Studying sux

Astroturf lobbying

"Fake grass"; making your cause appear having a larger presence than actual society support shady grassroots lobbying

*Temporary lobbyist*

"For hire" lobbyists with no particular affiliations

Temporary lobbyists

"For hire" lobbyists with no particular affiliations

James Madison

"House should have an immediate and intimate sympathy with the people" "Senate will proceed with more coolness, more system, and more wisdom than the popular branch"

Justice Stewart

"I know it when I see it"

Delegate

"I will always vote in unison with what my constituents want, even if I personally don't believe in what I'm voting for"

William Bennett

"It cannot look as if the president has been run off, or it will look like we can't defend our most important institutions"

Thomas O'Neil

"all politics is local"

Trustee

"constituents need to trust that I will vote for what's best even if it contradicts what they want"

Alexander hamilton

"infuse executive with energy"

Justice Anthony Kennedy

"the government may regulate corporation political speech through disclaimer and disclosure requirements but it may not suppress that speech altogether"

Bill Clinton

'It is difficult for people to function in an environment in which they feel that their character, values, and motives are always suspect and where the presumption here is against them"

19th Amendment

(1920) women suffrage

capital - gains taxes

(1989-92) Federal taxes on profits from investors H. Bush failed to persuade Congress to cut capital gain taxes - 4 years in a row S: When the president faces a Congress dominated by the opposition party, he often fails to get his domestic policy passed

National Intelligence Director

(2004) This position was created after the government realized 9/11 could've potentially been prevented if the agencies actually shared information with each other. S: created to solve bureaucracy inefficiency

LECTURE 3: 6/18/2015

***********************

*Casework*

- Assistance provided by members of Congress to their constituents in solving problems with the federal bureaucracy or addressing other specific concerns

representation in texas legislature

- Females and Hispanics were underrepresented amongst legislators -Legislators were younger than in the previous session - Most legislators are lawyers, business owners, or executives when not serving

*Party unity*

- The extent to which members of Congress in the same party vote together on party votes

*Seniority rule*

- The informal congressional norm of choosing the member who has served the longest on a particular committee to be the committee chair

*Roll call vote*

- The recorded vote on legislation; members may vote yes, no, abstain, or present

*Incumbency advantage*

- The relative infrequency with which members of Congress are defeated in their attempts for re-election -Name recognition - Sit in committees that are important to the people they represent - Get more support because are more likely to win

VAP and VEP

- Voting available Population versus Voting Eligible Population • The VAP is always bigger than the VEP • VAP: how many bodies we have; everybody who is above ground alive from baby to elderly • VEP: people who are eligible to vote; people over 18 and citizens • Congressional districts are drawn on this

*Substantive representation*

- When a member of Congress represents constituents' interests and policy concerns

succession after Governor's death

- the Lieutenant Governor -President pro tempore of the Texas Senate -The Speaker of the Texas House - The Attorney General -The chief judges of the Texas Courts of Appeals (in ascending order)

Political Knowledge and the Democratic Process

-"Civic knowledge provides the raw material that allows citizens to use their virtues, skills and passions in a way that is connected meaningfully to the empirical world."

pay for Texas Legislators

-$7,200 per year, or $14,400 for a two-year legislative period. -receive a per diem personal allowance of $190 for every day the legislature is in session.

Elections

---

E E Schattschneider

"Democracy is not to be found in the parties but between the parties"

The political church and participation

-Churches that communicate political activity as a norm -churches that provide a setting for development of skills

Costs?

-Cost is an amount that has to be paid or given up in order to get something -1. Effort -2. Material -3. Resources -4. Time and utilities consumed -5. Voter registration - closing date, Voter ID (ie. in Minnesota, you can register to vote ON election day) -6. Information gathering - few Americans are well-informed about politics and government -7. Going to the polling place - long lines

The Democrats

-Democratic National Committee sets the rules for all the states -Nationally organized -Every state uses a Proportional System -To win the nomination you have to get 2382 out of 4,763 votes -Pledged Delegates are the ones you get in primaries and caucuses there are 4,050 in 2016 Delegates in states: 85% are pledged, 15% are unpledged (Texas gets 251 delegates)

Who else does the governor appoint?

-Directors of a handful of state agencies and members of more than 120 boards and commissions charged with oversight duties -Notably: The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission & The Public Utilities Commission

Hard money

-Donations that are used to help elect or defeat a specific candidate -"Here is $200, go spend it to get elected"

Texas Secretary of State role

-Highest-ranking official appointed by governor - Handles the administration of elections -Oversees voter registration

Texas State Board of Education

-Implements the mandate for a free public education system -Members are elected -Governor appoints nonvoting Commissioner of Education - 15 board members serve four-year terms -Members represent individual districts -Deals with teacher and student testing, charter schools, distribution of funding, school curricula, and more

Aggregate Rationality

-Lupia and McCubbins -the combination of irrationality and rationality leads to an ultimate result of rationality, if aggregate irrationality is randomly distributed

Conspiracy Theories

-Oliver and Wood (2014) -1. Locate the source of unusual social and political phenomena in unseen, intentional and malevolent forces -2. Interpret the political event in terms of a Manichean perspective (good vs. bad) -3. Mainstream accounts of political events are a ruse or an attempt to distract the public from a source of power

*Continuing resolution*

-President and Congress can't decide on a budget -Gov't could shut down -Act on last year's budget

Lieutenant Governor

-President of the Senate -Appoints Senate committee members -Assigns bills to specific Senate committees -Casts the deciding vote in the case of a tie -Chairs the Legislative Budget Board and the Legislative Council -Vice-Chair of the Legislative Audit Committee and the Legislative Education Board -One of the five members of the Legislative Redistricting Board when it convenes

Nixon

-Resigned as a result of the watergate scandal

*Descriptive representation*

-When a member of Congress shares the characteristics (such as gender, race, religion, or ethnicity) of his or her constituents

Vote Dilution

-a community that is large enough to make their own district is forced into four different districts, to dilute their political power -Blacks may be grouped together within a neighborhood, and then their neighborhood would be spread across several districts, diluting the relevance of their vote

Social consequences

-exposing to conspiracy theories increase feelings of powerlessness -Nyhan and Reifler (2010): misinformation and conspiracy theories are difficult to correct, highly polarized elites, ideological consistency, attempts to correct misinformation can further ingrain them

1965 Voting Rights Act

-extremely important in pushing Blacks to mainstream politics -Many scholars in the 1940s and 1950s argued that the reason that Blacks in the South did not vote was because they were apathetic -The real reason they did not vote was because of voting laws that discriminated against them - Poll Taxes, Literacy Tests, White Primaries, Intimidation (Medger Everts), Grandfather clauses -specially constructed districts which limited minority political empowerment, Vote dilution, Texas redistricting battle -The Voting Rights Act worked to eliminate these barriers

Roe v. Wade

A SC case in 1973 that decided laws forbidding abortions are unconstitutional. S: This proves that the judiciary is politically driven because they take sides in controversies.

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

A SC case in 2010 where Citizens United was a corporation who was denied the right to broadcast their movie "Hillary: The Movie" on television by the Federal Election Commission. S: 1. Corporations are persons under the law and have the right to freedom of speech 2. Money is speech Illustrates that the supreme court is a political institution.

*Split ticket*

A ballot on which a voter selects candidates from more than one political party

*Straight ticket*

A ballot on which a voter selects candidates from only one political party.

*Primaries*

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

Grassroots lobbying

A bottom-up strategy in which lobbying is conducted by rank-and-file members of an interest group

*GOTV (get out the vote/ground game)*

A campaign's efforts to "get out the vote" or make sure their supporters vote on Election Day.

Naturalization

A legal process to obtain citizenship.

message power

Addressing large audiences about agenda; texas legislature

Schenk v. United States (1919)

Court case where it was argued no one had a right falsely to shout "Fire!" in a theater "causing a panic." It is, after all, an essential purpose of government to protect the people's health and safety. CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER. **READ UP

Lemon v. Kurtzman

The 1971 Supreme Court decision that established that aid to church-related schools must (1) have a secular legislative purpose; (2) have a primary effect that neither advances nor inhibits religion; and (3) not foster excessive government entanglement with religion.

electoral inertia

considerable continuity in how citizens vote

earmarks

in a budget, designation of funds for a specific use

Primary and secondary education programs in the United States are funded and implemented mostly by: Congress. state and local governments. the U.S. Department of Education. the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

state and local governments.

Lawrence v. Texas

state law may not ban sexual relations between same-sex partners

battleground states

states that are sufficiently close that they might plausibly be won by either candidate

veto power

the ability to defeat something even if it has made it on to the agenda of an institution

nonpartisan

the absence of involvement or influence from political parties

What concern was of primary importance to the drafters of the Texas Constitution when creating the judicial selection system? partisanship of judges the independence of judges the impartiality of judges the accountability of judges

the accountability of judges

privatization

the act of moving all or part of a program from the public sector to the private sector

jurisdiction

the domain over which an institution or member of an institution has authority

oversight

the effort by Congress, through hearings, investigation, and other techniques, to exercise control over the activities of executive agencies

Which of the following is an example of the power to persuade? the governor delivering a persuasive budget message to the legislature the governor having paid advisers and consultants to help him or her come up with a media strategy the governor taking advantage of good relationships with legislators in order to pass an important agenda the governor getting round-the-clock coverage of his or her speeches and statements

the governor taking advantage of good relationships with legislators in order to pass an important agenda

supreme court

the highest court in a particular state or in the United States

Gridlock

the inability of the government to act because rival parties control different parts of the government

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

the joint resolution passed by Congress in 1964 that authorized President Lyndon Johnson to use the armed forces to assist South Vietnam

veto overrides

the legislature's ability to pass a bill into law over the governor's veto via a two-thirds vote of each chamber

Strict scrutiny

the level of scrutiny the Supreme Court uses to evaluate the legality of laws, policies, and programs that use racial classifications. In these cases, the government must show that the program serves a "compelling government interest" and that the means it adopts are "closely related" and "narrowly tailored" to serve that interest.

Melting pot

the metaphor that conveys the notion that newcomers to the United States should leave behind old identities and adopt new ones; that many diverse peoples should blend together into a single American people.

bully pulpit

the nature of presidential status as an ideal vehicle for persuading the public to support the president's policies

majority party

the party that holds the majority of legislative seats in either the House or the Senate

Majority leader

the party with the most members in the House; controls all committee chairs (ranked from most to least power) • Majority Leader: Elected leader and second in authority to the Speaker; currently represents the Republicans

affirmative action redistricting

the process of drawing district lines to maximize the number of majority-minority districts

The common law system is built on precedent. What are precedents? previous administrative decisions that are treated as law written codes of the law the rulings and reasoning of previous legal cases the decisions made by previous congresses

the rulings and reasoning of previous legal cases

distributive tendency

the tendency of Congress to spread the benefits of a policy over a wide range of members' districts

Suspect class

the term the Supreme Court uses to characterize racial classifications in laws or government policies and programs. These cases require "strict scrutiny." (See strict scrutiny.

opinion

the written explanation of the Supreme Court's decision in a particular case

How is public opinion measured? through scientifically designed surveys known as public opinion polls by recording attendance at public demonstrations such as rallies and marches through online studies evaluating people's responses to the media by tallying citizens' votes at the ballot box

through scientifically designed surveys known as public opinion polls

Governors make appointments for which of the following political purposes? to set a political tone to disperse powers throughout the executive branch via the plural executive to fire their predecessor's appointees to influence the legislature's opinion and/or support of the governor

to set a political tone

cabinet

top administration officials, most of whom are heads of departments in the executive branch

Municipal judges serve terms of what length? two years six years four years eight years

two years

Religion

united states is the most religious of industrialized democracies

concurrent resolution

used to offer commendation or memorial, send congratulations or a statement of welcome, administrative action and or request action by a government entity; must be approved by both houses

What Happens if there isn't a majority?

• You need 270 to get the majority - What happens if the most a candidate gets is 269? -- If no candidate gets a majority, the president's election goes to the House of Representatives and the vice president's goes to the Senate --- For the House, each STATE gets 1 vote --- For the Senate, each SENATOR gets 1 vote

Reasoning Voter

-Popkin -ie. Gerald Ford once attempted to eat an unchucked tamale; seemingly superficial and trivial, Popkin argued that this event did play a role in determining the voters' decisions

Forces that define the texas government bureaucracy

-The Texas constitution -political traditions

VAP (Voting Available Population) and VEP (Voting Eligible Population)

-The VAP is always bigger than the VEP -VAP: how many bodies we have; everybody who is above ground alive from baby to elderly -VEP: people who are eligible to vote; people over 18 and citizens.

Texas Attorney General

-The state's top lawyer -Legal role is primarily civil -Whenever a suit is filed by or against the state, their office handles the related legal activities -Issues opinions on the legality or constitutionality of proposed or enacted laws, or on the actions or policies of government agencies -These opinions have the force of law

*Insider tactics and strategy*

-The tactics employed within Washington, D.C., by interest groups seeking to achieve their policy goals - Interest group activity working closely with members of Congress and contributing money to incumbents' campaigns - i.e. Direct lobbying (speaking with elected officials)

Why do Democrats have superdelegates?

-They are 15% of delegates including: --All Democratic members of Congress --Democratic state and territorial governors --Members of DNC --Distinguished party leaders --Others (ex: A rising star in a party, a very well-liked governor, etc.) -The idea is to make sure nominee is approved by leadership officials -They can vote for whoever they want, and while they may pledge for a candidate, they can change up to the time they cast the vote on the floor

Why are people talking about Nebraska and Maine?

-They play by different rules than the rest of the states - 48 states have a winner take all system for the Electoral College except NE and ME - Nebraska and Maine allow their House of Representatives districts to count separately. -- Nebraska has 3 House districts -- What about Maine with only 2 House districts? ---If Clinton gets the 2 house districts, she gets both, if 1:1 split: they each get 1

Powers of Texas Governor

-To meet emergency needs, may transfer money between programs or agencies Subject to the approval the Legislative Budget Board. -Commander of the Texas National Guard and selector of the Public Safety Commission -Appoints judges to fill vacancy s- Cannot independently issue a pardon or commute a sentence - In death penalty cases, may issue one 30-day reprieve per case

Prominent Conspiracy Theories

-US invasion of Iraq was not part of a campaign to fight terrorism, but was driven by oil companies and Jews in US and Israel -BArack Obama was not really born in the US and doesn't have an authentic Hawaiian birth certificate -The FDA is deliberately preventing the public from getting natural cures for cancer and other diseases because of pressure from drug companies -Doctors and government still want to vaccinate children even though they know these vaccines cause Autism and other psychological disorders -these theories, while ludicrous, have some platforms of support -Almost all Americans know of some conspiracy theory -54% of Americans agreed with at least one health theory

What is political participation?

-Verba -Activity that has the intent or effect of influencing governmental action - either directly by affecting the people who create and work with these policies, or indirectly, supporting a candidate or ideology -voting is the most common form of political participation -but it is definitely not the end all

*Majority-Minority Districts*

-majority of constituents in the district are racial or ethnic minorities

Problems challengers face

1. low visibility 2. overcoming advantages of incumbency

number of votes in the electoral college

538

The Majority Minority Rule

???

Texas v. Johnson

An instance where protesters burned a flag outside a Dallas republican convention in 1989. S: first amendment protects the "unpopular" opinion but his proves that the judiciary is a group of politicians because they take sides in controversies.

District of Columbia v. Heller

Court held that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that firearm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self- defense.

*Confederation*

Interest groups made up of several independent, local organizations that provide much of their funding and hold most of the power

*Centralized groups*

Interest groups that have a headquarters, usually in Washington D.C., as well as members and field offices throughout the country. In general, these groups' lobbying decisions are made at headquarters by the group leaders.

Voter fatigue

People are tired of elections

*Purposive benefits*

Satisfaction derived from the experience of working toward a desired policy goal, even if the goal is not achieved

Solidary benefits

Satisfaction derived from the experience of working with like-minded people, despite what the benefits are

*Solidary benefits*

Satisfaction derived from the experience of working with like-minded people, even if the group's efforts do not achieve the desired impact

How much of the Senate goes up for reelection every two years?

Senators serve six-year terms at staggered intervals, so only one-third of the Senate goes up for reelection at every two-year election cycle. This is a design that makes it difficult for public opinion to have too much influence on the Senate in any one election cycle.

Mexico City Policy

Signed by Ronald Reagan in 1984: required all non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in foreign countries that receive federal funding to REFRAIN from performing or promoting abortion services, as a method of family planning. Rescinded by Clinton, reinstated by G.W. Bush, rescinded by Obama.

*Collective action*

Situations in which the members of a group would benefit by working together to produce some outcome, but each individual is better off refusing to cooperate and reaping the benefits from those who do the work

Elitism

Societies are divided along class lines and an upper-class elite will rule, regardless of the formal niceties of government

a liberal bias?

The idea that media has a liberal bias. S: media is anti-politician

3. The third party system (1857-1896) was broken up by which issue?

The size and regulatory power of government

9. When the president, House, and Senate are controlled by the same party, this is called

Unified government

Subcommittee markup

What comes before the committee hearing?

capital felony

a crime that may be punishable by execution

bicameral legislature

a legislative assembly composed of two chambers, or houses

office of management and budget

agency responsible for developing the president's budget, setting personnel policy in the executive branch, and reviewing all proposed legislation sent by the executive branch to Congress to ensure it is consistent with the president's agenda

Executive Office of the President

agency that houses both the top coordinating offices and other operating agencies

Suppose a study showed that people who work in the banking and finance industry follow news about monetary policy and the Federal Reserve Bank more than people who work in other industries. Which hypothesis does this offer evidence of? partisan hypothesis interactive hypothesis engagement hypothesis agenda hypothesis

agenda hypothesis

War time restrictions on Civil Liberties

always regulatable

The role of the federal government in the economy has expanded at various times in history. Which of the following programs that expanded economic policy took place during the New Deal? creation of the federal income tax creation of the Social Security program establishment of the Federal Reserve Bank first regulations of food and drugs

creation of the Social Security program

Cases in which the government (as plaintiff) charges an individual with violating a statute that has been enacted to protect the public health, safety, morals, or welfare are classified as _____ law. civil public criminal international common

criminal

Mormans

debate

The trial courts of general jurisdiction at the federal level are called _____ courts. supreme circuit original federal claims district

district

literacy tests

exams that black voters were required to pass before being allowed to vote

symbols

illuminati on the dollar ...

Rules committee

right arm of the speaker; controls the flow of legislation to the floor and the conditions of debate

agency

the basic organizational unit of federal government

Equality of results

the principle that government should concern itself not just with equality of opportunity, but with whether men and women of different races and ethnic groups have equal educational and economic success.

standing

the right of an individual or an organization to initiate a court case

Multiple referral

when one bill is sent to two or more committees for consideration.

Tricks in Congress

• Omnibus Legislation • Continuing Resolution

Texas Railroad Commission (TRRC)

a publicly elected three-member body that regulates railroads, trucking, mining, and oil and gas production within the state

case law

a record of precedents used in common law systems to justify resolution of newly arising disputes according to the patterns established in previous cases

Roll Call Vote

a recorded vote on major amendments or final passage of a bill (done electronically in the House and by voice in the Senate).

ordinance

a regulation enacted by a municipality or other local government

misdemeanor

a relatively minor criminal offense - three classes (A,B, and C)

party system

a relatively stable arrangement of voters, interest groups, and regions in the major parties over a fixed period of time

delegate

a representative who votes according to the preferences of his or her constituency

Closed rule

a rule governing debate in the House of Representatives that prohibits amendments.

executive order

a rule or regulation issued by the president that has the effect and formal status of legislation

special sessions

a session of the legislature called by the governor to address issues of his or her choosing

Pledged delegates

The ones you get in primaries and caucuses, pledged to a candidate.

Texas Secretary of State

The only constitutional executive officer the governor appoints

full committee

only in one house of Congress

mugwumps

organized in the 1880s, a group of civil-service reformers who maintained that government officials should be chosen on a merit basis, not for their political connections

The Texas Public Utilities Commission has jurisdiction over which public utilities? telephone and electric power companies natural gas companies heating oil companies water companies

telephone and electric power companies

select committee

temporary committee created to deal with a specific issue or problem

Majority-minority district

voting district in which minorities represent a majority of the residents.

bloc voting

voting in which nearly all members of an ethnic or racial group vote for the same candidate or party

prospective voting

voting on the basis of the candidates policy promises

Which of the following is a characteristic of the political climate in Texas after the civil rights movement? a strong third-party influence that has offset the power of Democrats and Republicans policies that support government-driven economic growth, such as environmental regulations that stimulate businesses a comparatively low level of state-funded social services, which are kept minimal by a general hostility toward progressive taxation culturally liberal social policies in areas such as education, religion, and civil rights

a comparatively low level of state-funded social services, which are kept minimal by a general hostility toward progressive taxation

balanced budget requirement

a constitutional requirement that the state's spending in each fiscal year not exceed its revenues or income

writ of habeas corpus

a court order demanding that an individual in custody be brought into court and shown the cause for detention

writ of habeas corpus

a court order demanding that an individual in custody by brought into court and shown the cause for detention

court of appeals (appellate court)

a court that hears the appeals of trial-court decisions

substantive committee

a committee in the house or senate whose primary duty is to consider legislation itself rather than legislative rules, calendars, or administration

Conference committees

a committee made up of members from both houses whose task is to eliminate any differences between versions of legislation on the same subject passed in the different chambers

procedural committee

a committee that makes decisions chiefly about the legislative process, calendars, or administration in the house or senate

whip system

a communications network in each house of Congress

State Board of Education (SBOE)

an elected 15-member body charged with overseeing Texas's system of public education at the primary and secondary levels

How many of the nine justices must agree to grant a writ of certiorari? a) 1 b) 4 c) 6 d) 5 e) 9

b) 4

Well over a quarter of a representative's time and nearly two thirds of the time of his or her staff members is devoted to: a) floor debate and discussion b) constituency services (casework) c) legislative research d) making TV appearances and giving speeches e) travel between Washington, D.C. and their home district

b) constituency services (casework)

Omnibus legislation

large bills that often cover several topics and may contain extraneous, or pork-barrel, projects

grandfather clauses

laws that based on a current voter's eligibility on that of their grandparents, which of course rendered former slaves and their offspring ineligible in most cases

DUAL PRESENDENCIES

re-read

Griswold v. Conneticut

recognized the constitutional right to privacy in this case regarding a state statute that prohibited the use of contraceptives. Established right to privacy.

A quasi-legislative administrative process that produces regulations by government agencies is: rule making effectuation adjudication implementation stare decisis

rule making

administrative legislation

rules made by regulatory agencies and commissions

minor committees

rules, etc

In the United States, the head of a cabinet-level department is usually called a(n): general minister secretary chief advisor ambassador

secretary

beltway insider

the politically influential people who work inside the highway that surrounds Washington DC

administrative discretion

the power of bureaucracy to interpret a legislative mandate

Judicial review

the power of courts to strike down laws that they judge to be in violation of the federal or state constitutions.

Vetos

the power or right to prohibit or reject a proposed or intended act (especially the power of a chief executive to reject a bill passed by the legislature)

Referral

the practice whereby the parliamentarian of the House or Senate sends a bill to a committee (or committees) for consideration.

Executive privilege

the doctrine stating that the president may sometimes legitimately refuse to provide executive branch information to Congress, the courts, or the public.

Executive prerogative

the doctrine that an executive may sometimes have to violate the law to preserve the nation

minority leader

the elected leader of the party holding less than a majority of the seats in the House or Senate

incumbency advantage

the electoral advantage a candidate enjoys by virtue of being an incumbent, over and above his or her personal or political characteristics

gender gap

a distinctive pattern of voting behavior reflecting the differences in views between women and men

regulatory review

the Office of Management and Budget function of reviewing all agency regulations and other rule making before they become official policy

gerrymandering

the apportionment of voters in districts in such a way as to give unfair advantage to one political party

pork-barrel legislation

the appropriations made by legislative bodies for local projects that often are not needed but are created so that local representatives can carry their home district in the next election

Deciding to Participate

-in deciding whether or not to participate in politics, individuals may weight the likely costs and benefits and make a decision

Motivation

-individual motivations for voting: the tangible and intangible benefits and cost of exercising one's right to vote -psychic benefit of voting: intangible rewards of voting, such as satisfaction with doing one's duty and feelings of solidarity with the community -ie. Puffy's vote or die campaign -other sources: Religion can serve as a source of political motivation -if God is with me, then he'll trust my ability to make decisions -a purposive incentive

Presidential powers

1. power to inform and persuade 2. veto power 3. appointment power 4. power to recommend 5. commander in chief 6. inherent executive power

ways candidates are nominated

1. primary elections 2. caucuses 3. super delegates

2 main goals of texas legislative session

1. produce a 2 year budget 2. evaluate bills for potential passage into law

congress powers over bureaucracy

1. senate confirmations 2. agency reorganization 3. legislative detail 4. budgetary control 5.legislative oversight 6. iron triangles and issue networks

differences between caucused and primaries

1. take longer 2. rules are more complicated 3. require candidates to make a public expression of candidate preferences 4. smaller turnout 5. more susceptible to extremists

How a Bill Becomes A Law

1. written 2. discussed in committee possibly modified + voted 3. discussed in House of Reps. and Senate + voted on in both 4. President signs it or vetoes it (which brings back to Congress, needs 2/3 vote to override veto)

New Deal

A plan by President Franklin Roosevelt intended to bring economic relief, recovery, and reforms to the country after the Great Depression.

What have public opinion surveys of Texans' attitudes toward crime and the state justice system shown? Violent crime was considered by respondents to be the second most important problem in the state. A large portion of respondents consider crime to be over-emphasized by candidates for public office. A plurality of respondents considered crime the single most important problem in the state. A majority of respondents do not consider sentencing in the state harsh enough.

A plurality of respondents considered crime the single most important problem in the state.

Assimilation

A policy in which a nation forces or encourages a subject people to adopt its institutions and customs.

Whistle Blower Protection Act TB

Established the Office of Special Counsel which investigates complaints brought by government employees who have been demoted, fired, or otherwise sanctioned for reporting government fraud or waste.

*Unanimous consent agreements*

Everyone involved in voting agrees on the decision being made

LECTURE 4: 6/19/2015

I. Abortion II. Pornography III. Civil Liberties IV.

How does the realignment/dealignment process work?

We usually start to dealign (dealignment) We have a critical election (A large event in which many people switch political sides) Then we realign (realignment)

Prospective Voting

Voters decide what the government will do in the near future by choosing a certain political party with distinct stances on issues.

Prospective Voting

Voters decide what the government will do in the near future by choosing a certain political party with distinct stances on issues. • Translation? The incentive to not judge the past and look to the future • The problem is that voters don't have much that they have to do, since their responsible party will do everything for them. voting for platform, trusting they will carry it out

What is the effect of nonpartisan elections (such as city council elections) where party affiliation is not indicated on the ballot? Voters have a difficult time choosing between candidates. These elections increase civic-mindedness among voters. Voters are forced to become more informed. These elections have more intense campaigning to compensate for the lack of labels.

Voters have a difficult time choosing between candidates.

What is the result of judges not receiving much media coverage during election season, and not spending as much as other politicians on advertising? Judicial elections are secret affairs whose results are heavily influenced by corporate backing. A judge's decisions while on the bench become of paramount importance to voters in elections. Voters must take it upon themselves to become informed about judicial elections, if they choose to do so. There is no way for voters to find out anything about judicial candidates before elections.

Voters must take it upon themselves to become informed about judicial elections, if they choose to do so.

8. The paradox of voting is this: Why does anyone vote, given that ---?

Voting is costly, and the chances of affecting the outcome are small

Retrospective Voting

Voting that is made after taking into consideration factors like the performance of a political party, an office holder, and/or the administration. It presumes that people are more concerned with policy outcomes than policy instruments

Retrospective voting

Voting that is made after taking into consideration factors like the performance of a political party, an office holder, and/or the administration. It presumes that people are more concerned with policy outcomes than policy instruments • Problem? Voters don't have to do much. People in power want to stay in power. Politicians will avoid making choices that will make people mad and just do whatever makes the public happy. • Good at getting bad leaders out

Ticket splitting

Voting with one party for one office and with another party for other offices. It has become the norm in American voting behavior.

American Political Party Organization

We have different parties with different organization However, both operate within the rules of the states but every state is different Develop party platform National party convention Day to day operations of national party fall to national chair. Chair selected by presidential nominee of party is actual administrator. Informal Groups: Groups that are neither formed in response to any organizational requirement nor have a formally defined structure of relationship between the group members.

classical liberalism

a political philosophy that places a high value on individual freedom, based on a belief in natural rights that exist independent of government

message power

a power of the governor derived from the constitutionally mandated communications the governor must make to the legislature, as well as from the inherent potential of the governor to grab the attention of the public

recess appointments

a presidential appointment made without senate confirmation while the senate is in recess

executive order

a presidential directive that has the force of law, although it is not enacted by Congress

National Security Council (NSC)

a presidential foreign-policy advisory council comprising the president, the vice president, the secretaries of State, Defense, and the Treasury, the attorney general, and other officials invited by the president

closed primary

a primary election in which only those voters who registered with the party a specified period before the primary election day can participate

Open primaries

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

open primary

a primary election in which voters can choose on the primary election day which party's primary to vote in

*Hold*

a procedure permitted by the Standing Rules of the Senate which allows one or more Senators to prevent a motion from reaching a vote on the Senate floor.

trustee

a representative who votes based on what he or she thinks is best for his or her constituency

regular session

a required biennial, 140-day meeting of the Texas Legislature mandated by the constitution and state law

War Powers Resolution

a resolution of Congress declaring that the president can send troops into action abroad only by authorization of Congress or if U.S. troops are already under attack or seriously threatened

party vote

a roll-call vote in the House or Senate in which at least 50 percent of the members of one party take a particular position and are opposed by at least 50 percent of the members of the other party

cloture

a rule allowing a super-majority of the members of a legislative body to set a time limit on debate over a given bill

What is political culture? a set of shared values, beliefs, and behaviors that relate to government and politics the scientific measurement of attitudes, also known as public opinion the attitudes and values within political institutions ranging from small town city councils to the federal government the ways in which politicians and political actors interact with each other

a set of shared values, beliefs, and behaviors that relate to government and politics

sound bites

a snip it of quotation - summarizes the essence of what the politician said Past - avg of 40 secs Current - avg of 8 secs S: candidate forced to be superficial and spew slogans

What type of election is held when a legislative or congressional seat becomes vacant before the end of the current occupant's term? a primary election a general election a special election a nonpartisan election

a special election

Interim committee

a standing committee consisting of a group of legislators (or a commission including some non-legislative members) appointed by the presiding officer of the house or senate when the legislature is not in session to study a particular issue or group of issues for the purpose of making recommendations to the next legislature

Signing statement

a statement issued by a president on signing a bill, which sometimes challenges specific provisions on constitutional or other grounds.

Party platform

a statement of principles and campaign promises developed by parties

civil service

a system in which government employees are chosen according to their educational qualifications, performance on examination, and work experience

Federal Reserve System (the Fed)

a system of 12 Federal Reserve banks that facilitates exchanges of cash, checks, and credit; regulates member banks; and uses monetary policies to fight inflation and deflation

spoils system

a system of government employment in which workers are hired on the basis of party loyalty

civil law

a system of jurisprudence, including private law and governmental actions, for settling disputes that do not involve criminal penalties

Seniority system

a system that gives the member of the majority party with the longest uninterrupted service on a particular committee the leadership of that committee

pigeonhole

a tactic designed to stall or kill a legislative proposal by placing it at the bottom of a committee's agenda

filibuster

a tactic used by members of the Senate to prevent action on legislation they oppose by continuously holding the floor and speaking until the majority backs down

Recess appointment

a temporary appointment that a president can make when the Senate is in recess. Such appointments do not require Senate approval and last until the end of the next Senate session, or up to two years.

populism

a term broadly used to describe any movement having popular backing and perceived to be acting in the interests of ordinary people

Yellow Dog Democrat

a term used to describe any staunch Democratic loyalist

pocket veto

a veto that is effected when Congress adjourns during the time a president has to approve a bill and the president takes no action on it

caucus

a voluntary group within Congress, formed by members to pursue shared interests; a caucus can cross party, committee and even chamber lines

Civic culture

a widely shared set of beliefs and traditions concerning political activity and community service. (broader than political culture)

political ideology

a worldview that links together policy preferences over time and across multiple policy domains based on an abstract view of the role of government in society

brief

a written document in which an attorney explains - using case precedents - why a court should rule in favor of his or her client

bureaucracy

the complex structure of offices, tasks, rules, and principles of organization that are employed by all large-scale institutions to coordinate the work of their personnel

What was the most important external factor that influenced Perry's time in office? the constitutional extension of the term of office from two to four years the resilience of the Texas economy in the face of the 2008 economic downturn his overzealous use of the special legislative session his vetoing of 79 bills during his first legislative session as governor

the constitutional extension of the term of office from two to four years

divided government

the control of the presidency by one party and the control of one or both houses of Congress by the other

4. The Democratic and Republican party organizations --- hierarchical; they are --- to force state and local parties to share their positions on issues.

are not; unable

Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton

are two impeached presidents

8. Why do most candidates support their party platforms?

because most candidates and their constituents generally agree with the platform

Appropriations and Ways and Means Committee

deal with spending and taxing- broad powers that enable them to affect nearly everything the government does

Bowers V. Hardwick

decision that upheld the constitutionality of a Georgia sodomy law that criminalized oral and anal sex in private between consenting adult when applied to homosexuals. Seventeen years later the Supreme Court directly overruled Bowers in Lawrence v. Texas(2003), and held that such laws are unconstitutional.

