Texas Government 2306 Exam 3 Review

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the history of Texas political parties, key governors, election processes, and media influence based on Prof. Cavallo's lecture notes.

David G. Burnet & Lorenzo de Zavala

Interim Texas President and Vice President who served the new Republic of Texas in $1836$.

Anson Jones

The last President of the Republic of Texas.

James Pinckney Henderson

The first Governor of Texas after it achieved statehood in $1845$.

E.J. Davis

A Republican who, along with his party, controlled Texas during the Reconstruction until $1874$.

Black and Tan (Republican) Party

The Republican party during Reconstruction that consisted of European immigrants, blacks, some Anglos, and Hispanics.

Greenback Party

A notable $3 ext{rd}$ party in the $1860 ext{s}$ that favored paper currency over gold-backed currency and supported farmers and laborers.

Populists (People’s Party)

A $1892$ coalition of labor, farmers, and blacks that supported silver as currency and an income tax.

Railroad Commission

The Texas agency created under Governor Hogg that regulates interstate commerce.

Edward M. House

A notable Democratic strategist who assisted US President Woodrow Wilson in creating the $14$ point plan.

Governor 'Farmer' Jim Ferguson

An anti-prohibitionist candidate who was impeached on $21$ charges of misusing public funds.

LULAC

The League of United Latin American Citizens, founded in Corpus Christi.

Governor 'Ma' Ferguson

The wife of Jim Ferguson who entered politics as a chief voice against the KKK and was known for the slogan 'Two Governors for the Price of One'.

Governor 'Pappy' O'Daniel

A governor with no prior political experience who used music to deliver a platform based on the $10$ commandments and the Golden Rule.

Box 13

A late-reporting voting box in Jim Wells county that gave Lyndon B. Johnson the $87$ vote advantage needed to win the $1946$ Senate election.

Shivercrats

Democrats who voted split-ticket for Republican Dwight Eisenhower while voting for Democrats for local and state office.

Governor John B. Connally

Known as the 'Education Governor,' he was shot during the Kennedy assassination and later became the US Treasury Secretary under Nixon.

Barbara Jordan

The first African-American woman elected to the US House of Representatives from the South ($1972$).

Sharpstown Scandal

A $1971$ stock fraud scandal involving Texas Speaker of the House Gus Mutscher and the Sharpstown State Bank.

Dirty Thirty

A group of Republicans and Democrats who worked to keep the Sharpstown scandal as a central political issue.

William P. Clements

The first Republican elected as Governor of Texas since the Reconstruction ($1979$).

Robin Hood plan

A school funding plan that requires wealthier districts to fund poorer districts.

Tom Delay

A former pest-control agent turned Republican Majority Leader known as 'The Hammer' who was charged with breaking campaign finance laws.

Reform Party

A national party rooted in Texas and started by billionaire Ross Perrot in $1992$.

Tipping

The process where party power changes in a region or state usually due to immigration or major changes in party philosophy.

Straight Ticket Voting

The practice of voting exclusively for one political party during a general election.

Swing Voters

Moderate voters who frequently switch their votes from one party to another.

Blue Dog Democrats

A conservative faction within the Democratic Party.

Lobbyists

Individuals, often former politicians or lawyers, hired by interest groups to educate and persuade lawmakers.

Interest groups

Civic organizations dedicated to politically emphasizing specific causes.

James Farmer

A Texan who co-founded the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE).

La Raza Unida

An organization founded by Jose Angel Gutierrez that transitioned from a political party to a special interest group supporting Hispanics.

Hard Money

Political contribution funds that must be reported to the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

Soft Money

Funds donated to parties or interest groups for general party activities rather than specific candidates.

McCain-Feingold

Also known as the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, it was overturned by the Supreme Court in January $2010$, allowing unlimited corporate/union donations.

Super PACs

Independent-expenditure only committees that may receive unlimited funds for advertising but cannot coordinate with candidates.

527s

Tax-exempt interest groups that provide soft money to parties and report to the IRS rather than the FEC.

Campaign Manager

The Chief of Staff for a political campaign.

Front-End Strategy

A presidential campaign strategy focusing on winning early primary states like New Hampshire.

Franking privilege

The legal right of members of Congress to use the US mail service for free.

Incumbents

Individuals who are already holding the office for which they are running for re-election.

Open Primary

A primary election where voters are not required to be registered with a specific party to participate.

Closed Primary

A primary election where voters must be registered with a party to vote for its nominees.

Grassroots

The lowest and most basic level of a political organization.

Caucuses

Local party meetings that decide a party's nominee and propose policies through a gathered assembly of registered members.

Rump Convention

Occurs when members secede from a main political convention to organize a separate one.

Spinning

The practice of taking facts and presenting them in a way that favors a particular group or narrative.

Halo Effect

A phenomenon in polling where respondents give socially acceptable answers instead of their true feelings.

Bandwagon Effect

The tendency of people to support a candidate or trend because they see others are doing so.

Sampling Error

The difference between a sample’s result and the true result if the entire population was polled.

FCC

The Federal Communications Commission, which regulates television and radio communications.

Equal-time rule

A regulation requiring broadcasters to offer equal advertising time to opposing political candidates at the same price.

Libel

False written statements about an individual.

Slander

False oral (spoken) statements about an individual.

Sullivan Rule

The $1964$ legal standard stating public officials cannot sue for false statements unless they prove the media acted with knowledge of the falsity.

Yellow Journalism

Sensationalized, irresponsible, and often exaggerated journalism.

Muckraking

Investigative journalism aimed at uncovering injustice.

C-Span

A non-profit organization that covers US House and Senate proceedings without government funding or advertising.