions of limited government and rural values -low spending on social services and education -intolerant of social hierarchy challenges, diversity

-25,146,000 -47% -11% -37% -5%

the legal structure/framework of government, which establishes its power and authority as well as the limits of power

-define political institutions *Separation of Powers -delegate power -prevent the concentration of power *Checks and Balances -define the limits of power

-natural increase -international immigration (outside the U.S.) -domestic immigration (one U.S. state to another)

the division of governmental power among several institutions that must cooperate in decision making

the constitutional idea that overlapping power is given to different branches of government to limit the concentration of power in any one branch

according to James Madison, the concentration of power in any one branch of government

a system of government in which power is divided, by a constitution, between a central government and regional governments

Article VI of the U.S. Constitution, which states that the Constitution and laws passed by the national governments and all treaties are the supreme law of the land and superior to all laws adopted by any state or any subdivision

Article I, Section 8, of the U.S. Constitution; it provides Congress with the authority to make all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out its powers

comprising one body or house, as in a one-house legislature

having a legislative assembly composed of two chambers or houses

the Confederate States of America, those southern states that seceded from the United States in late 1860 and 1861 and argued that the power of the states was more important than the power of the central government

a bloc of Republicans in the U.S. Congress who pushed through the adoption of black suffrage as well as an extended period of military occupation of the South following the Civil War

a militant farmer's movement of the late nineteenth century that fought for improved conditions for farmers

a principle of constitutional government; a government whose powers are defined and limited by a constitution

a representative democracy, a system of government in which power is derived from the people

an executive branch in which power is fragmented because the election of statewide officeholders is independent of the election of the governor

under the Texas Constitution, the formal charge by the House of Representatives that leads to trial in the Senate and possible removal of a state official

separation of powers

True

19th Amendment

the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution

-generally accepted the existing constitutional framework -guided Texas's entry into the Confederate States of America -supported slavery -defended states' rights

it was never submitted to the voters.

when Reconstruction ended.

severely limits the power of the governor and other state officials.

the 1869 Constitution was seen as giving the governor too much power.

all adult white male citizens of Texas.

contains the Texas Bill of Rights.

guarantees some rights not found in the U.S. Bill of Rights.

be elected by the people.

has a very small chance of being written and ratified.

-they were held at the same time as presidential elections -there were more voter awareness of the proposed amendments -the amendments involved significant issues for voters

-Article I: Legislative Powers -Article II: Executive Powers -Article III: Judicial Powers -Article IV-VI: Federalism -Article VII: Ratification by states * 7 Articles * Amended 27 times

-Constitution of Coahuilay Tejas, 1827 -Constitution of the Republic of Texas, 1836 -Texas State Constitution of 1845 -Confederate Constitution of 1861 -Constitution of 1866 -The Reconstruction Constitution of 1869 -Constitution of 1876

-Legislative power in two houses -sets term limits and criteria -Legislative session rules

-Six distinct offices, 3 commissions -Limited power (not really) -can veto bills passed by Legislature -Commands State Militia -Appoints various boards and judicial vacancies between elections

-Creates one Supreme Court -Creates one Court of Criminal Appeals -Federal judges appointed by executive and approved by senate

possessing supreme political authority within a geographic area

the period after the Civil War when much of the South was under military occupation

the system of government that prevailed in the United States from 1789 to 1937, in which most fundamental governmental powers were strictly separated between the federal and state governments

a way of describing the system of dual federalism in which there is a division of responsibilities between the state and the national governments

a way of describing federalism where the boundaries between the national government and state government have become blurred

a type of federalism existing since the New Deal era in which grants-in-aid have been used to encourage states and localities (without commanding them) to pursue nationally defined goals; also known as intergovernmental cooperation

congressionally appropriated grants to state and localities on the condition that expenditures be limited to a problem or group specified by law

the attempts by President Nixon and Reagan to return power to the states through block grants

federal grants that allow states considerable discretion on how funds are spent

federal policies that force states to change their policies to achieve national goals

federal requirements that states or local governments pay the costs of federal policies

where the national government imposes its priorities and prevents the states from acting in a particular field

held in Gitlow v. New York that the First Amendment right of free speech was a fundamental right that applied to the states

rights in the Bill of Rights that the Court believes are fundamental and are held to apply to the states as well as the national government because they are part of the "liberty" protected from state action in the 14th Amendment

an interpretation of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment that held that states could segregate races as long as equal facilities were provided; it was overturned in 1954

the most rigorous equal protection standard. It requires that the government show a compelling state interest in order to successfully defend a law that makes certain classifications such as racial classifications. Additionally, that classification must be one that is narrowly tailored by the least drastic means possible to achieve the government's objective.

