unit 2gov 2306 AM

Conservatives often support government involvement and funding to promote business with the belief that this assistance will encourage economic development and prosperity for the whole society. What is this ideology known as?

Trickle-down theory

A Democratic Party governor of Texas later ran for president as a Republican. True or False?

True

Citizens of Texas who meet the criteria can apply to be appointed to positions by the governor

True

The last Democratic governor of Texas left office in the twentieth century

True (Ann Richards)

a political system characterized by two dominant parties competing for political offices

Two-party system

Which entity do critics fault for not vigorously enforcing interest group reporting requirements except in high-profile cases?

Tx ethics commission

What is it called when many smaller interests, such as industries, wholesalers, producers, retailers, and professionals, join to promote their common policy goals

Umbrella organization

Which action represents a function within the authority of the Texas comptroller

Use of discretion by the comptroller in the distribution of grant requests made to their office

What does a presidential preference primary allow voters in the party to do?

Vote directly on the party's presidential nominee

political movement

When an issue network taps into a large set of issues important to many people who are seeking broad changes in the direction of government policies, what has the issue network become

In which situation would the Texas legislature use its bureaucratic oversight function

When reviewing a state agency to ensure it is meeting its intended purpose

Cracking

Which gerrymandering technique attempts to diffuse concentrated political party voters among several districts so that their votes within any one district are negligible

Which group is least likely to be represented in the Texas legislature

Women who work in professional fields

local bill

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

special bill

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

conference committee

a committee is appointed to resolve the differences between the two versions

A practice where politicians award contracts to their political supporters in the business community is called

a contract spoils.

Iron Triangle

a long-standing alliance among interest groups, legislators, and bureaucrats held together by mutual self-interest and who act as a subsystem in the legislative and administrative decision-making process is referred to as

A governor that wants to focus the attention of the media, legislators, and citizens on legislative proposals that he or she considers important would use which constitutional power

a message

simple resolution

a statement adopted to cover matters affecting only one house of Congress

Informal Powers(extralegal powers)

ability to broker effectively between competing interests—the tools of persuasion

A group of wealthy Texans might contribute to a campaign in order to help their preferred candidates win elections and then discuss their policy priorities with legislative officials

access

What type of committee is designed to address one specific task in the legislative process and then is disbanded when its function is complete?

an ad hoc committee

plural executive

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

An interest group is

an organization that actively attempts to influence government policy

Based on how the electorate has voted in the past, which of the following has most commonly characterized Texas governors

anglo man

What are the possible reasons why the Texas legislature, which has been designed as a citizen's legislature, became dominated by lawyers and businessmen?

because lawyers and businesspeople tend to have additional sources of income beyond their legislator's salary, along with job flexibility

A system that allows the chief executive to appoint and remove top-level administrators, thereby giving the chief executive more control over the administration is called

cabinet system

What are late-train contributions?

campaign funds given to the winning candidate after the election up to 30 days before the legislature comes into session

Texas Sunset Act 1977

commission reviews state agencies every 12 years to determine if they should be continued or abolished

Co-optation

corruption very thing meant to govern controls it.

In the American federal system, political party organizations operate at the precinet, local, state, and national level. This characteristic of American political parties is referred to as

decentralization.

emergency appropriations

disbursement of unanticipated funds received from the Federal government

Mixed Interest Groups

do not fit neatly into the economic or noneconomic classification because they pursue social goals that have clear economic effects. (lesses discrimination)

Malapportionment

drawing the boundaries of legislative districts so that they are unequal in population

Governor Lieutenant Governor Attorney General Comptroller of Public Accounts Commissioner of General Land Office Commissioner of AgricultureCommissioner, Railroad Commission of Texas

elected execs in TX

When an organization decides to endorse and recommend that its members vote for the candidate more disposed to support their values, this is an example of

electioneering

What does not have to be reported by lobbyists in the report they file with the Texas Ethics Commission

exact dollar amt

Gubernatorial appointments in Texas reflect the ethnic and racial diversity of the state population

false

Texas has always had 150 representatives and 31 senators in its state legislature.

