Tx Govt. Chapter 4 – Flashcards
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Why have political pundits in Texas been asking when Texas will "turn blue"?
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Because of two parallel developments: the ongoing dominance of the Republican Party in the state and the state's growing minority population, which is increasingly Latino
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Which party dominated Texas politics throughout most of the twentieth century?
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Dem.
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What is the most important role for political parties in Texas elections?
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They provide a label under which candidates can run and with which voters can identify
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What usually are considered functions of political parties?
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Help candidates win elections, assist voters in making their electoral choices, raise money for candidate's campaigns, "getting out the vote," and organize the government if their party wins the elections
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Why might parties at the state level have less power than that at the national level?
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Local issues are usually not ideological in nature. They often deal with who is most effective at creating jobs and keeping districts safe for residents.
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Partisan polarization (definition)?
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The degree to which Republicans have become more conservative and Democrats have become more liberal
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Political socialization (definition) and when does it take place?
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The introduction of individuals into the political culture; learning the underlying beliefs and values on which the political system is based.
The process occurs throughout our early years, when our parents, religious leaders, teachers, and others influence our partisan identifications.
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More Texans are increasingly identifying themselves as __?
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Independent
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In modern-day Texas, who control of state government?
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Rep. Party
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Which movement has had the largest impact on state legislative races in recent years?
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The Occupy and Tea Party movements
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When Texas Democrats have been relegated to a minority status at the state level?
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Since early 2000s
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Democrats controlled the Texas House until (when) __?
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2002
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Most Texas Democrats today would be classified as __?
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Liberal
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Why it is said that the demographic changes in Texas makes the state more similar to its southern neighbors?
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The majority of Texas Democrats are minorities and with the growth of the minority population, the party makeup will become more minority and less white
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What is the fastest-growing demographic group in Texas? And how do they vote?
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Latino they vote democratic
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What is the main role of the precinct conventions?
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To select delegates to the county convention and possibly to submit resolutions that may eventually become part of the party platform
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What is a county convention?
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A meeting held by a political party following its precinct conventions, for the purpose of electing delegates to its state convention
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When did the Latino movement La Raza Unida occur?
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1960s
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Over what issue that the Dixiecrats abandoned the national Democratic Party in the 1948 presidential election?
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Civil rights
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hich of the following third-party movements had the most success in winning elections in the post-World War II era?
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La Raza Unida
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What steps Texas parties that did not get 5 percent of the vote in a previous statewide race are required to take?
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To collect a minimum number of signatures for their candidate to get on the ballot
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The latest new party formed in the United States in an election year was __?
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Natural Law Party
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The Libertarian Party can be considered __?
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Fiscal conservatives and social liberals
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Duverger's Law (purpose)?
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Voting system, it favors a two-party system bc a vote for a third party candidate generally does not result in a win.
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What is a proportional representation?
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Encourages third-party vote
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What do Tea Party members believe?
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lower govt. spending/taxes and limited govt.
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What are principles generally supported by the Tea Party movement?
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Influence Rep. Primary and state politics
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The Occupy movement (definition)?
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Political movement aimed at limiting the influence of Wall Street and big corporations in American politics; created following government bailouts in 2008
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What was the Shivercrat movement?
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A movement led by the Texas governor Allan Shivers in which conservative Democrats in Texas supported Republican candidate Dwight Eisenhower for the presidency because many of these Conservative Democrats believed that the national Democratic Party had become liberal.
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What is presidential Republicanism?
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Where Texas voters would vote Democratic for state offices but vote Republican for presidential candidates.
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In the post-Civil War era, which parts of Texas that showed significant Republican leanings?
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The "German counties" in the Texas Hill County
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Although the Democratic Party dominated state politics for much of the twentieth century, by the 1950s it faced internal divisions. What were the two groups stemmed from this division?
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Liberals and conservatives
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By about the 1940s, a split between the two wings of Democratic Party focused on __?
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New Deal economic policies and civil rights measures
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When the Democratic Party in the state shrank to become the minority party?
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2002
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What is another name for Conservative Democrats in Texas?
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Blue Dog Democrats
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What are factions?
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state of conflict within an organization
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What is white flight?
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The mass exodus of more affluent whites from urban areas to suburban areas
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In Texas, which group is most likely to support the Republican Party?
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White
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Today, what groups that made up the basis for the Texas Democratic Party?
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Latino
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In what areas do most of Texas's African American population is concentrated?
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East Texas; Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin
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Which demographic group has the largest percentage share of voters in Texas?
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A.A.
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Currently what percent of Latinos that represent Texas population?
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38.2%