African Drought Bill (1984)

def: sig:

Committees

def: sig:

Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2005

def: sig:

Constituency Service

def: sig:

Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008

def: sig:

Filibuster

def: sig:

Logrolling

def: sig:

Paradox of Congress

def: sig:

Party Differences in Voting (2002-2014)

def: sig:

Pork Barrel

def: sig:

Rider

def: sig:

Senate Majority Leader

def: sig:

Speaker of the House

def: sig:

The "Fiscal Cliff" (2011-2012)

def: sig:

Veto

def: sig:

NAFTA (1993)

def: North American Free Trade Act sig:

Power to Persuade

def: President must be chief persuader and bargainer because he has so little command over domestic policy, the president's party has to control both house to get anything passed sig:

Transformation of George W. Bush (2000-2001)

def: Prior to 9/11 the media was constantly mocking George Bush, questioning his intelligence, etc. but after 9/11 people claimed he had been "transformed" into a new, mature, prestigious leader sig: Illustrates how citizens flock to patriotism in the time of a crisis and also illustrates how president's use prestige as Head of State to attempt to influence their Head of Government power to seem stronger than it is

Commander in Chief Clause

def: The president is commander in chief of the armed forces and does not need congress nor senate approval to send troops sig: Most important clause in making president powerful in foreign policy.

Head of Government

def: the person who makes hard policy decisions and takes sides in issues that divide the nation sig:

Head of State

def: the person who symbolizes the government, what all citizens share, and is the focus of patriotism sig:

What began as an ordinary criminal case may enter the realm of public law is the: plaintiff appeals to a higher court plaintiff waives the right to a jury trial defendant is found to have no standing defendant claims constitutional rights were violated losing party in federal court appeals to a state court

defendant claims constitutional rights were violated

filibuster

delaying tactic by which one or more senators refuse to allow a bill or resolution to be considered, either by speaking indefinitely or by offering dilatory motions and amendments

Pledged delegates

delegate at a national party convention who is mandated to vote for a particular candidate.

politico

delegate on what constituents care about trustee on what constituents don't care about

Powers given to the president by Congress are called: manifest powers delegated powers expressed powers transferred powers invested powers

delegated powers

Get out the Vote/ground game

describes two types of political campaigns, both aimed at increasing the voter turnout in one or more elections strategy for ensuring that voters who are most likely to vote for your campaign actually do so

Proclamation

direct authority: a formal statement issued by the president to the nation, often, but not always, to declare ceremonial occasions

Executive orders

direct authority: official documents, having the force of law, through which the president directs federal officials to take certain actions.

Gitlow v. New York

established selective incorporation of the Bill of rights; states cannot deny freedom of speech; protected through the 14th amendment

presidential popularity

evaluation of a president by voters;usually as measured by a survey question asking the adult population how well they think the president is doing the job

Reapportionment

every 10 yrs- census congressional seats redesigned to account for pop. changes when st. gains/loses a seat, st. legislature redistricts US house of rep.s districts

What type of crime does not require a grand jury indictment? inchoate crimes felonies misdemeanors property crimes

misdemeanors

Policies having to do with banks, credit, and currency are generally referred to as: fiscal welfare monetary pecuniary treasury

monetary

Signing statements

pronouncements of how the president intends to interpret and apply a law when he signs a bill into law

Free exercise clause

provision of the First Amendment that prohibits Congress from "prohibiting the free exercise" of religion.

Establishment clause

provision of the First Amendment that prohibits Congress from making a law "respecting an establishment of religion.

United States District Courts

the basic trial courts (civil and criminal) in the federal system, where the typical federal case begins.

american exceptionalism

the belief that the United States is different from other countries in its founding principles, that it should serve as an example to other nations, and that it has a special mission to spread freedom and democracy throughout the world.

statutory laws

the body of laws created by a legislature, as opposed to those laws originating from the constitution or some other source

criminal law

the branch of law that deals with disputes or actions involving criminal penalties

Judicial activism

the charge that under the guise of interpreting the Constitution, federal judges read their own policy preferences into the fundamental law.

impeachment

the charging of a governmental official (president or other) with "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors" and bringing him or her before Congress to determine guilt

Speaker of the House

the chief presiding office of the House of Representatives

executive privilege

the claim that confidential communications between a president and the president's close advisers should not be revealed without the consent of the president

What is data mining? a specialized form of targeted advertising based on demographic analysis the collection and analysis of massive amounts of information government tracking and monitoring of citizens a form of microtargeting used to predict voter behavior

the collection and analysis of massive amounts of information

economic assimilation

weather immigrants reach economic parity with native born Americans

The programs of the government devoted to social policies are called the: welfare state. poverty state. poorness state. disadvantaged state.

welfare state.

party conference

what Republicans call their party caucus

Abraham Lincoln

"When you have an elephant by the hind legs and he is trying to run away, it is best to let him run" -let go of issues that can't be won

George Washington Plunkitt

"You can't keep an organization together without patronage. Men ain't in politics for nothing. They want something out of it"

*Closed rule/ Restricted rule/ Open rule*

-Closed: -Restricted: -Open:

Which of the following is true of an open primary? An open primary records each voter's party affiliation. In an open primary, registered Republicans may only vote for Republican Party candidates. In an open primary, voters are presented with all of the candidates for a given office. An open primary does not require voters to declare the party with which they are affiliated.

An open primary does not require voters to declare the party with which they are affiliated.

ANWR

Artic National Wildlife Refuge Bush wanted to drill in ANWR to not be dependent on the Middle East and develop domestic oil industry but was stopped by lobbying of Environmentalists 2003/2006 - passed in House, failed in Senate S:Even when the president has the majority party in Congress, public favor, and could stop war, domestic policy could still fail.

Single Issue Voting

Basing votes on one issue regardless of the stance on other issues

Pilgrims

Calvinists who had broken with the Church of England and who settled in Massachusetts after arriving on the Mayflower in 1620.

Do all Texas judges have to be licensed to practice law? No, appeals court judges do not have to be licensed to practice law. No, constitutional county court judges and justices of the peace do not have to be licensed to practice law. No, county court at law and statutory probate court judges do not have to be licensed to practice law. Yes, all Texas judges must be licensed to practice law.

No, constitutional county court judges and justices of the peace do not have to be licensed to practice law.

2. The idea that a party is not just a group, but an organization that exists apart from its candidate, is called the

Party principle

party differences in Congressional voting

Partying differences in voting (2002 - 2014) - Based on the ADA voting rate system, Republicans are very conservative while Democrats are very liberal. S: no party discipline and clear ideological differences between parties

Gerrymandering

Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power.

Religion in Civic Cultue: Affecting Individual Conduct

Prohibition movements including passage of the 18th ammendment Morman debate regarding polygamy. Banned by US law. Abortion laws. ** why is this civic culture? individual conduct?

Ronald Ragan

The Great Communicator

Free riders

The problem faced by unions and other groups when people do not join because they can benefit from the group's activities without officially joining. How to minmize: - Selective Incentives - Solidary Benefits - Purposive Benefits - Coercion

Closed polling

The requirement to vote at one specific precinct which you are assigned to, rather than voting anywhere you'd like.

Coercion

To eliminate non-participation by forcing people into participating (how to minimize free riding)

partisan theory

committees are tools of the congressional parties to control public policy

informative theory

committees primarily serve a knowledge function

Carter

decline of presidency Iran hostage conflict

incumbency

holding the political office for which one is running

party images

the associations voters make between the parties and particular issues and values

Power in Committees

• Committee Chairs • Seniority System

How do they try to change things?

• Lobbying • 2 types: professional and temporary • How can they help members of Congress? - Point of Concern: Revolving door • How can they influence the executive branch? • How do they lobby courts? • Insider tactics v. Outsider tactics

Party organization (party in government, electorate, etc)

⦁ Building stable legislative and electoral alliances (if you want to get things done, you must show you have support. Sometimes you have to get people to vote together to get things done even if they have different reasons for doing so) ⦁ Mobilizing voters - to control government, win seats, have power, you have to get elected (or enough elected to have a majority in congress) ⦁ Developing new electoral techniques - have to reach voters & develop relationships with them that make them want to be part of your party & vote for your team ... you have to make them active participants ... at the founding, it was with speeches, newspapers & pamphlets ... now it can be with media ⦁ Using party labels - biggest indicator of how you will vote What do parties do? ⦁ Inform the electorate (ppl who consistently vote one way) ⦁ Support candidates, especially in a candidate centered era with resources ⦁ Have conventions and national committees ⦁ Work with Congressional candidates for their campaigns ⦁ Effects of Presidents ⦁ Coat-tail Effect: The tendency for a popular political party leader to attract votes for other candidates of the same party in an election. ⦁ Negative Coat-tail Effect: The tendency for an unpopular political party leader to steer votes away from other candidates of the same party in an election

*Seniority system*

-Before 1970s seniority reigned Congress

Community service

Helping the community by volunteering or for punishment

Libel

a defamatory statement made in writing (see also Slander).

Slander

a defamatory statement made through speech (see also Libel)

Closed Primaries

a direct primary in which only persons meeting tests of party membership may vote.

social conservatism

a disposition or political outlook that favors tradition and preservation of the status quo in social customs and public policy

Political culture

a distinctive and widely shared set of beliefs on how to practice governmental and political activities.

Clear and present danger test

a doctrine promulgated by the Supreme Court in 1919, according to which the government may restrict speech when the words "create a clear and present danger that they will bring about the substantive evils that Congress has a right to prevent."

common law

a legal system founded not only on laws enacted by legislatures but also on court rulings that in turn are based on custom, culture, habit, and previous judicial decisions

*Safe district*

a legislative district in which the likely voters support one political party or the other by an overwhelmingly large margin

Rider

a legislative measure attached to a bill that often has little substantive relation to it.

bail

a means for a person accused of a crime to win release from custody prior to trail by pledging some form of capital with the court as a promise to return

Companion bill

a measure in one house that is similar or identical to a bill in the other.

Strict construction

a method of interpreting the Constitution that claims to follow closely the actual words of the document as originally understood by those who wrote and ratified it.

Second Great awakening

a religious revival of the late 1700s and early 1800s. In contrast to the First Great Awakening, this movement stressed social improvement in addition to personal conversion. It inspired efforts to curb alcohol abuse and end slavery.

regular session

a required biennial, 140 day meeting of the Texas Legislature mandated by the constitution and state law

Concurrent resolution

a resolution passed by both the House and Senate that expresses the sentiment of Congress. These do not have the force of law.

Joint resolution

a resolution passed by both the House and Senate that, like a statute, is subject to a presidential veto. Once enacted, it has the full force of law.

Simple resolution

a resolution passed by either the House or Senate that usually addresses a matter affecting only one house.

recidivism

a return to criminal activity by a person who has previously been convicted of and punished for a crime

Open rule

a rule governing debate in the House of Representatives that allows any amendments to be considered.

special session

a session of the legislature called by the governor to address issues of his or her own choosing; separate from regular legislature sessions and may last a maximum of 30 business days

Roth Test

a standard court test for obscenity, named for one of the defendants in an obscenity case

dignified aspect

according to Walter Bagehot, the aspect of government including royalty and ceremony, that generates citizen respect and loyalty

Deflation refers to: a tax that places a greater financial burden on the poor and the middle class than on the wealthy. a tax that places a greater financial burden on the wealthy than on the poor and the middle class. a decline in the purchasing value of a unit of currency, so that goods and services cost more. an increase in the purchasing value of a unit of currency, so goods and services are worth less.

an increase in the purchasing value of a unit of currency, so goods and services are worth less.

Senate

can ratify treaties (only)

line item veto

presidential authority to negate particular provisions of a law while letting the remainder stand; granted by Congress in 1996 but struck down by the Supreme Court in 1998

pocket veto

presidential veto after congressional adjournment,executed merely by not signing a bill into law

Which of the following is based on the idea that encouraging lawyers to pursue the best interests of their respective clients is the optimal way for the system to ensure that justice is delivered? the adversarial system the conflictual system the representational system the controversial system

the adversarial system

Paris Peace Accords

the agreement between the warring parties to end the fighting in Vietnam in 1973, violated by North Vietnam when it invaded the South with its regular army early in 1975

reapportionment

the allocation of House seats to the states after each decennial census

United States Courts of Appeal

the federal courts intermediary between the district courts and the Supreme Court, one for each of 12 regions of the country and one for the Federal Circuit, which handles specialized cases.

absolute rights

the first amendment states "Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press." A few jurists have taken the view that this means absolutely no law. Realistically some laws are necessary to preserve order and peace. **READ UP

honeymoon

the first several months of a presidency, when reporters are more forgiving than usual, Congress is more inclined to be cooperative, and the public is more receptive to new approaches

speaker

the presiding officer of the House of Representatives; normally, the speaker is the leader of the majority party, doesn't vote on legislation

Markup

the process by which a committee or subcommittee proposes changes to a bill.

Who is the highest-ranking official appointed by the governor in Texas? the head of the Public Utilities Commission the secretary of state the chief administrator of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission the lieutenant governor

the secretary of state

*Types of Interest groups*

• Business: • Union: • Professional Organizations: • Ideological / Single Issue Groups: • Public Interest / Advocacy Groups:

*Committee System*

• Real work of Congress occurs in committee • Dominate policy making in all stages • New bills usually go straight to subcommittee • hold hearings • investigate problems and wrongdoing • Control congressional agenda • Guide legislation • House of Representatives has a Discharge petition

*Basic Duties of Congress*

• Representation • Law Making • Consensus Building • Overseeing the Bureaucracy • Policy Clarification • Investigating the operation of government agencies • Senate

Basic Duties of Congress

• Representation • Law Making • Consensus Building • Overseeing the Bureaucracy • Policy Clarification • Investigating the operation of government agencies • Senate

Where do they spend money?

• Senate: more TV (fewer candidates in a market) • House of Representatives: more mailings (target audience more) • Small amount of money -- Speeches, door to door, shaking hands • Money can be self-reinforcing

Factors that Affect Participation and Voting

• Socio-Economics & Income • GOTV (Get out the Vote or ground game)

House Leadership

• Speaker of the House • Formal Duties • Majority Party • Majority Leader • Minority Party • Minority Leader

*Four Types of Committees*

• Standing -Standing committees usually have subcommittees • Select • Joint • Conference

Spending restrictions

• Supreme Court case in 2010 (Citizens United) removed restrictions on campaign spending by any organization (including labor unions and corporations) saying they have the same basic First Amendment rights as people • Right now we pretty much have two systems for spending money on a campaign -- In the first system, money that goes directly to candidates is limited by size of contribution and has to be publicly disclosed -- In the other system, money raised and spent outside of the party and the candidate's campaigns does not have the same limitations or disclosure requirements

stare decisis

Latin phrase meaning "let the decision stand"

trial court

the first court to hear a criminal or civil case

oral argument

the stage in Supreme Court proceedings in which attorneys for both sides appear before the Court to present their positions and answer questions posed by the justices

agency representation

the type of representation according to which representatives are held accountable to their constituents if they fail to represent them properly

roll-call vote

votes in which each legislator's yes or no vote is recorded

poll taxes

a tax of a fixed amount per person levied as a condition of voting

public law

cases involving the action of public agencies or officials

constituency

the district making up the area from which an official is elected

party identification

a person's subjective feelings of affiliation with a party

Barack Obama

"created a parallel public financing system where the American people decide if they want to support a campaign and finance it"

amicus curiae

"friend of the court," an individual or group that is not a party to a lawsuit but seeks to assist the court in reaching a decision by presenting an additional brief

15th Amendment

(1870) the right to vote cannot be taken away by factor of race, color, or servitude

Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire (1942)

(1942) The Court ruled that the first amendment did not protect "fighting words"

Youngstown Steel and Tube Company v. Sawyer TB

(1952) President Truman seized steel mills in the US during the Korean War to safeguard the nation's security because a steel strike was happening and he didn't want to lose the production of weapons. SCOTUS did not agree and said he couldn't seize private property. This is the first time a limit has been placed on the President's power during wartime.

26th Amendment

(1971) lowered voting age to 18

Sibel Edmonds

(2001-2005) A translator of Middle Eastern languages to english who worked for the FBI that had complained that someone was committing espionage and when they didnt do anything she went to the news. The FBI fired her and she sued - case thrown out b/c national security case S: Bureaucracy protects its own interest at expense of public interest rules become reality

Watergate

(RN), 1972, The events and scandal surrounding a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in 1972 and the subsequent cover-up of White House involvement, leading to the eventual resignation of President Nixon under the threat of impeachment, Ford becomes President

legitimate characteristics defining geographic area for bracket bill

(a) reasonably relate to the purpose of the law and (b) allow the defined class or area to expand or contract with changing

*Gridlock*

- An inability to enact legislation because of partisan conflict within Congress or between Congress and the president

*Gerrymandering*

- Attempting to use the process of redrawing district boundaries to benefit a political party, protect incumbents, or change the proportion of minority voters in a district.

LECTURE 1: 6/16/15

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LECTURE 2: 6/17/2015

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*Discharge petition*

- 418 can take it out of a committee and put it on the floor -Sign discharge petition -Rarely happens because of the fear of payback

*President Pro Tempore*

- A largely symbolic position usually held by the most senior member of the majority party in the Senate

*Cloture*

- A procedure through which the Senate can limit the amount of time spent debating a bill (cutting off a filibuster), if a supermajority of 60 senators agree

*Cracking*

- A tactic of gerrymandering. Cracking involves spreading voters of a particular type among many districts in order to deny them a sufficiently large voting bloc in any particular district

*Filibuster*

- A tactic used by senators to block a bill by continuing to hold the floor and speak- under the Senate rule of unlimited debate- until the bill's supporters back down

*Party vote*

- A vote in which the majority of one party opposes the position of the majority of the other party

plural executive

- limits the power of the governor -Powers usually associated with a governor are distributed among many elected political leaders, who are elected - results from the 1876 constitution

Religion

-"Churches inculcate beliefs and shape worldviews." -religion has a huge role in influencing political opinion

Wald's causes of religious intervention in politics

-Creed -Social culture - if a church attracts people who experience similar conditions of life, whether poverty or affluence

What do candidates do to help you choose?

- Candidates try to get the message out by: -- Trying to connect with public --- Risk? Gaining public attention could backfire if you say something that could ridicule your reputation -- Debates --- Can get your message out --- Can be a chance for you to shine if people don't expect much --- Risk? Anything you say is subject to criticism. You could accidentally say something that's unwise or unsupported, and the public will remember you for that statement

Open rule, restricted rule, closed rule

- Closed Rule: A procedural maneuver that prohibits any amendments to bills up for a vote on the House floor, unless they are recommended by the committee reporting the bill - Restricted Rule (some amendments are on the floor) an order from the House Rules Committee that permits certain kinds of amendments but not others to be made to a bill on the floor - Open Rule: Permits amendments and has less strict time limits; allows for input from other members an order from the House Rules Committee that permits a bill to be amended on the floor

*Joint committees*

- Committees that contain members of both the House and Senate but have limited authority -Need members from House and Senate - i.e. Library of CONGRESS (joint committee)

Soft money

- Contributions that can be used for voter mobilization or to promote a policy proposal or point of view as long as these efforts are not tied to supporting or opposing a particular candidate. - Outlawed 2002 as a tool to be used by parties - 527s can still use soft money as long as it is not tied to a specific candidate

What factors affect voting and participation?

- Education (Easily the most important) - Age - Geographical Region - Race, Ethnicity, and Gender - Community ties - Strong Partisan views - Wealth

Factors that affect voting

- Education (Easily the most important) - Age • Other factors? - Geographical Region - Race, Ethnicity, and Gender - Community ties - Strong Partisan views - Wealth

Financing Campaigns

- Federal Campaign Act: (FECA) 1971 - Federal Election Commission: (1976) - Parties will sometimes coordinate spending -- Spend money on congressional candidates -- Often comes with a price ("we helped you get elected...") - Independent spending: by a person or organization not controlled or coordinated by a campaign - Soft Money v. Hard Money

*Omnibus legislation*

- Large bills that often cover several topics and may contain extraneous or pork barrel projects

Soft money

- Outlawed 2002 as a tool to be used by parties - 527s (tax-exempt org, influence selection/defeat of candidates) can still use soft money as long as it is not tied to a specific candidate a contribution to a political party that is not accounted as going to a particular candidate, thus avoiding various legal limitations.

Levels of participation

- Participation: Actions of private citizens by which they seek to influence or support government and politics 1. Spectator Activity (Lowest): Wearing a T-Shirt/Bumper Stickers to support partisanship/candidate (Doesn't Really Mean much) 2. Voting (Spectator Activity to a degree): Not doing much; didn't put yourself out there. 3. Convincing a person to vote a certain way: "Vote Clinton!" "Vote Trump!" - Get your voice on newspaper/commenting through online channels 4. Contact a public official on a certain issue 5. Contributing Money to a Campaign - Spending money to support an official 6. Going to a Party Meeting 7. Contributing Time to a Campaign - call on behalf of a candidate 8. Raise Money for a Candidate 9. Become a political candidate 10. Win Office (Highest Level of Participation)

Revolving door

- Point of Concern: You are a politician that once held office and now you lobby on behalf of a specific group. Then they are re-elected into political office and pass legislation on behalf of the interest group they belong to. You constantly are going between lobbying and holding office. If you are well known, you have a higher chance of being heard. (Ex: Dick Cheney)

*Redistricting and apportionment*

- Redistricting: Redrawing the geographic boundaries of legislative districts. (happens every 10 years) -Apportionment: The process of assigning the 435 seats in the House to the states based on increases or decreases in state population.

527 organization

- Tax-exempt organization - Can engage in political activity often with unlimited soft money - Usually try to influence elections through voter mobilization efforts or so-called issue ads - Must report contributions and expenditures to the IRS unless they already file identical information at the state or local level - Cannot coordinate with a political candidate >> what does it mean? - 527s can be nebulous about who actually runs them - Individuals can only contribute set amounts to a candidate • No such limitation exists for a 527

*Pocket veto*

- The automatic death of a bill passed by the House and Senate when the president fails to sign the bill in the last 10 days of a legislative session

Electoral College

- The body that votes to select America's president and vice president based on the popular vote in each state. Each candidate nominates a slate of electors who are selected to attend the meeting of the college if their candidate wins the most votes in a state or district. • Calculation: The number of electors from each state equals the state's number of house members (which varies based on state population) plus two senators per state. And each elector is allotted one vote in electoral college • Why are NE (Nebraska) and ME (Maine) unusual? Because they play differently than the winner-take-all system that the other 48 states play by • Swing State: A US state where the two major political parties have similar levels of support among voters, they are viewed as important in determining the overall result of a presidential election • Win Requirement: A minimum of 270 out of 538 electoral votes are necessary to win the presidency.

*Majority Leader*

- The elected head of the party holding the majority of seats in the House or Senate

*Minority Leader*

- The elected head of the party holding the minority of seats in the House or Senate

*Speaker of the House*

- The elected leader of the House (from majority party)

permanent committees in texas legislature

- carry over from one legislative session to the next. -Sometimes they are discontinued and new ones are created, but in general they have long lives.

Philip Converse

-"The Nature of Belief Systems in Mass Publics" -main argument: most people do not have a full set of coherent political opinions or beliefs nor do they even know what ideology is -low levels of ideological constraint lead to low levels of conceptualization and low levels of issue consistency -levels of conceptualization: to what extent do people rely on outside forces to make political judgements?

*Subcommittees*

-*Markup*: One of the steps through which a bill becomes a law, in which the final wording of the bill is determined -Hearings

Congress

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Interest Groups

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Political Parties

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Foreign policy and war power of president

--- page 395

Criticisms

-1. Analysis and data come from a quiescent time in American politics (1950s). Ideology depends on political issues and context, which is more intense in the 1960s and 1970s ("The Changing American Voter") -2. Relied on dichotomous scales (yes or no). More complex response options (1-7) reveal greater constraint (Achen). *END OF DAY 1 NOTES*

core concepts of SLT

-1. Instrumental motivation - people are rational actors seeking to maximize their utilities; people are instrumentally motivated. ie. a child is in the room during the VP debate -2. Positive Rewards -3. Negative rewards -kids are rational actors, who want attention - seeking to maximize attention -kid walks up to TV and says Tim Kaine is a "Great man" -if parents are Democ. they will respond positively, there is a reward, and the child gets attention -however, if Pence walks up, and the kid says the same thing, he will get a negative reward. While the negative reward may extinguish the behavior, it is still a form of attention and still better than nothing

WAT? Psychological factors

-1. Internal efficacy - the extent to which you feel confident in your opinion -2. External efficacy - the extent to which you feel the government is responsive to your opinion -3. Interest/engagement -4. Partisanship

Sources of Polling Error

-1. Margin of Error -2. Response Bias/Response Rates: average response rate for media-supported national surveys is about 10%, low response rates are a problem if the people can choose to complete the survey or interview

Criticism of the Sociological Model

-1. Not very political - rather, an explanation for varied political trends, not involving actual politics -2. No explanation for change over time or differences in outcomes across elections -3. No psychological model - why is it that people would defer to opinion leaders

Unmeasurable error

-1. Question wording -2. Response options -3. Question order -4. Interview effects

What affects turnout? institutional factors

-1. Registration requirement -2. Timing of elections - often during cold, busy times of year. Some countries have voting holidays when citizens all go out to vote at once -3. Frequency of elections - more votes=watered down turnout rate -4. Location/Convenience of polling places -5. Complexity of ballot - some states have straight-ticket (one-party) voting system, where one can vote down the party -some don't, however - you have to vote position by position on the ballot

SLTconcepts cont.

-4. Generalization - attempting to extrapolate from a previous experience to another, related experience - monkey see, monkey do. What the child tried to do in reaction to Pence - if he got a positive reward from doing that to Kaine, why not try it to Pence? -5. Discrimination - learning that not all apparently similar situations are identical -6. No reaction - Mom and Dad are unresponsive to pleas for attention - if the child gets nothing out of their actions they will likely extinguish their behavior -*Family is the primary motivator in political socialization -for the most part, kids ten to have the same part attitudes and opinions as parents -Mom is the more powerful socializing agent -we Like dad but we Love mom -relationship with the contact and the proximity to the contact -contact with mom is of a longer duration than that of the contact wit hDad -if Mom doesn't care about politics, however, the trends are opposing, and vice versa with Dad

*Log rolling*

-A form of reciprocity in which members of Congress support bills that they otherwise might not vote for in exchange for other members' votes on bills that are very important to them. - You vote for my bill, I'll vote for your bill

Nominating convention

-A meeting held by each party every four years at which states' delegates select the party's presidential and vice-presidential nominees and approve the party platform.

*Delegate*

-A member of Congress who loyally represents constituents' direct interests

*Trustee*

-A member of Congress who represents constituents' interests while also taking into account national, collective, and moral concerns that sometimes cause the member to vote against the preference of a majority of constituents.

Unified Government

-A situation in which one party holds a majority of seats in the House and Senate and the president is a member of that same party. -The party in power is the party that controls the House, the Senate, and the presidency.

Divided Government

-A situation in which the House, the Senate, and the presidency are not controlled by the same party. (This type of government may actually be more functional because the branches already know that they have to make compromises with each other) -The party in power would be the president's party

Party organization

-A specific political party's leaders and workers at the national, state, and local levels. -Party in government: The group of officeholders who belong to a specific political party and were elected as candidates of that party. Party in the electorate: The group of citizens who identify with a specific political party.

Party Platform

-A statement of principles and campaign promises developed by parties -A set of objectives outlining the party's issue positions and priorities. Candidates are not required to support their party's platform.

*Standing committees*

-Committees that are a permanent part of the House or Senate structure, holding more importance and authority than other committees -Bills -Permanent committees (Assignment 2) -Standing committees usually have subcommittees

*527 organization*

-A tax-exempt group formed primarily to influence elections through voter mobilization efforts and to issue ads that do not directly endorse or oppose a candidate. Unlike PACs, 527s are not subject to contribution limits and spending caps. -Advantages: Can spend unlimited amounts on issue advocacy and voter mobilization -Disadvantages: Cannot make contributions to candidates or coordinate efforts with candidates or parties

Texas Railroad Commission

-Composed of three elected members -Traditionally one of the most powerful bodies in the state government -Primary responsibility is the regulation of the oil and gas industry -Oversees a variety of economic sectors including trucking and mining

Texas Commissioner of Land Office

-Administers use of all state-owned lands -Includes monitoring the environmental quality of public lands and waters and leasing them for mining, grazing, and oil and gas production -Operates the veterans' land program, as state bonds are used to back loans to military veterans for land purchases -authorizes exploration and use of public lands

*SuperPAC*

-Advantages: Can spend unlimited amounts on electioneering; can support or oppose specific candidates -Disadvantages: Cannot make contributions to candidates or coordinate efforts with candidates or parties

Texas Governor Veto Power

-After receiving a bill, the governor has ten days to either sign or veto it -The veto allows governors to nullify bills, joint resolutions, and appropriation items -Line-item veto: power to veto specific budget items -A two-thirds vote in each chamber overrides vetoes

Trends in Texas Governors

-All but two governors have been white men, with the two exceptions being white women -More governors have been trained in law than in any other occupation -All Texas governors, except the current one, have been Protestants

What do interest groups do?

-Allow for collective action -Provide info --Technical --Political -Who do you trust? --Interest groups usually seek certain political figures (congressional leaders) that agree with their ideology and will actually write bills and policy for these political figures. --Interest groups create awareness and often pass information on to maintain awareness. Encouraging policies are usually by congressional leaders with whom they agree with and what they are advocating for

*Political Action Committee (PAC)*

-An interest group or a division of an interest group that can raise money to contribute to campaigns or to spend on ads in support of candidates. The amount a PAC can receive from each of its donors and the amount it can spend on federal campaigning are strictly limited -Advantages: Can contribute directly to candidates and parties -Disadvantages: Strict limits on direct contributions

*Majority Whip*

-An organization of House leaders who work to disseminate info and promote party unity in voting on legislation (from majority party)

*Minority Whip*

-An organization of House leaders who work to disseminate info and promote party unity in voting on legislation (from minority party)

Texas Governor Compensation

-Annual salary of $150,000 -Governor's mansion -A limousine and an aircraft -A security detail

*Astroturf lobbying*

-Any lobbying method initiated by an interest group that is designed to look like the spontaneous, independent participation of many individuals - "Fake grass"; making your cause appear to have a larger presence than actual society support

Counting the Electoral College

-As the ballots show up in the President of the Senate's office, they are arranged in alphabetical order and left unopened. -December 28, 2016: the deadline for the receipt of the votes to the President of the Senate. No penalty for being late. Archivist may take extraordinary measures to get the duplicates if they don't arrive. -January 6, 2017: Electoral Votes formally counted. At 1pm in the U.S. House of Representatives chamber, the Vice President (or pro tempore of Senate if VP is unable) chairs the proceedings. The VP and Speaker of House sit at podium too. The ballots are brought in and read in alphabetical order. Objections to the ballots can only occur if a member of the Senate AND House object. After they are all read, the President of the Senate announces the final vote and declares the names of the elected President and Vice President.

formal requirements for governor

-At least 30 years old United States citizen -Resident of Texas for at least five years preceding the election

History of Voting in America

-At the founding, most states allowed only white landowning males to vote - What does that really mean? --Implied populations that couldn't vote: convicts, indentured servants, women, etc. -Jacksonian era (1830s-1840s) White male suffrage -23rd Amendment: (1961) Washington D.C. vote suffrage -*1948 is when most states started to allow Native Americans to vote, but the last state to allow them to vote was New Mexico in 1962*

How do we pick who we want to vote for?

