POLS 207 – Exam 2 Review Flashcards

These flashcards cover key concepts from Chapters 5-7 on political participation, parties, and legislatures, including voting rights, primaries, redistricting, Texas-specific rules, and campaign dynamics.

What is political patronage (the spoils system)?

Rewarding political supporters with government jobs, contracts, or favors based on loyalty rather than merit.

Who is a rational voter?

A person who votes only when the expected personal benefits outweigh the costs of voting.

How do open and closed primaries differ?

Open – any registered voter may choose which party’s primary to vote in on Election Day. Closed – a voter must be registered with a party in advance and may vote only in that party’s primary.

What is the primary purpose of legislative committees?

To divide legislative work: review bills, hold hearings, amend legislation, and make recommendations to the full chamber.

Define gerrymandering.

Manipulating electoral district boundaries to favor a particular party or group.

What does the responsible-party model call for?

Parties present clear policy alternatives, help voters choose, win elections, and hold officials accountable for enacting the party’s platform.

In political participation, what is a protest?

A direct, collective, often peaceful assembly intended to obtain concessions or policy change.

Why was the Voting Rights Act of 1965 significant?

It eliminated literacy tests and other discriminatory practices, protecting minority voting rights.

What are “packing” and “cracking” in gerrymandering?

Packing – concentrating a group in one district to reduce influence elsewhere; Cracking – splitting a group across districts to dilute its voting power.

Why is media coverage vital for protests?

It amplifies the message, legitimizes the cause, widens audience reach, and can spur public and political action.

What principle did Reynolds v. Sims (1964) establish?

"One person, one vote"—state legislative districts must have roughly equal populations.

What is a candidate-centered campaign?

An electoral strategy focused on the individual candidate’s image and issues rather than the party label.

List three main functions of political parties.

Recruit candidates, organize elections/governing, and help voters interpret political issues via party platforms.

What is political suffrage?

The legal right to vote in public elections.

What does it mean to pigeonhole a bill?

A committee kills a bill by refusing to act on it—no hearing, vote, or further consideration.

What is a filibuster?

A Senate tactic of prolonged debate used to delay or block a vote on a bill.

What did the 15th Amendment do?

Prohibited voting discrimination based on race (1870).

What did the 19th Amendment accomplish?

Granted women the right to vote (1920).

Purpose of the 24th Amendment?

Abolished the poll tax in federal elections (1964).

Effect of the 26th Amendment?

Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 (1971).

What are Texas voter eligibility requirements?

U.S. citizen, at least 18, Texas resident 30+ days, and registered to vote.

Basic qualifications to serve in the Texas Legislature.

U.S. citizen, registered voter; House – 21+ years old, Texas resident 2 yrs, district resident 1 yr; Senate – 26+ years old, Texas resident 5 yrs, district resident 1 yr.

What did Baker v. Carr (1962) decide?

Federal courts may hear redistricting cases under the 14th-Amendment equal-protection clause, paving way for "one person, one vote."

What is early voting and why does it matter?

Casting a ballot before Election Day (in person or by mail) to make voting more convenient and boost turnout.

What are multimember districts, and does Texas still use them?

Districts electing multiple representatives; Texas largely abandoned them to avoid diluting minority voting strength.

Define incumbent advantage.

Built-in benefits sitting officeholders enjoy—name recognition, fundraising, staff, and media access—making reelection easier.

What is civil disobedience?

Intentional, non-violent lawbreaking to protest injustice; participants use symbolic acts (e.g., sit-ins, boycotts) to draw attention.

Explain malapportionment.

Unequal representation where districts have significantly different population sizes, violating "one person, one vote."

What is the doctrine of sufficiency in campaigns?

The idea that a campaign needs only enough resources to be competitive; beyond a threshold, extra spending yields diminishing returns.

How does the socioeconomic model explain turnout?

People with higher education, income, and age are more likely to vote than those with lower socioeconomic status.

Give two common forms of participation other than voting.

Attending town-hall meetings and joining a political party (others: donating, campaigning, protesting, running for office).

List three main duties of state legislatures.

Enact laws, approve budgets, and oversee state agencies (plus constitutional amendments, appointments, constituent service).

How often does the Texas Legislature meet?

Regular biennial session of 140 days every two years.

How do primary elections shape party nominations?

They allow party voters to choose the candidate who will represent the party in the general election.

Why do some states have higher voter turnout?

Differences in election laws, competitiveness, demographics, and political culture.

Name one strategy to increase voter turnout.

Same-day registration (others: expanded early voting, mail voting, education campaigns).

Who sets voter qualifications?

States set rules within limits of the U.S. Constitution and federal law.

What is a blanket primary?

All candidates from all parties appear on one ballot; voters may pick one candidate per office regardless of party.

Describe a jungle (top-two) primary.

All candidates run on one ballot; the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, advance to the general election.

What is a semi-closed primary?

Party members vote in their own primary; unaffiliated voters may choose which primary to participate in.

Purpose of a runoff election.

A second round between top candidates when no one receives a majority in the initial primary.

Role of national party committees.

Coordinate strategy, fundraising, and messaging for the party’s candidates nationwide.

Define negative campaigning (mudslinging).

The deliberate spread of unfavorable information about an opponent to damage their public image.

What is apportionment?

Allocating U.S. House seats among states based on population after each decennial census.

Identify three types of legislative committees.

Standing, select/special, and joint committees.

What core tasks do committees perform?

Review bills, hold hearings, amend proposals, and report recommendations to the chamber.

Who decides legislative committee membership?

Each party’s steering or committee-on-committees panel, then approved by the full party caucus/conference.

In Texas politics, what is pigeonholing?

A committee’s act of shelving a bill by taking no action, effectively killing it.

How long is a regular legislative session in Texas?

140 calendar days.

What is the principal-agent model in politics?

Framework where voters (principals) delegate authority to elected officials (agents) and seek to monitor and control their actions.