govt final

What is political culture?

• the sum of beliefs/values/public attitudes toward politics, and how those ideas guide people’s political actions

• ours is a blend of individualism & traditionalism; emphasizes personal liberty, states rights, and limited government.

Who regulates oil & energy in Texas?

the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC)

What functions are state constitutions primarily designed to perform?

• establish the structure of state government (leg, exe, & judi branches)

• define & limit governmental powers

• create local governments

• outline the electoral process

• protect individual rights

• manage state finance/resources

Texas has operated under how many constitutions?

7 constitutions

How is the Texas Bill of Rights different from the U.S. Bills of rights?

• Texas = more detailed (33 sections) and includes specific provisions not found in the U.S. bill of rights

What impact did McCulloch v. Maryland have on the powers of the federal government?

expanded [the powers of] the federal government through the establishment of implied powers

What’s the Supremacy Clause?

for Texas, it means if a federal law and a Texas law clash, the federal law wins, established by cases like McCulloch v. Maryland

Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution requires that states treat citizens equally under the law & follow due process when limiting a citizens’ life, liberty, or property?

14th amendment

How does V.O. Key describe the collective set of opinions held by private citizens?

"those opinions held by private persons which governments find it prudent to heed,"

• it's not just any opinion, but collective views of citizens that hold political weight and influence government action

In what way does the media most clearly serve in its watchdog capacity?

investigating and exposing government wrongdoing, corruption, and abuses of power

• investigative journalism

• shining light on abuses

• fact-checking & security

What is a party platform?

a political party's official statement of its core principles, goals, and positions on specific issues, broken down into "planks,"

• swerves as a blueprint for how candidates will govern and what they stand for, guiding voters, & outlining the party's vision for the future

What is political socialization?

the lifelong process where individuals develop their political attitudes, values, beliefs, and behaviors, learning how to be citizens through influences like family, school, friends, and media, shaping their understanding of power, justice, and government

In a “first past the post” electoral system the winner of the election is whoever gets how much of the vote?

Who ever gets more votes than any other canidate

What is the electoral cycle?

-Primary Election

-Local Election

-Election from all parties and independents + local election for city/ISD

• primary → local → all-party + local election(s)

When do Texans vote in general elections to elect members of Congress?

A tuesday following the 1st monday in Nov. on even numbered years

In Texas, why are special elections called?

They’re called to ratify or reject constitution amendments, fill vacant offices of officals, or provide approval to borrow money

What’s the definition of an interest group?

a collection of people sharing common goals who organize to influence public policy and government decisions without running candidates for office

What is Bundling?

the consolidation of two or more smaller, separate contracts for goods or services into a single, larger contract

• achieve benefits like cost savings and improved quality

• can make it difficult for small businesses

Which type of districts are used in the Texas House & Senate?

Texas House and Senate use single-member districts = each district elects just one representative

How many members serve in the Texas House, and serve in the Texas Senate?

• 150 in the House

• 31 in the Senate

What are the Term lengths for Texas Senators and Texas House members?

• term 4 senator = 4 years

• term for House = 2 years

How is executive power structured in Texas?

It is divided among multiple officials, each elected by the people, to ensure that no one person has too much power.

When can the governor of Texas use the line-item veto?

can only use on appropriations bills. allows the governor to selectively strike out individual spending items or lines without rejecting entire bill.

Who is the only Texas governor to be impeached and convicted?

James E. Ferguson. stemmed from a fued with the University of Texas - escalated when he attempted to veto almost all of their appropriations

Which court in TX has automatic jurisdiction over all death penalty cases?

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

What’s the difference between civil law and criminal law?

• criminal law deals with crimes against society and is prosecuted by the government, goal is to punish the offender, "beyond a reasonable doubt”

• civil law involves disputes between private parties like individuals or organizations, goal is to compensate injured party, "preponderance of the evidence"

In Texas, who collects the taxes owed to the county?

County Tax Assessor-Collecter

Why must the Texas legislature maintain a balanced budget?

bc the Texas Constitution requires it, the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) and the Office of the Comptroller enforce it

Why is the tax system in Texas generally considered to be regressive?

Average tax burden falls as an individuals income increases (poor people pay more percentage in taxes then rich people)

What is the definition of public policy?

Governments stratagy for addressing a public issue which includes the laws, rules, and actions it chooses to take or not take

Which individual or group determines whether a person convicted of a crime in Texas will be granted parole?

Board of pardons and paroles (2/3 majority vote required)

In, Texas, how many people are on felony juries & how many people are on misdeamenor juries?

-12 people on a felony jury

-6 people on a misdeamenor jury

What is a majority minority district?

District has more people of color than white people

In addition to funding from the state government, community colleges are also funded by what?

local property taxes, student tuition