-Biggest hint: What political party do you belong to? - External factors? -- Appearance (ex: Height) - Other *voting cues*? --Pieces of info about a candidate that are readily available, are easy to interpret, and lead a citizen to decide to vote for a particular candidate. -- Incumbency -- Partisanship -- Personal connection (ex: Did they do casework for you?) -- Personal characteristics (ex: Age, Race, Gender, Faith, etc.) - Prospective voting - Retrospective voting - Single issue voting

More party organization

-Candidates want to get the nomination -They have to go through either primaries or caucuses depending on what the rules are for each state

Reasons for Participation

-Capacity - various forms of participation impose their own requirements. Time to volunteer in a campaign, money to cover a check in a political cause, verbal skills to compose a convincing letter, etc.

Hard and Easy issues

-Carmines and Stimson -Hard issues presume that voting is the final resultof a sophisticated decision calculus; this is, it represents a reasoned, well-thought conclusion of much deliberation and consideration - ie. Trade, road construction, education -easy issues are issues that are so ingrained over a long period of time that they structure voters' "gut responses" to candidates and parties -the easy issue would be symbolic rather than technical -it would more likely deal with policy ends than means -it would be an issue long on the political agenda -ie. Abortion, affirmative action

Wald, Owen and Hill

-Churches build a cohesive community over time through the like organization of members

Coattails

-Coat-tail Effect: The tendency for a popular political party leader to attract votes for other candidates of the same party in an election. -Negative Coat-tail Effect: The tendency for an unpopular political party leader to steer votes away from other candidates of the same party in an election

*Select committees*

-Committees in the House or Senate created to address a specific issue for one or two terms -Temporary -Investigations

qualifications for members of Texas Senate

-at least 26 years old, -residents of their district for at least one year, -residents of Texas for at least five years -U.S. citizens.

Participation and Democratic Politics

-Democracy is based on popular sovereignty - rule of the people -voting is not central to democracy -voting is not the sole form of democratic participation

How do these delegates to the convention get assigned?

-Depends on state party rules -Some are "winner take all", in which the candidate who wins the most votes wins all the delegates at stake -Some are "winner take all" within congressional districts -Some are proportional -For Republicans, state party rules say whether each delegate is pledged and for how many ballots

Primary types

-Direct Primary: An election in which voters choose candidates to run on a party's ticket in a subsequent election for public office -Closed Primary: A primary election in which only members of a particular party may vote -Open Primary: A primary election in which voters are not required to declare party affiliation -Blanket Primary: A primary election in which voters may pick one candidate for each office without regard to party lines

Voter Fatigue: Calculus of Voting

-Downs (1957) -R = pb - C, not negative R -R = probability that the voter will turn out. If R is greater than 0, then the person will vote. If it is less than or equal to 0, they will not. -p = probability that their vote matters. Swing votes, deciding votes/if your candidate loses by 1 vote or less -B = "Utility" benefit of voting - differential benefit of one candidate winning over the other -C = costs of voting

Education and Political Socialization

-Education fosters two important aspects of public opinion: -Political efficacy - the belief that one can make a difference in politics by expressing an action -Citizen Duty - the belief that it is a citizen's duty to be informed and participate in politics

Various Types of Political Participation

-Electoral: Voting, Monetary contributions, volunteering, running -Non-electoral: contacting elected official, attending town hall meeting, writing a letter to an editor, participating in a protest -classically, we focus on electoral participation, because we can examine voting as scientific data

Texas Commissioner of Agriculture

-Enforces all of Texas's agricultural laws -Covers matters ranging from food inspection to animal quarantine laws to licensing to disease and pest control to promoting exports -The only statewide elected official not enshrined in the Texas Constitution -Created by a legislative statute in 1907

*Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission*

-Federal Election Commission: The government agency that enforces and regulates election laws; made up of six presidential appointees, of whom no more than three can be members of the same party -

*Earmarks*

-Federally funded local projects attached to bills passed through Congress -Tagging it, Marking it

What the early polls told us

-George Gallup, Lou Harris, and other pioneers in the science of polling, discovered the following: -1. Americans don't know very much about politics -2. Americans are not very interested in politics -3. Americans rely on broad and general attitudes and predispositions to make sense of politics -74% can name the VP -70% can name their city's mayor -55% can name at least one senator -34% can name the Secretary of State -8% can name the Chief Justice of the US

Texas Conspiracy Theories

-Greg Abbot directed the Texas State Guard to monitor the activities of the US Military during a training exercise in the SW states, based on what you know do you support or oppose Abbot doing this? 39% of Texans supported it *END of DAY 2 NOTES*

*How does a Bill become a Law*

-House Senate Bill Introduced Bill Introduced Goes to Committee Goes to Committee (really subcommittee for hearing) Referred to Full Committee Full House Full Senate -Conference Committee (goes back to each chamber for vote) --President ---Approved - law ---Veto - goes back to each chamber, if each approves it by 2/3s, the veto is overridden and it becomes a law

Levels of Conceptualization

-IDeologues - rely on abstract ideological concepts to make judgments about political objects: if Hillary is liberal then I support her, less than 10% identify as ideologues -Near-ideologues - use ideological terminology, but don't always use it correctly: if Hillary is liberal, then she is liberal. No major political opinion/structural specificity -Group interest - evaluate political objects with respect to their treatment of particular groups: well, Trump supports blue collar workers, so I support them

Impeachment of Texas Governor

-Impeachment and conviction are the only legal means of removing a governor from office - The Texas Constitution provides no specific grounds for impeachment -If a governor is impeached, a trial in the Senate follows; -House acts as the prosecution - A two-thirds vote of the Senate is required for conviction. - If convicted, the Governor is removed from office and disqualified from holding any other state office

2012 Electoral College Map: How does the Electoral College work?

-In 2012, Texas had 38 Electoral College votes (up 4 from 2000)... so it will have 36 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and 2 Senators (36+2=38) -Each political party in Texas (Democrats, Republicans, Libertarian, Green, etc... these are the 4 big ones) will select 38 people (usually very loyal party members) usually called Electors -November 8, 2016: Election day, where Americans cast votes in the presidential election... Texas will have a statewide election to select their choice for president Texas has a winner take all election. The candidate that wins Texas will be assigned the 38 Electors that were picked from the winning political party -December 13, 2016: By now, all the states must make final decisions (6 days before meeting of electors at the state capital) -December 19, 2016: On this day (technically, it's the Monday after the 2nd Wednesday in December), each slate of Electors meets in their state capital. If Trump wins Texas, 38 Republican Electors met on this day in Austin and formally cast their ballot for President and Vice President and they fill out the Electoral College form created by their state. They create six certificates of vote which they all sign. One goes to the President of the U.S. Senate (Vice President), Two go to the Archivist of the USA, Two go to the Texas Secretary of State (this is to prevent fraud of changing a ballot en route), One goes to the presiding judge in the district where the electors meet (this is the reserve set for the Vice President in case that one goes missing)

Religion as a culture

-identity - religion tells us who we are -norms - how we should behave -boundary-maintenance - who we can/should associate with -studies have shown this theory

What do parties do?

-Inform the electorate -Support candidates, especially in a candidate centered era with resources -Have conventions and national committees -Work with Congressional candidates for their campaigns -Effects of Presidents --Coat-tail Effect: The tendency for a popular political party leader to attract votes for other candidates of the same party in an election. --Negative Coat-tail Effect: The tendency for an unpopular political party leader to steer votes away from other candidates of the same party in an election

*Pork Barrel projects*

-Legislative appropriations that benefit specific constituents, created with the aim of helping local representatives win re-election. -Sticking all sorts of things in bills

Why are we unique?

-Lots of elections • All elections are separate from each other • Elections all have fixed terms • Elections are on a Fixed Day • Winner take all elections... first past the post --meaning that the candidate with the plurality of votes is the winner of the congressional seat. The losing party or parties win no representation at all.

OVercoming the informational hurdle

-Lupia and McCubbins -Heuristics -mental shortcuts that allow individuals to make decisions without a great deal of info -individuals can use cues to help them make decisions without a great deal of information -"concepts such as reputation, party, or ideology are useful heuristics, only if they convey knowledge on opinion or trust -the simplistic elements of a political election

Voting and Participation: Political Participation

-Many Americans engage in simple participatory acts, but very few engage in more demanding activity -45% tried to persuade others on how to vote -18% wore a button or put a bumper sticker on their car -9% attended a political meeting -4% worked for a political campaign -it's not just voting - many things constitute voter participation

Mitigating Costs

-Motor Voter Law - register when you renew your license/registration. You can also register while getting a new driver's license -Help America Vote act - replaced outdated voting technology -Early voting/voting by mail - expands the number of days one is able to vote

Levels cont.

-Nature of the Times - evaluations of candidates and parties are tied to general perceptions about how things are going: well, Democrats are doing well, so let's elect another Democrat -No Issue Content - focus on personalities or family traditions without any evidence of political thinking: people who do not have any opinion on describing and characterizing politics

Issue Ownership

-Petrocik -the conflict in any campaign is not about positioning yourself on one issue, but driving the agenda of your party -the parties are differentially credible -they have distinct constituencies with distinct interest -you're not fighting an election to position yourself on issues, but to control an agenda of a party

Sources of Public Opinion

-Political Socialization: The end result of all the processes by which individuals form their beliefs and values in their homes, schools, churches, communities, and workplaces -it is an ongoing process -children vote the same way their parents do -baby boomers lived different experiences than Gen X'ers and Gen Y'ers

Role of Lieutenant Governor of texas Senate

-President of the Senate (Lt. Governor) -Casts the deciding vote on the Senate floor in the event of a tie -Appoints the committees of the Senate -Assigns bills to specific committees

role of speaker of the house in texas legislature

-Presides over the House, elected from within the legislature on the first day of session -Maintain order during debate on the floor -Sign all bills and joint resolutions passed by the legislature -Appoint the membership of all standing committees - Responsibility for referring all proposed legislation to committees -Appoint conference committees, create select committees, and direct committees

Direct/Closed/Open/Blanket Primaries and more

-Primary: A ballot vote in which citizens select a party's nominee for the general election. -Direct primary: An election in which voters choose candidates to run on a party's ticket in a subsequent election for public office -Closed primary: A primary election system in which only registered party members can vote in their party's primary -Open primary: A primary election system in which any registered voter can participate in either party's primary, regardless of the voter's party affiliation. -Blanket primary: A primary election in which voters may pick one candidate for each office without regard to party lines

*Disturbance theory*

-Problems that form because certain groups will conflict with other groups affecting a segment of a population. Groups are created to "fight" or counteract by wanting to lobby a certain legislation. -Interest groups form primarily in opposition to other interest groups so as to counteract influence in their respective political domains

Updated Calculus of Voting

-R = pB - C + D -D = citizen duty, as a determining factor in motivating one to go out and vote

Voting is illogical

-R = pB - C - probability of your voting being the deciding vote is basically 0 -R = -C - therefore, the only impact from voting is a cost incurred in the voter's behalf

Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts

-Responsible for tax collection, accounting, and estimating revenue for the state -Critical in assuring the state's budget aides by the balanced-budget requirements -Acts as custodian of state funds and investments

*Franking privilege*

-Signature where the stamp should be -Illegal to use franking in a campaign

The Republicans

-State parties have more control than their Democrat counterparts -This means they have more freedom to organize their primaries and caucuses -You have to get at least 1,237 of 2472 delegates to win the nomination -Texas has 155 Republican delegates

characteristics of the Texas bureaucracy

-Structurally decentralized -Responsive to the legislature (which sets agency budgets)

Racial attitudes

-attitudes about the role of government in ensuring racial equality -should the government be involved with the progress of racial equality or simply stay out? -we are seeing a rise in those believing they should be involved -Americans are not as liberal as we previously thought

Churches and Civic Skills

-because Churches are voluntary organizations that require the assistance and training of its members to carry out its duties, churches build skills that can be used in the political arena -speaking in public -administration -churches and their structure help lower some of the costs associated with political activity -churches can lower information and participation costs

structure of texas legislature

-bicameral -upper house with 31 senators -lower house with 150 representatives -both apportioned by population

Ok... what is this 527 thing I keep hearing about?

-Tax-exempt organization - Can engage in political activity often with unlimited soft money - Usually try to influence elections through voter mobilization efforts or so-called issue ads - Must report contributions and expenditures to the IRS unless they already file identical information at the state or local level - Cannot coordinate with a political candidate • Okay, those are the facts, what does it mean? - 527s can be nebulous about who actually runs them - Individuals can only contribute set amounts to a candidate • No such limitation exists for a 527

*Conference committees*

-Temporary committees created to negotiate differences between the House and Senate versions of a piece of legislation that has passed through both chambers - From House and Senate - Turn it into one bill (look at how a bill becomes a law)

TGM: Josh Blank, TPA Polling in Texas

-Texas is very young and diverse -not guaranteed to reach everyone in the rates you desire, especially in Texas, where the youth and minorities are less likely to own home phones -2016 election - Trump leads by 7 points in Texas among likely voters, compared to Romney's 16 points, Trump is underperforming -when moving from likely voters to registered voters, results become more conservative due to the party's commanding grasp on the state

Texan opinions on politics

-Texas usually thinks they are better than most other states -on economy, Texan citizens were voting quite negatively towards their state economy and the country's economy -on immigration (which is the most important policy facing the state), 54% of adult Texans felt immigration hurts the country more than it helps it, 59% opposed building a wall/republicans in Texas, however, strongly favor Muslim ban and wall building -big differences between the groups -Hispanics were overwhelmingly Opposed to the construction of a wall, but weren't as opposed to the Muslim ban

TGM: Karl Rove #1

-Texas voter turnout increased from 1988-1992, and has decreased ever since -mostly because Texan voters believed that issues were more important -and the candidates drove turnout -but also the changing dynamics of the electorate ushered in certain images -broader voting trends -emerging democratic majority in texas? -associating demographic trends with voting predictions is not the smartest prediction - they are frequently changing and carry a variety of political identities with various parties over time - ie. MLK's father voting for Nixon, and for a long time after Republicans relied on the African-American voters - not the case anymore

President of the Texas Senate

-The Texas Senate has an additional office: President of the Senate. -The Lieutenant Governor is constitutionally assigned to this office.

*Outsider tactics and strategy*

-The tactics employed outside Washington, D.C., by interest groups seeking to achieve their policy goals - Interest group activities designed to influence elected officials by threatening to impose political costs on them if they do not respond - i.e. Grassroots lobbying

Low Turnout

-Voter fatigue; people are "Tired of Elections" - Too Busy - Registration - Absentee Voting - Number of Elections - Voter Attitudes - Open only during working/commuting hours - Closed polling -Options? --1. Make Election Day a Holiday: NOT EFFECTIVE .. it's a holiday; people will not vote, but instead stay at home because they do not have to go to school or work. "Labor Day #2" --2. Voting must be done on a Tuesday because it avoids religious holidays or services

Paradox of Turnout

-Why did turnout decrease across 1960s-1990s? -1. Higher education levels -2. Civil rights legislation ended Jim Crow laws in the South -3. Registration requirements were eased (Motor-voter laws, same-day registration -4. Convenience voting increased -because party involvement was decreased during the election - less voter mobilization -increased party and candidate competing from 2000-2008 led to an increased turnout

Turnout in the US

-Women are more likely to vote than men -African-Americans voted at higher rates than Whites -Hispanic and Asian populations have low turnout rates -Younger demographic vote at much lower rate than older -Married couples have higher voting rates - likely have property and an interest in the school system -Those with college education - income and education are positively correlated in terms of voter turnout rates

Issue Consistency

-across time - individual Americans are not particularly likely to have the same opinion on an issue at two different points in time -Across Issue domain - knowing what an individual American thinks about one issue doesn't really tell you much about what they think about all issues -Take away point: The lack of issue constraint...

*Riders*

-additional provision added to a bill or other measure under the consideration by a legislature having little connection with the subject matter of the bill. Blocked in HOR.

Debate 10 Argument 1

-adopt national popular vote plan -guarantees presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states 1.shortcomings of current system -winner take all rule -voters in 2/3 of states disenfranchised because not battleground 2. current system not stated in constitution 3. voice for small states 4. 50-state campaign

drawing straws

-after redistricting state senators(state legislature) participate in a lottery to determine who serves 2-year terms or 4-year terms -draw out of an envelope= even is 2 years, odd is 4 years

Criticisms of Social-Psychological

-again, not very political -again, not explanation for change over time, or differences in outcomes across elections -methodologically flawed

Americans

-are not very knowledgable about the specifics of American government -higher level of education = more politically informed, duh -citizen duty = if you are smarter, you should participate

Life Experiences as Public Opinion

-as life evolves, you gain more experiences and your attitude evolves as your experiences evolve

Criticisms of Rational Choice Model

-assumes high levels of knowledge, interest, and engagement -assumes single dimension to political competition -empirical predictions about who will win are often incorrect (When using proximity model

qualifications for members of Texas House of Representatives

-at least 21 years of age, -legal residents of the state for at least two years, -residents of the districts from which they are elected for at least one year -U.S. citizens.

texas legislature terms of office

-house= 2 years -senate= 4 years - all elections on even years -no term limit

Debate 11 Argument 1

-blocking majority rule 1. increased use of filibusters means nothing gets done 2. confirmations take a ridiculous amount of time 3. flaws in appointment and confirmation process outweigh the pros 4. consider these proposals -effective end to anonymous holds -fast-track system that sets time limits on committee and floor action for the confirmation of senior executive nominations

Delli, Carpini, and Keeler

-by being aware of the world's condition, you know better how to directly apply your ideology -if you are thinking about what is in the public's interest, you must make sure you are referencing an informed public -you could argue that an uninformed public is a failed democratic system

immunities of texas legislators

-cannot be charged with or sued for slander over statements made during legislative proceedings -can only be arrested for treason, felony and disturbing the peace

James Barber

-certain personality traits make for successful president -effective presidents like their job and readily adapt politics to changing circumstances

Political Culture

-collection of beliefs and values about the justification and operation of a country's government -Donald R. Kinder: "Values refer to a conception of the desirable, not something desired.", "Values are motivating." -Individualism - stresses the important of individuals being accountable for their actions -no difference among racial backgrounds on this particular issue -Equality - argues that no individual is inherently superior to another -Limited government - argues against the strong central government and wishes to bound the size and scope of government -whites are more supportive of limited gvmt than any other minority -these three values are very important when attempting to understand American political culture

Debate 13 Argument 1

-consumer guardian 1. crisis of 2008 happened because of lack of regulation 2. created to: ensure informed consumers, protect consumers, reduce overburdensome regulation, promote fair competition and advance markets transparently and efficiently 3. yes it is powerful, but necessary and there are checks in place where it must report to congress and submit reports/audits

Debate 13 Argument 2

-dangerous bureaucracy 1. constant interference by government- could kill economy 2. needs to increase external accountability with congress 3. restrictions on substantive powers should be increased 4. market should be reinforced- not entirely replaced 5. CFPB promises higher costs and reduced access to credit --> consumers are the losers

Social-Psychological (Michigan Model)

-developed by Angus Campbell, Philip Converse, Warren Miller, and Donald Stokes at U Mich in the 1950s -"The American Voter" (1960) -wanted to explain the psychological underpinnings of voting -go a step further than the sociological model -used survey data to develop and test theories -Findings: -1. Offered the original conceptualization of party identification - voters develop a psychological attachment to one of the parties, party dictates vote choice, not issues -2. Articulated the funnel model (funnel of causality). Vote choice as a funnel - there is information that goes through a funnel and passes through different levels -it gets narrowed by several different factors

Rational Choice Model (Rochester Model)

-developed by Anthony Downs, William Riker and Robert Axelrod -"Economic Theory of Democracy", 1957 -used simple assumptions to develop testable expectations about voting -proximity voting - on a proximity line, if the democ candidate is far from center and the repub candidate is just slightly off center, -then if the voter is in the middle, they will choose the repub since the ideological distance between them and the candidate is smaller -directional voting - if I am left of center, and the democ is left of center, even if I'm closer to the repub on issues, I will vote for the democ, because they are left of center

Distribution of senators on committees

-each senator can serve on one minor and 2 major -every senator serves on 1 of the 4 major

The Challenge of Having Many Principals

-elected politicians for multiple principals -impossible to be responsive to everyone -there is rarely a clear "will of the people" -ie. Plumber/client

Reasons to believe the conventional wisdom was true

-election results suggest rationality - candidates leading over bad times, lost ,over good times won -high levels of literacy and educational attainment - compared to Europe and other parts of the globe -Substantial campaign communication and outreach - logically speaking, if people weren't paying attention, why would these candidates engage in this manner

Debate 12 Argument 2

-excessive use of war powers 1. cannot transfer powers of congress to international body or NATO 2. regardless of extent of interference, still may be considered act of war 3. troops must be in danger bc being paid more to go to Libya 4. never says no on land force will be used - no mandate was given from congress

Governor's lack of power

-executive powers are weak compared to the president or other state governors -The Texas Constitution was deliberately written to make the governor's job more difficult and complex by limiting his powers -The Texas governor thus uses strategic appointments -Appointees can help implement the governor's policies, provide political support, and/or help set a political tone

Funnel Model

-first, you must learn your party ID from parents and socialization. You form a psychological attachment to this party -2nd. your partisan ship shapes the development of your attitudes -3rd. because you like your party, you adopt its positions -4th. your underlying attitudes are then reflected in your positions on the six attitudinal dimensions: -the personal attributes of the Democ. candidate -the personal attributes of the Repub -the groups involved in politics and the questions of group interest affecting them -the issues of domestic policy, -the issues of foreign policy, -and the comparative record of the two parties in managing the affairs of the government -finally, these issue positions are the proximal cause of your voting decision. In fact these six issue positions predict voting decisions with an 87% accuracy - which is even better than asking voters who they intend to vote for

Impact of Act

-grown to include not only racial minorities, but language minorities as well -in certain countries with certain demographic balances, you must have a ballot in different languages -Voting Rights Act was something of an addendum to the Civil Rights Act -LBJ passed the Voting Rights Act and held back the Civil Rights Act until later -institutional barriers have been the most restricting in terms of minority voting

The Texan Creed

-individualism -liberty -equality -constitutionalism -Democracy - Texans are more likely to hold on to these ideological principles than the equivalent in any other state

Foreign policy attitudes

-is opinion liberal or conservative? -Neither; conservatives are not always hawks and liberals are not always doves -foreign policy opinions seem to be affected by who is in office (party) -1. "rally around the flag" - Americans tend to support the president and the commitment of troops to a foreign war once hitting the ground -2. *-3. GO back aND FILL THESE IN*

How we measure public opinion

-main-in-street interviews -focus groups: not intended to be randomly chosen, meant to provide color and depth beneath the numbers -non scientific polls, like ESPN.com -probability samples - this is the one we actually care about. Randomly sampling to construct an estimate on a statistic -population - group we want to know about -sample - randomly selected sub-set of the target population -representatives - degree to which sample looks like the underlying population -ordered from least effective to most effective

Other Rational Choice-Based models: Heuristics

-models that play off the rational choice framework: -Heuristics (Kahneman and Tversky) -voters rely on shortcuts to get them to the point where they feel informed -if you go into a voting booth, and you know nothing, but you see the little R and little D next to names, it is not irrational for you to vote based on those qualifications

Social Learning Theory

-most of what we know about the development of attitudes and opinions comes from the field of psychology -in particular, we rely on "Social Learning Theory"

Voter Turnout

-not requiring of much voter participation -Basic Facts: -US turnout is very low compared to other countries -Turnout has declined over time - declined from 1960-1996, and increased from 2000-2008, then decreased in 2012 -Turnout decreases in midterm elections, increases in presidential elections - saw-tooth pattern -political, demographic factors affect turnout rates - correlated w the vote -eligible voters are considered in turnout rates -voter population of age -congressional election line always falls under presidential election line - some people will only vote for president, and not vote for congress -10-12 point different between congressional election and presidential election turnouts -enormous variation among states in voter turnout - Minnesota tops the chart at 76% voter turnout, and Texas at third-to-last with 50%

Costs of Participation

-other forms of participation are costly -writing letters -donating money -people who have higher education and better economic standing have less trouble when dealing with these forms of political contribution

Social Issues

-people's role in society and how people in society ought to behave -Gender rights -abortion attitudes

Where does public opinion come from?

-political attitudes, which come from a number of different sources throughout cities -income, race, religion, ethnicity, profession, ideology, party ID -Parent's ID/ideology - parental influence is huge

Their Effects

-political churches has been shown to boost all forms of political participation -evident across all groups, religious and racial -while regular churches provide the skills that can be used in the political sphere, political churches provide these skills in the political context to a greater degree than the skills in the regular church

Debate 10 Argument 2

-preserve electoral college - part of our constitution, shouldn't change it 1. NPV doesn't necessarily mean majority, it eliminates the states 2. current system works, this new proposal could overturn the workings of our government laid out by our constitution

Debate 11 Argument 2

-preventing majority tyranny 1. been able to pass large amounts of reform- system is not broken 2. it is the nature of bipartisan politics that may reach state of gridlock every once and a while 3. current congress systems ensures that no one party completely controls the government 4. mainly minority is affected if filibusters stop, but majority can be negatively affected as well 5. more thorough means choose judiciaries more carefully, senate needs to set priorities

powers of texas legislature

-promote and safeguard the public safety, health, morals, and welfare -all traditional legislative powers

Who believes in conspiracy theories?

-propensity to attribute the source of unexplained or extraordinary events to unseen forces -Attraction towards melodramatic narratives that interpret history in terms of good and evil -these are people who are most likely to believe in conspiracy theories -Liberals are more likely to believe theories that make conservatives look bad, and vice versa -President in office quickly becomes target of many conspiracy theories

Reasons for public being unresponsive to everyone

-public opinion fluctuates -people are uninformed

Public Opinion in a Democratic system

-public opinion is the collection of attitudes, opinions, and preferences of the general public -a trustee, the politician files with their own personal views, or the views of contemporaries - they do what is best for the government, regardless of the public's views -Delegates file with EXACTLY what the public chooses in terms of policy

Debate 12 Argument 1

-reasonable use of war powers 1. lawful by constitution and war powers resolution, authorized by UN -followed all rules 2. different situations require different reactions 3. not hostile -mission is limited -exposure of our forces is limited -risk of escalation is limited -military means are limited 4. we should support NATO and help improve safety and stability in this region

Social Welfare attitudes

-social welfare issues include basic questions of the appropriate level of taxation and spending, as well as support for funding programs on things like education, science, and technology, crime, child care, etc.

Participation Rates

-socioeconomic status is strongly correlated with voting and other forms of participation -education is number one predictor of turnout in the US -those with higher education will be more politically involved

Discrimination

-specific instance question: "has there ever been a specific instance in which you were discriminated against by police? 1 in 2 Black Texans, 1 in 4 Hispanic Texans, and 1 in 20 White Texans

What is Public Opinion?

-the aggregate of people's views about issues, situations, and public figures -V.O. Key - "Those opinions held by private persons which governments find it prudent to heed" -while you may have the opinion of the general public, you are more concerned about the people who are more politically active

signing statement

an announcement made by the president when a bill is signed into a law

Probability SAmple

-the core idea is that we have a list of all those in the target population, and that we randomly select a sufficient number of those population members to construct an estimate of the underlying distribution of opinion on some issue - derived from the Central Limit Theorem/Law of Large Numbers -more people interviewed, more likely you are to uncover the central tendency

Mobilization

-the efforts of parties, groups, and activists to encourage their supporters to participate in politics -people are more likely to participate when they are personally contacted

Voting Rights

-the franchise, or right to vote, has gradually expanded throughout the nation's history -in the US Registration is handled by the states, with federal guidelines on eligibility -Most democracies now allow citizens over 18 to vote -15th, 19th, 23rd, 24th and 26th amendments all tackled various voting rights

Theories of Voting: Sociological model (Columbia Model)

-the oldest of the three -developed by Bernard Berelson, Paul Lazarsfeld, and William McPhee at Columbia -"Voting", 1954 -Done to test impact of political propaganda and mass media; how does media/propaganda impact the political trends of the people -expectation was that campaigns would persuade people -instead, they found: -1. Very little persuasion occurred during the presidential campaign -2. Mostly, partisanship was activated as the campaign progressed -3. Most people do not pay much attention to politics -4. People who are situated in "Social networks," with "opinion leaders" who drive political communication and conversation are more likely to develop more inclusive perspectives (opinion leaders bring the campaign into a political conversation referencing recent political events to sway political discussion, and often direct political latency -5. "Cross pressuring," where people are pulled by messages from different social groups, causes people to abstain from politics - people who get overwhelmed by opinions choose to not get politically involved -they examined the voting trends of citizens in several different US settings, and how propaganda and media literally impacted their voting trends over time

The Religious Right and Mobilization

-the religious right has been successful because they used grass-roots mobilization -targeted White Evangelical churches and asked the members of their churches to join their cause -use the power of the pulpit

A Puzzle

-what is the link between the "will of the people" and -under what conditions do politicians respond to the expressed "will of the people?"

Conventional Wisdom about Public Opinion

-what we assumed to be true -Americans are interested, engaged, and attentive to politics and public affairs (de Toqueville) -Americans know the basic facst concerning American politics -Americans listen to public officials and candidates, understand their issue and policy positions, and hold them accountable for their performances

These broadening demographic trends

-with wacky voting patterns -lead to increased campaign costs, in order to maintain a scope of influence that is sufficiently wide -and this rise in campaign costs leads to a decreased incentive for rising candidates to participate. They'll probably lose, and if they worked hard and don't succeed, they're out a lot of money

Interesting Facts

-women are less likely to participate than men - women that do participate are more active than participating men -blacks routinely have lower voter turnout rates than Whites (the percentage of the group that turned out) -controlling for socioeconomic status, Blacks outpace Whites in regard to political turnout and activity

Parkinson's Law

1 - work expands to fill the time available for its completion 2 - expenses rise to meet income S: built-in inefficiency to spend all the money and time available

Standard for what porn is

1. Average person applying community standards sees it as arousing 2. work is patently offensive, explicitly sexual 3. as a whole, lacks literary, artistic, political or scientific value.

FECA Features

1. Contribution limits 2. Matching funds 3. Spending limits 4. Self-financing 5. Disclosure requirements

Elements of Civic Culture

1. Individualism 2. religion 3. patriotism 4. community service

Presidents who won without the popular vote

1. John Quincy Adams 2. Rutherford Hayes 3. Benjamin Harrison 4. John Kennedy 5. George W. Bush

Texas Executive Branch

1. Most members of the executive branch (who would typically be appointed by the governor in other states) are elected by the voters in Texas 2. The governor makes a limited number of less important executive branch appointments 3. The bureaucracy in Texas is large in absolute terms but small relative to the size of the state's population

Informal powers of Texas Governor

1. Power to persuade 2. Message power 3. Figurehead status

Reasons why incumbency less important in Senate elections

1. party competition 2. information voters possess 3. quality of challengers 4. higher ambition of senators

administrative powers of the texas legislature

1. Ratify gubernatorial appointments 2. Create, abolish, and redefine state agencies 3. Require regular and special reporting from state agencies 4. Approve state agency budgets

Three Levels of Importance in House Committees

1. Rules, Appropriations, Ways and Means, Commerce 2. deal with nationally significant policy areas -Armed Services, Civil Rights, Agriculture, etc 3. "housekeeping' committees

Participation (levels)

1. Spectator Activity (Lowest): Wearing a T-Shirt/Bumper Stickers to support partisanship/candidate (Doesn't Really Mean much) 2. Voting (Spectator Activity to a degree): Not doing much; didn't put yourself out there. 3. Convincing a person to vote a certain way: "Vote Clinton!" "Vote Trump!" - Get your voice on newspaper/commenting through online channels 4. Contact a public official on a certain issue 5. Contributing Money to a Campaign - Spending money to support an official 6. Going to a Party Meeting 7. Contributing Time to a Campaign - call on behalf of a candidate 8. Raise Money for a Candidate 9. Become a political candidate 10. Win Office (Highest Level of Participation)

ways the governors appointment power is limited

1. The Senate must approve appointments with a two-thirds vote 2. A Senator from the district of a nominee can effectively veto an appointment 3. Timing is crucia -l Most appointees serve staggered six-year terms, and by Texas law, governors cannot fire their predecessors' appointees -Therefore, it can be several years before governors can exert significant influence over boards and commissions

Texas Governor

1. There are few official requirements for serving, and the perks of office are modest 2. Has a limited set of formal powers to influence the political process 3. Important informal powers used within institutional channels include the power to persuade and message power 4. Successful ones use their informal status to influence the political process

Reasons to pass power over to leaders

1. an effective congressional party contributes to members' electoral prospects 2. members who oppose some of the party's positions may be compensated in other ways 3. members willingly accept some party discipline because they see it as necessary for attaining important policy goals

effects of public pressure on bureaucracy

1. bureaucratic secrecy 2. bureaucratic coercion 3. curbing agency expansion 4. administrator caution 5. compromised capacity 6. muddling through

Factors contributing to incumbency advantage surge

1. decline in political parties 2. expanding resources available to incumbents 3. change in the importance of "representative" activities 4. campaign funding disparities 5. more responsive incumbents

reasons the electoral college survives

1. difficult to amend the constitution 2. small states convinced they derive advantage from it 3. rare for popular vote winner to lose in electoral college

Reasons increased spending may NOT be major cause for incumbency advantage

1. diminishing returns 2. surge in incumbency advantage did not occur during explosion of campaign spending 3. heavy spending could be sign of electoral weakness

Theories on purpose of committees

1. distributive theory 2. informative theory 3. partisan theory

causes of more nationalized congressional elections

1. existence of more unified and distinct political parties 2. recent developments in campaign finance(issue advocacy)

Invisible Primary Campaign

1. extended period of campaigning 2. raise money 3. campaign in small number of states with early primaries

3 types of bills introduced to texas legislature

1. general 2. special 3. local

reasons for favoring nationalized congressional elections

1. helps redress the imbalances between incumbents and challengers 2. campaigns with parties and interest groups actively participating will be more issue oriented

problems with bureaucracy

1. impossible tasks 2. difficulty measuring performance 3. expansionary tendencies 4. slow to change 5. red tape

Criticisms of congress

1. it is low and ineffective 2. the congressional process works to the advantage of policy minorities, especially those content with the status quo 3. they are constantly tempted to use their positions to extract constituency beliefs 4. sometimes the very process of passing legislation ensure that it will not work

Two Levels of Senate Committees

1. major 2. minor

Reasons why incumbents are more sensitive to constituents

1. members have more and better info about constituents(and vice versa) 2. pollings are more widespread( politicians make less mistakes about public opinion) 3. greater incentive to act in accordance to the info given

Differences between presidential and congressional elections

1. members of congress only collectively responsible 2. (particularly in House) incumbent faces a poorly known and underfunded challenger

limitations of the texas legislature

1. part-time institution 2. political culture exerts contradictory pressures on law makers

categories of how Americans decide

1. party loyalties 2. public policies 3. government performance 4. qualities of the candidates

casework

an effort by members of Congress to gain the trust and support of constituents by providing personal services

Subsequent amendments

13. freedom from slavery 14. citizens for all born in US. rights of citizenship and equal protection under the law not revocable by states 15. government cannot deny the right to vote on the basis of race, color, or condition of servitude 19.government cannot deny the right to vote based on sex 24. no poll tax for federal officials 26. government cannot deny the right to vote to anyone at least 18 years old on account of age

Mayflower Compact

1620.Contract which the colonists consented to be governed by a government they created (self-government)

Reynolds V U.S.