false

Texas is known as a blue state. True or False?

false

The Republican Party's delegation to the Texas legislature is more racially diverse than the Democratic Party's. True or False?

false

The Texas governor and lieutenant governor are elected on the same ticket

false

Once a special session of the legislature has been called, the agenda is determined by the

governor

If the state of Texas suffered a natural disaster, the governor may act as the voice of the people by requesting federal aid.

govner acting as cheif of staste

The institution of party primary reforms was one of two events during the early twentieth century that solidified the position of the Democrats in Texas politics. What was the other event?

great depression

Economic interest groups

groups that organize to influence government policy for the economic benefit of their members

According to your text, a governor's ability to influence the making and executing of government policy depends largely on

his or her ability to utilize the tools of persuasion.

The lieutenant governor became the governor for the remainder of the elected term

if govner steps out

Where do legislators get data about Texas industries

industries them selves

What is one feature that distinguishes interest groups from political parties?

interest groups are narrowly focused.

"Iron triangles" are composed of which of the following?

interest groups, legislators, and bureaucrats

What is unique about the Texas state budget?

it has two

House Bill 1295 only noteworthy reform

it requires municipalities, counties, school districts, and special purpose districts to list all people who have a financial interest in any contract with the entity that is over $1 million dollars in value or that involves a vote by the entity's governing board. Even this modest reform has been the subject of substantial pushback from lobbyists and vendors who profit from contracts with these entities.

Which group of people could cause the phenomenon of tipping in Texas?

latinos

Which occupation have more than one-half of the governors who have served in Texas since 1900 shared in common?

lawers

open meeting laws

laws requiring that meetings of government bodies at all levels of government be open to the general except when personnel, land acquisition, or litigation matters are being discussed

The most influential bargaining tools of the governor are his or her

legislative tools of persuasion

Direct contact between an interest group representative and an officer of government is an example of

lobbying

hich statement accurately represents the salary and compensation of Texas legislators

lowst in US

Citizen Legislature

members do not hold professional full time paid jobs in the legislature. • only meet for 140 days every two years

A gerrymandering technique in which members of a party are concentrated into one district

packing

The parties' most visible faces come from

party in government

The formal issue positions of a political party are referred to as

party platform

After Texas became a state, the Democratic Party dominated Texas politics until the 1980s. Since then, however, Republicans have been dominant in lower-level offices in much of Texas and hold a majority of the seats in the Texas House of Representatives and Senate. Which term describes this change in party affiliation over time?

party re alignment

gubernatorial

pertaining to a governor

When a committee refuses to release a bill, this is referred to as a(n)

pigeonhole

The Texas governor has never been allowed to use the

pocket veto

A mass alliance of like-minded groups and individuals seeking broad changes in the direction of government policies is called a(n)

political movement

Which group of legislators have extensive appointment power over boards, commissions, and legislative committees?

presiding officers

What is privatization?

process of converting government enterprises into privately owned companies

agency capture

process whereby regulatory agencies come to be protective of and influenced by the industries they were established to regulate

Secretary of State

publishes government rules and regulations and commissions notaries public. The Secretary also serves as keeper of the state seal and attestor to the Governor's signature on official documents.

Which of the following best describes party control of the Texas legislature in the period 2010-2020?

republican control slightly declining

Mike Toomey's career is an example of

revolving door

If contending party factions in a precinct are bitterly divided, a walkout is possible and the group group will conduct its own convention called a

rump convention

Which position does the governor appoint

secretary of state

Regarding gubernatorial impeachment in the state of Texas, which entity is responsible for trying and convicting the accused governor

senate

Legislative assistants

serve as the gonvers lobbiest

Which type of districting determines legislator representation

single member

What type of system does the state of Texas use to hire and/or promote public employees

spoils system

Single member district system

system in which the people elect one representative per district. With a winner-take-all rule, this system strengthens the two major parties and weakens minor parties.

Lobbyists are able to have influence on the policy-making process after a law leaves the legislature because

the Texas legislature gives the bureaucracy a great deal of administrative discretion through the rule-making process.

