GOVT 2306 Chapters 4-5 Terms

soft money

- (money used to fund election activities that is not directly donated to a political campaign Unregulated political donations made to national political parties or independent expenditures on behalf of a candidate that is used to fund election activities but are not directly donated to a political campaign.

sound bite

A brief statement intended to be easily quotable by the news media that is designed to convey a specific message that a campaign wishes to make.

independent candidate

A candidate who runs in a general election without party endorsement or selection.

precinct convention

A convention, held at the voting precinct level, to adopt resolutions and to select delegates and alternates to the party's county or senatorial district convention.

voting center

A countywide voting system that allows voters to vote, after being electronically verified, at any voting center in a county

party platform

A document that sets forth a political party's position on public policy issues, such as income tax, school vouchers, or the environment

offyear / midterm election

A general election held in the even-numbered year following a presidential election

caucaus

A meeting at which members of a political party assemble to select delegates and make other policy recommendations at the precinct, county, or state senatorial district and state levels.

jungle primary

A nominating process in which voters indicate their preferences by using a single ballot on which are printed the names and respective party labels of all persons seeking nomination. A candidate who receives more than 50 percent of the vote is elected; otherwise, a runoff between the top two candidates must be held.

white primary

A nominating system designed to prevent African Americans and some Latinos from participating in Democratic primaries from 1923 to 1944

direct primary

A nominating system that allows voters to participate directly in the selection of candidates for public office

libertarian

A person who advocates minimal government intervention in both economic and social issues

conversatives

A person who advocates minimal intervention by government in economic matters and who gives a high priority to reducing taxes and curbing public spending, while supporting a more active role for government in traditional social issues fiscal conservatives: give highest priority to reduced taxing and spending social conservatives: stress the importance of family values, including opposition to abortion and homosexuality

neoliberal

A political ideology that advocates less government regulation of business and supports governmental involvement in social programs.

stratarchy

A political system in which power is diffused among and within levels of party organization

crossover voting

A practice whereby a person participates in the primary of one party, then votes for one or more candidates of another party in the general election.

presidential preference primary

A primary in which the voters indicate their preference for a person seeking nomination as the party's presidential candidate.

open primary

A primary in which voters are not required to declare party affiliation.

closed primary

A primary in which voters must declare their support for a party before they are permitted to participate in the selection of its candidates.

Texas Ethics Commission

A state agency that enforces state standards for lobbyists and public officials, including registration of lobbyists and reporting of political campaign contributions.

poll tax

A tax levied in Texas from 1902 until voters amended the Texas Constitution in 1966 to eliminate it; failure to pay the annual tax (usually $1.75) made a citizen ineligible to vote in party primaries or in special and general elections.

Chapter 5 - Campaigns and Elections

Although most obstacles to voting have been abolished and Texas election laws have extended voting periods and simplified the elections process, many Texans do not exercise their right to vote. - In national, state, and local elections, Texans vote at or below the national average. - In addition, because education, income, and race and ethnicity are critical factors affecting voter turnout, concern is increasing that decisions are being made by an ''elite'' minority

literacy tests

Although not used in Texas as a prerequisite for voter registration, the test was designed and administered in ways intended to prevent African Americans and Latinos from voting.

grandfather clause

Although not used in Texas, the law exempted people from educational, property, or tax requirements for voting if they were qualified to vote before 1867 or were descendants of such persons.

special election

An election called by the governor to fill a vacancy (for example, U.S. congressional or state legislative office) or to vote on a proposed state constitutional amendment.

primary

An election conducted within the party to nominate candidates who will run for public office in a subsequent general election

political action committee (PAC)

An organization created to collect and distribute contributions to political campaigns.

political party

An organization with the purpose of controlling government by recruiting, nominating, and ELECTING their candidates to public office. - People have different beliefs and values about the role of government and the nature of society. - Those who share the same beliefs and values often identify with a specific political party

superdelegate

An unpledged party official or elected official who serves as a delegate to a party's national conventio

(LO 4.4) Trace the evolution of political parties in Texas.

Before Texas's admission into the Union in 1845, its political parties had not fully developed, and political factions tended to form around personalities. - During the Civil War, as Texas seceded from the Union, politics became firmly aligned with the Democratic Party. - However, during the period of Reconstruction (1865-1873) after the Civil War, the Republican Party controlled Texas politics. - From the end of Reconstruction until the 1970s, Texas was dominated primarily by one political party: the Democratic Party. - In the 1970s and 1980s, Texas moved toward a competitive two-party structure. - By the 1990s and into the 21st century, the Lone Star State had seemingly become a one-party state with the Republican Party in control. - An increase in the Latino population resulted in efforts in 2014 by the Democratic Party to register and turn out more Latino voters who they believed would vote Democratic. - As Texas voters become younger and more racially and ethnically diverse, the Democratic Party may become more competitive.

(LO 4.3) Identify electoral trends in Texas, including realignments, third parties, and independent candidates.