1879 court ruled that one cannot use religion as a defense to the crime of polygamy. Court ruled that religious practices that impair the public interest do not fall under the First Amendment. distinguished belief from actions.

Legislative Reorganization Act

1946; gave committee system the shape it has today

Native American voting rights

1948 is when most states started to allow Native Americans to vote, but the last state to allow them to vote was New Mexico in 1962

Brown V. Board of Education

1954 - The Supreme Court overruled Plessy v. Ferguson, declared that racially segregated facilities are inherently unequal and ordered all public schools desegregated.

Wesbury v Sanders

1964, districts must be virtually equal in population

Voting Rights Act (1965)

1965; was to end policies and practices that suppressed black registration and voting

Tinker V. Des Moines School District

1969 - The First Amendment, as applied through the Fourteenth, did not permit a public school to punish a student for wearing a black armband as an anti-war protest, absent any evidence that the rule was necessary to avoid substantial interference with school discipline or the rights of others.

Peak associations

interest groups whose members are businesses or other organizations rather than individuals

Entitlements

A claim for government funds that cannot be abridged without violating the rights of the claimant entitled to the funds example: social security benefits or payments on a contract.

Miller V. California

1973 ruling that determined the obscenity clause to related to works that lack literary, artisitic, political or scientific value. (LAPS test)

health care reform

1993-94: Clinton wanted to create national health insurance and had both popular support and majority in Congress but b/c of misleading cost estimates, advertising and lobbying by insurance companies and incessant radio led to public opinion turning against Clinton's program (later dropped). S: Even when Clinton has majority in Congress and public support, domestic policy can still fail.

Center for Nutrition Policy and Dairy Management

1994 :Center - persuade Americans to not eat cheese 1995: Dairy - persuade Americans to eat cheese contradictory purposes fight each other by not sharing info S:Bureaucracies responsibilities often contradict; they will not give up responsibilities

Being convicted of the theft of a $150,000 Ferrari would result in what maximum punishment? 1-10 years in prison, and a $5,000 fine 2-20 years in prison, and a $10,000 fine 180 days to 2 years in prison, and a $1,000 fine 20 years to life in prison, and a $10,000 fine

2-20 years in prison, and a $10,000 fine

While the Constitution of the United States has multiple paths to amendment, the Texas Constitution may only be amended through a: 3/4ths vote in both the Texas House and Senate to propose and public vote to ratify 2/3rds vote in both the Texas House and Senate to propose and public vote to ratify public vote to propose and ratify public vote to propose and 3/4ths of the Texas House and Senate to ratify public vote to propose and 2/3rds of the Texas House and Senate to ratify

2/3rds vote in both the Texas House and Senate to propose and public vote to ratify

Bush v. Gore

2000 - Supreme court decision over the presidential campaign in which justices ruled no recount for ballots in regards to Florida leading to Bush as president. S: SC declared who would be president by voting along partisan lines Proves that the judiciary is a political institution by taking sides in a controversy.

The transformation of George W. Bush

2000-2001: Bush was perceived as a dunce in his campaign and early presidency, but when 9/11 occurred, everyone loved him (rally around the flag effect - temporary 2006 Bush least pop. pres.). S: The country was supporting Bush as Head of State, but he used this support as Head of Government to get laws passed.

signing statements

2001 - 2009 :President to issue a written statement when he signs a bill that states that he thinks this part of the bill is unconstitutional and will therefore not enforce those provisions. presidential's responsibility to defend the country w/o checks and balances from Congress S: presidential power expands, you don't know where it ends

Deepwater Horizon

2010 - Oil rig explodes leading to major oil spilling the Gulf leading to Obama's Executive Order to stop oil drilling over 500 ft but oil companies against it - federal judge issues an injunction. S: President weakness in domestic policy Even when there's a national emergency and a majority of President's party in Congress, the President can still be stopped.

According to the New York Times, what is one of the most valuable tools of campaigns and political action committees? a good campaign manager web-based videos social media 30-second TV commercials

30-second TV commercials

How much did the average amount spent on a winning campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives increase from 1986 to 2012? 188 percent 34 percent 76 percent 366 percent

366 percent

In 2010, non-Hispanic whites made up what percentage of Texas's population? 52 percent 45 percent 38 percent 25 percent

45 percent

Senate

6 yr terms 100 members more media coverage more prestige equal representation more flexible rules 20 major committees more equal distribution of pwr filibuster

The current Constitution of Texas, passed in 1827, is the _____ in the state's history 3rd 4th 5th 7th 10th

7th

How many municipal courts were there in Texas in 2014? 239 254 926 817

926

501 c(3) and 501 c (4)

>>501 ( c ) refers to the IRS tax code - It is the designation for a non-profit, tax exempt group that can engage in some political activity depending on the type of the group >>501 ( c ) (3) - These are religious, charitable, scientific and educational groups - Cannot engage in political activity - They CAN however, engage in come voter registration • In 2008, the election was all about the 501c3 These below may engage in political activity as long as it is not their main purpose >>501 ( c ) (4) - Social welfare organization • Can lobby for legislation and may also participate in campaigns • Contributions are not deductible BUT these c4 groups DO NOT have to publicly disclose who their donors are • Right now, groups are heavily using these to shield who donates to them

What distinguishes a closed primary system from an open primary system?

A closed primary system is distinguished from an open primary system in that voters may only vote on the ballot for the party with which they are registered.

Why does Texas have a sizable bureaucracy (in numerical terms) despite its commitment to small government? Texas's legislative committees are largely run by Democrats, who prefer a larger government workforce. A certain amount of bureaucracy is necessary to establish the basic delivery of goods and services that government provides. Governor Rick Perry created an unusually high number of bureaucratic jobs during his extended tenure in office. The federal government requires that all states employ a certain number of bureaucrats as a percentage of their total population.

A certain amount of bureaucracy is necessary to establish the basic delivery of goods and services that government provides.

25th Amendment TB

A 1967 amendment to the Constitution that establishes procedures for filling presidential and vice-presidential vacancies and makes provisions for presidential incapacity.

Nuclear Waste Policy Act

A 1982 Law that was supposed to find a place to dispose of nuclear waste in which Yucca Mountain, NV was chosen, which failed to be implemented because opposition from local politicians and citizens S: The ineffective nature of our system makes implementation fail. Implementation is hard the because local power structures and complications of our system makes stopping things easy, implementing policy hard

Texas v. Johnson

A 1989 case in which the Supreme Court struck down a law banning the burning of the American flag on the grounds that such action was symbolic speech protected by the First Amendment.

Free exercise clause

A First Amendment provision that prohibits government from interfering with the practice of religion.

Dred scott decision

A Missouri slave sued for his freedom, claiming that his four year stay in the northern portion of the Louisiana Territory made free land by the Missouri Compromise had made him a free man. The U.S, Supreme Court decided he couldn't sue in federal court because he was property, not a citizen.

Robert Bork

A SC Justice nominated by Reagan in 1987 that resulted in a national media campaign against him formed by the environmentalist, feminist, and labor unions leading to his defeat. S illustrates that courts are political institutions and judges are politicians

How many Electoral College votes must a candidate secure in order to win the presidency?

A candidate must secure at least 270 Electoral College votes in order to win the presidency.

Incumbent

A candidate running for re-election for a seat he or she currently holds.

Caucuses

A caucus is a local meeting where registered members of a political party in a city, town or county gather to vote for their preferred party candidate and conduct other party business. Caucuses typically are used in combination with a state convention to elect delegates to the national nominating convention for presidential elections.

the power to persuade

A phrase that says that the president has the power to persuade but not to command. S: President is weak in domestic policy

Edward Snowden

A computer contractor who worked for the CIA in Hawaii, he became aware that the NSA were conducting secret surveillance in 2013. S: illustrates that leaks are good and bad for the democracy

disparate impact

A condition in which employment practices are seemingly neutral yet disproportionately exclude a protected group from employment opportunities.

How may a congressional candidate qualify for the state ballot?

A congressional candidate may qualify for the state ballot by gathering enough petition signatures to run autonomously of a party (or by winning the nomination of a party). This is the first step for a congressional candidate pursuing a seat in the House or the Senate.

Roll call vote

A congressional voting procedure that consists of members answering "yea" or "nay" to their names.

sixth amendment

A constitutional amendment designed to protect individuals accused of crimes. It includes the right to counsel, the right to confront witnesses, and the right to a speedy and public trial.

National Party Convention

A convention held every four years by each of the major political parties to nominate a presidential candidate

Education officials assert that the SBOE has no jurisdiction over how local school districts teach the state curriculum. Which of the following represents some evidence that this assertion might not be true? Some school districts have been in financial hardship and without lesson plans as soon as six weeks before the start of classes. In 2013 the senate announced that CSCOPE would no longer provide lesson plans to Texas public schools. A court order blocked a school district from using the now publicly available lessons produced by CSCOPE. The state-developed curriculum system known as CSCOPE has come under fire for perceived anti-American lesson plans.

A court order blocked a school district from using the now publicly available lessons produced by CSCOPE.

Government Accountability Office

A federal legislative agency that audits (investigates) other agencies of the federal government and reports it's findings to Congress (makes sure they are not spending more money than the government has appropriated for them).

Miller V. California

A first amendment case. The Court defined obscenity. Also extended first amendment rights to states since they cannot limit/regulate porn.

meritocracy

A form of social stratification in which all positions are awarded on the basis of merit.

Censure

A formal, public reprimand for an infraction or violation.

bureaucracy

A government agency created to implement policy. S: create inefficient agencies

Political party

A group of people seeking to control government by winning elections

Party vote

A vote in which the majority of one party opposes the position of the majority of the other party

Political parties

A group of people seeking to control government by winning elections Roles: -Building stable legislative and electoral alliances -Mobilizing voters -Developing new electoral techniques -Using party labels

Subcommittees

A group within a standing committee that specializes in a subcategory of the standing committee's responsibility. (Ex. House Committee on Foreign Affairs has subcommittees on Asia, Europe, Africa, etc.)

While there are benefits to longer term lengths for judges, which of the following represents a possible problem with longer term lengths? A judge may be swayed by campaign contributions since she will be safe from consequences at the ballot. The governor will have to make more judicial appointments as more judges die or retire before their term is up. A judge might become corrupt from extensive exposure to politics. A judge can rule based on personal bias since he is less frequently held accountable.

A judge can rule based on personal bias since he is less frequently held accountable.

Pendleton Act

A law in 1883 passed that established the civil service system which took away the president's power to hire and fire employees. S: This act led us to the present day system of bureaucracies and Bureaupathology. problem of democratic control - pres. little power over them

Judiciary act of 1789

A law that established the federal court system and the number of Supreme Court justices and that provided for the appeal of certain state court decisions to the federal courts

Seniority rule

A legislative practice that assigns the chair of the committee or subcommittee to the member of the majority party with the longest continuous service on the committee.

Letter from a Birmingham Jail

A letter written by Martin Luther King Jr. after he had been arrested when he took part in a nonviolent march against segregation. He was disappointed more Christians didn't speak out against racism. eloquent defense of non-violent protests. 1963. Showed his approach

*Grassroots lobbying*

A lobbying strategy that relies on participation by group members, such as a protest or a letter-writing campaign. (a bottom-up strategy)

*Caucuses*

A local meeting in which party members select a party's nominee for the general election.

*Politico*

A member of Congress who acts as a delegate on issues that constituents care about (such as immigration reform) and as a trustee on more-complex or less-salient issues (some foreign policy or regulatory matters)

*Coercion*

A method of eliminating non-participation or free riding by potential group members by requiring participation, as in many labor unions

What is the main difference between a felony and a misdemeanor? A felony is identified by degree of seriousness, whereas all misdemeanors are punishable by death. A misdemeanor is identified by degree of seriousness, whereas all felonies are punishable by death. A misdemeanor is a relatively minor, nonviolent crime, whereas a felony is deemed to pose a more serious threat to society. A felony is a relatively minor, nonviolent crime, whereas a misdemeanor is deemed to pose a more serious threat to society.

A misdemeanor is a relatively minor, nonviolent crime, whereas a felony is deemed to pose a more serious threat to society.

What is a general election?

A national election held every two years as required by the Constitution.

rider

A non-germane amendment tacked on the bill (appropriation amendment after regular period), usually to bring pork to their district S: Causes a lot of unnecessary pork. Congress is incoherent and irresponsible.

Pork barrel

A pejorative term of a line item of an appropriation bill that is tacked on after the appropriation process. S: Congress appropriates unnecessary money for their districts because they are locally oriented.

Party System (Five or Six Party Eras)

A period in which the names of the major political parties, their supporters, and the issues dividing them have remained relatively stable.

Standing committee

A permanent committee in the House or Senate that considers bills within a certain subject area.

"Harlot's prerogative"

A phrase meaning power without responsibility. S: Media exposes politicians but are not held accountable, they fall short of their responsibility of furthering the dialogue of democracy. people can't vote the press out of power - only answers to viewers it attracts

"imperial presidency"

A phrase that refers to the president's dominance in foreign policy since WWII S: presidential power is greater in foreign policy than domestic policy

Progressive movement

A political movement within both major parties in the early 20th century. Progressives believed that the power of the government should be used to restrain the growing power of larger corporations, as well as to provide services for its citizens.

cultural assimilation

A political response to the demographic fact of multi-ethnicity which encourages absorption of the minority into the dominant culture. The minority language and culture may be left behind in order to prosper in the majority language community.

Incumbent

A politician running for re-election for the office he or she currently holds.

*Open primaries*

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

*Closed primaries*

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

Primaries

A primary is a state-level election where party members vote to choose a candidate affiliated with their political party. Party candidates selected in a primary then run against each other in a general election. Thirty-four U.S. states conduct primary elections.

one person, one vote TB

A principle applied to the Constitution that all people's votes should be equal. Politicians would gerrymander districts so that rural areas had less people, but the same amount of votes. Technically, this made their votes count more than big cities.

Cloture

A procedure through which the senate can limit the amount of time spent debating a bill (cutting off a filibuster) if a supermajority of 60 senators agree.

*Censure*

A process by which a formal reprimand is issued to an individual by an authoritative body.

Head Start

A program in 1965 that provided early education and nutrition for poor children and to allow parents to participate in governance of the program which was successfully. S: Illustrates the type of policies that have a chance at being successfully implemented when they avoid local power structures.

Vietnam War

A prolonged war (1954-1975) between the communist armies of North Vietnam who were supported by the Chinese and the non-communist armies of South Vietnam who were supported by the United States.

Puritans

A religious group who wanted to purify the Church of England. They came to America for religious freedom and settled Massachusetts Bay.

horse-race coverage

A saying to get people's attention through sports metaphors emphasis on who's ahead, who's behind, etc. S: press wants drama - means a close horse race which adds to the superficiality of media

Project Apollo

A technological policy to put a man on the moon that was successfully implemented in 1961-69. S: It WAS a successfully implemented because it stayed out of local power structure.

logrolling

A term to describe votes traded on distributive legislature. S: It's the means by which members of Congress spend money we don't have. Congress tends to make policies that are incoherent and irresponsible.

"Imperial judiciary"

A term used by the people who think that the Supreme Court is anti-democratic because they are powerful, remain judges for life, and are not elected. S: Judges protect majorities from minorities. Judges also protect minorities from majorities.

"quantitative easing"

A term used in 2010-2014 to explain the Federal Reserve Bank buys bonds to put money into the economy S: Example of the federal reserve system fulfilling its function to stimulate/cool off economy and the independent power of the fed raises questions over democratic legitimacy

Closed Primary:

A type of primary election in which voters are required to be registered with a political party in order to participate in voting for that party's nominees.

Open Primary:

A type of primary election in which voters do not have to be registered with a political party in order to participate in voting for that party's nominees.

Pocket veto

A veto taking place when Congress adjourns within 10 days of submitting a bill to the president, who simply lets it die by neither signing nor vetoing it. president's ability to just not sign the bill into law

Split ticket

A vote for candidates of different political parties on the same ballot, instead of for candidates of only one party

*Majority voting*

A voting system in which a candidate must win more than 50% of votes to win the election. If no candidate wins enough votes to take office, a runoff election is held between the top two vote-getters.

*Plurality voting*

A voting system in which the candidate who receives the most votes within a geographic area wins the election, regardless of whether that candidate wins a majority (more than half) of the votes

Committees

A working subgroup of Congress specialized by function. S: Congress is fragmented and specialized and tends to have incoherent and irresponsible policy making (private influence over public policy).

7. Which is NOT one of the ways that political party organizations support candidates? A. by controlling who runs in House and Senate races B. by contributing money to campaign activities C. by offering advice on how to deal with the press D. by organizing get-out-the-vote activities E. by offering advice on which issues to emphasize

A. by controlling who runs in House and Senate races

Alien Registration Act (Smith Act)

AKA - Smith Act of 1940 made it a criminal offense for anyone to conspire to overthrow the government. It also required all non-citizen adult residents to register with the government. The Act is best known for its use against political organizations and figures, mostly on the left. A series of United States Supreme Court decisions in 1957 threw out numerous convictions under the Smith Act as unconstitutional.

How often does realignment occur?

About every 40 years we have a realignment Some say 40, some say 60

Why are independence and accountability considered contradictory goals with respect to judges? Independence limits accountability. Judges grow more independent and less accountable the longer they've been on the bench. Accountability limits independence. It takes independence, rather than accountability, to run a successful election campaign.

Accountability limits independence.

Ideologically, why might someone prefer more social spending? Active government intervention can reduce inequality through wealth redistribution. With higher taxes, the wealthy may be less likely to look for investments that produce economic growth. Higher taxes restrict individuals' freedom to spend money as they wish. People may feel less incentive to work hard if taxes are high.

Active government intervention can reduce inequality through wealth redistribution.

Congressional Budget Office

Advises Congress on the probable consequences of its decisions, forecasts revenues, and is a counterweight to the president's Office of Management and Budget.

*Interest group* (aka special interests, lobby groups, public interest groups, pressure groups)

An organization of people who share common political interests and aim to influence public policy by electioneering and lobbying

What percentage of detainees in Texas were African American in 2012, and how did this compare to the percentage of African Americans in the general population? African Americans constituted 48.4 percent of detainees but 23 percent of the general population. African Americans constituted 33 percent of detainees but 37.6 percent of the general population. African Americans constituted 36 percent of detainees but 11.5 percent of the general population. African Americans constituted 31 percent of detainees but 45.3 percent of the general population.

African Americans constituted 36 percent of detainees but 11.5 percent of the general population.

Unanimous consent agreements

Agreement among all 100 senators on how a bill or presidential nomination will be debated, changed, and voted on in the Senate.

Interest Groups

An organization of people with shared policy goals entering the policy process at several points to try to achieve those goals • Also called special interests, lobby groups, public interest groups, pressure groups

Riders

Amendments to bills, often in the form of appropriations, that sometimes have nothing to do with the intent of the bill itself and many times are considered to be pork barrel legislation

John Marshall

American jurist and politician who served as the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1801-1835) and helped establish the practice of judicial review.

NAFTA

An agreement in 1993 to eliminate the trade barriers between Mexico, Canada and U.S. Clinton endorsed - republican supported (who to blame?) S:Policy making in congress tends to be incoherent and irresponsible.

Dialogue of Democracy

An arena in which politicians and citizens discuss and argue about national issues or national problems which is a requirement of democratic theory S: media not the best servants of Democracy

*Open seat*

An elected position for which there is no incumbent.

Open seat

An election (especially for a legislature) in which no incumbent is running is often called an open seat; because of the lack of incumbency advantage, these are often amongst the most hotly contested races in any election

What is a primary election?

An election conducted within a political party to select its candidates for the general election.

American Postal Workers Union

An episode in 2010 when the election of national officers had to be postponed because ballots were lost in the mail. S: Further proves that bureaucracies are inefficient.

Korematsu v. United States

An event in history where the Supreme Court upheld president Roosevelt's power to put Japanese-American citizens in internment camps during WW2 S: During a war, presidential power expands to such an unpredictable, rapid rate

the 'Fiscal Cliff"

An incident in 2011 and 2012 when conservatives decided they were not going to vote to raise the National Debt unless Obama stopped spending money. S: Obama can be blamed/praised for the economic standing but has little power over it b/c weak in domestic policy. The President cannot make domestic policy without the cooperation of Congress.

Electoral College:

An institution created by the Constitution, although the document does not actually refer to it by that name, to permit indirect election of the president. Article II, section 1 of the Constitution mentions electors that are to be responsible for selecting the president and vice president. It is made up of representatives from each state who cast votes for the president and vice president.

Speaker of the House

An office mandated by the Constitution. The Speaker is chosen in practice by the majority party, has both formal and informal powers, and is second in line to succeed to the presidency should that office become vacant.

Incumbent

An officeholder who is seeking reelection.

*Open polling*

An open access poll is a type of opinion poll in which a nonprobability sample of participants self select into participation

Open polling

An open access poll is a type of opinion poll in which a nonprobability sample of participants self-select into participation. The term includes call-in, mail-in, and some online polls

NATO

An organization that was created to stop the growth of the Soviet Union in 1949. S: bureaucracies always want to do more, get bigger, and spend more money original responsibilities go away - find new responsibilities

leak

An unauthorized bit of information given off the record by a gov. official to a reporter S: Leaks are good and bad for the democracy

Where did the Democrats come from?

Anti-Federalists... Democratic-Republicans... Democrats

*Entitlements*

Any federal government program that provides benefits to Americans who meet requirements specified by laws

Roughly what percentage of incumbents win reelection in any given election cycle?

Approximately 90 percent of incumbents are reelected to Congress every two years.

The American presidency was established by: Congress the Declaration of Independence Article I of the Constitution Article II of the Constitution Article III of the Constitution

Article II of the Constitution

Local news networks put a high emphasis on crime in their newscasts, to the extent that they often report on crimes that occurred in other states in addition to local crimes. What is the most likely explanation for this emphasis? As news agencies, networks feel a commitment to providing their viewership with politically relevant information. As private companies, networks must turn a profit, and they know that crime stories generate ratings. Crime stories serve as a source of infotainment, and networks have a mission to entertain their viewers. Reporters believe that crime stories are more important than stories about other topics.

As private companies, networks must turn a profit, and they know that crime stories generate ratings.

authorizations vs. appropriations TB

Authorization is a formal declaration by a legislative committee that a certain amount of funding may be available to an agency. Some terminate in a year, some renew automatically. In contrast, appropriation happens after this. It is the act of Congress of specifying the amount of authorized funds that will actually be allocated for the agency's use.

Safe district

Electoral district in which the candidate from the dominant party usually wins by 55 percent or more.

Issue of Debate 12

Barack Obama's Use of the President's War Powers -reasonable OR -excessive questions: -under what circumstances should presidents be able to unilaterally commit american forces to combat them or put them in harm's way?

Single issue voters

Basing votes on one issue regardless of the stance on other issues

*Selective incentives*

Benefits that can motivate participation in a group effort because they are available only to those who participate, such as member services offered by interest groups (such as travel discounts and group insurance rates)

Sixth system? Maybe?

Big debate among scholars What are we seeing more of today? Ticket splitting vs party line voting Party Line: When policies are officially adopted by a political party, and people vote in accordance with that party's policies Ticket Split: When a voter in an election votes for candidates from different political parties when multiple offices are being decided by a single election

Representative _____ currently serves as the Speaker of the House. Reid Boehner Cruz Rubio Trump

Boehner

Direct mobilization

Encouraging people to vote through direct means, such as face-to-face interaction. This strategy is a more effective means of getting people to vote.

Roles of Political Parties

Build Stable Legislative and Electoral Alliances Mobilizing Voters Develop New Electoral Techniques Use Party Labels (creates stability and it is easy to make predictions)

What does Texas's balanced budget requirement entail? The state legislature must design the budget of the present year to make up for deficits in previous years. By law, the legislature must temporarily raise taxes to cover the deficit when spending exceeds revenue. By law, the state legislature cannot adopt a budget that exceeds anticipated revenue. The state legislature must provide a line-by-line account of its intended annual spending.

By law, the state legislature cannot adopt a budget that exceeds anticipated revenue.

Fourth Party System (1896-1932)

Ends with the Great Depression

Campaign financing for federal elections is currently regulated by which of the following?

Campaign financing for federal elections is currently regulated by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act.

What is the most important task for candidates to accomplish during a campaign? Candidates must inspire voters with strong speeches. Candidates must motivate voters to show up and vote. Candidates must reach voters through social media. Candidates must deliver public service messages to voters.

Candidates must motivate voters to show up and vote.

What is casework in regards to Congress?

Casework is services provided by members of Congress and their staff to assist constituents in dealing with bureaucratic agencies.

5. A group of elected officials of the same party who organize to debate and strategize is called a

Caucus or conference

CHAPTER 5

Civil Liberties OUTLINE Introduction Americans' Constitutional Rights The Nationalization of the Bill of Rights Religious Freedom Freedom of Speech and Press Morality and Sexual Behavior Right to Keep and Bear Arms Rights of Criminal Defendants Civil Liberties in Wartime Civil Liberties and Deliberative Democracy Summary

CHAPTER 6:

Civil Rights OUTLINE Introduction Equality for Black Americans Key Civil Rights Controversies Equality for Women Other Minorities Civil Rights and Deliberative Democracy Summary

seventh amendment

Civil Trials - right to a jury trial to settle lawsuits over money or property worth more than $20 - common law

CHAPTER 12

Congress OUTLINE Introduction Constitutional Structure and Powers Congressional Organization How a Bill Becomes a Law Other Important Functions of Congress Congress and Deliberative Democracy Summary

The paradox of Congress

Congress is excellent at serving individual interests but its bad at serving the general interests S: Policy making in Congress tends to be incoherent and irresponsible.

Establishment clause

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion

*Legislative oversight*

Congress' monitoring of the bureaucracy and its administration of policy, performed mainly through hearings

Legislative oversight

Congress' monitoring of the bureaucracy and its administration of policy, performed mainly through hearings

Select committees

Congressional committees appointed for a specific purpose, such as the Watergate investigation. limited time and purpose

Joint Committees

Congressional committees on a few subject-matter areas with membership drawn from both houses. house and senate both on a committee

Under what circumstances are congressional elections most competitive?

Congressional elections are most competitive when the incumbent has retired, leaving an open seat.

Full Faith and Credit

Constitution's requirement that each state accept the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state

delegated powers

Constitutional powers assigned to one governmental agency but exercised by another agency with the express permission of the first

bureaupathology

Create an agency that we have intentions for, but it has intentions of its own. Takes on other responsibilities S: Agencies take on other responsibilities and it leads to inefficiency.

Congressional Research Service (CRS)

Created in 1914 to respond to congressional requests for information. It also keeps track of every major bill and produces summaries of legislation for members of Congress.

"Rathergate"

Def: Episode in 2004 when Dan Rather and other reporters had documents that said Bush wasn't in the place he was supposed to be fulfilling his national guard duties which were proven to be forgeries S: An example that illustrates that news media are under competitive pressure to break story they don't put in the work (fact checking)

Democratic Caucus

Democrats meet to discuss strategies, leaders, legislative agenda at beginning of congressional term (they discuss and collectively elect)

Which of the following has been a factor in the increasing party competition that has inflated the costs of campaigning in Texas? Demographic shifts in Texas have raised the possibility of a Democratic resurgence. The Republican Party has become divided between traditional pro-business moderates and recent Tea Party conservatives. The use of social media in Texas political campaigns has contributed to increased party competition. Increased television advertising has allowed for more negative campaigns from both parties, causing a spiral effect.

Demographic shifts in Texas have raised the possibility of a Democratic resurgence.

3. In contrast to a confederation, a centralized interest group

Deploys the group's resources more efficiently

What can we generalize about the electorate?

Differences are getting wider and stronger Slightly more men tend to be Republican Conservatives tend to identify with Republicans, Liberals with Democrats African-Americans are usually Democratic Southern states are pretty solidly Republican Latinos are moving up in the socio-economic ladder faster than any other group - can't rely on stereotypes.

6. Asking government officials to change policy in line with the group's goals is

Direct lobbying

7. Interest groups generally --- draft legislation; they generally --- provide testimony before committees.

Do; do

cultural imperialism

Domination of one culture over another by a deliberate policy or by economic or technological superiority. " america is better than you"

*Winner take all*

During the presidential primaries, the practice of assigning all of a given state's delegates to the candidate who receives the most popular votes. Some states' Republican primaries and caucuses use this system.

CHAPTER 4

E Pluribus Unum American Citizenship and civic culture OUTLINE Introduction E Pluribus Unum Immigration Early Citizenship Controversies Acquiring and Losing American Citizenship The Assimilation Debate American Civic Culture Citizenship, Civil Culture, and Deliberative Democracy Summary

*Lobbying*

Efforts to influence public policy through contact with public officials on behalf of an interest group

Issue of Debate 10

Electing the President -Adopt the National Popular Vote Plan OR -Preserve the Electoral College Questions: -it is possible to oppose both -which is more important- federalism or majority rules? -constitutionality?

Which Federal Communications Commission policy, which is now defunct, required television and radio stations to present at least two sides of every controversial issue? Equal Time Rule Fairness Doctrine Prior Restraint Telecommunications Act

Fairness Doctrine

Biggest category of immigration

Family members of american citizens (sponsorship)

Which of the following arguments is commonly used in favor of the death penalty? Fear of the death penalty will make potential criminals think twice. The likelihood of a killer receiving the death penalty is very low. The threat of the death penalty can be used to stop all crime. The death penalty is significantly cheaper than a life sentence.

Fear of the death penalty will make potential criminals think twice.

FEMA

Federal Emergency Management Agency (2005-2007) After hurricane Katrina, this organization gave an aquarium money to buy fish. The aquarium decided they could save money and catch some in the gulf and just buy the rest. FEMA said no, in order to get any money they had to buy all of the fish. Basically, they were forcing the aquarium to spend an unnecessary $500,000. S: rules become reality which means they are good bureaucrats

New Towns

Federal Program to build low cost housing for the poor (1967) by LBJ which failed in 3 cities: opposition from local politicians (San Antonio), local residents (Washington DC), and sometimes even non local residents [obstruction of view] (San Fran). S: -Implementing policy is hard because of our political structure so policies frequently fail to be implemented

1. Which were the first well-known parties in the United States?

Federalists and Democratic-Republicans

First Party System (1790s-1820s)

Federalists v. Anti-Federalists(Democrat-Republicans) Revolution of 1800 (Vice President Thomas Jefferson defeated President John Adams. The election was a realigning election that replaced the Federalists with the Democratic-Republican Party, first election in the world where one party willingly gave up power)

Where did the GOP come from?