The Populist Party emerged in Texas because of

the dissatisfaction of small farmers.

Party Chief

the expectation that the governor will be the head of his or her party

descriptive representation

the idea that an elected body should mirror demographically the population it represents

What is implementation?

the process by which a law or policy is put into practice It occurs when administrative agencies carry out broad public policies, enforce state laws, provide public services, and manage day-to-day government activities.

Defenders of interest groups argue that it is difficult for any one special interest group to dominate Texas state politics due to

the structure of the Texas government itself.

procedural committee

these House committees consider bills and resolutions relating primarily to procedural legislative matters

Which informal legislative power can be used by the governor as a tool of persuasion to influence bureaucrats and help the governor shape legislation while it is still in the legislature

threat of veto

The 1876 Texas Constitution granted the governor clemency powers. These powers allow the governor

to pardon, parole, and grant reprieves to convicted criminals.

Compared to other states, how are Texas governors compensated?

top qusrter

Lobbyists can give evidence in legislative hearings

true

Some interest groups seek to deliver economic benefits to their members. True or False?

true

The biggest spending interest groups in Texas tend to favor Republican candidates.

true

The governor is constitutionally permitted to pardon murderers.

true

The most recent Democratic Governor of Texas had the most diversity in their appointments.

true

A candidate running for office campaigns on the idea of growing the economy, so all Americans will prosper. Why type of issue is the candidate campaigning on?

valence

Chubbing

A practice whereby representatives engage in lengthy debate for the purpose of using time and thus preventing a vote on a bill that they oppose.

five-ninths rule

A procedural device to control bringing bills to the Senate floor for debate.

Filibuster

A procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator refuses to relinquish the floor and thereby delays proceedings and prevents a vote on a controversial issue.

What is a conflict of interest

A situation in which public officers stand to benefit personally from their official decisions

Spoils System

A system of public employment based on rewarding party loyalists and friends.

pluralist theory

A theory of government and politics emphasizing that politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies.

Who were the groups associated with the Populist Party that challenged the Democratic Party in Texas in 1896?

African Americans, farmers, sharecroppers, and laborers

Who is eligible to participate in the precinct convention

All who vote in the first primary election

Noneconomic interest group

An organized group that advocates for reasons other than its membership's commercial and financial interests.

astroturf lobbying

Any lobbying method initiated by an interest group that is designed to look like the spontaneous, independent participation of many individuals. What occurs when special interest groups orchestrate demonstrations to give the impression of widespread and spontaneous public support for the issues they support

What powers can the governor exert over the judicial branch

Appoint replacements to retiring judges

substantive committee

Appointed by the House Speaker, this committee considers bills and resolutions related to the subject identified by its name (such as the House Agriculture Committee) and may recommend passage of proposed legislation to the appropriate calendars committee.

Regarding the representation of the various ethnic groups in the Texas legislature, which of the following statements are true

Between 1971 and 2019, the number of Latinos serving the Texas house has more than doubled. Between 1971 and 2019, the number of Black members of the Texas senate doubled. In 1971, there were only two women in the Texas legislature.

Which of the following do the Texas and U.S. legislative branches have in common?

Bicameral structure Two-year terms in the house of representatives

What is an issue network likely to address

Broad public policy questions

In Texas, which type of interest group is the most powerful and is frequently aligned with the Republican Party

Business and professional groups

What are some of the negative public perceptions of business interests?

Business interests are so focused on maximizing quarterly profits that they are willing to do things that hurt common people. Business interests use money and power to undermine democracy. Business interests are insufficiently concerned with protecting the environment.

What situation is taking place when increasing numbers of voters choose to distance themselves from either party, Democratic or Republican, and instead consider themselves to be Independents?

Dealignment

the rule-making process called when the legislature allows executive agencies wide latitude to make decisions within the broad requirements set out in the law?

Discretion

What did Madison argue in Federalist Paper 10 that political parties were?

Divisive but inevitable

Which of the following are types of interest group?