presumes that the legal classification made by the government is constitutional; all the government must show is some rational justification for the law

primarily used for classifications in the law based on sex; for the law to be constitutional the government must show important governmental objectives and the law must be substantially related to achievement of those objectives

allow states, usually under the state constitution, to expand rights beyond those provided by the U.S. Constitution

derived its power directly from the state governments

has been a matter of continuing controversy throughout the nation's history.

expanding the meaning of interstate commerce.

applied only to the national government.

in establishing that the national government had implied powers.

during the New Deal.

cooperative federalism.

unfunded mandates.

makes it difficult for states to discriminate against minorities.

tends to be determined by the standard of review that is used.

allow states to provide more state constitutional protections than the U.S. Constitution.

was the major law providing the right to vote for African Americans.

the degree to which Republicans have become more conservative and Democrats have become more liberal

the introduction of individuals into the political culture; learning the underlying beliefs and values on which the political system is based

the most basic level of political organization at the local level

the local party official, elected in the party's primary election, who heads the precinct convention and serves on the party's county executive committee

conservative democrats who abandoned the national Democratic Party in the 1948 election

political party formed in Texas in order to bring attention to the concerns of Mexican Americans

an election rule that states that the winner is the candidate who receives a plurality of the votes

an electorate that is allowed to elect only one representative for each district

the observation that in a single-member district system of electing representatives, the two-party system will emerge

a multimember district system that allows each political party representation in proportion to its percentage of the total votes

political movement aimed at limiting the influence of Wall Street and big corporations in American politics; created following government bailouts in 2008

created after Barack Obama's election, a political movement that advocates lower government spending, lower taxes, and limited government

a movement led by the Texas governor Allen Shivers during the 1950s in which conservative Democrats in Texas supported Republican candidate Dwight Eisenhower for the presidency because many of those conservative Democrats believed that the national Democratic Party had become too liberal

a voting pattern in which conservatives vote Democratic for state offices but Republican for Presidential candidates

another name for conservative Democrats, mostly from the South

political parties.

partisan polarization.

business leaders.

Latinos

state convention.

La Raza Unida Party

the 1980s.

False

tend to cast their votes for Democrats.

a ballot vote in which citizens select a party's nominee for the general election

a second primary election held between the two candidates who received the most votes in the first primary election if no candidate in the first primary election had received a majority

a primary election in which any registered voter can participate in the contest, regardless of party affiliation

a closed primary election in which only registered members of a particular political party can vote

the election in which voters case ballots to select public officials

an election that is not held on a regularly scheduled basis; in Texas, a special election is called to fill a vacancy in office, to give approval for the state government to borrow money, or to ratify amendments to the Texas Constitution

ratified in 1919, amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote

term referring to the right to vote

the requirement that a voter register long before the general election; in effect in Texas until 1971

primary election in which only white voters are eligible to participate

after white primary was ruled unconstitutional, this offshoot Democratic party preselected candidates for the Democratic primary and prohibited African Americans from participating

important legislation passed in order to ensure that African Americans would be guaranteed the right to vote. Renewed several times since 1965, the act also prevents the dilution of minority voting strength

a national act, passed in 1993, that requires states to allow people to register to vote when applying for a driver's license

a procedure that allows voters to cast ballots during the two-week period before the regularly scheduled election date

process that takes place every 10 years to determine how many congressional seats each state will receive, depending on population shifts

the process of redrawing election districts and redistributing legislative representatives in the Texas House, Texas Senate, and the U.S. House; this process usually happens every 10 years to reflect shifts in population or in response to legal challenges in existing districts

provision under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 requiring any changes to election procedures to district lines to be approved by the U.S. Department of Justice or the U.S. district court for the District of Columbia

voters select their party's candidate for a general election

closed primary.

general election

during even-numbered years that are not presidential election years

True

presidential elections

income and education.

Republicans

the candidate's focus on equal pay for equal work.

William Clements

media.

U.S. Senate

an organization established to influence the government's programs and policies

the incentive to benefit from others' work without making a contribution, which leads individuals in a collective action situation to refuse to work together

the interest-group practice of combining campaign contributions from several sources into one larger contribution from the group, so as to increase the group's impact on the candidate

an individual employed by an interest group who tries to influence governmental decisions on behalf of that group

a private group that raises and distributes funds for use in election campaigns

independent spending by individuals or interest groups on a campaign issue but not directly tied to a particular candidate

political money where the donors of the money do not have to be disclosed

government agency that serves the objectives of the interests that the agency is supposed to regulate

was a group of extremely wealthy Texans who met in Suite 8F of the Lamar Hotel in Houston and controlled Texas politics for 40 years.

committee assignments

-more time to influence officials -greater expertise than individuals -more money to influence elections -more staff

access to politicians.