Federalists... National Republicans... Whigs... Republicans The Republican Party is unique because it is the only third party in American history to ever become a main party

Earmarks

Federally funded local projects attached to bills

Freedom of the press is guaranteed in the: First Amendment. Third Amendment. Ninth Amendment. Tenth Amendment.

First Amendment.

Party systems

First Party System (1790s-1820s) ⦁ Federalists v. Anti-Federalists (Democrat-Republicans) Second Party System (1820s-1850s) ⦁ Jacksonian Era: Period of time following Andrew Jackson's election as president; introduced the patronage/spoils system ⦁ Patronage/ Spoils System: practice in which the political party winning an election rewards its campaign workers and other active supporters by appointment to government posts and by other favours ⦁ 1832: Introduced the first national party conventions Third Party System (1850s-1890s) ⦁ Party Machines: A type of political party organization that relies heavily on material inducements, such as patronage, to win votes and govern. ⦁ Progressive Era: (1880s-1920s) A period of political reform with the goal of eliminating corruption in government, such as party machines ⦁ Australian Ballots: The system of voting in which voters mark their choices in privacy on uniform ballots printed and distributed by the government or designate their choices by some other secret means ⦁ Primary Elections: A preliminary election to appoint delegates to a party conference or to select the candidates for a principal, especially presidential, election Fourth Party System (1896-1932) ⦁ Ends with the Great Depression Fifth system starts in 1932 ⦁ New Deal Coalition: The alignment of interest groups and voting blocs in the United States that supported the New Deal and voted for Democratic presidential candidates from 1932 until the late 1960s ⦁ Sixth system? Maybe? ⦁ What are we seeing more of today? Ticket splitting vs party line voting ⦁ Party Line: When policies are officially adopted by a political party, and people vote in accordance with that party's policies ⦁ Ticket Split: When a voter in an election votes for candidates from different political parties when multiple offices are being decided by a single election

FISA TB

Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (1978). It established a court to hear request for warrants for the surveillance of suspected spies.

FOIA TB

Freedom of Information Act (1966). Required federal government agencies to disclose info contained in government files.

tocqueville

French academician who recognized that Americans claim to be driven by self-interest only but observed that many people make decisions for common good, not just personal gain.

Purposive benefits

Gaining satisfaction from the group's overall goal and purpose

Selective incentives/selective benefits

Goods (such as travel discounts and group insurance rates) that a group can restrict to those who pay their annual dues

What opportunity do governors in Texas have to influence the state judiciary? Governors may step in and judge cases that concern the highest levels of government. Governors can fill judicial vacancies and appoint judges to state appeals courts. Governors can remove any judge from office. Governors can appoint all judges.

Governors can fill judicial vacancies and appoint judges to state appeals courts.

8. Directly involving interest group members in lobbying efforts is called

Grassroots lobbying

Membership

Group maintenance (keep track of members) • Different ways to look at interest groups - Centralized groups - Confederation • Mass versus Peak Associations - Checkbook membership • Mancur Olson's Logic of Collective Action • Problem of the Free Rider • How do you minimize this? - Selective incentives - Solidary benefits - Purposive benefits - Coercion

Hard money

Hard Money are campaign contributions • "Here is $200, go spend it to get elected" specific type of asset-based loan financing through which a borrower receives funds secured by real property

7. Research shows that modern campaign ads are likely to ---

Have beneficial effects, such as informing voters

How a bill becomes a law

House and Senate Bill Introduced Goes to Committee (really just a subcommittee for hearing) Referred to Full Committee Full House/Senate Conference Committee (goes back to each chamber for vote) President Approved - law Veto - goes back to each chamber, if each approves it by 2/3s, the veto is overridden and it becomes a law

framing

How the media sets up a story in a certain way which influences how the audeince's intepretation S: Media is not neutral

How did Governor Rick Perry overcome the criticism he received for vetoing so many bills in 2001? He defused opposition by aggressively courting legislators. He effectively characterized the vetoes as curbing government growth. He reversed his veto decisions on more than a dozen pieces of legislation. He fostered a practical working relationship with the Democratic leadership.

He effectively characterized the vetoes as curbing government growth.

2. The winner take all method of allocating most states' electoral votes results in candidates focusing on --- states and --- states

High population; swing

Which of the following BEST explains why Rick Perry had unprecedented control over the plural executive branch? His long tenure in office allowed him to appoint numerous officials, boards, and commissions. The legislature granted extensive additional powers of appointment to the governor just before Perry came into office. His extensive ties to the Texas university system gave him substantial influence over elite political thinking in Texas. Rick Perry's expert use of social media allowed him to influence more decisions in the executive branch.

His long tenure in office allowed him to appoint numerous officials, boards, and commissions.

Problems of patriotism

Historical events, alien and sedition act, suspension of habeas corpus, japanese internment camps all defended with patriotism. Opponents of patriotism say it wrongly places one nation ahead of others.

Legal positivism

If it is called a law, then it is a law. A school of legal thought centered on the assumption that there is no law higher than the laws created by a national government. Laws must be obeyed, even if they are unjust, to prevent anarchy.

McCarthyism

In 1950, Senator Joseph R. McCarthy began a sensational campaign against communists in government that led to more than four years of charges and countercharges, ending when the Senate censured him in 1954. McCarthyism became the contemporary name for the red scare of the 1950's.

What is the average spending difference between incumbents and challengers in House races in 2012?

In 2012 House races, incumbents spent an average of $1,656,257—roughly three times as much as the average amount spent by challengers ($587,177).

the Peter Principle

In a bureaucracy, people tend to be promoted to their level of incompetence. S: Additional reason bureaucracies function inefficiently

60%

In general, the government does what the people want about __% of the time. 60 percent of the time federal policy follows public opinion when the public is aware of the issue and their opinion is clear. S: Is 60 percent enough to satisfy us that the government is legitimate according to democratic theory?

Key Civil Rights Controversies

Includes: School Desegregation and Busing Voting Rights Affirmative Action

What would happen if cases were decided based on written law alone? There would be no point in having judges at all. Judges would spend too much time worrying about precedents. The decisions would be unquestionably fair. Inconsistencies might emerge in the rulings issued by different judges.

Inconsistencies might emerge in the rulings issued by different judges.

_____ or holding the office for which one is running plays an important part in who gets elected and the type of representation citizens get in Washington, D.C. Incumbency Patronage Casework Membership Religion

Incumbency

In addition to greater fundraising prowess, what else contributes to the electoral advantage enjoyed by incumbents in Congress?

Incumbents' work in Congress, which enables them to build name recognition and a good reputation among their constituents, contributes to the electoral advantage they enjoy.

1. In contrast to political parties, interest groups

Indirectly influence government activity

Insider v. outsider tactics and strategy

Insider Tactics: Interest group activity working closely with members of Congress and contributing money to incumbents' campaigns • Outsider Tactics: Interest group activities designed to influence elected officials by threatening to impose political costs on them if they do not respond

*Mass associations*

Interest groups that have a large number of dues-paying individuals as members

*Peak associations*

Interest groups whose members are businesses or other organizations rather than individuals

Emancipation Proclamation

Issued by abraham lincoln on september 22, 1862 it declared that all slaves in the confederate states would be free

After World War II, the length of the lieutenant governor's term of office was constitutionally extended from two to four years. What was the effect of this extension? The lieutenant governor had to sharpen his or her political skills and diplomacy. The lieutenant governor became less likely to run for and serve multiple terms in office. It allowed lieutenant governors to gain more informal influence and legislative expertise. It increased competition for the office between the parties.

It allowed lieutenant governors to gain more informal influence and legislative expertise.

What is one of the main characteristics of a perfect bureaucracy? It assigns responsibilities based on technical competence. Its lack of rules and procedures creates an environment that is dynamic and flexible. It chooses workers based on a system of political allegiance. It attracts highly skilled workers by offering generous compensation and benefits.

It assigns responsibilities based on technical competence.

What is one major critique of the practice of plea bargaining? It causes the justice system to fall short of guaranteeing all citizens the right to a fair and impartial trial. It means that defendants end up with harsher sentences than they would have if found guilty in a trial. It doesn't meaningfully reduce the caseload for the already-overloaded criminal justice system. It doesn't do anything to speed up what is often a long and expensive process of criminal prosecution.

It causes the justice system to fall short of guaranteeing all citizens the right to a fair and impartial trial.

4. What effect does fund-raising have for incumbents?

It ensures the potential for an aggressive campaign, and it deters opposition

What actual effect does the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct have on judicial campaigns? It generally causes judges to refrain from discussing their political ideology or opinions about cases during their campaigns. It generally fails to prevent judges from accepting contributions from interest groups during their campaigns. It generally fails to prevent judges from discussing their political ideology or opinions about cases during their campaigns. It generally causes judges to refuse to accept contributions from interest groups during their campaigns.

It generally fails to prevent judges from discussing their political ideology or opinions about cases during their campaigns.

How did microtargeting help the 2000 Bush campaign? It helped the campaign do field experiments testing different messages and message delivery systems. It helped the campaign identify the best candidates to receive mail and phone calls making the case for Bush. It enabled the campaign to use mass emails more effectively. It allowed the campaign to discover that personal contact was much more likely than a telephone call or mail reminder to increase turnout leading up to an election.

It helped the campaign identify the best candidates to receive mail and phone calls making the case for Bush.

What is the effect of holding gubernatorial and other executive branch office elections in Texas in off-years? It creates higher voter turnout. It insulates the election of statewide offices from national politics. It increases the frequency of elections. It decreases the need for primary elections.

It insulates the election of statewide offices from national politics.

Plurality voting

It is distinguished from the majority system, in which, to win, a candidate must receive more votes than all other candidates combined. Election by a plurality is the most common method of selecting candidates for public office.

According to the text, how effective is the death penalty at deterring would-be murderers? A survey of convicted criminals showed that the death penalty factored prominently in their planning of a capital crime. Statistics show that it is extremely effective, reducing murder rates by almost one-third. It is probably ineffective, given that only a small percentage of homicides result in a death-penalty conviction. It has no deterrent effect whatsoever, and should be abolished due to the high numbers of innocent people put to death.

It is probably ineffective, given that only a small percentage of homicides result in a death-penalty conviction.

What happens when a governor vetoes a bill? The bill is permanently dead once the governor vetoes it. It is returned to the legislature to negotiate specific line items with the governor. It is returned to the legislature, where the veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote of each chamber. It is returned to the legislature, where it will be slated for reconsideration at the beginning of the next legislative session.

It is returned to the legislature, where the veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote of each chamber.

What does the "power to persuade" mean when used in reference to the Texas governor? It refers to the natural talent for persuasion that helped the governor get elected in the first place. It refers to the governor's power to influence public opinion. It refers to the governor's use of personal influence to manage relationships with the legislature and the bureaucracy during the session. It refers to the power of the plural executive to manipulate media portrayals of the governor's public policy initiatives.

It refers to the governor's use of personal influence to manage relationships with the legislature and the bureaucracy during the session.

Texas's size and history, as well as its political and cultural variety, have contributed to the development of what might be called a "pragmatic center." Which of the following statements is true regarding the pragmatic center in Texas? It tends to reflect relatively conservative, pro-business policy preferences. The pragmatic center has been dominated by the Democratic Party and its associated interest groups. It is quite moderate, and compares to the pragmatic center of coastal metropolises of the United States. The pragmatic center in Texas reflects the historical strength of both parties, and is particularly influenced by populist values.

It tends to reflect relatively conservative, pro-business policy preferences.

Historically speaking, why did the Texas Constitution of 1876 limit the powers of the governor? It was a tribute to the previous constitution, which gave the governor weak executive powers. It was a reaction to the governor's repeated attempts to dissolve the state legislature in the 1870s. It was an attempt to decentralize government power in case the governor were to be assassinated. It was a reaction to the previous constitution, which gave the governor strong executive powers.

It was a reaction to the previous constitution, which gave the governor strong executive powers.

What effect does the plural executive have on the governor, and why? It weakens the governor by allowing the electorate to choose his executive officers for him. It strengthens the governor by allowing him to appoint a trusted network of executive officers to his cabinet. It weakens the governor by forcing him to appoint executive officers to work under him. It strengthens the governor by ensuring that the people he works with are "on his team."

It weakens the governor by allowing the electorate to choose his executive officers for him.

Superdelegate

It's an unpledged delegate, meaning that they're free to support any candidate for the presidential nomination at the party's national convention

Second Party System (1820s-1850s)

Jacksonian era (Period of time following Andrew Jackson's election as president; introduced the patronage/spoils system) 1832: First national party conventions introduced

Internment of Japanese (WWII)

Japanese Americans were place in camps because the government was afraid of spies and sabotage during WWII

How did people obtain bureaucratic jobs in the 19th century? Jobs were awarded based on applicants' qualifications. Most bureaucrats were nominated and confirmed by the Texas Senate. Most bureaucrats were elected. Jobs were awarded based on political allegiance.

Jobs were awarded based on political allegiance.

Marshall court

John Marshall's tenure as Chief justice of the Supreme Court, whose leadership resulted in the landmark decisions of Marbury v. Madison, McCulloch v. Maryland, and Gibbons v. Ogden. These cases shifted power to the judiciary and federal government.

What do believers in the Hamiltonian approach to government argue? Judges cannot be independent if they're worried about reelection. Judges must be held accountable to the people for their decisions and actions. Direct election of judges frees the judicial branch from the dangers of cronyism. Judges must have an independent base of support in order to be able to stand up to the governor or legislature when necessary.

Judges cannot be independent if they're worried about reelection.

Why does Texas's practice of choosing judges in partisan elections lead to questions regarding the independence and capability of many state judges? Judicial candidates often make biased claims in order to win or keep a seat on the bench, creating the potential for serious conflicts of interest. A few "bad apple" judges have completely undermined the functionality of the system. Judicial elections are far down on the ballot, below the high-information, high-engagement elections of governors, senators, and presidents. Some judges have launched illegal reelection campaigns with highly partisan advertisements.

Judicial candidates often make biased claims in order to win or keep a seat on the bench, creating the potential for serious conflicts of interest.

Jim Crow laws

Laws designed to enforce segregation of blacks from whites

Alien & Sedition acts

Laws passed by congress in 1798 that enabled the government to imprison or deport aliens and to prosecute critics of the government(restricted free speech against gov)

9. For indirect lobbying to be effective

Letters have to come from contituents

figurehead status

Leverage status as the symbolic leader to influence policy; texas legislature

9. Voters who rely on voting cues to determine their vote choice are ---

Likely to cast a reasonable vote, and more so if they are informed

10. Interest groups are more likely to succeed when their request attracts --- public attention, and when it has --- conflict

Little; little

Log rolling

Logrolling is vote trading. I will support your bill if you support mine. You scratch my back and I will scratch yours. A legislator supports a proposal favored by another in return for support of his or hers.

SuperPAC Loopholes

Loopholes in this law that allow for coordination: - If you make your Google calendar public, you can allow the SuperPAC to see your schedule (Fiorina is doing this) - You can directly share information as long as it is in public view • Youtube video • Twitter - They can speak directly with a group of donors as long as the candidate leaves before planning or coordinating about fundraising happens - Clinton has directly coordinated with a SuperPAC called Correct the Record and claims it is legal because they are conducting all online communication free of charge and are not using paid advertising or other direct expenditures on her behalf - Federal law says political committees must file disclosures to cover activity before Oct. 15. • IF YOUR GROUP IS CREATED AFTER THAT DAY, you don't have to disclose anything for up to 7 weeks (around last week of November and well after November election cycle) so they can act without any oversight and if the group goes out of existence after the election, then...?

1. Runoff elections occur only in states that use ___

Majority voting

The reasoning behind the Citizens United v. FEC decision has to do with the way the United States understands the constitutionally guaranteed rights of citizens and interests to free speech. Why does making political donations fall in this category? Making donations is considered a form of pluralism. Donations are still disclosed, and therefore cannot be corrupt. Making donations is understood to be petitioning government. Donations are limited to $5,000, a sum that does not affect campaigns significantly.

Making donations is understood to be petitioning government.

Minerals Management Service TB

Managed the nation's natural gas, oil and other mineral resources. After Deepwater horizon, it was dissolved because of bad leadership.

McCulloch v. Maryland

Maryland was trying to tax the national bank and Supreme Court ruled that federal law was stronger than the state law

Committee system

Members of Congress are assigned to committees to investigate the merits and problems with suggested bills, sometimes holding public hearings to learn more before sending it to the full House or Senate for debate and a vote. review bills before they move to house or senate

*Caucus and conference*

Members of each major party in the US congress meet regularly in closed sessions known as party conferences (Republican) or party caucuses (Democrats). Participants set legislative agendas, select committee members and chairs, and hold elections to choose various floor leaders (Both HOR and Senate)

Caucus and conference

Members of each major party in the United States Congress meet regularly in closed sessions known as party conferences (Republicans) or party caucuses (Democrats). Participants set legislative agendas, select committee members and chairs, and hold elections to choose various Floor leaders. This process takes place for both the Senate and the House of Representatives. REPUBS ARE CONS DEMS ARE CAUCS

Direct Spanish influence on the culture of Texas is overshadowed by which of the following related cultural influences? Brazilian culture Mexican culture Cuban culture Italian culture

Mexican culture

Major and minor parties are treated differently under Texas law. What is the difference between a major party and a minor party? Major parties are those parties that elected at least 15 candidates to the U.S. Senate in the previous general election. Major parties are those parties that received more than 50 percent of the vote in the previous general election. Minor parties are those parties that did not have a candidate in the previous presidential election. Minor parties are those parties that received less than 20 percent of the vote in the previous general election.

Minor parties are those parties that received less than 20 percent of the vote in the previous general election.

opening to China

Nixon wanted to open trade with communist China but he would not unrecognize Taiwan as a nation, but Carter unrecognized Taiwan which was unpopular w/ Congress in 1969-79. S: President has 100% of power in foreign policy

5. GOTV and ground game refer to a candidate's attempts to ---

Mobilize supporters

6. What is soft money?

Money that is not tied to a specific candidate

Why did the majority of Americans judge John F. Kennedy the winner of the first televised presidential debate in 1960? Most Americans identified themselves as liberals, and Kennedy had more liberal politics than Nixon. Most Americans felt that Kennedy presented stronger arguments than Nixon. Most Americans watched the debate on television, and Kennedy looked fresher and more vibrant than Nixon. Most Americans listened to the debate on the radio, and Kennedy had a more commanding voice than Nixon.

Most Americans watched the debate on television, and Kennedy looked fresher and more vibrant than Nixon.

10. Weak coattails and split tickets serve as indicators that ---

Most elections are determined by local issues

How is the State Board of Education selected? It is completely elected by voters. Most of its members are elected by voters, but some positions are appointed by the governor. It is completely appointed by the governor. Most of its members are appointed by the governor, but some positions are elected by voters.

Most of its members are elected by voters, but some positions are appointed by the governor.

A Republican candidate running for office in Texas would be MOST likely to seek an endorsement from which of the following groups? Planned Parenthood the Sierra Club the NRA the AFL-CIO

NRA

What is a national convention and when are they held?

National conventions are party meetings held every four years to establish the party platforms and officially nominate presidential candidates to run in the general election. They are held in late summer.

Which states does not use a winner-take-all system to determine which party's slate of electors will participate in the Electoral College?

Nebraska and Maine

The era of presidential government was launched by the: Civil War New Deal World War II Great Society Watergate Scandal

New Deal

Which of the following is true of the appeals process? The appeals process occurs in courts that have original jurisdiction over a case. The appeals process can only be applied in criminal cases. No new facts or evidence may be introduced during an appeal. Only the most important cases are allowed to go through the appeals process.

No new facts or evidence may be introduced during an appeal.

Libyan bombing campaign

Obama conducted air warfare in Libya which overthrew Gaddafi and ignored Congress in 2011. S: the president can conduct war w/o approval of Congress - strength in foreign policy

President Pro Tempore

Officer of the Senate selected by the majority party to act as chair in the absence of the vice president

SuperPAC

Official term is "independent expenditure only committee" • Like PACs but not as many restrictions - SuperPACs can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money for supporting or opposing political candidates - Can directly attack a political candidate • Cannot directly coordinate with candidate or part loopholes in the law that allow for coordination (public Google calendar)

Committee on Rules (Rules Committee)

Only exists in the House (not the Senate) • Regulates the amount of time that a bill can be debated on the floor • Sets limitations on amendments • 2 types - Closed Rule: A procedural maneuver that prohibits any amendments to bills up for a vote on the House floor, unless they are recommended by the committee reporting the bill • Restricted Rule (some amendments are on the floor) - Open Rule: Permits amendments and has less strict time limits; allows for input from other members

Open/closed primaries

Open: A primary election in which voters are not required to declare party affiliation, any registered person may vote Closed: A type of direct primary limited to registered party members, who must declare their party affiliation in order to vote, only members of one party may vote

In which of the following capacities would a news organization be the principal in a principal-agent problem? The government is forbidden from excessive interference in the press. Owners of media outlets trust reporters to distribute content. Networks had to air multiple sides of a controversial issue when the Fairness Doctrine was enforced. Candidates communicate their message to voters through the media.

Owners of media outlets trust reporters to distribute content.

How does a party exist

Part of the electorate (people can identify with a party) As an organization In government

What is political legitimacy?

Political legitimacy is the view of citizens that their government has the lawful authority to govern.

Third Party System (1850s-1890s)

Party machines: a type of political party organization that relies heavily on material inducements, such as patronage, to win votes and govern. Progressive Era (1880s-1920s): A period of political reform with the goal of eliminating corruption in government, such as party machines Australian ballots: The system of voting in which voters mark their choices in privacy on uniform ballots printed and distributed by the government or designate their choices by some other secret means Primary elections: A preliminary election to appoint delegates to a party conference or to select the candidates for a principal, especially presidential, election.

Military service

Patriotism is the driving force that bolsters military when economic and material reasons are not enough.

Spoils system

Patronage/ Spoils System: practice in which the political party winning an election rewards its campaign workers and other active supporters by appointment to government posts and by other favours

Delignment

People abandon their previous party without finding a new one to replace it; become independents happens every 40-60 yrs ⦁ After that, we have a critical election ( A large event in which many people switch political sides) ⦁ Then we realign

Dealignment

People abandon their previous party without finding a new one to replace it; become independents.

Realignment

People in one party switch to another party; independents become aligned with a party

Standing committees

Permanent subject-matter congressional committees that handle legislation and oversee the bureaucracy.

Indirect mobilization

Persuading people to vote through indirect means, such as through networks and communication lines.

Discharge petition

Petition that, if signed by majority of the House of Representatives' members, will pry a bill from committee and bring it to the floor for consideration.

What is plurality voting?

Plurality voting is a system in which the single winner of the most votes wins the election (even if the candidate does not capture a majority of the vote).

6. The modern Congress is --- ; the distance between the parties has --- over the past 60 years

Polarized; increased

*Pluralism theory*

Politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies

Collective action

Politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies

Pluralism

Politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies

Which of the following is a limitation of using approval ratings to measure the current standing of the governor? Polls rarely collect a sufficiently representative sample to accurately reflect the governor's "on the ground" approval. Polls rarely contain information regarding the intensity of people's opinions. Polls are not designed to measure abstract concepts like one's approval of a governor. Polls rely on self-reporting, and individuals may misrepresent their actual political attitudes.

Polls rarely contain information regarding the intensity of people's opinions.

Patronage/Spoils system

Practice in which the political party winning an election rewards its campaign workers and other active supporters by appointment to government positions and by other favors.

What are considered an advantage of using the Electoral College system to select the president?

Preserving federalism as the Founders envisioned it is considered an advantage of using the Electoral College system to select the president. The use of the Electoral College also makes the election process easier from a technical perspective. this system allows for small states to exert influence over the presidential selection process.

Bully pulpit

President Theodore Roosevelt's phrase to describe the rhetorical dimensions of the presidential office.

Iran - contra Affair

Reagan got North to sell Iran missiles in hopes of getting hostages back, while giving Iraq information. They use this money from the missiles to fund the contra in Nicaragua. Congress was very against funding them in 1985-86. S: the significant amount of power given to the president in foreign policy

Redistricting & apportionment

Redistricting: process of drawing boundaries for electoral and political districts in the U.S. and is usually done every ten years after the census Apportionment: the proportional distribution of the seats in a legislative body, esp the House of Representatives, on the basis of population.

*Professional lobbyist*

Regularly paid employees of corporations

Professional lobbyist

Regularly paid employees of corporations, paid to lobby

Which party currently holds a majority in the House of Representatives? Tea party Republican party Democratic Party Green Party Party of Rand Paul

Republican party

Since 1999, how much of the state's judicial bench has been Republican? Republicans have held all nine of the seats on both the court of criminal appeals and the state supreme court. Republicans have made up about two-thirds of the court of criminal appeals and one-third of the state supreme court. On average, half of the justices on the court of criminal appeals and the state supreme court have been Republican. All of the justices on the court of criminal appeals and the state supreme court have been Democrats since 1999.

Republicans have held all nine of the seats on both the court of criminal appeals and the state supreme court.

Sunset Advisory Commission

Reviews state agencies every two years and evaluates their efficiency and necessity

markup

Rewrite of a bill after hearings have been held on it (happens in sub-committee)

Issue of Debate 11

Senate Filibusters -blocking majority rule OR -preventing major tyranny Questions: -what relationship does filibuster have to "majority rule with respect for minority rights"? -is cooling role of Senate still desirable? did it every exist?

How is the governor's appointment power limited? Governors' appointees can be fired by their successors. The senate must unanimously approve the governor's appointments. Senatorial courtesy allows the senator from the district of a nominee to effectively veto the governor's appointment. Governors can only choose a nominee when the legislature is in session.

Senatorial courtesy allows the senator from the district of a nominee to effectively veto the governor's appointment.

*Elitism theory*

Societies are divided along class lines and an upper-class elite will rule, regardless of the formal niceties of government

Why might some municipalities choose not to seek the death penalty? Large municipalities have diverse constituencies that are less favorable to the death penalty than smaller municipalities. Small municipalities do not have access to the drugs needed for lethal injections in the state of Texas. Some municipalities do not have the resources to afford the high costs associated with seeking the death penalty. Some municipalities cannot legally pursue the death penalty due to an insufficient investigative infrastructure.

Some municipalities do not have the resources to afford the high costs associated with seeking the death penalty.

Why have some argued that lethal injection constitutes cruel and unusual punishment? Lethal injection is a particularly painful way to cause death. Some states are obtaining lethal injection drugs from compounding pharmacies, which are not regulated by the FDA. Lethal injection is often ineffective, causing death-row inmates to have to be executed by another method afterward. Death by lethal injection takes an exceptionally long time.

Some states are obtaining lethal injection drugs from compounding pharmacies, which are not regulated by the FDA.

Why are state and local campaigns still relying on older methods of campaigning such as door hangers, direct mail, and mass emails? State and local races are small in scale and lack the resources to pay the high costs of analytics-driven targeting. Generally, candidates who run for state and local elections do not approve of the more modern methods of campaigning. Modern methods like data mining do not work with state and local voters because they don't use digital media as much. These methods have been shown to be more effective than more modern methods in state and local elections.

State and local races are small in scale and lack the resources to pay the high costs of analytics-driven targeting.

Religion in Civic Culture: Slavery Debate

Stephan Douglas argued "It is an attempt to establish a theocracy to take charge of our politics and our legislation," he said. "It is an attempt to make the legislative power of this country subordinate to the church." when new england clergy condemned slavery

What was the average amount spent by candidates who won Senate seats in 2012?

Successful candidates for the U.S. Senate spent an average of $10 million on their campaigns in 2012.

Schenck V. United States

Supreme court decides that any actions taken that present a "clear and present danger" to the public or government isn't allowed, this can limit free speech

Why is revenue from state lands so important? Revenue from state lands helps pay for environmental conservation programs. Texas relies heavily on this revenue to balance the budget every year. Revenue from state lands helps fund business interests all over Texas. Texas collects no income tax and uses a portion of oil and gas royalties to fund public education.

Texas collects no income tax and uses a portion of oil and gas royalties to fund public education.

How does Texas's voter participation rate compare to the national average? Texas has a lower voter participation rate than the national average. Texas has a voter participation rate that is about the same as the national average. Texas has a higher voter participation rate than the national average. Texas's voter participation rate is twice the national average.

Texas has a lower voter participation rate than the national average.

Why is the commissioner of agriculture a key position in the plural executive? Family farms dominate the agricultural economy. The office regulates weights and measures, which apply to all business conducted in Texas. There is no other executive office that regulates environmental protections. Texas is the second leading overall agricultural producer in the United States.

Texas is the second leading overall agricultural producer in the United States.

What is one possible effect of partisan elections on the abilities and competence of judges in Texas as compared to other states with different systems for selecting judges? Texas judges may have more experience due to voters favoring judges with stronger records. Texas judges may be less professional because elections favor judges who have records as politicians rather than as lawyers. Texas judges may have less experience due to electoral turnover. Texas judges may be more professional because the electoral system establishes some merit threshold for judges to be nominated.

Texas judges may have less experience due to electoral turnover.

Why does it seem certain that prominent Latino candidates will soon emerge and find success in statewide elections for governor? Texas's Latino (mainly Mexican American) population is rapidly growing. Texas is undergoing a fast pace of change in the type of person it elects to the governorship. White Texans have expressed dissatisfaction with the historical lack of diversity in the governorship. Other minority candidates have already run successful campaigns for governor.

Texas's Latino (mainly Mexican American) population is rapidly growing.

To what extent does the Texas attorney general (AG) handle criminal issues? The AG's office does not ever assist in criminal or law enforcement cases. The AG's office handles all legal activities regarding law enforcement officers, but does not deal directly with criminal suits. The AG supports and advises city and county-level officials in promoting awareness on crime and safety issues. The AG handles most law enforcement and criminal suits, particularly those filed against the state.

The AG supports and advises city and county-level officials in promoting awareness on crime and safety issues.

How often does the Constitution require elections to be held?

The Constitution requires elections to be held every two years.

Roe v. Wade (1973)

The Court decided that a right to privacy under the due process clause in the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution extends to a woman's decision to have an abortion. Effectively repealed most prohibitive abortion laws. 1st trimester - no restrictions 2nd trimester - states decide who performs and where 3rd - special cases health

The Electoral College was established in which of the following?

The Electoral College was established in Article II, section 1 of the Constitution.

First Great awakening

The First Great Awakening was a time of religious fervor during the 1730s and 1740s. The movement arose in reaction to the rise of skepticism and the waning of religious faith brought about by the Enlightenment. Protestant ministers held revivals throughout the English colonies in America, stressing the need for individuals to repent and urging a personal understanding of truth.

The Founders designed the electoral process to do what?

The Founders designed the electoral process to ensure that the government has political legitimacy and to allow for fair competition between citizens with differing views on what government should do.

Idiot

The Greek word "idiot" originally described someone who did not participate in politics

Which two states traditionally hold the first caucus and primary of the presidential nomination season?

The Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary, both held in early January, are traditionally the first two nominating events of each presidential election year.

Republican and Democratic party organization structure

The Republicans ⦁ State parties have more control than their Democrat counterparts ⦁ This means they have more freedom to organize their primaries and caucuses ⦁ What does that mean for you? ⦁ How do they win the nomination? ⦁ You have to get at least 1,237 of 2472 delegates ⦁ How do you get delegates? ⦁ Texas has 155 Republican delegates The Democrats ⦁ Democratic National Committee sets the rules for all the states ⦁ Nationally organized ⦁ Every state uses a Proportional System ⦁ How do they win the nomination? ⦁ You have to get 2382 out of 4,763 votes ⦁ Pledged Delegates are the ones you get in primaries and caucuses ⦁ There are 4,050 in 2016 ⦁ How are they allocated to the states? ⦁ 85% are pledged, 15% are unpledged ⦁ Texas gets 251 delegates

Brown V. Board of Education (1954)

The Supreme Court overruled Plessy v. Ferguson, declared that racially segregated facilities are inherently unequal and ordered all public schools desegregated.

BONG HiTS 4 JESUS

The Supreme Court ruled that Frederick's First Amendment rights were not violated and that "schools may take steps to safeguard those entrusted to their care from speech that can reasonably be regarded as encouraging illegal drug use.