Economic interest groups Government interest groups Civil rights interest groups

What would need to happen for the Texas legislature to achieve descriptive representation

Elect representatives that reflect constituents' ethnic and social characteristics

How is the position of Texas Speaker of the House filled

Elected from among the members of the Texas House of Representatives

Which statement about Texas's executive branch is NOT true?

Elected officials are directly responsible to the governor

Which of the following are criteria that must be met by a candidate for legislative office in Texas?

Eligible to vote Be a U.S. citizen Resident in Texas for two years

revolving door

Employment cycle in which individuals who work for governmental agencies that regulate interests eventually end up working for interest groups or businesses with the same policy concern.

Lobbying

Engaging in activities aimed at influencing public officials, especially legislators, and the policies they enact.

Which Republican Party faction began to play a prominent role in the Texas Republican Party in the 1980s?

Evangelical or fundamentalist Christians

Which group of people is least likely to support the Republican Party?

Families with low incomes

retainer fee

Fees charged by lawyer-legislators for services to clients, including those who have business with state agencies or may have lawsuits against state agencies

What majority of the house must agree on the order of business?

Four-fifths

Which of the following does the Railroad Commission of Texas regulate?

Gas utilities Coal mining

Which of the following is NOT correct about gerrymandering?

Gerrymandering is not possible if the population of every district is equal.

Features of executive branch

Gubernatorial appointments in Texas require approval by the state senate. The Texas executive branch consists of both elected and appointed officials.

How are American parties organized?

In a decentralized manner

What are lobbyists often compared to?

Influencers

Which of the following statements about interest groups is incorrect?

Interest groups nominate candidates for office.

Which of the following are differences between interest groups and political parties?

Interest groups typically focus on a narrow set of policy issues. Interest groups do not nominate candidates for election.

Which of the following are tasks permitted during the first thirty days of the Texas legislature?

Introducing bills Emergency appropriations

Supreme Court's ruling in the case of Reynolds v. Sims (1964)?

It required that legislative districts be approximately equal in population size.

Which of the following most accurately describes the recent Republican takeover of Texas?

It was a gradual process that lasted over forty years, starting with a U.S. Senate seat and ending with the U.S. House delegation.

What was the first major step in the rejuvenation of the Republican Party in Texas during the 1960s?

John Tower was elected to the U.S. Senate.

The Texas Constitution outlines four important elective executive offices that are legally independent of the governor and are elected by the people rather than the governor. Which executive officer position is an elective office

LG

Which officeholder presides over the Texas Senate

LG

Which of these is a feature of bipartisanship in the Texas legislature?

Leadership from either party has appointed members of the other party to chair committees.

Delegate type representatives

Legislators who interpret their role as being elected to represent a majority of voters' interests in their districts.

trustee type representatives

Legislators who interpret their role as being elected to use their judgment in making decisions in the best interest of the state as a whole.

Which group most likely supports progressive taxes, like the federal income tax?

Liberals

Legislative Tools of Persuasion

Message Power -Veto- -No Pocket Veto -Line-Item Veto- allows governor to veto certain items in Appropraitions bills only -Threat of a Veto- -Special Sessions of Congress- -Task Forces

Which party did the presidents of the Republic of Texas represent?

Officials in the Republic of Texas were nonpartisan

The party the primary election. as____ actively recruit candidates for office and try to influence who wins

Organization

Which tactic is especially effective in generating publicity for special interest groups because it creates a visible effect that is well suited for television news and online media sites

Organizing marches and demonstrations

A Texas state senator works diligently to move policy priorities onto the senate's agenda. What does this example illustrate in terms of political party functions?

Party in government

What is the document including formal issue positions of a political party called?

Party platform

standing committee

Permanent committees that function throughout the legislative session

Which policies are most associated with liberalism?

Policies supporting social welfare programs and social equality

In the late nineteenth century, the Democratic Party was seriously challenged by which third party?

Populist

What is the most common highest level of education achieved by legislators in the Texas legislature?