professional group

-gain greater access to current legislator -benefit from the policy expertise of former legislators -benefit from the personal "insider" knowledge of the former legislator

business

to get the vote out.

daily payment to a public official engaged in state business

the 140-day period, occurring only in odd-numbered years, during which the Texas legislature meets to consider and pass bills

occurring every two years

a legislative session called by the governor that addresses an agenda set by him or her and that lasts no longer than 30 days

a proposed law that has been sponsored by a member of the legislature and submitted to the clerk of the House or Senate

a bill affecting only units of local government, such as a city, county, or special district

a bill that gives an individual or corporation a special exemption from state law

a bill that applies to all people and/or property in the state

an expression of opinion on an issue by a legislative body

a resolution of interest to both chambers of the legislature and which must pass both the House and Senate and generally be signed by the governor

a resolution, commonly a proposed amendment to the Texas Constitution or ratification of an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, that must pass both the House and Senate but which does not require the governor's signature

a resolution that concerns only the Texas House or Senate, such as the adoption of a rule or the appointment of an employee, and which does not require the governor's signature

a person living in the district from which an official is elected

the legislature's mandated role in counting returns in the elections for governor and lieutenant governor

the power, exercised by the House, the Senate, or both chambers jointly, to investigate problems facing the state

the legislature's power over the executive branch; for example, the legislature determines the size of appropriations for state agencies

the power of the House to impeach and of the Senate to convict members of the executive and judicial branches of state government

the first step in the legislative process, during which a member of the legislature gets an idea for a bill and files a copy of it with the clerk of the House of secretary of the Senate

the second step in the legislative process, during which a bill is assigned to the appropriate standing committee by the Speaker (for House bills) or the lieutenant governor (for Senate bills)

the third step in the legislative process, during which a bill is killed, amended, or heard by a standing committee

the fourth step in the legislative process, during which a bill referred by a standing committee is scheduled for floor debate by the Calendars Committee

a joint committee created to work out a compromise on House and Senate versions of a piece of legislation

the final step in the legislative process, during which the governor signs, vetoes, or refuses to sign a bill

a permanent committee with the power to propose and write legislation that covers a particular subject, such as finance or agriculture

a step in the legislative process during which a bill is killed by the chair of the standing committee to which it was referred, as a result of his or her setting the bill aside and not bringing it before the committee

according to the Texas Constitution, the governor's power to turn down legislation; can be overridden by a two-thirds vote of both the House and Senate

a veto of a bill that occurs after the legislature adjourns, thus preventing the legislature from overriding it

the power of the executive to veto specific provisions (lines) of an appropriations bill passed by the legislature

the chief presiding officer of the House of Representatives; the Speaker is the most important party and House leader, and can influence the legislative agenda, the fate of individual pieces of legislation, and members' positions within the House

a state-wide elected official who is presiding officer of the Senate; the lieutenant governor is one of the most important officials in state government and has significant control over legislation in the state Senate

the power to control floor debate by recognizing who can speak before the House and Senate

the principle that all districts should have roughly equal populations

31, 4

House members represent smaller districts and are subject to more frequent elections.

is sent to a conference committee.

comptroller of public accounts

Speaker of the House and the lieutenant governor.

by the majority of the members of the House whether Democrat or Republican.

the Texas Senate.

both Democrats and Republican.

are designed to benefit partisan interests.

the power of the chief executive, whether the president of the United States or the Governor of a state, to appoint persons to office

the resources available to higher officials, usually opportunities to makes political appointments to offices and to confer grants, licenses, or special favors to supporters

the practice whereby the president, before formally nominating a person for a federal judgeship, seeks the indication that senators from the candidate's own state support the nomination; in Texas, the practice whereby the governor seeks the indication that the senator from the candidate's home supports the nomination

the state budget prepared and submitted by the governor to the legislature, with indicates the governor's spending priorities. The executive budget is overshadowed in terms of importance by the legislative budget

the state budget that is prepared and submitted by the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) and that is fully considered by the House and Senate

state official, appointed by the governor, whose primary responsibility is administering elections

elected state official who serves as the state's chief civil lawyer

elected state official who is the manager of most publicly owned lands

elected state official who is primarily responsible for enforcing agricultural laws

elected state official who directs the collection of taxes and other revenues and estimates revenues for the budgeting process

a commission created in 1975 for the purpose of reviewing the effectiveness of state agencies

impeachment and conviction.

secretary of state

elected independently of the governor.

administers state land.

legislature and voters.

-regulates some electric rates -regulates local phone rates -maintains a website so consumers can compare electric rates -maintains a "do not call" registry

has limited power to regulate insurance rates.

regulates oil and gas production in Texas.

has a major role in determining the books used in Texas public schools.