Why has the Texas Ethics Commission (TEC) faced severe criticism over its enforcement of campaign laws? The TEC does not sufficiently act as a clearinghouse for records. The TEC is biased in favor of Republican political candidates. The TEC does not sufficiently investigate complaints of violations. The TEC is overzealous in its prosecution of alleged violators.

The TEC does not sufficiently investigate complaints of violations.

non-political myth

The belief that courts are not political institutions and judges aren't politicians S: reality - courts are political institutions and judges are politicians b/c they interpret constitution and make political decisions on controversies

Why does Texas have a State Board of Education (SBOE)? A state as large as Texas requires the SBOE in order to coordinate an efficient and effective public school system. The Texas House of Representatives viewed the SBOE as an opportunity to better control education in Texas, beyond the reach of gubernatorial influence. The Texas Constitution designates the SBOE to implement the mandate for a free public education system. The SBOE was created by the Texas Senate in order to implement a constitutional mandate for a free public education system.

The Texas Constitution designates the SBOE to implement the mandate for a free public education system.

What bearing does the political culture of Texas have on the state's approach to criminal justice? Texans' strong favorability toward personal independence leads to a preference for vigilantism rather than government action to deal with crime. Texans' strong preference for small government leads to most criminal statutes being only lightly enforced due to a lack of funding for the justice system. The Texas justice system shows a preference for punishing criminals harshly in order to preserve the social order and protect public safety. The Texas justice system shows a preference for rehabilitating convicted criminals in order to reduce recidivism and reintegrate them into society.

The Texas justice system shows a preference for punishing criminals harshly in order to preserve the social order and protect public safety.

How does the power of the Texas lieutenant governor compare to that of lieutenant governors in other states? The Texas lieutenant governor is weak by comparison. The Texas lieutenant governor is moderate by comparison. The Texas lieutenant governor is strong by comparison. The Texas lieutenant governor is very strong by comparison.

The Texas lieutenant governor is very strong by comparison.

Religious Freedom Restoration Act

The _________ _______ ___________ ___of 1993 (also known as RFRA) is a 1993 United States federal law aimed at preventing laws that substantially burden a person's free exercise of their religion. Only if the burden furthered "a compelling governmental interest" using "the least restrictive means" could it be justified. Struck down in 1997, as applied to the states. Upheld in 2006 when 30 gallons of amazonion tea containing a hallucinogen was intercepted during import.The tea was being shipped to a New Mexico church that used the tea for religious services. Government could not show compelling interest in preventing tea importation, even though hallucinogen was illegal under federal law.

implementation

The act of enforcing a law/policy. S: Implementation is hard because the system is so complex and was designed to be hard to use so policies frequently fail to be implemented

Incumbency advantage

The advantage current officeholders have in an election, in particular as it relates to the high rates at which congressional legislators win re-election

What happens to someone who is appointed to office by a governor while the legislature is not in session? The appointee's tenure is still subject to senate confirmation once the legislature reconvenes. The appointee gets to perform his or her job for a whole term without senatorial confirmation. The appointee can only perform his or her job until the legislature reconvenes. The appointee cannot perform his or her job until the senate reconvenes and confirms the appointment.

The appointee's tenure is still subject to senate confirmation once the legislature reconvenes.

Emergency Economic Stabilization Act

The bill that bailed out banks in 2008 - Bush endorsed, democrat supported. S: Policy making in congress tends to be incoherent and irresponsible.

Which of the following statements is not true of the federal budget? The budget is a binding document that determines how much money is appropriated to each program. The budget is a congressional resolution. The budget serves as a guideline for how Congress should appropriate money. The president must submit a budget proposal to Congress by the first Monday in February.

The budget is a binding document that determines how much money is appropriated to each program.

Marbury v. Madison TB

The case that established judicial review! SCOTUS declared that a law passed by congress was unconstitutional (1803) giving the court its most powerful weapon.

What is a method which is used by parties to select presidential nominees?

The caucus system is a method that parties use to select presidential nominees.

How is the comptroller of public accounts involved in the Texas budget? The comptroller writes the tax code for the entire state of Texas, which partially determines how much money will be in the budget. The comptroller decides how the state will parcel out its budget on goods and services. The comptroller provides a revenue forecast and ensures that the budget passed by the legislature is within that revenue estimate. The comptroller acts as the chief financial advisor for the state, providing input on how tax revenues should be invested.

The comptroller provides a revenue forecast and ensures that the budget passed by the legislature is within that revenue estimate.

Which of the following is true of the Texas courts of appeals? Each court has only one justice, as determined by the legislature. The legislature established the first court of appeals. The constitution was amended to give the legislature the power to create additional courts of appeals. Each justice serves four-year terms, a short term in comparison to other states.

The constitution was amended to give the legislature the power to create additional courts of appeals.

Impeachment power

The constitutional authority of the House to charge the President, Vice President, and other "civil officers" with "high crimes and misdemeanors"

Veto

The constitutional power that dictates the president's ability to return/stop a bill to its house of origin (w/ objections). S: This is the President's only real power and it's a negative power.

monetary policy

The control of interest rates and the amount of money put into the economy to keep the value of the dollar stable S: Independent power of the fed raises questions of democratic legitimacy - private institution put public money in not run by politicians The central bank created to help control this.

What is one important reason why the Texas Supreme Court may be susceptible to improper influence by moneyed interests? The court's constitutional authority allows it to use campaign contributions as a heuristic for case importance. The court does not reveal how the justices voted in each decision to accept or reject a petition for appeal. Wealthy individuals and organizations are more likely to bring petitions for appeal to the court than other interests. Justices are required to reveal each of their votes to accept or reject a petition for appeal, which allows interest groups to punish them in future elections.

The court does not reveal how the justices voted in each decision to accept or reject a petition for appeal.

What does it mean for a court to have original jurisdiction over a case? The court has the authority to hear the case first, before any other court. The court has the authority to revise the opinions issued by all other courts. The court is the only one that can ever hear the case. The court is being depicted in a television drama.

The court has the authority to hear the case first, before any other court.

What does it mean for a court to have appellate jurisdiction? The court shares the authority with another court to hear a case first. The court has the authority to try a case first. The court hears cases that were originally tried in other courts. The court has the authority to revise any opinion issued by any other court.

The court hears cases that were originally tried in other courts.

*Candy desk*

The desk is the first desk on the right, or Republican, side, and is in the last row of desks. Traditionally, the candy desk is always on the Republican side of the Senate Chamber and is used by a Republican senator. The desk is currently occupied by Pennsylvania Senator Pat Toomey.

partisan appointment (of federal judges)

The fact that presidents appoint judges based on their political party identification. Republicans and democrats tend to interpret the constitution differently. S: This illustrates the political nature of the judiciary.

2. Why is the number of lobbyists increasing?

The federal gov't is growing in size and influence

What is the first step in winning the presidency?

The first step in winning the presidency is winning the most party delegates from around the United States to support your nomination.

Which of the following is a benefit of using short web videos in campaigns? It ensures that younger voters will go to the polls. Web videos are more likely to reach older, conservative voters. Web videos reach more viewers than television advertisements. The format is less expensive than television advertisements.

The format is less expensive than television advertisements.

What is the franking privilege and what does it give members of Congress?

The franking privilege is the ability of Congress to send official mail free of postal charges. Franking privileges are restricted to mail sent only within the member's district and cannot be used for mass mailings in the 90 days prior to an election. It gives members of Congress the opportunity to advertise their bill sponsorship, committee work, voting record, and policy positions back home in the district. They also have opportunities to make media appearances speaking on behalf of their parties, their committees, their policy initiatives, and topics of concern to their constituents. Finally, members are able to perform casework for constituents, assisting them in dealing with federal agencies on issues ranging from a missed Social Security check to an expedited passport.

What authority does the governor have over the state budget? The governor can influence how the public votes on Texas's annual budget. The governor can issue a budget for approval by the Legislative Budget Board. The governor can transfer money between programs or agencies in an emergency. The governor can override the Legislative Budget Board's priorities for the budget.

The governor can transfer money between programs or agencies in an emergency.

What are the governor's military and police powers? The governor is commander in chief of the Texas Border Patrol and the state militia. The governor is commander in chief of the Texas National Guard and has limited police powers as selector of the Public Safety Commission. The governor is commander in chief of the U.S. Border Patrol agents stationed along the Mexican border. The governor is commander in chief of the Texas Rangers and can activate U.S. troops in Texas during a national emergency.

The governor is commander in chief of the Texas National Guard and has limited police powers as selector of the Public Safety Commission.

Why is the informal side of the message power more important than the formal side? The governor's formal messages can be ignored whereas his speeches and statements receive extensive media coverage. The governor's formal messages are only allowed to deal with the state budget. The governor's opening and closing messages to the legislature are not covered by the media. The governor receives much more public attention when he's speaking informally than when he's speaking formally.

The governor's formal messages can be ignored whereas his speeches and statements receive extensive media coverage.

*Coattails*

The idea that a popular president can generate additional support for candidates affiliated with his or her party. Coattails are weak or nonexistent in most American elections.

Descriptive representation

The idea that politicians can only represent people like them (ex. only women can represent women, blacks represent blacks, etc.)

Which of the following is true of the Texas justice system? Texas is lacking in specialized facilities for people with special needs who have committed crimes. Texas drug offenders are no longer eligible for rehabilitation programs following the Ruiz v. Estelle lawsuit. The Texas justice system has greatly increased its incarceration rates in recent years. The incarcerated population in Texas has often been subjected to inhumane treatments and conditions.

The incarcerated population in Texas has often been subjected to inhumane treatments and conditions.

Which of the following is true of Texas's population growth? Anglo Americans continue to be the dominant ethnic group in Texas. While the growing share of the population is made up of ethnic minorities, these minorities have little influence over Texas's popular culture. The growing population of ethnic minorities in Texas is a result of their historical enjoyment of equal rights in the political process. The increasing share of the population made up of ethnic minorities is poised to alter a political culture historically dominated by Anglos.

The increasing share of the population made up of ethnic minorities is poised to alter a political culture historically dominated by Anglos.

What is the incumbency advantage?

The incumbency advantage is the electoral edge enjoyed by members of Congress running for reelection, which derives from their legislative experience, communication with constituents, and resources from previous campaigns and campaign networks.

independent central bank

The institution that controls money supply known as the Federal Reserve Bank which has unelected members and a powerful institution not subject to democratic control S: powerful but not democratic b/c governors not elected

The length of terms in office can influence how judges make decisions. If a justice has a relatively short term length of two years, how might this affect the way he or she makes decisions? The role of campaign contributions will be muted. The public will have ample time to evaluate the judge's record before making a decision regarding reelection. The judge will focus on applying the law rather than on reelection. The judge will consider public opinion when making legal decisions.

The judge will consider public opinion when making legal decisions.

What does the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution mean for the states? The laws of all states must conform to the Constitution, its amendments, and related federal judicial rulings. Interstate commerce can only be regulated by the states that are specified in the U.S. Constitution. Individual rights and liberties are protected only in states that were never part of the Confederacy. Term limits for members of Congress are set by the states.

The laws of all states must conform to the Constitution, its amendments, and related federal judicial rulings.

Senate Majority Leader

The leader of the majority party in the Senate S: weak leadership - the Senate leaders chosen by seniority Because of the weak parties in the United States, we also have weak leaders.

Ranking member

The longest-serving member of a committee from the minority party

According to the web text in Chapter 15, what is the main qualification party members consider when nominating congressional candidates?

The main consideration in partisan selection of candidates is whether the candidate can be trusted to reflect the preferences of party members (i.e., ideological fidelity).

What is the main goal of frontloading in the electoral process?

The main goal of frontloading in the electoral process is to exert more influence over the selection of party presidential nominees.

Speaker of the House

The majority leader of the majority party, have more power in that they can choose the chair people of committees and the rules of te debate. S: Congress has fragmented power leads to weak leadership compared to other foreign democracies

Which of the following BEST describes the Texas judiciary? It is the oldest judiciary in the country, almost exclusively white males aged 65-75. It is rapidly becoming more diverse, with almost 50 percent of judges being women and/or minorities The majority of judges are male and Republican, with a median age of 49 to 55. It has an equal distribution of male and female judges but is predominantly white.

The majority of judges are male and Republican, with a median age of 49 to 55.

What happened when public opinion in Texas began to show more tolerance of same-sex relationships? County officials in Texas were flooded with applications from same-sex couples seeking marriage licenses. There was a violent outcry from social conservatives across the state. The polling results were greeted with surprise and skepticism. Elected officials in Texas immediately began to vote in favor of legalizing gay marriage.

The polling results were greeted with surprise and skepticism.

*Committee chairs*

The most important influencers of the congressional agenda. They play dominant roles in scheduling hearings, hiring staff, appointing subcommittees, and managing committee bills when they are brought before the full house.

Committee chairs

The most important influencers of the congressional agenda. They play dominant roles in scheduling hearings, hiring staff, appointing subcommittees, and managing committee bills when they are brought before the full house. only in house of reps

*Revolving door*

The movement of individuals from government positions to jobs with interest groups or lobbying firms, and vice versa.

Issue of Debate 13

The new consumer financial protection bureau -consumer guardian OR -dangerous bureaucracy? questions: -insulating regulatory agencies helps protect them from political manipulation, but also shields them from control by elected officials in a democracy -CFPB more insulated, why? -can CFPB be pro consumer without being anti-business?

What determines the number of electors each state receives?

The number of electors from each state is determined by the size of the state's delegation in both houses of Congress.

If the governor makes a commutation of state charges in a death penalty case, what does this mean for the defendant? The penalty in the case is reduced. The penalty in the case is postponed. The penalty in the case is affirmed. The penalty in the case is cancelled.

The penalty in the case is reduced.

Head of Government

The person that makes the hard decisions about policy and administration. S: The President is very weak in our government and tries to get all the power he can by associating the head of State and the Head of Government together.

Head of State

The person that symbolizes the country and unites America. S: The President is very weak in our government and tries to get all the power he can by associating Head of State and Head of Government together.

Frontloading:

The phenomenon of states moving their primaries earlier and earlier in the election season in order to have more influence over the selection of party presidential nominees.

Constituency service

The phrase people use to illustrate members of congress doing favors for constituents in their district, S: private influence over public policy the people the member of congress feels responsible for. The more c/s they can do, the more votes they can get w/o making any enemies

When government policies are designed to regulate commerce, what does this mean? The policies are designed to develop infrastructure, support research and education, or encourage new investment. The policies are intended to keep the economy within a relatively narrow range of growth and decline. The policies impose costs on one group and offer benefits to another group. The policies provide the rules for the conduct of business.

The policies provide the rules for the conduct of business.

"spin doctors"

The politicians want the media to adopt their own certain frame - their own interpretation S: Balance is not a good thing because it creates "Balance as Bias."

line-item veto TB

The power of an executive to veto individual lines or items within a piece of legislation without vetoing the entire bill.

judicial review

The power of the courts to declare an act of Congress/President/State unconstitutional, therefore void. S: courts are political institutions and judges are politicians - judges interpret the constitution and take sides on political controversies

"commander - in - chief' clause

The president has control over the armed forces and can go on military escapades without Congress declaring war. S: most important clause that allows the president to dominate foreign policy The President is strong in foreign policy, but weak in domestic power.

Electoral Votes

The presidential vote choices of electors who have been selected through the state popular vote to participate in the Electoral College.

What is the PRIMARY purpose of the national party conventions held in late summer?

The primary purpose of the national party conventions held in late summer is to establish a party platform and attract media attention to the party and its candidates.

Minority leader

The principal leader of the minority party in the House of Representatives or in the Senate.

the 'fireman first" principle

The principle that describes that the bureaucracy will threaten to cut the thing that is most painful if you try to cut their budget S: -Illustrates Bureaupathology and that Bureaucracies only want to expand and not decrease

*Free Riders*

The problem faced by unions and other groups when people do not join because they can benefit from the group's activities without officially joining.

How has an increased media focus on exonerations and wrongful executions led the public to change its perspective on the death penalty? A majority of Texans have called for the death penalty to be applied only when the defendant's guilt can be irrefutably proven by DNA evidence. The public has developed a more nuanced perspective on the use of the death penalty, considering it in terms of accuracy rather than just morality. Texans' support for the death penalty has declined dramatically, and a majority now oppose capital punishment for the first time in the history of the state. A majority of Texans have indicated support for more extensive appeals processes for death-row inmates and an increase in taxes to cover these costs.

The public has developed a more nuanced perspective on the use of the death penalty, considering it in terms of accuracy rather than just morality.

discount rate

The rate at which the Federal Reserve Board lends money to the banks to balance the economy. S: The central bank created to help control this. raise interests to stop borrowing and lower interests to encourage borrowing and the independent power of the fed raises questions of democratic legitimacy.

Closed polling

The requirement to vote at one specific precinct which you are assigned to, rather than voting anywhere you'd like. ***low turnout prob

Constituents

The residents of a congressional district or state. voters

4. The practice of moving from government positions to working for interest groups is called

The revolving door

What happens after a defendant is found guilty of a capital felony in a case where the death penalty is sought? The defendant is transferred directly to death row to await execution. The ruling is automatically appealed to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. The case is offered to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, whose judges vote on whether to hear the appeal. The details of the case are automatically sent to the governor, who may then decide whether to grant a reprieve.

The ruling is automatically appealed to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

Presidential coattails

The situation occurring when voters cast their ballots for congressional candidates of the president's party because they support the president. the party of a victorious presidential candidate will often win many seats in Congress as well; these congressmen are voted into office "on the coattails" of the president.

inflation

The steadily falling value of the dollar as prices rise. S: The central bank created to help control this. Independent power of the fed raises questions of democratic legitimacy

Wesberry v. Sanders

The supreme court decision made in 1964 that stated that drawing congressional lines to favor rural interest was unconstitutional. Now it is the one person one vote rule. S: courts are political institutions and judges are politicians Prindle argues that this case discredits the non-political myth because the Supreme Court became political when they took away the power to rural places and gave it to cities.

The Distributive Tendency

The tendency to include pork in every law in order to benefit their districts. S: Congress is locally orientated, they constantly overspend in order to bring pork to their district.

Osama Bin Laden

The terrorist, mastermind of 9/11 and killed by CIA in 2011 S: There were excessive leaks of his execution (endangered agents), and the media was given the opportunity to present the information to the public.

Filibuster

The unlimited debate in the Senate designed for the minority to obstruct the majority. S: One way that members of congress prevent anything from being done. The minority are allowed to paralyze the American government today so the majority can paralyze the American government in the future.

power to persuade

The use of personal influence to manage relationships with the legislature and the bureaucracy during the session; Texas legislature

What happens if there is a judicial vacancy outside of the normal electoral calendar? The vacancy is filled by someone appointed by the relevant elected official(s). A special election is held so that the voters can select someone to fill the vacancy. The attorney general appoints someone to fill the vacancy. The position remains vacant until the next scheduled election.

The vacancy is filled by someone appointed by the relevant elected official(s).

public morality

The values and principles of right and wrong pertaining to public policies and actions.

Balancing Test

The view of the majority of the Supreme Court that First Amendment rights must be weighed against the competing needs of the community to preserve order.

Engel v. Vitale

The wall gets higher in 1962 with the Supreme Court decision holding that state officials violated the First Amendment when they wrote a prayer to be recited by New York's schoolchildren.

bully pulpit

Theodore Roosevelt's description of the presidency as a position from which one can command attention and attempt persuasion

Suppose that a politician said that the United States economy adhered to strict laissez-faire capitalism. Which of the following facts make this statement inaccurate? Production and consumption decisions are made by private actors. The prices of goods are driven by the market. The United States protects private property rights. There are publicly owned companies such as Amtrak and the Tennessee Valley Authority.

There are publicly owned companies such as Amtrak and the Tennessee Valley Authority.

What happens if no candidate wins a majority of votes in a Texas primary election? There is a runoff election between the two candidates with the most votes to decide who will run in the general election. The two candidates with the most votes both appear on the ballot in the general election. The local party chairman selects the candidate that will represent the party in the general election. There is a special party convention to decide which candidate will run in the general election.

There is a runoff election between the two candidates with the most votes to decide who will run in the general election.

Bureaucracies rely on complex procedures to make sure that laws are consistent and fair across a wide range of situations. What is the end result of this? Bureaucratic jobs are the generally the most intellectually demanding in all of government, which tends to make it difficult for governments to find qualified candidates to fill all the necessary positions. Legislators ultimately pass fewer laws to ensure that bureaucracies aren't overloaded by their tasks. Bureaucracies accomplish their various tasks in the most effective, efficient way possible. There is an inherent degree of red tape involved in bureaucracies, which tends to make citizens frustrated because things often take longer than expected.

There is an inherent degree of red tape involved in bureaucracies, which tends to make citizens frustrated because things often take longer than expected.

3. An open seat election is one in which

There is no incumbent in the race

*Democratic caucus*

There's a House Democratic Caucus and a Senate Democratic Caucus House: Nominates and elects democratic party leadership in the US HOR. Writes and enforces rules of conduct and discipline for its members, approves committee assignments, and serves as the primary forum for development of party policy and legislative priorities. Senate: Formal organization of current 44 Democratic senators in the US. Communicates the party's message to and unifying all of its members.

Which of the following is true of the Texas district courts? These courts have original jurisdiction in all felony criminal cases, divorce cases, and cases involving title to land. These courts do not specialize in particular kinds of law. These courts have appellate jurisdiction in all cases involving foreign nationals or citizens of other states. These courts take on fewer cases than the U.S. district courts.

These courts have original jurisdiction in all felony criminal cases, divorce cases, and cases involving title to land.

In what way(s) have data and research taken over specific functions of campaigns? They are used to gain national media attention. They are used to reinforce strategic images that campaigns seek to promote. They are used to get local and regional TV coverage. They are used to help a candidate get to know individuals or groups.

They are used to help a candidate get to know individuals or groups.

Why do elected leaders and other political actors use elements of political culture to assist them in their efforts? Invoking elements of political culture is the only means by which they can communicate with voters. They are not generally capable of original thinking. Invoking elements of political culture enables them to change this culture. They can use political culture to influence voters.

They can use political culture to influence voters.

Which of the following is a common reason that voters may be disqualified from voting? They lost their voter registration card. They did not re-register to vote after moving. They lack a high school diploma. Their driver's license does not reflect their correct address.

They did not re-register to vote after moving.

A campaign strategy that works in one place might not work in another, and so members of Congress must do what?

They must develop a "home style" that meets the expectations of district voters.

What role do public schools play in the process of political socialization? They encourage debate over controversial issues and require political participation in the community. They attempt to influence students to support politically conservative policies and candidates. They teach political history and promote patriotism and civic engagement. They attempt to influence students to support politically liberal policies and candidates.

They teach political history and promote patriotism and civic engagement.

Marbury V. Madision

U.S. Supreme Court ruling (1803) that established the power of the court to review acts of Congress and declare invalid those it found in conflict with the Constitution

Why have Texans adopted a "low taxes, low services" approach to government? Texas politicians who have suggested income taxes have committed "political suicide." The Texas government is not equipped to offer services that are on par with those of other states. Texas's population is wealthy enough to have little need for government services. This approach has developed out of Texas's balance between classical liberalism, social conservatism, and populism.

This approach has developed out of Texas's balance between classical liberalism, social conservatism, and populism.

Getting the Nomination

To become their party's candidate, they have to win enough primaries or caucuses in the states

Majority whip

To know where everybody in their party stands and make sure that there are enough votes from their respective party, Majority

Minority whip

To know where everybody in their party stands and make sure that there are enough votes from their respective party, Minority

Stare Decisis TB

To stand on decided cases; the judicial policy of following precedents established by past decisions.

How do most states currently select their presidential nominees?

Today, the majority of states use direct primaries to select each party's presidential nominee.

How might voters exposed to poll results be influenced by the "bandwagon effect"? Voters may spend too much time and energy worrying about polls and not enough time researching the candidates. Voters are likely to vote in a way contrary to their own political beliefs. Voters may be misled into thinking their candidate is winning when he or she is actually losing. Undecided voters are likely to cast their ballots for the candidate they think is the probable winner.

Undecided voters are likely to cast their ballots for the candidate they think is the probable winner.

The U.S. military operates its own court system that governs the behavior of men and women in the armed services under the: Defense Judiciary System Military Tribunal System Circuit of Defense Magistrates Uniform Code of Military Justice Federal Circuit Court

Uniform Code of Military Justice

The only national representative assembly in the world that can be said to govern is the: National Diet of Japan United States Congress British House of Lords British House of Commons Russian Duma

United States Congress

The scope of executive privilege was clarified in the court case: United States v. Nixon Bush v. Gore Hamdan v. Rumsfeld Clinton v. Jones New York Times v. United States

United States v. Nixon

Planned Parenthood V. Casey

Upheld abortion rights (Roe V. Wade asserted to mean there cannot be a complete ban on abortion), but added that states can put more restrictions

Grutter V. Bollinger

Upheld the affirmative action policy of the University for Michigan Law School. Upheld the Bakke ruling that race could be a consideration in admissions policy but that quotas are illegal.

11. The issue positions of minor parties are usually

Very different from those of the major parties and most Americans

Formal powers of congress

Veto power, command armed forces, pardoning power, appointment powers, make treaties, convene Congress

Revolution of 1800

Vice President Thomas Jefferson defeated President John Adams. The election was a realigning election that replaced the Federalists with the Democratic-Republican Party

Committee hearing

What comes before the committee markup?

Bill is referred to committee

What happens before a bill is assigned to a subcommittee?

Bill introduction by sponsor and cosponsors

What happens before a bill is referred to committee?

Committee markup

What happens before a bill tries to go to the floor

Floor debate, amendments and vote

What happens before conference committee ?

Re-vote in each chamber

What happens before the presidential signature or veto?

Conference committee

What happens before the re-vote in each chamber?

Bill is assigned to a subcommittee

What happens before the subcommittee hearing?

Subcommittee hearing

What happens before the subcommittee markup?

Bill goes to Rules committee

What happens in the House before a bill goes to the floor for debate, amendments and vote?

Unanimous consent agreement is reached about the bill

What happens in the Senate before the bill goes to the floor for debate, amendments and vote?

Divided government

When a branch of government is in a different party from the other branches (Legislative, Exec, Judicial)

Unified government

When all three branches of government are the same party

Which of the following statements is true of public opinion in Texas? Public opinion is often unpredictable, and strikingly different from what political culture might suggest. When survey researchers measure an attitude, they are really measuring an individual's predispositions and information. Public polling is largely used by academics and ignored by elected officials. Public attitudes on major issues tend to change rapidly and unexpectedly.

When survey researchers measure an attitude, they are really measuring an individual's predispositions and information.

What is the impact of the attorney general on public policy? When the attorney general issues an opinion on public policy, there is little public notice. The attorney general does not get involved in issues of public policy. When the attorney general issues an opinion on public policy, his opinions have the force of law. The attorney general's office is responsible for writing a significant portion of Texas's public policy.

When the attorney general issues an opinion on public policy, his opinions have the force of law.

balance as bias

When the media presents both sides (truths and lies - gives them undue creditability) as equivalent S: Leads to confusion of the public which is bad for the dialogue of democracy

dissenting opinion

a decision written by a justice who voted with the minority opinion in a particular case, in which the justice fully explains the reasoning behind his or her opinion

clientele agency

a department of bureau of government whose mission is to promote, serve, or represent a particular interest

10. In American politics, minor parties

Win few offices at any level of government

Which state was the first to implement a statewide primary administered by government officials rather than party leaders?

Wisconsin in the early 1900s.

5. Purposive benefits come from ---; solidary benefits come from ---.

Working to achieve a desired policy goal; working with like-minded people

regulatory agencies

a department, bureau, or independent agency whose primary mission is to eliminate or restrict certain behaviors defined as negative in themselves or negative in their consequences

*Constituents*

You, the person who elected them into office

Plessy V. Ferguson

a 1896 Supreme Court decision which legalized state ordered segregation so long as the facilities for blacks and whites were equal

Hatch Act

a 1939 law prohibiting federal employees from engaging in political campaigning and solicitation

sunshine law

a 1976 law requiring that federal government meetings be held in public

Which of the following individuals would be allowed to vote in Texas? a U.S. citizen who has been a resident of Texas for 25 days an 18-year-old U.S. citizen and Texas resident who is currently on felony parole a 30-year-old green card holder who has been a resident of Texas for three years a 25-year-old U.S. citizen who has been a Texas resident for ten years

a 25-year-old U.S. citizen who has been a Texas resident for ten years

Which of the following individuals could serve as governor of Texas? a 55-year-old white male U.S. citizen who's lived in Texas for four years a 60-year-old white female with a green card who's lived in Texas for 25 years a 28-year-old black male U.S. citizen who's lived in Texas for ten years a 40-year-old Latina U.S. citizen who's spent her whole life in Texas

a 40-year-old Latina U.S. citizen who's spent her whole life in Texas

Which of the following individuals would be MOST likely to vote, according to statistical trends on demographic data and voter turnout? a 30-year-old woman with a high school diploma a 70-year-old woman with a bachelor's degree a 50-year-old man with no high school education a 20-year-old man with an associate's degree

a 70-year-old woman with a bachelor's degree

open seat

a House or Senate race with no incumbent because of death or retirement

pro tempore

a Latin phrase meaning "for the time being," which in a legislative context refers to certain temporary leadership positions

Deism

a belief that God created the world but does not intervene in its affairs.

money bill

a bill concerned solely with taxation or government spending

appropriations bill

a bill that authorizes the expenditure of money for a public purpose

appropriations bill

a bill that authorizes the expenditure of money for a public purpose; in most cases, money cannot be drawn from the state treasury without specific appropriations

Which of the following problems can reduce the governor's ability to leverage his or her status as a figurehead? being too old or too young a lack of media connections a tendency to speak his or her mind a bland personality

a bland personality

Freedom of expression

a broad term to characterize what many believe the First Amendment was designed to protect, incorporating freedom of speech and press as well as expressive conduct.

progressive movement

a broadly based political, social, and business reform movement that arose as a response to the effects of industrialization after the Civil War and reached its height in the early 20th century

What is considered a disadvantage of using the Electoral College system to select the president?

a candidate can win the popular vote nationally and still lose the election, as happened in the 2000 contest between George W. Bush and Al Gore. it concentrates campaign activity in battleground or swing states, which are those in which support for the major candidates is evenly divided. involves its inherent bias toward the two major parties.

ripeness

a case that is ready for litigation and does not depend on hypothetical future events

supremacy clause

a clause of Article VI of the Constitution that states that all laws passed by the national government and all treaties are the supreme laws of the land and superior to all laws adopted by any state or any subdivision

iron triangle

a close, stable connection among agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees

department

a collection of federal agencies that report to a secretary who serves in the presidents cabinet

Joint committee

a committee composed of members from each house appointed by their respective presiding officers to study a particular issue or group of issues when the legislature is not in session

ad hoc committee

a committee created by the house or senate as occasion demands to study a specific problem or policy area for a specified period of time (aka special committee)

Select committee

a committee created by the speaker of the house or the lieutenant governor to study specific issues, problems, or questions

temporary committee

a committee created for a limited time to carry out a specific purpose, such as reconciling differences between the house and senate versions of a bill or studying a specific problem or policy area

original jurisdiction

a court's authority to hear and decide cases for the first time

mootness

a criterion used by courts to avoid hearing cases that no longer require resolution

Demagogue

a dangerous popular leader who appeals to base emotions of the people or flatters them to gain power.