Postgraduate qualification

What are the governor's informal powers

Powers that are not stated in rules, law, or a constitution, but are usually derived from formal or legal powers

senatorial courtesy

Presidential custom of submitting the names of prospective appointees for approval to senators from the states in which the appointees are to work.

Gerrymandering

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

Which action is not an option available to lobbyists who want to bring uses to the attention of legislators?

Providing false or misleading information to legislators to enhance negotiating power

The redrawing of district and precihct lines following the national census to reflect population changes defines

Reappointment

What activity would be performed by a party organization?

Recruiting candidates for office

What is redrawing district and precinct lines to reflect population changes according to the national census called

Redistricting

issue network

Relationships among interest groups, congressional committees and subcommittees, and the government agencies that share a common policy concern.

What type of positions does the governor make appointments to?

Replacements for elected judicial officials Task forces Boards, commissions, and councils

Which of the following is currently the majority party in Texas?

Republican

During the Republic of Texas, what were political divisions organized around?

Sam Houston, a leading founder of the Republic

executive order, Governor Rick Perry directed___ to serve as his leszon on the border and Mexican affairs.

Secretary of State

What specific criticisms are made in this text about the lobbying industry?

Some lobbyists work to undermine the laws regulating their activity.

Which of the following is NOT a strength area for Texas Republicans?

South and South Central Texas

Legislative Budget Board

State agency that is controlled by the leadership in the state legislature and that writes the state budget

What types of standing committees are in the Texas legislature

Substantive and procedural

Interim committees

Temporary committees of the legislature that study issues between regular sessions and make recommendations on legislation

Which of the following are interest groups?

Texas Association of Realtors The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund The National Rifle Association

ex officiob bored

Texas Bond Review Board with Govner, LG, SOH

Appointed Boards

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

Which body regulates the activities of lobbyists in Texas?

Texas Ethics Commission

Which Texas regulatory board, established in 1891, is considered one of the most powerful state regulatory bodies in the United States because of its powers over the petroleum industry

Texas Railroad Commission

Elected Boards and Commissions

Texas Railroad Commission and the State Board of Education

Why do some consider lobbyists to be a "necessary evil" in Texas?

Texas government is complex to navigate.

What specific feature did the the Texas Founders create the state legislature with

Texas legislators are paid $7,200 annually.

Those who are against short-term biennial sessions in Texas would argue that

Texas legislators cannot possibly acquaint themselves with the immense volume of legislation presented to them.

Why do third-party candidates have a tough time being competitive in state elections

Texas requires third-party candidates to announce their candidacy no later than January of the election year and to gather petition signatures numbering at least one percent of the total vote of all candidates in the preceding gubernatorial election to earn ballot access.

Which of the following positions share executive power with the governor?

The Texas Railroad Commissioners The secretary of state

What are some issues that might lead Hispanic voters to support the Republican Party in Texas?

The Texas Republican Party is overwhelmingly fiscally and socially conservative. Hispanics might agree with the party's views on family values, entrepreneurship, and business.

Which Texas officer would look into consumer protection issues, antitrust actions, and civil actions concerning banking and securities

The attorney general

Attorney general's opinion

The attorney general's interpretation of the constitution, statutory laws or administrative rules.

pigeonhole a bill

The bill is set aside and no action is taken on it.

blocking bill

The first bill placed on the senate calendar in each session, which is usually a bill that will never be considered by the full senate.

Which of the following is an elected position in the Texas executive branch?

The governor The railroad commissioners

What is the most important reason that the Republican Party failed to compete in Texas historically?

The image the Republican Party created during Reconstruction was that of an abusive and corrupt government.

bureacratic oversight

The legislature monitoring state agencies to see that these agencies are carrying out public policies as intended.

Which two individuals are the presiding officers of the state legislature?

The lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house

Which of the following facts might suggest that the Texas legislature is not representative of the general public in Texas?

The members of the Texas legislature typically have more formal education than the average Texan. The members of the Texas legislature are predominantly white. There are significantly more men than women in the legislature

Legislative redress

The power of the legislature to monitor and police itself.