Beginning in the late 1970s, competition between Texas's Democratic and Republican parties has brought more women, Latinos, and African Americans into the state's political system. - As a result, party politics has become increasingly competitive and nationalized. Compared with the politics of earlier years, Texas politics today is more partisan (party centered). - However, both the Democratic and the Republican parties experience internal feuding (factionalism) among competing groups. - Political scientists assert that the success of the Republican Party throughout the 1990s and into the 21st century demonstrates that many Texans who were previously Democrats have switched their political affiliation and loyalty to the Republican Party in a realignment of voters. - A dealignment occurs when voters no longer identify with a political party. - Minor (or third) parties and independents have never enjoyed the same success as the two principal parties. -- Their victories are generally limited to their ability to make the public aware of their issues or persuade the major parties to adopt those issue

hard money

Campaign money donated directly to candidates or political parties and restricted in amount by federal law.

state executive committee

Composed of a chair, vice chair, and two members from each senatorial district, this body is part of a party's permanent organization

county executive committee

Composed of a party's precinct chairs and the elected county chair, the county executive committee conducts primaries and makes arrangements for holding county conventions.

senatorial district executive committee

Composed of a party's precinct chairs who reside within a senatorial district, the senatorial district executive committee fills districtwide vacancies in nominations for office and performs other statutory and party duties.

early voting

Conducted at the county courthouse and selected polling places before the designated primary, special, or general election day.

state convention

Convenes every even-numbered year to make rules for a political party, adopt a party platform and resolutions, and select members of the state executive committee; in a presidential election year, it elects delegates to the national convention, names members to serve on the national committee, and elects potential electors to vote if the party's presidential candidate receives a plurality of the popular vote in the general election.

affirmative gerrymandering

Drawing the boundaries of a district designed to favor representation by a member of a historical minority group (for example, African Americans) in a legislative chamber, city council, commissioners court, or other representative body.

gerrymandering

Drawing the boundaries of a district, such as a state senatorial or representative district, to include or exclude certain groups of voters and thus affect election outcomes.

county chair

Elected by county party members in the primaries, this key party official heads the county executive committee

at-large districting

Elected representatives who are elected from an entire entity, and not a single-member district.

Campaign Reform Act

Enacted by the U.S. Congress and signed by President George W. Bush in 2002, this law restricts donations of soft money and hard money for election campaigns, but its effect has been limited by federal court decisions.

independent expenditures

Expenditures that pay for political campaign communications and expressly advocate the nomination, election, or defeat of a clearly identified candidate but are not given to, or made at the request of, the candidate's campaign

(LO 5.4) Explain how the voting process promotes and inhibits voter participation.

For most Texans, voting is their principal political activity. - Registration is required before a person can vote and is intended to determine in advance whether prospective voters meet all the qualifications prescribed by law. - Federal voting rights legislation has expanded the electorate, simplified voter registration, and encouraged voting. - In addition, Texas law provides an early voting period to begin 17 days before an election or 10 days before a runoff. - However, recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions and Texas's restrictive voter identification law have been criticized for inhibiting voter participation

runoff primary

Held after the first primary to allow party members to choose a candidate from the first primary's top two vote-getters if no candidate received a majority vote.

general elections

Held in November of even-numbered years to elect county, state, and federal officials from among candidates nominated in primaries or (for minor parties) in nominating conventions.

senatorial district convention

Held in even-numbered years on a date and at a time and place prescribed by the party's state executive committee in counties that have more than one state senatorial district. Participants select delegates and alternates to the party's state convention.

Chapter 4 - Political Parties: Summary

Historically, Texas politics has been characterized by prolonged periods of one-party domination—first the Democrats and later the Republicans. With changing demographic patterns, however, the nature of partisan politics in Texas and the struggle for control of public office by political parties continue to evolve. Shifts in voting alignments will change how both parties develop campaign strategies and target groups of voters.

super PAC

Independent expenditure-only committees that may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, nonprofit organizations, and individuals.

National Voter Registration Act, or "motor-voter law"

Legislation requiring certain government offices (for example, motor vehicle licensing agencies) to offer voter registration applications to clients

election judge

Official appointed by the county commissioners court to administer an election in a voting precinct.

elections administrator

Person appointed to supervise voter registration and voting for a county

(LO 5.1) Analyze the components of a political campaign

Political campaigns have evolved from candidate speeches on a courthouse lawn or from the rear platform of a campaign train to sophisticated organizations that utilize media, targeted emails, and social networking resources to win voter support. - As a result, political campaigns have become increasingly expensive. - Texas laws are relatively weak, and federal regulations of campaign financing have been limited by judicial decisions and loopholes in disclosure laws.

(LO 4.1) Evaluate the role of political parties in Texas.