Direct incitement test

a doctrine promulgated by the Supreme Court in the twentieth century, according to which the government may suppress political speech that directly incites violence, but not the "advocacy of forcible overthrow as an abstract doctrine. **READ UP

Compared the Constitution of the U.S. which has been amended 27 times since 1791, the Constitution of Texas has been amended: a far fewer number of times a fewer number of times about the same number of times a few more times a far greater number of times

a far greater number of times

What is the bully pulpit? the act of the governor bullying the legislature into supporting his policies a figurative soapbox the governor can stand on to loudly build support for his priorities the use of the governorship to push a religious agenda Teddy Roosevelt's idea that governors should behave like bullies.

a figurative soapbox the governor can stand on to loudly build support for his priorities

plural executive

a form of state government in which many or most top executive branch officials win office through popular election, creating officeholders with significant independence from the governor

Impeachment

a formal accusation by the House of Representatives (passed by a majority vote) that an officer of the United States has committed "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors." It results in removal if the Senate subsequently convicts by a twothirds vote.

resolutions

a formal expression of opinion or decision, other than a proposed a law, that may be offered for approval to one or both of the houses of legislature by a member of the house or senate

resolution

a formal expression of opinion or decision, other than a proposed law that may be offered for approval to one or both houses of the legislature by a member of the house or senate

writ of certiorari

a formal request by an appellant to have the Supreme Court review a decision of a lower court; "to make more certain"

indictment

a formal written accusation submitted to a court by a grand jury alleging that a specific person has committed a specific crime, usually a felony

What does it take to override the comptroller? a veto from the governor's office a simple majority in both houses of the legislature the death of the comptroller a four-fifths majority in both houses of the legislature

a four-fifths majority in both houses of the legislature

conference committee

a group of representatives from both the House and Senate who iron out the differences between the two chambers versions of a bill or resolution

Calendars Committee

a house committee that is charged with scheduling the time that each bill or resolution with be taken up for consideration by the members of that chamber

conference committee

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

adversarial system

a key feature of the Anglo American common law tradition in which the parties on either side of a legal action take the position of opponents or adversaries before the court, which decided the winner of the legal conflict

class-action suit

a lawsuit in which a large number of persons with common interests join together under a representative party to bring or defend a lawsuit, as when hundreds of workers join together to sue a company

logrolling

a legislative practice wherein reciprocal agreements are made between legislators, usually in voting for or against a bill

Civil religion

a nondenominational belief that accepts the existence of fundamental principles of right and wrong and embraces a conviction that Americans should seek the protection of a higher power. It also includes the notion of American exceptionalism and a special attachment to national rituals and symbols. (See also American exceptionalism.) Religious faith and symbols drawn from national history.

party caucus (party conference)

a normally closed meeting of a political or legislative group to select candidates or leaders, plan strategy, or make decisions regarding legislative matters

party activist

a partisan who contributes time, energy, and effort to support a party and its candidates

standing committee

a permanent legislative committee that considers legislation within its designated subject area; the basic unit of deliberation in the House and the Senate

A man is accused of holding up a liquor store and stealing hundreds of dollars from the cash register. Where is this case heard first? a. state-level trial court b. federal district court c. federal circuit court of appeal d. the People's Court e. the Supreme Court

a. state-level trial court

What portion of Texans strongly or somewhat support the death penalty, according to a 2015 poll? around half about one-third more than eight out of ten about three-quarters

about three-quarters

efficient aspect

according to Walter Bagehot, the aspect of government that involves making policy, administering the laws and settling disputes

At a basic level, what is the primary goal of most political advertising? Choose the BEST answer. explaining a candidate's policy positions in detail outlining the differences between two candidates mobilizing voters to go to the polls achieving name recognition for a candidate

achieving name recognition for a candidate

Lobby

activities in which individuals seek to persuade political leaders, and influence a certain legislation or policy to be shaped and formed a specific way.

What is the primary role of the Texas Secretary of State? preventing voter fraud keeping records of state transactions administering elections approving and implementing state financial reforms

administering elections

The application of rules and precedents to specific cases to settle disputes with regulated parties is: oversight rule making administrative evil administrative adjudication civilian law

administrative adjudication

Gratz V. Bollinger

affirmative action case; a point system for admission in which points were given for race was ruled unconstitutional; too much like a quota system; upheld Bakke case

When is an indictment issued? during the punishment phase of a trial after the prosecuting attorney's formal written accusation has been presented to and accepted by a grand jury when the arresting officers file a petition to initiate grand jury proceedings with the district attorney's office after the accused requests release from custody for the duration of the trial

after the prosecuting attorney's formal written accusation has been presented to and accepted by a grand jury

independent regulatory agencies

agencies with quasi-judicial responsibilities that are meant to be carried out in a manner free of presidential interference

By implementing the laws and policies passed by elected officials, bureaucrats can be seen as: principals of the Congress and the presidency principals of the American people simple "cogs in the machine" with little influence on policy enablers of frequent sweeping changes in public policy agents of the Congress and the presidency

agents of the Congress and the presidency

party caucus

all Democratic members of the House or Senate; Members in caucus elect party leaders, ratify the choice of committee leaders and debate party positions on issues

king of the mountain rule

allow a number of (frequently conflicting) amendment to be offered, but they specify that only the last amendment that receives a majority will be adopted

Hold

allows one or more Senators to prevent a piece of legislation from reaching a vote on the Senate floor.

State of the Union address

an address delivered by the president to a joint session of Congress each year, usually in January, describing the state of the nation and proposing policy initiatives.

endrun

an agency's effort to avoid OMB controls by appealing to its allies in Congress

executive agreement

an agreement between the president and another country that has the force of a treaty but does not require the Senate's "advice and consent"

Unanimous consent agreement

an agreement negotiated in the Senate before floor debate begins, to specify the terms of debate. These require the approval of all interested senators.

Executive agreement

an agreement reached between the president of the United States and a foreign nation on matters that do not require formal treaties (and therefore Senate approval). These may be either sole-executive agreements, which a president makes on his own authority, or congressional-executive agreements, which are approved by both the president and Congress

unanimous consent agreement

an agreement that sets forth the terms and conditions according to which the Senate will consider a bill; these agreements are individually negotiated by the leadership for each bill

lieutenant governor

an elected executive official who is both first in line to succeed the governor and the president of the senate, where the office's chief power and authority reside

Commissioner of agriculture

an elected official who implements and enforces the state's agricultural laws

critical election

an election marked by significant shifts in established voting patterns

Filibuster

an exceptionally long speech, which can last for a day or days, that is used to prevent the adoption of certain pieces of legislation "clogs" bill process, pressure to remove clog, only way to get filibuster to stop is to stop bill

When individuals enroll in college, they do so to obtain an education that primarily serves to provide them with private benefits, such as the prospect of higher income, a better career choice, or knowledge about subjects of interest. However, each additional college graduate in a state also provides the public benefit of showing potential employers that a state has a well-educated workforce, increasing the chance that jobs will move to the state. This public benefit is an example of: capital. an externality. a public good. redistributive policy.

an externality.

party identification

an individual's attachment to a particular political party, which might be based on issues, ideology, past experience, or upbringing

Hold

an informal practice in the Senate that allows a member to request the leader to hold up action on a bill, presidential nomination, or other matter.

senatorial courtesy

an informal rule that the senate will not confirm nominees for positions within a state unless it has the approval of the state's senior senator from the presidents party

Enlightenment

an intellectual movement of the 1700s that stressed the power of reason and took a scientific approach to morality.

point of order

an objection claiming that a legislative body's rules of order have not been followed for a bill undergoing floor debate, thus rendering the bill ineligible for further consideration

power to persuade

an officeholder's ability to promote his or her political agenda by virtue of the attention automatically paid to the occupant of the office

concurrence

an opinion agreeing with the decision of the majority but not with the rationale provided in the majority opinion

Writ of mandamus

an order from a court to an officer of the government or to a lower court requiring the performance of some mandatory, or ministerial, duty.

Political Action Committee (PAC)

an organization that raises money privately to influence elections or legislation, especially at the federal level.

political party

an organized group that attempts to influence the government by electing its members to important government offices

state of the union address

annual speech delivered by the president in late January or early February in fulfillment of the constitutional obligation of reporting to Congress the state of the union

Lame duck session

any session of Congress that occurs after a national election and before the new Congress has convened.

winner take all voting

any voting procedure in which the candidate with the most votes gets all of the seats or delegates at stake

The practice of "going public" means: introducing new legislative ideas to the president's cabinet revealing a newly proposed policy to the legislative appealing to the citizenry to support a policy revealing truths about a candidate's sexual orientation leaking information about a potential policy to gauge public support

appealing to the citizenry to support a policy

Which judges have to satisfy the most rigorous requirements before they can assume their posts? appeals court judges constitutional county court judges district court judges justices of the peace

appeals court judges

local bills

apply only to a limited geographic area or local government

general bills

apply to all individuals and property in Texas

special bills

apply to specific individuals or type of property

Major committees

appropriations, finance, budget, foreign relations

Senate

approve nominations to supreme court

Woodrow Wilson

believed president should be skilled orators, and office should be CENTER FOR POLICY MAKING. Promoted rhetoric as essential to presidential leadership. __________ established the foundations of the modern presidency. but Franklin Roosevelt completed the structure.

ex-officio members

board or commission members who automatically serve because of some other position they occupy

Patriotism

both an emotional and a rational attachment to the nation, a public spirit strong enough to inspire sacrifice.

Which of the following is an example of concurrent jurisdiction? both the local police and the FBI having the authority to deal with a case a court having the authority to hear two cases at the same time a court having the authority to hear a case first a court being able to hear cases only after they've been tried in another court first

both the local police and the FBI having the authority to deal with a case

Types of interest groups (business, union, single interest, etc)

business: #1 Union: Labor interest groups advocate for the economic interests of workers and trade organizations Professional Orgs: organize to rep. professional workers (st.s reg. how long you need to apprentice before you can be teacher/Dr.) Ideological/single interest: NRA only interested in guns Public interest/advocacy groups: environmental, charities, promote public well-being

The bill to fund the F35 Joint Strike Fighter, which created jobs in several congressional districts demonstrates the principle of: a) policy allocation b) central frequency c) the distributive tendency d) interest group pluralism e) the difference principle

c) the distributive tendency

The traditional but informal designation for the heads of all the major departments of the federal government in the United States is the: cabinet executive office White House staff executive service National Security Council

cabinet

Theodore Roosevelt

called the presidency a bully pulpit. believed president was "a steward of the people bound actively and affirmatively to do all he could for the people."

According to the public policy watchdog group Texans for Public Justice, the Texas Supreme Court is more likely to hear appeals filed by whom? minorities and women campaign contributors Republicans law firms with excellent reputations

campaign contributors

House

can start bills about raising revenue

Which of the following characteristics allow judges to make the kind of unbiased and well-reasoned decisions necessary for a credible justice system? impartiality and logic capability and independence kindness and impartiality liberalism and logic

capability and independence

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has discretion to hear criminal appeals and does not have to hear all cases, with what exception? capital punishment cases criminal cases domestic violence cases felony cases

capital punishment cases

electoral vote

cast by electors with each state receiving one vote for each of its members in the House of Representatives and one vote for each of its members in the Senate

superdelegate

certain party leaders- members of the US Congress, governors, members of the national committee, who became automatic or ex-officio delegates

The Texas Supreme Court has final jurisdiction over which of the following types of cases appealed through the state courts? criminal cases cases involving the death penalty civil cases cases involving federal law

civil cases

A department or bureau of government whose mission is to promote, serve, or represent a particular interest is called a(n) _____ agency welfare revenue clientele regulatory interest

clientele

A movie theater is an example of a: club good. common good. private good. public good.

club good.

What must an independent candidate do to be listed on the general election ballot? file a declaration of independent candidacy send a written request to the Texas secretary of state collect signatures on a nominating petition pay a filing fee

collect signatures on a nominating petition

standing committee

committee with fixed membership and jurisdiction, continuing from Congress to Congress ex: Appropriations, Commerce, Foreign Relations

What legal system does the United States rely on? statutory law precedent law public law common law

common law

Packing

concentrating partisan voters in a single district in order to maximize the number of representatives that can be elected by the opposition in other districts all ppl of one group in one place

Symbolic speech

conduct by which people sometimes express their political feelings without using speech as such; for example, burning the American flag as a sign of protest. Also called "expressive conduct."

Expressive conduct

conduct by which people sometimes express their political feelings without using speech as such; for example, burning the American flag as a sign of protest. Also called "symbolic speech."

congressional budget office

congressional agency that evaluates the president's budget as well as the budgetary implications of all other legislation

rotation practices

congressional district's political factions took turns holding the congressional seat

override

congressional passage of a bill by a two-thirds vote despite the president's veto

Herculean task of Texas legislators

consider numerous and diverse pieces of legislation while working only part time and having only limited expertise on many topics they consider

Regulations against a single group or individual owning multiple broadcast companies have gone largely unenforced for decades. A consequence of discontinuing these regulations has been the: proliferation of many new venues for content distribution. diversification of viewpoints expressed in various media outlets. consolidation of many newspapers, radio stations, and TV stations into large companies. increased usage of the Internet as a source of political information.

consolidation of many newspapers, radio stations, and TV stations into large companies.

Over one quarter of a congressional representative's time and nearly two-thirds of his or her staff's time is devoted to: floor debate constituency services (casework) legislative research giving speeches and making TV appearances travel between Washington, D.C. and their home district

constituency services (casework)

bicameral

containing two chambers, as does a legislature such as the US Congress

The two most common types of civil cases involve: contracts and torts robbery and murder traffic offenses and mail fraud tax evasion and illegal drugs illegal drugs and petty thievery

contracts and torts

Suppose that a local news broadcast includes an announcement of the location and time of a neighborhood's next Neighborhood Watch meeting. What role of the press does this serve? coordinating public actions interpreting developments in news providing essential information for informed political decisions serving as a watchdog of the government

coordinating public actions

Which of the following local trial courts has appellate jurisdiction over cases appealed from other courts? county courts statutory probate courts municipal courts justice of the peace courts

county courts

In the process of administrative adjudication, executive agents act essentially like a(n): legislature court police agency interest group therapist

court

Imagine that a newspaper called the Faux Gazette tries to cover stories on all topics it considers to be politically relevant. However, when the Gazette reports stories on threats to national security, this paper chooses to give less column space to these stories than it does to other stories. What is this an example of? coverage bias gatekeeping bias misrepresentation statement bias

coverage bias

Which of the following institutions serves as a solution to Congress's collective action problems? a) party leadership b) committees c) congressional staffers d) all of the above

d) all of the above

When President Jimmy Carter declared official legal forgiveness for all the draft evaders of the Vietnam War, he was said to have granted: a) paroles b) pardons c) reprieves d) amnesty e) forgiveness

d) amnesty

Which of the following is NOT one of the President's expressed powers? a) receive ambassadors b) faithfully execute the laws c) appoint federal judges d) declare war e) command the national military

d) declare war

Which of the following is NOT one of the President's expressed powers? a) receive ambassadors b) faithfully execute the laws c) appoint federal judges d) declare war e) command the national military

d) declare war (the President has the expressed power to receive ambassadors, faithfully execute the laws, appoint federal judges, and command the national military)

An understanding between the president and another country that has the force of a treaty but does not require Senate authorization is called a(n): a) bilateral accord b) international accord c) presidential treaty d) executive agreement e) organizational edict

d) executive agreement

President Obama has given speeches following school shootings calling on Congress to pass new gun control legislation. This is an example of what kind of Presidential power? a) expressed b) invested c) delegated d) inherent e) manifest

d) inherent, called legislative initiative

From 1817 to 1825, the state of New York constructed the Erie Canal to connect the Hudson River to Lake Erie. This created a waterway from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, and the ensuing trade benefited large portions of the population. Construction of the Erie Canal was an example of what kind of policy? distributive policy regulatory policy monetary policy redistributive policy

distributive policy

majority-minority district

district in which a minority group is the numerical majority of the population

Memorial and Remonstrance

document written by James Madison in 1785 opposing the use of tax money to support Christian religious instruction and making the case for freedom of religion. **READ UP

gerrymandering

drawing boundary lines of congressional districts in order to confer an advantage on some partisan or political interest

redistricting

drawing new boundaries of congressional districts, usually after the decennial census

In U.S. political system who oversees the bureaucracy? a) congress b) president c) federal courts d) the people e) all of the above

e) all of the above

casework

efforts by members of Congress to help individuals and groups when they have difficulties with federal agencies

constituency service

efforts by members of Congress to secure federal funding for their districts and to help constituents when they have difficulties with federal agencies

In order to be listed on the Republican or Democratic primary ballot in Texas, what must a candidate do? either collect signatures on a nominating petition or pay a filing fee file a declaration of write-in candidacy be selected at the party's nominating convention receive at least 5 percent of all votes cast in the previous general election

either collect signatures on a nominating petition or pay a filing fee

Unlike federal judges, Texas state judges are _____ elected by the University of Texas Board of Regents selected by the Texas Senate appointed by the Governor, confirmed by the Texas Senate elected by a majority vote by both Houses of the Texas legislature elected by Texas voters

elected by Texas voters

presidential primaries

elections held for the purpose of selecting or instructing national convention delegates

The main value of the vice presidency as a political resource for the president is: personal electoral legislative administrative ambassadorial

electoral

The practice of punishing repeat offenders more harshly than first-time offenders is known as what? enhanced punishment felony punishment three strikes and you're out fair play

enhanced punishment

House of Representatives

entire body elected every 2 yrs 435 reps @ least 25 yrs old special pwrs: originates all tax bills and brings impeachment charges

Compared to the Senate, the small size and relative homogeneity of the House districts, combines with more frequent elections, make House members: more likely to work on a broad range of legislative issues more likely to be defeated in general elections less likely to travel back home to visit with constituents especially responsive to cues from the party leaders especially responsive to the legislative needs of local interest groups

especially responsive to the legislative needs of local interest groups

An understanding between the president and another country that has the force of a treaty but does not require Senate authorization is called a(n): bilateral accord international pact presidential treaty executive agreeement organizational edict

executive agreeement

Thomas Jefferson

exercised executive prerogative in Louisiana purchase

commerce

extensive jurisdiction over a wide variety of policy levels and areas

In both the U.S. and Texas systems of government, the number two Executive officer presides over the Senate. Compared to the Vice-President and the U.S. Senate, the Lt. Governor's power in the Texas Senate is far less than the power the Vice-President exercises in the U.S Senate somewhat less than the power the Vice-President exercises in the U.S Senate about the same as the power the Vice-President exercises in the U.S Senate a little greater than the power the Vice-President exercises in the U.S Senate far greater than the power the Vice-President exercises in the U.S. Senate

far greater than the power the Vice-President exercises in the U.S. Senate

suspension of the rules

fast track procedure for considering cills and resolutions in the House; debate is limited to 40 minutes, no amendments are in order and a two-thirds majority is required for passage

Policies having to do with taxing and spending are generally referred to as: fiscal welfare monetary pecuniary treasury

fiscal

Taxing and spending decisions by governments are part of: distributive policy. fiscal policy. monetary policy. redistributive policy.

fiscal policy.

In summer 2011, Congress debated whether to raise the debt limit. Some reports focused more on the negative consequences of a poor credit rating in the case of default, while others discussed how Tea Party members of Congress pushed for fiscal austerity. What kinds of effect might these different stories have on readers and viewers? agenda setting distorting framing priming

framing

Which of the following has been a consequence of the proliferation of new media outlets such as cable TV networks and websites? an emphasis on unbiased and balanced news coverage development of political wires such as the Associated Press (AP) freedom of programmers to appeal to specific tastes and political attitudes the rise of mass newspapers that print sensationalized stories

freedom of programmers to appeal to specific tastes and political attitudes

The committee system

fundamentally shapes the work of the Texas Legislature, influencing what bills are considered and how far they advance through the long legislative process

Republican Conference

gathering of the House republicans to elect leaders It hosts meetings and is the primary forum for communicating the party's message to members

joint committee

membership between both houses

For the most part, Congress has assigned federal court jurisdictions on the basis of: function ideology geography level of government type of law involved in the case

geography

Drawing district lines in such as way as to give unfair advantage to one political party is known as: apportionment salamandering gerrymandering cue-taking carpet-bagging

gerrymandering

United States v. O'Brien

governing case for determining whether the law may restrict expressive conduct that interferes with some important government interest. Prohibited burning draft cards as political protest. effect on free speech was only incidental and so OK.

Social policy is defined as: a federal government program that provides basic income assistance to retired elderly people and the disabled. a federal government program that provides coupons for poor people to buy food. a federal government program that provides temporary income assistance to the poor. government actions intended to provide a basic level of assistance with income, safety, education, housing, and health care for certain categories of people at risk.

government actions intended to provide a basic level of assistance with income, safety, education, housing, and health care for certain categories of people at risk.

Pork barrel projects

government projects and grants that primarily benefit the home district or state appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative's district.

Affirmative action

governmental policies that either (1) require special efforts to recruit minorities or women in employment, education, or public contracts or (2) grant preferences to minorities or women in employment, education, or public contracts.

The Senate tends to be a more deliberative body than the House in part because the Senate has more rules governing the lawmaking process is more centralized and organized has a strong commitment to unlimited debate has smaller constituencies has more members and is thus a more diverse set of views

has a strong commitment to unlimited debate

chief of staff

head of the White House staff, who has continuous, direct contact with the president

bureaucracy

hierarchical organizations of officials with responsibility for specific tasks

Relative to other advanced industrialized democracies, the percentage of government spending in the United States that is done by subnational (state and local governments) is: difficult to compare. low. moderate. high.

high

Compared with other advanced industrial societies, the United States' level of inequality is: difficult to compare. high. moderate. low.

high.

Texas political culture

highly skeptical of government and very open to the involvement of business interests in politics

Which of the following features of Rick Perry's tenure was criticized as costly to taxpayers? his use of media attention to shape public attitudes his extensive use of the veto power his frequent use of special sessions his appointment of numerous officials who were loyal to his agenda

his frequent use of special sessions

distributive theory

holds that members defer to their colleagues on policies they care little about in exchange for greater influence on issues that deeply matter to them

The process of accusing an official of misconduct while in office is known as what? filibuster partisan politics indictment impeachment

impeachment

The primary task of bureaucracy is: systems analysis coordination implementation public relations maximization

implementation

African drought bill

in 1994 - A bill to give Ethiopia $60 million for drought relief and eventually 30 riders were attached to the bill leading to over $1.2 billion in pork S: Congress' policy making is incoherent and irresponsible.

Consolidated Appropriations Act

in 2005 Republicans won spots because they were not going to add pork to bills but with this act added $16 bil. S: Rep were just as bad as Dem -> Policy making in Congress tends to be incoherent and irresponsible under both parties. pork problem = overspending

Candy desk

in Senate currently Pat Toomey (R-PA) candy based off of state where senator is from

Cosmopolitanism

in contrast to patriotism, the belief that one's main allegiance should not be to one country but to the world community

cultural asimilation

includes assimilation of identity, language and laws

Bill of rights

includes these rights: 1. Freedom of speech, press, religion, and assembly 2. right to bear arms 3. no quartering of soldiers in peacetime 4. no unreasonable search and seizure without prob cause 5. right to due process, grand jury, no double jeopardy, cant be a witness against ones' self, no self incrimination 6. right to a speedy trial by impartial jury, and legal council 7. trial by jury for civil cases over $20 8. no excessive bail, fines, cruel and unusual punishment 9. people retain other rights not listed

America's Constitutional Rights

includes these rights: • Writ of habeas corpus • No ex post facto laws • no bills of attainder • Only gold and silver legal tender • states may not change/alter/void contracts • trial by jury for criminal cases • conviction of treason requires 2 witnesses • equal privileges across states • no religious test for holding federal office

government corporation

independent organizations created by Congress to fulfill functions related to business

Confederation

instead of a centralized/national organization, there are many states that come together to form one large interest group independent/local

Mass associations

interest groups that have a large number of dues-paying individuals as members

Citizens United v Federal Election Commission

is a U.S. constitutional law and corporate law case dealing with the regulation of campaign spending by organizations. The United States Supreme Court held (5-4) that freedom of speech prohibited the government from restricting independent political expenditures by a nonprofit corporation. The principles articulated by the Supreme Court in the case have also been extended to for-profit corporations, labor unions and other associations.

Majority voting

is a decision rule that selects alternatives which have a majority, that is, more than half the votes. It is the binary decision rule used most often in influential decision-making bodies, such as the legislatures of democratic nations majority voting- majority of votes

Nominating conventions

is a political convention held every four years in the United States by most of the political parties who will be fielding nominees in the upcoming U.S. presidential election. Dems win nom: -You have to get 2382 out of 4,763 votes -Pledged Delegates are the ones you get in primaries and caucuses -There are 4,050 in 2016 Repubs win nom: -You have to get at least 1,237 of 2472 delegates -How do you get delegates? -Texas has 155 Republican delegates

Continuing resolutions

is a type of appropriations legislation. An appropriations bill is a bill that appropriates (gives to, sets aside for) money to specific federal government departments, agencies, and programs.

Winner take all

is an electoral system in which a single political party or group can elect every office within a given district or jurisdiction.

Lobbyist

is someone hired by a business or a cause to persuade legislators to support that business or cause. Lobbyists get paid to win favor from politicians. For example, oil companies send lobbyists to Washington to try to make life easier for oil companies.

Electoral College (how calculated, why NE and ME are unusual, swing states, how many to win, etc)

is the body that elects the President and Vice President of the United States every four years. Citizens of the United States do not directly elect the president or the vice president; instead they choose "electors", who usually pledge to vote for particular candidates. • Calculation: The number of electors from each state equals the state's number of house members (which varies based on state population) plus two senators per state. And each elector is allotted one vote in electoral college • Why are NE and ME unusual? Because they play differently than the winner-take-all system that the other 48 states play by--- "congressional district method", selecting one elector within each congressional district by popular vote and selecting the remaining two electors by a statewide popular vote • Win Requirement: A minimum of 270 out of 538 electoral votes are necessary to win the presidency.

Straight ticket

is the practice of voting for every candidate that a political party has on a general election ballot. ... Often, the voter would choose a specific party, and vote for everyone from that party.

Substantive representation

is when an elected official represents the people in the district no matter what the characteristics of the elected official are (ex. a rich white guy can represent the interests of poor black people)

Even a president with a large majority in the House and a good working majority in the Senate may still struggle to get bills through Congress because: it takes sixty votes to pass a bill in the Senate it takes sixty votes to break a possible filibuster in the Senate it takes eighty votes to break a possible filibuster in the Senate the House Rules Committee is dominated by the minority party a single member of the House can put a "hold" on legislation by request

it takes sixty votes to break a possible filibuster in the Senate

Superdelegates

it's an unpledged delegate, meaning that they're free to support any candidate for the presidential nomination at the Democratic national convention

patronage

jobs, contracts, or favors given by politicians to their friends and allies

Which economic philosophy advocates that the government take a noninterventionist approach to the economy, leaving market forces alone to determine the economic behavior of people and business firms? democratic socialism fascism laissez-faire Marxism

laissez-faire

term limits

laws that restrict elected officials from serving more than a certain number of terms in a given office

The idea of agency representation is similar to the relationship between: seller and buyer parent and child master and pet landlord and tenant lawyer and client

lawyer and client

minority leader

leader of the minority party who coordinates the minority's attempts to improve or defeat majority legislation

independent counsel

legal officer appointed by a court to investigate allegations of criminal activity on the part of high ranking members of the executive branch

pardon

legal release from the penalty or punishment for a violation of the law

bracket bills

legislation or proposed legislation intended to benefit a relatively narrow class of beneficiaries without directly naming them

Pendleton Act

legislation passed in 1883 creating the Civil Service Commission

The president's inherent power to bring a legislative agenda before Congress is known as the power of: legislative orders legislative agenda-setting legislative initiative executive privilege executive orders

legislative initiative

Casework

legislators spend most time doing this Assistance provided by members of congress to their constituents in solving problems with the federal bureaucracy or addressing other specific concerns.

professional legislature

legislature whose members serve full time and for long periods

Like the government of the U.S., Texas has a _____ form of government, meaning the state may only exercise those powers specifically authorized in the constitution limited partial part-time parliamentary ineffective

limited

Registration

low turnout prob

Shaw v Reno

majority-minority districting has limits

Infotainment is: mass media programming that is intended primarily to entertain, but also provides political news. the tendency for the media or a particular media outlet not to report stories of a particular nature. the tendency for the media or a particular media outlet to give less attention in terms of column space or air time to certain kinds of stories or aspects of stories. the tendency for the media or a particular media outlet to interject opinions into the coverage of an issue.

mass media programming that is intended primarily to entertain, but also provides political news.

joint resolutions

mechanism used to propose amendments to the Texas constitution, voters have to approve

Mass media are: media that are intended to be publicly available, or at least targeted at large numbers of people. the methods or technologies people use for communication, such as phones, radio, newspapers, television, and the Internet. the people and organizations that provide content about public affairs—news and commentary—that is disseminated across media. programming that is intended primarily to entertain, but also provides political news.

media that are intended to be publicly available, or at least targeted at large numbers of people.

caucus

meeting of candidates supporters who choose delegates to a state or national convention

whips

members of Congress who serve as informational channels linking the leadership and the rank and file, communicating the leadership's views and intentions to the members and vice versa

Governmental management of the supply of money in the economy, which affects prices, interest rates, and the availability of loans, is called: distributive policy. fiscal policy. monetary policy. redistributive policy.

monetary policy.

soft money

money contributed by interest groups, labor unions and individual donors that is not subject to federal regulation

How much total money was contributed to all Texas political candidates in 2010? more than $200,000,000 around $150,000,000 around $100,000,000 less than $50,000,000

more than $200,000,000

cloture

motion to end debate in the Senate; requires 60 votes to pass

frank

name given to the US mail for sending communications to constituents

Centralized groups

national/central organizations with smaller state organizations under these national ones 1 loc.(DC) lg.

Ideologically, libertarians most prefer government regulation of: economic and social behavior. economic, but not social, behavior. social, but not economic, behavior. neither social nor economic behavior.

neither social nor economic behavior.

outer cabinet

newer departments that have less access to the president but have evolved in such a ways as to provide interest group access to the executive branch of government -interior, agriculture, commerce, labor, health and human services, education, housing and urban development, transportation, energy, veterans affairs, homeland security, EPA

The "penny press" led to the rise of sensational newspapers during what time frame? eighteenth century nineteenth century twentieth century twenty-first century

nineteenth century

closed rule

no debate or amendments allowed

Which ethnic group experienced the slowest population growth rate in Texas from 2000 to 2010? non-Hispanic whites African Americans Asian Americans Latinos

non-Hispanic whites

MORE CONGRSS STUFF

nothing here

Idiot

person who doesn't participate in politics

Civil liberties

personal freedoms that government may not legitimately infringe on, mostly found in the constitution and bill of rights. Examples: such as practicing one's religion,speaking freely, communicating opinions through print and electronic media, and being secure in one's person and property from arbitrary or oppressive government action.

What has been the result of the large racial disparity between the defendants and their judges in the criminal court system? an institutional reluctance to incarcerate minorities, with white judges not wanting to let racism cloud their judgment ongoing criticism of the low number of black judges in the judiciary increased voter turnout in judicial elections, with voters making a concerted effort to try to elect more black judges a concerted effort to appoint more black judges in the criminal court system

ongoing criticism of the low number of black judges in the judiciary

House

originally had 65 members today has 435.

*Formal Powers of Congress*

passing laws, appropriations, confirmation of powers, impeachment, treaty ratification, congressional oversight, declare war, pass laws/resolutions regarding foreign policy issues, regulate foreign commerce, lay and collect taxes

Voter fatigue

people are "Tired of Elections" • Why? - Too Busy - Registration - Absentee Voting - Number of Elections - Voter Attitudes

political activists

people who regularly participate in politics; they are more interested in and committed to particular issues and candidates than are ordinary citizens

Which of the following did the 1991 law creating the Texas Ethics Commission fail to do? ban pleasure trips paid for by lobbyists mandate that lobbyists and legislators file reports with the TEC place a cap on campaign contributions ban honoraria paid by lobbyists

place a cap on campaign contributions

Unlike the United States, Texas has a(n) _____ Executive, meaning each of the 6 separate Executive officers are directly elected by the people plural partial limited part-time ineffective

plural

in and outers

political appointees who come in, go out, and come back again with each change in administration

White House Office

political appointees who work directly for the president, many of whom occupy offices in the White House

527s

political organizations formed primarily to influence elections and therefore exempt from most federal taxes

Which political ideology is concerned primarily with the well-being of ordinary people? populism liberalism social conservatism classical liberalism

populism

One of the most important forms of patronage is _____ or the apportionment of funds to special projects in a member's district. logrolling pork-barrel legislation hog-barrel legislation special set-asides mandate legislation

pork-barrel legislation

coattails

positive electoral effect of a popular presidential candidate on congressional candidates of the president's party

veto power

power giving presidents the capacity to prevent bills passed by Congress from becoming law. It may be overridden by a two-thirds vote in each congressional chamber. Most state governors also have veto power over their legislators

inherent powers

powers claimed by a president that are not expressed in the Constitution but are inferred from it

seniority

practice by which the majority party member with the longest continuous service on a committee becomes the chair

In deciding cases, the courts apply statutes (laws) and prior decisions called legal: standards precedents touchmarks bench rulings briefs

precedents

presidency democratized

president of the people, started with Franklin Roosevelt and Jackson.

inherent executive power

presidential authority inherent in the executive branch of government, although not specifically mentioned in the constitution

Impoundment

presidential refusal to spend funds that Congress has appropriated—a power limited by Congress in 1974.

Wolf Blitzer, Fox News, the Washington Post, and George Will are all members of the: gatekeepers. mass media. media. press.

press

precedents

prior cases whose principles are used by judges as the bases for their decisions in present cases

Disturbance Theory

problems that form because certain groups will conflict with other groups affecting a segment of a population. Groups are created to "fight" or counteract by wanting to lobby a certain legislation.

