SHSU POLS 2306 Yawn Unit 2 Test

who is the current speaker of the house in Texas?

Dustin Burrows

Who is the current Lieutenant Governer (president of the senate) of Texas?

Dan Patrick

how many members are in the Texas Legislature?

a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives

How long are senators terms in Texas?

4 years

How long are representative terms in Texas?

2 years

how long is the Lieutenant Governors term?

4 years, unlimited terms

how long is Speaker of the House term?

2 years, unlimited terms

what are the qualifications to serve in the Texas Legislation?

-must be U.S. citizens

-qualified Texas Voter

-residents of their district for one year

-minimum Texas resident 1 year for representative and 2 years for senators

-minimum age 21 for representatives and 26 for senators

Regular sessions of the Texas legislature meet for

140 days, in odd-numbered years.

Special sessions of the Texas legislature

can only be called by the governor and can only last for 30 days

compensation of the Texas Legislature

$7200/year

who presides over the Senate?

Lieutenant Governor

who presides over the House of Representatives?

Speaker of the House

redistricting

redrawing of congressional district boundaries by the party in power of the state legislature

gerrymandering

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

filibuster

a tactic for delaying or obstructing legislation by making long speeches

line-item veto

power to strike, or remove, specific items from a spending bill without vetoing the entire package

log-rolling

a legislator supports a proposal favored by another in return for support of his or hers

standing committee

A permanent committee established in a legislature, usually focusing on a policy area

select committee

A temporary legislative committee established for a limited time period and for a special purpose.

procedural committee

These House committees (such as the Calendars Committee and House Administration Committee) consider bills and resolutions relating primarily to procedural legislative matters.

substantive committee

appointed by the house speaker, a substantive committee considers bills and resolutions related to the subject identified by its name and may recommend passage of proposed legislation to the appropriate calendar committee

conference committee

special joint committee created to reconcile differences in bills passed by the House and Senate

what are the steps of a bill becoming a law?

1) Bill is introduced in the House

2) 1st reading and referral to Committee

3) House committee considers and reports

4) if passed, 2nd reading, debate and voting happens

5) 3rd reading; if approved by the House, the bill goes to senate

6) 1st reading and referral to committee in senate

7) Senate committee considers and reports

8) senate has 2nd reading where they debate and vote

9) 3rd reading and decision is made

10) returns to house

11) if the bill is agreed on, both chambers send it to conference

12) conference committee reports

13) after the bill is accepted, it gets stamped "enrolled" and is presented to the House

14) signed by chief Clerk and Speaker

15) signed by the Secretary of the Senant and the Lieutenant Governor

16) action by the governor (either sign, veto, or return bill unsigned to House)

who can propose a bill?

any House member

how many times is a bill read in house or senate?

3 times

plural executive

The governor, elected department heads, and the secretary of state, as provided by the Texas Constitution and statutes.

what offices make up the executive in the Texas Government?

-Governor

-Lieutenant Governor

-Attorney General

-Comptroller of Public Accounts

-Land Commissioner

-Agriculture Commissioner

-Railroad Commissioner

attorney general

the head of the department of justice which represents the state government in lawsuits and provides legal advice to state and local officials

comptroller

an elected constitutional officer responsible for collecting taxes, keeping accounts, estimating revenue, and serving as treasurer for the state.

land commissioner

elected state official who is the manager of most publicly owned lands

railroad commission of Texas (RRC)

A popularly elected, three-member commission primarily engaged in regulating natural gas and petroleum production.

commissioner of agriculture

-an elected state official responsible for administering laws and programs that benefit agriculture.

-school lunch and pesticides

secretary of state

the state's chief elections officer, with other administrative duties, who is appointed by the governor for a term concurrent with that of the governor

Lieutenant Governor

the executive officer of a state who is next in rank to a governor and who takes the governor's place in case of disability or death.

Why was the plural executive adopted

so there isn't one government official in Texas that is solely responsible for the executive branch

what are the requirements to be a Texas Governor?

30 years old

US citizen

lived in Tx for 5 years

Powers of the Texas Governor

-state's Chief Executive

-nominate state officials

-deal with problems caused by civil disorder and natural disasters

-participate in state budget making and budget management

-announce policies by issuing executive orders

-make public proclamations for ceremonial and other purposes

-promote the economic development of Texas

-approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature.

how much does a Texas Governor make?

$153,750

what are the perks of being Texas Governor?

-state pays for governor's official trip expenses

-security personnel

-staff and housing in governor mansion

-legal expenses

-retirement income

-

appellate

having the power to hear appeals and to reverse lower court decisions

original jurisdiction

the power of a court to hear a case first, before any other court

felony cases

a serious crime punished by fine and prison confinement

misdemeanor cases

classified as A, B, or C, a misdemeanor may be punished by fine and/or jail sentence.

what is the lowest tier of the state court system?

-justice of peace (county)

-municipal (city)

true or false: justice of peace and municipal courts have record

false, they are courts of no records

what is the second tier of the state court system?

county courts

true or false: county courts do not hear felonies

true

what is the third tier of the state court system?

district court

What does the district court do?

-felonies

-original jurisdiction

what is the fourth tier of the state court system?

court of appeals

what is the fifth tier of the state court system?

-Texas Supreme Court

-Court of Criminal Appeals

what cases are taken to the Supreme Court?

civil cases

ex: divorces

what cases are taken to the Court of Criminal Appeals?

criminal cases

ex: murders

what two states are bifurcated?

Oklahoma and Texas

grand jury

a group of citizens that decides whether there is sufficient evidence to accuse someone of a crime.

petit jury

a jury of 6 to 12 persons that determines guilt or innocence in a civil or criminal action.

voir dire process

the questioning of potential jurors to determine whether they have biases that would disqualify them from jury service

voir dire

jury selection process of questioning prospective jurors, to ascertain their qualifications and determine any basis for challenge.

court of record

a court that has a court reporter or electronic device to record testimony and proceedings.

affirm

to declare that a court ruling is valid and must stand.

overturn

reverse the previous court's decision

remand

to send a case back to a lower court to be tried again

plaintiff

the injured party who initiates a civil suit or the government in a criminal proceeding.

defendant

the person sued in a civil proceeding or prosecuted in a criminal proceeding.

prosecutor

legal party responsible for presenting the case in a criminal trial against the defendant

how are judges selected in Texas?

partisan elections where the citizens vote

how are justices selected in Texas?

partisan elections where the citizens vote

political era

law enforcement was closely tied to political leaders; officers were often hired based on connections rather than skill

reform era

focused on making policing more professional with training, standardized procedures, and less political influence

community policing era

focuses on partnerships between police and community members to prevent crime and improve trust

rational choice theory

the idea that people make decisions by weighing the costs and benefits, and will commit a crime if the benefit outweighs the risk

Texas Constitution of 1876 (background)

written after Reconstruction to limit government power and prevent strong central leadership

why was the plural executive created (expanded)

to prevent abuse of power by dividing executive authority among multiple elected officials instead of giving full control to the governor

political ads

messages used by candidates to influence voters and gain support during elections

types of political ads

-attack ads → focus on opponent’s weaknesses

-support ads → promote candidate’s strengths

-issue ads → focus on specific topics like economy or education

emotional appeal in political ads

uses feelings like fear, hope, or pride to influence voters instead of facts

why political ads matter

they shape public opinion and influence how voters view candidates and issues