Who fills in as the president of the Texas senate if the lieutenant governor is absent

The president pro tempore

Suspension of the rule

The setting aside of the rule of chronologically ordering bills so that other bills can be considered.

Which of these are advantages of interest groups?

The short legislative session means legislators lack time to learn about some issues, and they help plug knowledge gaps. They can help connect citizens who share interest in particular issues.

Which statement accurately characterizes the short-term, biennial sessions in Texas

The short-term, biennial sessions make thirty-day special sessions necessary.

Which of the following are reasons that would support an argument that the Democratic Party could win the state of Texas in a presidential election in the future?

The statewide margin between the candidates of either major party is on a downward trend. The Democratic Party has reduced the Republican Party in the Texas house and senate since 2010.

Elitist Theory of Democracy

The view that the United States is essentially run by a tiny elite (composed of wealthy or well-connected individuals) who control public policy through both direct and indirect means.

Which of the following is true about the Texas Republican Party?

They were a minority party in Texas other than a brief period between the Civil War and the end of Reconstruction. They have held the governorship throughout the twenty-first century.

Why were there no non-white elected officials in Texas during the early years of reconstruction?

They were constitutionally prohibited from holding elected office.

Swing voter

Those voters who have not yet decided which candidate they will support at the start of the campaign and who are open to persuasion by either side

Libertarians

Those who prefer very limited government and therefore tend to be conservative on issues such as welfare policy, environmental policy, and public support for education, but liberal on issues of personal liberty such as free speech, abortion, and the legalization of drugs.

Point of order

To enforce the rules by calling attention to a violation of the rules or a mistake in procedure.

Why might a governor appoint a blue-ribbon commission

To show concern for a problem while buying time to study complex policy decisions associated with the problem

quorum

To take official action, both houses require two-thirds of the total membership to be presen

ex officio

(adj., adv.) by virtue of holding a certain office

cheif executive

-Appointive power Interest group concerns The influence of the Senate Senatorial courtesy- The tradition of allowing a senator to reject the governor's appointment of a political enemy from the senator's district. Bureaucratic concerns -Removal Powers -Law Enforcement Powers -Military Powers Clemency Powers

How long may a member of the House debate a bill?

10 minutes

Which amendment protects the rights of groups to create influence in the form of political participation through speaking, writing, and petitioning government for redress of grievances?

1st

Texas has how many Senate districts?

31

hat are the term and term limits for the governor

4 yr terms no limits

evangelical or fundamentalist Christians

A bloc of conservative Christians who are concerned with such issues as family, religion, abortion, gay rights, and community morals, and often support the Republican Party.

Blue-Ribbon Commission

A commission composed of public personalities or authorities on the subject that is being considered. In Texas, such a commission may have both fact-finding and recommending authority.

joint resolution

A formal expression of congressional opinion that must be approved by both houses of congress and by the president; constitutional amendments need not be signed by the president

Resolution

A formal expression of legislative sentiment, such as recognizing people, memorializing events, or making decisions that do not involve passing statutes.

Bureaucracy

A large, complex organization composed of appointed officials

What statement best describes the power of the govner

A long-serving governor with the support of powerful interest groups can wield a dominant influence over the enactment and implementation of public policy

Pragmatism

A philosophy which focuses only on the outcomes and effects of processes and situations.

Which of the following are reasons for the increasing power of the Texas governor

By using the post-adjournment veto more frequently, Texas governors have pursued their own policy goals more effectively. By calling frequent special sessions of the legislature, Texas governors have realized their policy goals more effectively. The extension of the term of office of the governor from two to four years has increased the policy impact of Texas governors. The creation of more state commission and agencies by the legislature has increased the power and influence of the governor.

Chief of State

Ceremonial head of government

Formal Powers of the Governor

Chief of State, Party Chief, Legislative Tools of Persuasion, Chief Executive

What does the party in the electorate include?

Citizens who identify with the parties

Which entity is the natural ally for an agency

Clientele interest groups

Which of the following are duties of lobbyists?

Conducting research on key policy objectives Meeting with legislators Communicating objectives to stakeholders