Due process of law

procedural protections that the Fifth and Fourteenth amendments require government to follow before depriving anyone of life, liberty, or property. These include at least fair notice and an opportunity to contest charges before a neutral tribunal.

due process

proceeding according to law and with adequate protection for individual rights

markup

process in which a committee or subcommittee considers and revises a bill that has been introduced

multiple referrals

process occurring when party leaders give more than one committee responsibility for considering a bill

appropriations process

process of providing funding for governmental activities and programs that have been authorized

Studies have shown that property taxes affect owners of property more than renters of property. Given that wealthier people are more likely to own property, property taxes are: progressive. proportional. regressive. uniform.

progressive.

In 2005 Texas amended the constitution to _____ prohibit same-sex marriage allow same-sex marriage prohibit inter-racial marriage prohibit Taylor Swift from visiting the state of Texas prohibit President Obama from visiting the state of Texas

prohibit same-sex marriage

Prior restraint

prohibiting the publication of materials because of their harmful effects. Under English common law, government could not prevent the publication of materials but could punish the publisher after the fact.

In most democracies other than the United States: the media is owned by a wide variety of private outlets. journalists are arrested and jailed for writing or broadcasting information that offends the government. private ownership is concentrated in the hands of a small number of individuals. public media companies are at the center of political news gathering.

public media companies are at the center of political news gathering.

matching funds

public moneys (from $3 check offs on income tax returns), that FEC distributes to primary candidates according to a pre specified formula

hecklers veto

public veto of free speech and assembly rights of unpopular groups by claiming demonstrations will result in violence

As bureaucracies develop, these organizations often approximate the shape of a(n): circle square pyramid rectangle pentagon

pyramid

Minority-majority districts

racial gerrymandering not allowed race= factor in redistricting but shouldn't be primary factor

impeachment

recommendation by a majority of the House that a president, another official in the executive branch, or a judge of the federal courts be removed from office; removal depends on a two-thirds vote from the Senate

The Social Security program pays a base salary to retirees over the age of 67, which is financed by Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes collected from those who are currently employed. What is the most likely primary purpose behind this program today? promoting economic growth redistributing benefits regulating commerce stabilizing the economy

redistributing benefits

Nationalization of the Bill of Right

refers to the incorporation of the Bill of Rights against the states as a result of Supreme Court decisions in the twentieth century

Franking privilege

refers to the privilege of sending mail without payment of postage. This privilege is exercised in pursuance of personal or official designations. The members of Congress have the right to send mail to their constituents at the government's expense.

sponsor

representative or senator who introduces a bill or resolution

trustee

role a representative plays when acting in accordance with his or her own best judgment to decide what is best for the country

delegate

role of a representative plays when following the wishes of those who have elected him or her regardless of what he or she believes good public policy to be

Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire (1942)

ruled that profane speech is not protected. Free speech did not include the use of lewd, obscene, profane, and libelous expression or words which by their very nature inflict injury or incite immediate breach of the peace. (See fighting words).

A caucus system involves

scheduled meetings of voters at the county, state, and national levels. Unlike primaries, voters do not communicate their preferences in the privacy of a voting booth on an election day. Rather, they gather together at a certain location and vote with a public show of hands or through groupings with other caucus participants who share their choice of candidate. Caucuses often involve speeches, discussions, and even negotiations among the participating members over which candidate to support for their party's nomination.

District courts

see United States District Courts.

De jure segregation

segregation mandated by law or official governmental policy

De facto segregation

segregation of races or ethnic groups that occurs in society even though not caused by law or official governmental policy.

Individualism

self-reliance and personal independence, usually in preference to government action.

When Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein broke the story of the Watergate scandal in the early 1970s, what role of the press were they fulfilling? coordinating public actions interpreting developments in news providing essential information for informed political decisions serving as a watchdog of the government

serving as a watchdog of the government

What is the lieutenant governor's responsibility when the governor is out of state? acting as president pro tempore of the Texas Senate overseeing house proceedings serving as acting governor The lieutenant governor's responsibilities do not change when the governor is out of state.

serving as acting governor

Espionage acts (WWI)

set up to stifle dissent, or antiwar sentiments. Came with heavy fines and jail time possibly. Used as a weapon to crush criticism

How many appointees does a governor choose over the course of a single term? several thousand about a hundred a few dozen several hundred

several hundred

Obscenity

sexually explicit and patently offensive materials that may be suppressed by public authorities, as defined by the Supreme Court in Miller v. California (1973).

realignments

significant and enduring shifts in the party loyalties of the electorate that are often associated with a critical election, in which new issues arise and public policy changes decisively

citizen legislators

situated to understand issues facing the people because they spend most of their time in their district and only part of their time making laws; intent of texas legislators

Which political ideology is associated primarily with the Republican Party today? social conservatism liberalism populism classical liberalism

social conservatism

Which political ideology places a particular value on traditional religious beliefs and practices? liberalism populism classical liberalism social conservatism

social conservatism

*Incumbent*

someone currently holding office

immunities

special exemptions from certain public laws enjoyed by legislators when the Texas Legislature is in session

restrictive rule

specify length of debate and number of amendments in order

Protected speech

speech that government may not prohibit or punish under the First Amendment guarantee of "freedom of speech."

Unprotected speech

speech that the government may prohibit or punish because it is not included in the First Amendment guarantee of "freedom of speech," such as obscenity, libelous speech, and "fighting words."

Cracking

spreading voters of one type over many districts where they will compromise minorities that are unable to influence elections blacks divided among 2 places, wont have majority anywhere

In 1994, then-chairman of the Federal Reserve Board Alan Greenspan raised interest rates, stating that doing so would reduce the risk of inflation. What policy purpose was he trying to fulfill? promoting economic growth redistributing benefits regulating commerce stabilizing the economy

stabilizing the economy

Contribution limits

started as $1000 per candidate now $2300

Fifth system

starts in 1932 New Deal coalition: The alignment of interest groups and voting blocs in the United States that supported the New Deal and voted for Democratic presidential candidates from 1932 until the late 1960s

Nearly 99% of all court cases in the United States are heard in: the Supreme Court state and local courts federal district courts federal appellate courts military tribunals

state and local courts

Since voters might be exposed to the bandwagon effect, what do some argue that news stations ought to do? develop more rigorous projection algorithms that are more likely to be accurate explain the bandwagon effect to their audience and caution against falling prey to it stick to reporting what is actually happening on Election Day rather than making projections avoid election coverage altogether

stick to reporting what is actually happening on Election Day rather than making projections

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a federal government program that provides: basic health insurance to the poor, cofunded by the state governments. basic income assistance to retired elderly people and the disabled. coupons for poor people to buy food. temporary income assistance to the poor.

temporary income assistance to the poor.

authorization process

term applied to the entire process of providing statutory authority for a governmental program or activity

Wall of separation

term for the separation of church and state, coined by Thomas Jefferson. According to Jefferson, the freedom of religion articulated in the First Amendment to the Constitution could best be articulated with the image of a "wall of separation" between the state and the church. This view of the First Amendment has been criticized by some.

Texas has a part-time legislature which means that legislators must also work part-time for the Texas Department of Safety that legislators a required by law to work in the private sector part-time that the legislature meets every other year that the legislature meets every third year that legislators may only work 20 hours per week while in session

that the legislature meets every other year

The senate president pro tempore becomes acting governor for the day during which of the following? New Year's Day the last day of the governor's term the "governor for a day" ritual the president pro tempore's birthday

the "governor for a day" ritual

During what era was there the greatest emphasis on unbiased news coverage? the early nineteenth century the 1960s and 1970s, when network television news was dominant the 1980s, as cable television rose in prominence the 1990s, as the Internet became a news source

the 1960s and 1970s, when network television news was dominant

Who has the power to issue a pardon? the governor the attorney general the Texas Supreme Court the Board of Pardons and Paroles

the Board of Pardons and Paroles

In the United States, the basis for the authority of judges is: Congress common law their electoral base the Constitution and laws the Judicial Conference of the United States

the Constitution and laws

Which political group dominated elections at all levels in Texas for nearly a century following Reconstruction? Populists the Republican Party the Democratic Party independents

the Democratic Party

Which two authorities regulate campaign financing for elections in Texas? the Texas Election Commission and the Federal Bureau of Elections the Texas Bureau of Ethics and the National Election Commission the Federal Election Commission and the Texas Ethics Commission the National Election Committee and the Texas Election Commission

the Federal Election Commission and the Texas Ethics Commission

Monetary policy in the United States is controlled primarily by: Congress. the Federal Reserve Board. the Internal Revenue Service. the Securities and Exchange Commission.

the Federal Reserve Board.

What office does the land commissioner head? the Land and Environmental Management Office the Office of Lands and Agriculture the General Land Office the Office of Sustainable Land Management

the General Land Office

Which of the following encouraged Anglo Americans to populate the Texas territory in large numbers? a tradition of exploration beginning in Spanish colonial times the Texas territory's ascension to U.S. statehood in 1845 the institution of slavery in the Texas territory the Mexican government's empresario policy

the Mexican government's empresario policy

in recent years who has won all statewide offices and has solid majorities in both chambers of the legislature?

the Republican Party

What two sources set the formal requirements to serve as a state judge in Texas? the Texas Legislature and the Texas Supreme Court the Texas Constitution and the Texas Legislature the Texas Constitution and the U.S. Constitution the Texas Legislature and the U.S. Congress

the Texas Constitution and the Texas Legislature

Who is responsible for regulating the oil and gas industry in Texas? the Texas Oil and Gas Commission the comptroller of public accounts the attorney general the Texas Railroad Commission

the Texas Railroad Commission

Midnight appointments

the appointments to the federal judiciary that President John Adams and the lame-duck Federalist Congress made in the final months and weeks of Adams's one term as president.

Diversity rationale

the argument that racial, ethnic, and gender diversity in schools and the workplace is a worthy goal in itself and ought to be promoted by government. It is used to defend affirmative action policies.

Original jurisdiction

the authority of a court to hear a case taken directly to it, as a new legal controversy.

Appellate jurisdiction

the authority of a court to review a decision reached by a lower court.

appellate jurisdiction

the authority of a court, board, or commission to review and either uphold or overturn decisions previously made by lower courts

The national deficit is: the difference in a given year between what the government raises in taxes and fees and what the government spends. the total amount owed to those who have loaned money to the government. the value of all of the goods and services produced by an economy within its borders. a decline in the purchasing value of a unit of currency so that goods and services cost more.

the difference in a given year between what the government raises in taxes and fees and what the government spends.

Original meaning

the doctrine that judges should interpret the Constitution based on how it was understood by those who wrote and ratified it. See also original intent.

Original intent

the doctrine that judges should interpret the Constitution based on the original intent of those who wrote and ratified it. See also original meaning.

Selective incorporation

the doctrine that much, but not all, of the Bill of Rights applies to the states.

implementation

the efforts of departments and agencies to translate laws into specific bureaucratic routines

majority leader

the elected leader of the party holding a majority of the seats in the House of Representatives or in the Senate

Party unity

the extent to which members of congress in the same party vote together on party votes

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

the federal agency, which began operating in 1965, charged with enforcing the employment nondiscrimination provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other federal laws.

inner cabinet

the four original departments(state, defense, treasury, and justice) whose secretaries typically have the closest ties with the president

Authorization for Use of Military Force

the joint resolution passed by Congress in September 2001 that authorized the president "to use all necessary and appropriate force" against those responsible for the attacks of September 11, 2001.

Incorporation doctrine

the judicial doctrine that the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment in effect incorporates most of the specific rights in the Bill of Rights against the states

judicial activism

the judicial philosophy that posits that the Court should see beyond the text of the Constitution or a statute to consider broader societal implications for its decisions

judicial restraint

the judicial philosophy whose adherents refuse to go beyond the text of the Constitution in interpreting its meaning

chief justice

the justice on the Supreme Court who presides over the Court's public sessions

filing deadlines

the latest date on which a candidate who wishes to be on a primary ballot may file official documents with and/or pay required fees to state election officials

Judiciary Act of 1789

the law passed by the First Congress that created a three-tiered federal court structure.

Lemon test

the legal test promulgated by the Supreme Court in 1971 that held that a law that raises establishment clause issues may withstand challenge only if • it has a secular legislative purpose, • its main effect neither advances nor inhibits religion, and • it does not foster an excessive government entanglement with religion

Whiskey Rebellion

the name given to the violent resistance of farmers in western Pennsylvania in 1792-1794 to a federal tax on distilled spirits.

Living Constitution

the notion that the Constitution is a living document that changes, or evolves, to meet changing circumstances. See also evolving Constitution.

Evolving Constitution

the notion that the meaning of the Constitution changes, or evolves, over time to meet changing circumstances or norms. See also living Constitution.

bureaucratic drift

the oft-observed phenomenon of bureaucratic implementation that produces policy more to the liking of the bureaucracy than faithful to the original intention of the legislation that created it, but without triggering a political reaction from elected officials

secretary of state

the only constitutional executive branch official appointed by the governor - administers elections and maintains important state records

Circuit court

the original name for the federal courts intermediary between the district courts and the Supreme Court. The name is still used informally to apply to the federal courts of appeal. See United States Courts of Appeal.

transition

the period after a presidential candidate has won the November election, but before the candidate assumes office as president on January 20

Reconstruction

the period between 1865 and 1877 when former Confederate states were occupied by federal troops during the process of rewriting their constitutions, rebuilding from the war, and being readmitted to the Union

enhanced punishment

the policy of adding additional prison time or other penalties to the sentences of repeat offenders in order to discourage recidivism

deregulation

the policy of reducing or eliminating regulatory restraints on the conduct of individuals or private institutions

devolution

the policy of removing a program from one level of government by delegating it or passing it down to a lower level, such as from the national government to the state and local governments

judicial review

the power of the courts to declare actions of the legislative and executive branches invalid or unconsitutional

line-item veto

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

commander in chief

the power of the president as commander of the national military and the state national guard units (when called into service)

Which of the following powers allows the lieutenant governor to influence the choices the senate makes? the power to chair the Legislative Budget Board and the Legislative Council the power to appoint committees to the senate the power to cast the deciding vote in the case of a tie in the senate the power to serve as acting governor when the governor is out of state

the power to appoint committees to the senate

expressed powers

the powers enumerated in the Constitution that are granted to the federal government

senatorial courtesy

the practice whereby the president, before formally nominating a person for a federal district judgeship, finds out whether the senators from the candidate's state support the nomination

administration

the president and his political appointees who are responsible for directing the executive branch of government

commander in chief

the president in his constitutional role as head of the US armed forces

president pro tempore

the president of the Senate,who presides in the absence of the Vice President

Veto

the president's constitutional authority to disapprove of a bill (or joint resolution) passed by the House and Senate. It is subject to override by a two-thirds vote of both houses. See also Pocket veto.

veto

the president's constitutional power to turn down acts of Congress within 10 days of their passage while Congress is in session

legislative initiative

the president's inherent power to bring a legislative agenda before Congress

Which of the following allows judges to focus on cases that will contribute something meaningful to the collective understanding of the law? the Texas Supreme Court's policy of confidentiality, which maintains secrecy about how each justice voted on whether to accept or reject a petition for appeal the state policy of choosing appeals court judges based on popular election, which encourages elected judges to focus on cases the public is interested in the "Billable Ours" system, in which the Texas Supreme Court is more likely to hear appeals filed by major campaign contributors than appeals filed by non-contributors the principle of discretionary review, which holds that the supreme court and the court of criminal appeals may choose the appeals cases they wish to hear

the principle of discretionary review, which holds that the supreme court and the court of criminal appeals may choose the appeals cases they wish to hear

Equality of opportunity

the principle that laws and government programs should seek to provide men and women of all races and ethnic groups an equal chance to succeed.

seniority

the priority or status ranking given to an individual on the basis of length of continuous service on a congressional committee

Cloture

the procedure used by the Senate to place a time limit on debate on a bill or other matter, thereby overcoming a filibuster. This requires approval by three-fifths of the full Senate, currently 60 votes.

nomination

the process by which political parties select their candidate for election to public office

reapportionment

the process by which seats in the House or Representatives are redistributed to each state to account for nationwide population shifts detected in the decennial census

Political socialization could be described as which of the following? the process of acquiring ideas about people, society, and government the process of learning "good behavior" from one's family the act of learning proper table etiquette questioning the media and popular culture as one grows older

the process of acquiring ideas about people, society, and government

markup

the process of making substantive changes and editorial corrections to a bill

open rule

the provision by the House Rules Committee that permits floor debate and the addition of amendments to a bill

closed rule

the provision by the House Rules Committee that prohibits the introduction of amendments during debate

patronage

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

Voting Rights Act Amendments (1982)

the results of election law changes would be the issue, not the intent of the lawmaker.

executive privilege

the right of the president to deny Congress information it requests on the grounds that the activities of the executive branch must be kept confidential

Civil rights

the rights to live one's life and engage in the political process free from discrimination on such grounds as race, sex, religion, age, or disability.

Confederacy

the secessionist government of Southern states that formed in 1861 in reaction to the election of anti-slavery candidate Abraham Lincoln to the U.S. presidency

Cabinet

the secretaries, or chief administrators, of the major departments of the federal government

concurrent jurisdiction

the situation occurring when two or more court systems both have original jurisdiction in a case when two or more agencies both have the power to deal with a problem or case

precinct

the smallest electoral unit into which voters are grouped for the purposes of voting, vote tabulation, and party organizing

attorney general

the state's elected chief lawyer, who is responsible for defending the state in lawsuits and advising other state officials

comptroller of public accounts

the state's elected chief tax collector, accountant, estimator of revenues, and treasurer

Part of the reason that campaigns in the United States are more candidate-centered than campaigns found in other advanced industrial democracies is a consequence of

the structure of the American electoral system.

What does the corrections component of the justice system encompass? public defenders, the jury system, and other court functions the system of criminal trials and appeals courts municipal police and county sheriffs the system of incarceration and parole

the system of incarceration and parole

Statement bias is: mass media programming that is intended primarily to entertain, but also provides political news. the tendency for the media or a particular media outlet not to report stories of a particular nature. the tendency for the media or a particular media outlet to give less attention in terms of column space or air time to certain kinds of stories or aspects of stories. the tendency for the media or a particular media outlet to interject opinions into the coverage of an issue.

the tendency for the media or a particular media outlet to interject opinions into the coverage of an issue.

rule

the terms and conditions under which a bill or resolution will be considered in the floor of the House-in particular, how long debate will last, how time will be allocated and the number and type of amendments that will be in order

popular vote

the total vote cast across the nation for the candidate

The gross domestic product (GDP) is: the difference in a given year between what the government raises in taxes and fees and what it spends. the total amount owed to those who have loaned money to the government. the value of all of the goods and services produced by an economy within its borders. a decline in the purchasing value of a unit of currency so that goods and services cost more.

the value of all of the goods and services produced by an economy within its borders.

Which of the following describes classical liberalism? the belief that changes in traditional practices should be greeted with an open mind the valuing of political arrangements that permit the fullest exercise of individual liberty without unreasonably restricting the liberties of others the embrace of traditional hierarchical social relations, and the interpretation of social change as a threat to established practices and beliefs the notion that government should actively intervene in society to foster socially and economically just outcomes

the valuing of political arrangements that permit the fullest exercise of individual liberty without unreasonably restricting the liberties of others

Multiculturalism

the view that American society is best thought of as a collection of different cultures, each with its own values, traditions, and practices, and that no one culture should dominate

What is political socialization? the way in which overall political culture is formed in a state or nation the process that individuals must go through in order to learn the rules and political institutions within their community the process of learning facts about how the world operates the way that people acquire beliefs, values, and habits of thought and action related to government, politics, and society

the way that people acquire beliefs, values, and habits of thought and action related to government, politics, and society

In what way do parents usually influence their children's political socialization? through subtle comments and body language regarding different actors and influences in society by directly teaching their children theories of democracy with particular partisan biases by taking their children to political events, activities, and rallies in order to help children understand the democratic process by openly questioning the political influences children encounter at school

through subtle comments and body language regarding different actors and influences in society

secretary

title of the head of a department within the executive branch

majority leader

title used for the Speaker's chief lieutenant in the House and for the most important officer in the Senate; chosen by the majority party membership, majority leaders are responsible for the day-to-day work necessary to build political coalitions and enact laws

What is the purpose of a primary? to allow party members to choose the party's nominees for an upcoming general election to allow citizens to elect new officials for open offices to allow elected leaders to select the party's nominees for an upcoming general election to allow citizens to vote on party platform issues

to allow party members to choose the party's nominees for an upcoming general election

Why is the state bureaucracy decentralized? to increase productivity to disperse power to eliminate redundancy to create organizational relationships

to disperse power

What is the purpose of the Code of Judicial Conduct established by the Texas Supreme Court? to consider whether the conduct of a particular justice contravenes proper performance of judicial duties to help the Commission on Judicial Conduct review the legal results of a trial of any judge indicted for a felony to govern what judges can and cannot say in their campaign advertisements to establish professional standards that ensure that judges dispense justice in a fair and impartial manner

to establish professional standards that ensure that judges dispense justice in a fair and impartial manner

How do campaigns typically use successful poll results? to feed news coverage during campaign season to establish their candidate's credibility to alter people's perceptions about a candidate to identify bandwagon effects among voters

to establish their candidate's credibility

Which of the following BEST describes the purpose of state bureaucracy? to ensure that people have drivers' licenses, food and shelter, and gas for their cars to provide services to the population and to implement state policies to make sure citizens don't get too comfortable in their daily lives to design state laws and to explain these laws in depth to the population

to provide services to the population and to implement state policies

After crime rates peaked in the early 1990s, what caused the prison population and incarceration rate in Texas to increase faster than the rest of the nation's during the remainder of that decade? a dramatic reduction in death penalty convictions, leaving more prisoners incarcerated for longer periods of time tougher law enforcement norms and stiffer sentencing in a climate of public concern over violent crime corruption in the judiciary that saw judges accepting bribes to incarcerate more and more defendants the results of the lawsuit Ruiz v. Estelle, which paved the way for longer incarcerations for more people

tougher law enforcement norms and stiffer sentencing in a climate of public concern over violent crime

first lady

traditional title of the president's wife

The court that initially hears a criminal or civil case is the _____ court. trial circuit original appellate justice

trial

In 2013, how many of the nine justices on the Texas Supreme Court were women? two four eight six

two

Franklin D. Roosevelt

under this presidency, the federal governments role expanded as guarantor of the peoples material well-being.

open rule

unlimited debate and amendments

"Pappy" O'Daniel, the governor of Texas from 1941 to 1949, helped make what practice common? using mass rallies to excite voters and motivate them to turn out on election day using microtargeting techniques to reach sympathetic voters using newspaper advertisements to clarify his policy positions using radio addresses to help voters feel as though they knew him

using radio addresses to help voters feel as though they knew him

The Texas Governor has the constitutional power of _____ veto only veto and line item veto line-item veto only neither veto nor line-item veto legislative proposal only

veto and line item veto

Why Low turnout

voter fatigue, Open only during working/commuting hours, Closed Polling

swing voters

voters winnable by either side

retrospective voting

voting on the basis of the past performance of the incumbent administration

Pocket veto

when a president refuses to sign a bill within 10 days of Congress passing it and Congress has adjourned. Because a pocket veto cannot be overridden by Congress, presidential inaction kills the bill.

MLK

when law restricts action in certain circumstances where that action is justly necessary it is in the best interest to ignore it.

Override

when the House and Senate by two-thirds votes approve a bill over the president's veto.

Fighting words

words that, according to the Supreme Court (1942), "tend to incite an immediate breach of the peace" and thus are not protected by the First Amendment.

MLK's Letter from Birmingham Jail

written to clergy, but addressed to all people. human happiness above all else. stressed that justice was necessary to enjoy peace and freedom. Problem of segregation was humiliation and degradation of human beings. sympathetic to segregationists. "the oppressed never get freedom voluntarily from oppressors"

Westborrough Baptist Church Picketing Funerals

yeah

Summary of the Senators

• 6 year terms • 100 members • Larger Constituencies • More personal staff (about 44 each) • Even representation • More flexible rules • Extended debate • Policy Generalists • More media coverage • More prestige • More reliance on staff • More equal distribution of power • Less important committees • 20 major committees • Non-germane amendments allowed • treaty ratification power • "advice and consent" power • filibuster allowed • turnover moderate • emphasizes foreign policy

Why just 435 members?

• At the first Congress, there were 65 reps • 1790 census - 105 seats with 1 seat every 33,000 • 1910 - expanded to 435, 1 seat every 200,000 • *1929 - size was fixed at the 435 number* • 2002 - Each seat has about 650,000 people • 2012 - Each seat has approximately 710,767 except states with 1 seat ( WY, DE, VT, MT, SD, ND)

Voting cues (types)

• Biggest hint: What political party do you belong to? • External factors? - Appearance (ex: Height) • Other voting cues? - Incumbency: A candidate running for re-election for a seat he or she currently holds. - Partisanship: - Personal connection (ex: Did they do casework for you?) - Personal characteristics (ex: Age, Race, Gender, Faith, etc.)

Line-item veto

—a power, possessed by many American governors, to veto a particular item of a bill without vetoing the whole bill.

War Powers Resolution

—joint resolution passed by Congress in 1973 to limit the occasions when the president could order armed forces into combat, to require prior consultation with Congress before such actions and regular reporting afterward, and to force the withdrawal of troops within two to three months unless Congress specifically authorized further combat

These below may engage in political activity as long as it is not their main purpose

• *501 ( c ) (4)* - Social welfare organization - Advantages: Can spend unlimited amounts on electioneering; do not have to disclose contributors (Can lobby for legislation and may also participate in campaigns) -Disadvantages: At least half of their activities must be non-political; cannot coordinate efforts with candidates or parties -- Right now, groups are heavily using these to shield who donates to them • 501 ( c ) (5) - Labor and agriculture groups • 501 ( c ) (6) - Business leagues, chambers of commerce, real estate boards, boards of trade

*Senate*

• 100 members • 6 year terms • Have to be at least 30 years old • 1/3 up every 2 years • Continual body • more individualistic • Special Powers: ratifies treaties, confirms presidential appointees, impeachment trial

Senators make ___ $$$

• 1789-1815: $6.00 per diem • 1935-1947: $10,000 a year • 1979-1983: $60,662.50 a year • 2002: $150,000 a year • 2006 :$165,200 a year • 2011: $174,000 a year • Since 1980s, leadership makes more - Majority, Minority, president pro tempore - $193,400 a year

Summary of the House of Representatives

• 2 year term • 435 members • proportional representation • fewer personal staff than Senators (about 17 per House member) • More rules than Senate for procedure • Limited Debate • More Policy Specialists than Senate (reciprocity... defer to specialists) • Less Media Coverage than Senate • Less Prestige than Senate • Less reliance on staff than Senate • More powerful committee leaders than senate • Very important committees • 20 major committees • Nongermane amendments *(riders)* not allowed • Important Rules Committee • Some bills permit no floor amendments (closed rules) • high turnover • emphasize tax and revenue policy

Well, what's the difference between that and a 501 ( c )?

• 501 ( c ) refers to the IRS tax code - It is the designation for a non-profit, tax exempt group that can engage in some political activity depending on the type of the group • *501 ( c ) (3)* - These are religious, charitable, scientific and educational groups - A tax code classification that applies to most interest groups; this designation makes donations to the group tax deductible but limits the group's political activities. - Disadvantage: Cannot engage in political activities or lobbying, only voter education and mobilization - Advantage: Contributions tax deductible • In 2008, the election was all about the 501c3

Money!

• Bribery has long been a problem and a concern • Lobbying Disclosure Act (1995) - Loopholes in 1995 • 2007 Honest Leadership and Open Government Act - Stops revolving door (a bit) - Cannot receive gifts, meals or travel from lobbyists - More disclosure and transparency about Lobby Activity - Punishments for bad behavior and restrictions

How does the Electoral College affect candidates?

• By encouraging campaigning in only "big" states... while ignoring smaller states -- 11 states produce 270 electoral votes, the biggest being: CA, NY, TX, FL, PA, IL, and OH (2012: 209) -- CA, TX, and FL in 2000 have 111 electoral votes (2012: 120) • Focus on swing states -- Candidates tend to spend money in places that can go either way -- Why spend money in place with no chance of winning? -- There is no point for Trump or Clinton to spend money in California -- This frees money up to spend in places like Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida - They may lose the popular vote but win in the electoral college

Fun things

• Candy desk in the Senate - Currently Pat Toomey (R-PA) (Hershey (PA) yumm!) • Graffiti! (Senators carve their name into their desk)

Legislators: How they Look at their Jobs

• Delegate • Trustee • Politico • Casework • Constituents • Constituencies

*House of Representatives*

• Entire body elected every 2 years • 435 representatives • Have to be at least 25 years old • Special Powers: originates all tax bills & brings impeachment charges • Since 1789: 10,880 people have served in House & 1,963 in Senate

Reapportionment

• Every 10 years = census • Congressional seats get redesigned to account for population changes • When a state gains or loses a seat, their state legislature will redistrict their U.S. House of Representatives districts

Things Special to the Senate

• Filibuster • Cloture • Confirmation Power -Senatorial Courtesy • Unanimous Consent -Hold

Manipulation of Districts

• Gerrymandering • Creation of 'safe seats' • Representation of Minority Interests -Cracking -Packing -Majority- Minority Districts -- Racial gerrymandering is not allowed --- Race can be a factor in redistricting but not the primary factor

Getting public support

• Groups often have a strategy (plan) and to achieve it, they use tactics (actions) • Grassroots activity - Astroturf • Create pressure in districts rallies letter writing newspapers, TV, Radio direct mail NRA & NOW are really good at this EMILY's List (Democrats) (bundling) WISH (GOP) • Also, Lawsuits

Presidential Elections: Electoral College

• Indirect Election: • Never worked as framers planned • To win, you need a majority (270), not a plurality • LBJ, Nixon, Ford, and Carter all endorsed an amendment that would replace the electoral college with a direct election • Problems with Direct Election -- Our elections are run by our states and counties (mostly counties); all of the different countries use different election equipment -- In a direct election, you would have to have a national ballot and fund all the counties with the same equipment -- If we had a direct election in Texas, we would probably go Republican, and the Republicans and Democrats wouldn't have to spend money down here since Texas would be written off as Republican. However, Austin is Democratic and so is Houston and Dallas. Every location would come into play, so they would have to spend money in all the counties and places in Texas. They can't distribute their money smartly because they would have to pay everywhere.

Why American elections unique

• Lots of elections • All elections are separate from each other • Elections all have fixed terms • Elections are on a Fixed Day • Winner take all elections... first past the post (meaning that the candidate with the plurality of votes is the winner of the congressional seat. The losing party or parties win no representation at all)

Whips

• Majority and Minority Whip • Elected by party members • Named after British House of Commons where they are called the 'whipper in' (the rider who keeps the hounds together in a fox hunt) • Duties

Federal Limits on Spending SuperPAC?

• Official term is "independent expenditure only committee"• Like PACs but not as many restrictions - SuperPACs can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money for supporting or opposing political candidates - Can directly attack a political candidate • Cannot directly coordinate with candidate or party

*Rules Committee*

• Only the House (not the Senate) • Regulates time the floor debate of a bill • Sets limitations on amendments • 2 types - Closed Rule -- Restricted Rule (some amendments on floor) - Open Rule

Incumbents: Congress - job for life?

• Open Seat • Incumbent • Since WWII, on average 92% of House & 78% of Senate incumbents win reelection • Advantages Incumbents have over Challengers -Name recognition - Sit in committees that are important to the people they represent - Other Advantages -- Pork Barrel -- Earmarks ---- Federally funded local projects attached to bills -- Log Rolling

Organizing Congress

• Party Caucus • Caucus/Conference: House and Senate • Committee System

Salaries in Government 2016

• President ...$400,000, plus $50,000 expense allowance - Pension when leaves is equal to head of an executive federal department. In 2013, this is $199,700 • Vice President ...$233,000 • Speaker of the House...$223,500 • House Majority & Minority Leaders ...$193,400 • House / Senate Members & Delegates ....$174,000 - Max amount House member can pay an employee: $168,411 • Chief Justice, Supreme Court ...$258,100 • Associate Justices, Supreme Court ...$246,800

Senate Leadership

• President of the Senate: Vice President of the United States • President Pro Tempore • Senate Majority Leader • Minority Leader • Whips

Presidential - Congressional Relations

• Presidential Veto • Override • Pocket Veto • Oversight

Money Matters

• Presidential campaigns costs - 2004: 1 billion - 2008: 2 billion - 2012: 2.6 billion -If campaigns were privately financed then only rich people would win and this could mean that people who win will owe 'favors' to those who gave them a lot of money