Political parties are considered an integral part of the American governmental process and are defined as a combination of people and interests whose primary purpose is to gain control of government by winning elections. - In Texas, and across the United States, the Democratic and Republican parties are the two leading parties, thus creating a two-party system. - Nations that have two-party systems tend to have plurality electoral systems (the type used in the United States) while nations with multiparty systems typically have proportional representation systems.

(LO 4.5) Describe the party system in Texas.

Political parties are organized as stratarchies in which power is diffused among and within levels of the party organization. - The temporary party organization consists of primaries and conventions. - Through primaries, members of the major political parties participate in elections to select candidates for public office and local party officers. - Conventions elect state-level and senate-district party officers and are scheduled at precinct, county/state senatorial district, and state levels. - At the state level, conventions also write party rules, adopt party platforms, and (in presidential election years) select delegates to national conventions and presidential electors.

temporary party organization

Primaries and conventions that function briefly to nominate candidates, pass resolutions, adopt a party platform, and select delegates to party conventions at higher levels.

(LO 5.5) Identify the differences among primary, general, and special elections.

Primary elections are elections conducted within a political party to nominate candidates who will run for public office in a subsequent general election. - General elections are conducted in November of even-numbered years to elect county, state, and federal officials from among candidates nominated in primary elections (or for small parties, in nominating conventions). - Special elections are called by the governor to fill a vacancy (for example, U.S. congressional or state legislative office) or to vote on a proposed state constitutional amendment.

(LO 5.2) Describe the impact of Texas's changing demographics on politics.

Racial and ethnic factors are strong influences on Texas politics and shape political campaigns. - The increasing size of the Latino population makes Latinos an important factor in elections. - However, lower levels of political activity than in the population at large limit an even greater impact of the Latino electorate. - A majority of Latino voters and super majorities of African American voters participate in Democratic primaries and vote for Democratic candidates in general elections

(LO 4.2) Compare and contrast the different political ideologies found in the Lone Star State.

Texas voters and political parties represent various political ideologies, including conservatism and liberalism. - Conservatives believe in a minimal role of government in regulating the economy and business, while emphasizing traditional social val- ues and an active role for government on social issues. - However, they are further divided between fiscal conservatives and social conservatives. -- Fiscal conservatives tend to give the highest priority to reduced taxing and spending. -- Social conservatives support greater government intervention in social issues (for example, laws against abortion and same-sex marriage) to support their family values. - Liberals generally favour government regulation of the economy to achieve a more equitable distribution of wealth and favour a limited role for government in social issues. -- In Texas, many Democrats have a neoliberal ideology, which incorporates a philosophy of less government regulation of business and the economy while adopting a more liberal view of greater government involvement in social programs.

(LO 5.3) Describe the evolving role of women in Texas politics.

Texas women did not begin to vote and hold public office for three-quarters of a century after Texas joined the Union. - Before 1990, only four women had won a statewide office in Texas. - By the 1990s, the number of women elected to statewide office increased dramatically. - Moreover, women served as mayors in about 150 of the state's towns and cities. - In several elections early in the 21st century, women led all candidates on either ticket in votes received. - Female candidates held the top two positions on the Democratic Party's ticket in 2014. - The number of women elected recently to state office has declined. - Despite their electoral victories in Texas and elsewhere across the nation, fewer women than men seek elective public office. - As customs, habits, and attitudes have changed, opportunities for women in public service have expanded.

voting precinct

The basic geographic area for conducting primaries and elections; Texas is divided into more than 8,500 voting precincts.

Texas Election Code

The body of state law concerning parties, primaries, and elections.

precinct chair

The party official responsible for the interests and activities of a political party in a voting district; typical duties include encouraging voter registration, distributing campaign literature, operating phone banks, and getting out the vote on Election Day

voter turnout

The percentage of voters (either voting age population, voting eligible population, or registered voters) casting a ballot in an election.

canvass

To scrutinize the results of an election and then confirm and certify the vote tally for each candidate

universal suffrage

Voting is open for virtually all persons 18 years of age or older

independent

a candidate who runs in a general election without party endorsement or selection

county convention

a party meeting of delegates held in even-numbered years on a date and at a time and place prescribed by the party's state executive committee to adopt resolutions and to select delegates and alternates to the party's state convention.

third party

a party other than the Democratic Party or the Republican Party - sometimes called a "minor party" bc of limited membership and voter support

liberals

a person who advocates government support in social and economic matters and who favours political reforms that extend democracy, achieve a more equitable distribution of wealth, and protect individual freedoms and rights. - tend to favour less government regulation in the private lives of individuals

dealignment

occurs when citizens have no allegiance to a political party and become independent voters

realignment

occurs when there is a major change in the support of political parties

permanent party organization

to recruit candidates, devise strategies, raise funds, distribute candidate literature and information, register voters, and turn out voters on Election Day. - In Texas, the precinct chairs, county and senatorial district executive committees, and the state executive committee form the permanent organization of a political party.

straight-ticketing voting

voting for all the candidates of one party