POLS 207 Exam 2 TAMUG Haney

10th amendment

Amendment that further reserved powers to the state

15th amendment

Amendment that allowed African Americans to vote

19th amendment

Amendment that introduced Women's Suffrage, however, Wyoming introduced it first in 1890, and Texas was the first state in the "old south" to introduce it.

What were Native Americans given in 1924?

Native Americans extend US citizenship

24th amendment

Introduced the Poll Tax (attempt at limiting those who could vote)

26th amendment

18 year olds were given the right to vote

Motor Voter Act

Stated that a voter must be registered to vote 30 days prior to the election in TEXAS

Who was denied voting rights in 1965?

Military

What two categories of people are prevented from voting in any election?

Felons and mentally incapacitated are prevented from voting

What level are voter roles kept at?

the county level

what were physical barriers of 24th Amendment

Poll Tax - poor whites

Grandfather Clause - Equal Protection intimidation

Literacy tests - VRA 1965 (including violence)

White Primaries

What is required for Building Campaign organizations? (Hint: parties are made up of smaller groups working together).

Collective Action

What do parties get their structure from (in every district)?

Electoral Process

Why are Parties needed in Government?

As permanent coalitions in policy-making processes, parties facilitate action. Action would be unthinkable in Legislatures without parties.

Candidates

must be found to run for each of the thousands of elective offices at the national, state, and local levels.

Candidates must do what two things?

Raise Funding and Appeal to the Public

Closed Primary

Voters can participate in the nomination of only those candidates of the party in which they have been enrolled for a period of time before primary day.

Open Primary

Voters can choose on the day of the primary which party's primary to participate in

Which type of primaries are preferable from the standpoint of party organizers?

Closed Primaries

Downballot

refer to various candidates associated with voting on a straight party ticket that the voter is "semi-informed" of below that of higher offices such as the president.

National Convention

nominates the presidential candidate, and sets the party party platform

National Committee

raises money, and enhances the party's image or brand name

Congressional Campaign Committees

committees that recruit candidates, raise money, and provide services.

State and Local organizations

organizations that register voters, recruit candidates, and raise money.

Parties are major service providers of...

Candidate

(They provide money, voter lists and engage in GOTV, provide campaign advice, coordinate expenditures)

Party System

a period of equilibrium in which the same two parties compete with stable coalitions for a period of time.

How many parties are involved in party systems?

Two

Third Parties

a type of parties emerge and disappear quickly throughout party systems due to various barriers such as:

* No ideological room

* Legal advantage for the 2 major parties

* Existing party identification

*Chronic minorities

What do parties allow for Democracy?

Popular Participation and Collective Action

What do parties provide for Democracy?

Voting cues, organization in government, and logistical support for campaigns

Australian Ballot

an electoral format that presents the names of all the candidates for any given office on the same ballot.

Partisan Loyalty

The single strongest predictor of a person's vote (The vast majority of voters consistently vote for one party or the other)

Pull; Push

There is a ______ from government to collect info on how governmental decisions will impact various constituencies

There is a _______ from individuals and groups seeking to gain some benefit.

(This is how PLURALISM WORKS)

Interest Group

an organized group of individuals or organizations that makes policy-related appeals to the govt.

Private Interests

Interest groups represent the ________ _______ of a few, not the public interest.

(This is why James Madison pushed for a diverse pool of interest groups to fit the needs of many people).

Pluralism

the theory that all interests are and should be free to compete for influence in the govt.

Forming groups are free to organize, and the system is arguably democratic, so do larger groups in turn have larger power?

Yes, but some groups organize more easily when not being necessarily large.

Economic interest

one of the main purposes for which individuals form groups.

What 3 things are necessary for groups to be maintained?

Money, Leadership, and Members

What type of Bias is there in membership of interest groups?

An Upper Class Bias, since people with higher incomes and higher levels of education are more likely to be members of groups.

Selective Benefits

Benefits provided only to group members to entice members to join and contribute, including:

* Informational Benefits

* Material Benefits

* Solidary Benefits

* Purposive Benefits

(Example of the Institution principle in action)

Political Entrepreneurs

Leaders who accrue their own benefits in return for doing the work of organizing a group so that selective benefits can then form

Insider Strategies

* Directly influencing decision makers

* Pursuing advocacy through the courts

(Many groups pursue both insider and outsider strategies)

Outsider Strategies

* Educating the public

* Campaigning and contributing to candidates

(Many groups pursue both insider and outsider strategies)

Lobbying

an attempt by a group (interest group) to influence the policy process through persuasion of government officials.

(it is thought of negatively but does some good; Provides info and makes sure group concerns are heard)

Lobbying involves pressing governmental officials in __________

Congress

Lobbyists also seek to influence what other parts of the government?

The president and the executive branch

Regulations on lobbying

Groups must report spending on lobbying, some limits on gifts from lobbyists, and lobbyists must actually register as lobbyists.

Interest groups influencing policy through the courts.

* Bringing suits directly on behalf of their group

* Financing suits brought by others

* Filing amicus curiae briefs

(Brown v. Board of Education (1954) is an example of a case brought by groups (most notably the NAACP) to advance policy agenda.)

How do interest groups try to pressure politicians?

By mobilizing public opinion

What is one way to mobilize public opinion?

Going public by launching a media campaign to build popular support.

(Includes advertising campaigns, protests, and grassroots lobbying efforts - building lists of supporters and urging them to pressure officials)

Political Action Committees

committees that give contributions to candidate campaigns and to parties

Independent Expenditure

Allows groups to spend money to engage in voter education, and it may be unlimited as long as it is uncoordinated with a campaign.

Hard money

campaign contributions donated directly to candidates

Soft money

Money raised in unlimited amounts by political parties for party-building purposes. Now largely illegal except for limited contributions to state or local parties for voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts.

Are Interest Groups Effective?

Mixed evidence, some found that advocacy rarely yields returns, while other research has found that the small amount of money corporations spend on advocacy is a sign it is not worth much to them. However, if advocacy didn't work, groups would not spend money on it at all.

Rick Perry

*Was Governor for 14 years

*Trans-Texas Corridor

*CPRIT

*Ethics Commission

*Death Penalty

George W. Bush

*NCLB and "Robin Hood Plan"

*NAFTA

Jim Hogg

*Naming his first daughter "Ima Hogg"

The Qualifications for being governor of Texas

*Serve 4 year terms

*Must be at least 30 years of age

*Must be a resident for at least 5 years

*Must be a U.S. citizen

*Being governor must be their only job

Compensation of the Governor

*$150,000 salary

*Travel allowance

*200-300 staff

*Governor's mansion

Powers of the Governor

1) Veto

2) Appointment

*Recess appointment - w/in 10

days of next session

*Senatorial Courtesy -

gubernatorial appointments

have state senator support

3) Patronage

4) Revolving door - government --> lobbying (TX forbids lobbying old agency)

5) Emergency legislation --> jumping legislation (first 30 days)

6) Executive orders

7) Line-item veto - only on spending bills

8) Board of Pardons and Paroles

etc.

How can a TX Governor be impeached?

(Mirrors the Federal Government)

Majority for Article of Impeachment in the house, trial and 2/3 conviction in the senate.

Lt. Governor

Makes $7,200

Comptroller of Public Accounts

*Makes $150,000

*Collects fees and taxes, pays bills

Agriculture Commissioner- Gas and food

*Makes $137,500

Land Commissioner

*Permanent School Fund

*Mineral leases on public land

Secretary of State

*Licensing/regulation of business

*Supervises elections