Chapter 9 Review POL 1133.003

Permanent Party Organization

Series of elected officials of a political party that keep the party organization active between elections.

Temporary Party Organization

Series of meetings or conventions that occur every two years at the precinct, county, and state levels.

Political Action Committees (PACs)

Spin-offs of interest groups that collect money for campaign contributions and other activity.

Party Platform

The overall goal that a party is associated with for the campaign. (ie. feeding the hungry, shelters for dogs, immigrant rights)

Canvassing the Vote

The process of trying to find out how people intend to vote or of trying to obtain their votes.

Proportional Representation

An electoral system in which parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for them.

Describe the role of the Texas Ethcs Commission regarding elections.

As PACs can contribute directly to a campaign, they must register with Texas Ethics Commission and file periodic expenditure/contribution reports to ensure ethical campaigns.

List and describe the political reforms your text's authors believe have weakened party power in Texas.

Australian ballot: voting process was secret and uniform. Not as easy to set up an election to "heavily encourage" voting for a specific party member when you can't selectively pick what appears on the ballot or know who a person voted for. Direct primary rules: Party members now have to vote for a candidate in a primary election in order for them to appear on the ballot. Popular vote has more sway than the preference of the party leadership. Spoils/Patronage system: government jobs were no longer given to faithful party members. A competitive vetting process was instituted after 1883 and applicants were examined rather than simply appointed to the position by an elected official. Municipal elections: Party affiliation not considered as much with municipal policy decisions. City government has more sway than the party. Campaign finance laws: Money is more tightly regulated in recent years with consideration of campaign financing.

Political Ideology

Basic belief system that guides political theory and policy; typically conceptualized as falling along a conservative/moderate/liberal continuum.

Realignment

"A lasting shift of party loyalty and attachment" (as defined by James L. Sundquist in Dynamics of the Party System: Alignment and Realignment of Political Parties in the United States.)

Precinct

A district of a city or town as defined for police or governmental purposes.

State Executive Committee

A committee made up of one man and one woman from each state senatorial district as well as a chair and vice-chair that functions as the governing body of the party.

Caucus

A meeting of members of a political party to nominate candidates (now used only by minor political parties in Texas).

A) What is political realignment? B) What does Mrs. Roomberg mean when she says that, while Texas moved from one-party Democratic control to one-party Republican control, there was no significant change in the voter's' political ideology over that time? C) So, what caused the move from Democratic control to Republican control?

A) A permanent shift in party loyalty and attachment. B) Because while the party in control changed, the views of those associated with the parties did not. Simply a change in name, political alignment remained the same. C) It began with the slow acceptance of breaking from straight-ticket voting (i.e. voting only for people from your party) and eventual parity between the weaker Republican party and the Democrat party.

A) What is a political party and what are its functions? B) Are political parties included either in the Texas or U.S. Constitutions? Why or why not?

A) Organization that acts as intermediary between people and government, with goal of getting its people elected to office. B) Not part of either Texas or US Constitution. Reason is because founding fathers thought it'd limit members to seek out their own special interests rather than the welfare of the nation as a whole. i) "...they saw these entities as pursuing special parochial interests instead of the interests of the country as a whole. (p. 259)"

A) What are the factions operating in the Republican Party today? What concept(s) does each favor? B) Is there an overlap or conflict between any of these factions? If so, describe.

A) Republican Factions: i) Conservative: 1. Christian Right: NO labor unions, Anti-gay, man head of household, super conservative. 2. Traditionalist: Old style of thinking, man head of household, tight restrictions on immigration. 3. Neoconservatives: Accepting towards international policy. ii) Moderate: Kind of an in between form. Can be accepting of same sex marriage, abortion, gun control, BUT still wants conservative things like low taxes and free trade. iii) Libertarian: free market, minimal government social control. B) Moderates can have both republican and democrat views on certain issues. Some views might conflict with other types of conservatives

Describe the historical background of political parties in Texas, using the headings in the text (starting with p. 269) to organize your answer. Explain why the Democratic Party dominated Texas politics until the late 1980s to 1990s. In what year did the Republicans win all statewide offices? Why did the Republican Party gain dominance in Texas state politics after so many years of being out of power? At what points in history could Texas be said to have had a two-party electoral system?

A) Texas political party history, condensed: i) Republic of Texas (founding): No parties. Just two dudes in control (Sam Houston & Mirabeau Lamar). Elections revolved around personalities of men and their surrogates, not a party and its ideals. ii) Annexation and the Civil War Era: Democratic dominance due to Southern influence. Heavy slavery support and federal distrust. After the war, Southerners still pissed off at the federal government. Edmund J. Davis (last Republican governor for a while) divided Republicans; eventually when combined with federal resentment, caused voters to elect democratic control over republican in 1874. iii) The One-Party Democratic Era: 100 years (ish) of democratic control (1874-1961). Parties campaigning against democrats had weak support. Personality and economic issues drived majority of politics. iv) Change: 1952, 1956 -- Democrats started voting for certain Republican candidates. Loyalty for party began fading. B) Democrats held Texas legislation but voted for Republicans at the federal level until the 1980's/1990's. Republican candidates were typically weak in support or downright embarrassing for the party. C) Republicans won full control of statewide offices in 1994 election. D) Democratic seats were lost over time to Republicans, George H. W. Bush was elected to presidency, and Bill Clements returned to governor office. Republican support eventually grew over time. E) 1988-1994: both Republicans and Democrats held high-level offices through Texas government during this time period, just before the full capture of political control by Republican party.

Straight Ticket Voting

Casting all your votes for candidates of a single party.

County Executive Committee

Committee made up of a country chair and all precinct chairs in the county; serves as the official organization for the party in each county.

State Party Chair

Heads the state executive committee and provides leadership for the party.

What is party dealignment? What are the reasons your text gives for this trend?

Party dealignment is the view that a growing number of voters and candidates do not identify with either major political party but are independents.

County Chair

Party official elected in each county to organize and support the party.

Precinct Chair

Party official elected in each voting precinct to organize and support the party.

Texas Ethics Commission

To "provide guidance on various public ethics laws" within the state of Texas.

Dealignment

View that a growing number of voters and candidates do not identify with either major political party but are independents.

Ticket-Splitters

You vote for candidates based off of appeal, not party. You could vote for both Democratic and Republican Candidates at the same time.