Chapter 3 & 4 Texas Govt Vocab

September 19

Legitimacy

General public acceptance of government’s “right to govern”; and also, the legality of a government’s existence conferred by a constitution.

Homestead

An owner-occupied property protected from forced sale under most circumstances.

Community property

Property acquired during marriage and owned equally by both spouses.

Common law

The process under which law is developed based on judicial rulings and customs over time.

Long ballot

A ballot that results from the independent election of a large number executive and judicial officers; giving the chief executive the power to appoint most executive and judicial offers results in a short ballot.

Statutory law

Law passed by legislatures and written into books of code.

Writ of habeas corpus

A court order requiring that an individual be presented in person and that legal cause be shown for confinement; it may result in release from unlawful detention.

Separation of powers

The principle behind the concept of a government where power is distributed among at least three different branches-legislative, executive, and judicial.

checks and balances

The concept that each branch of government is assigned power to limit abuses by the others.

Bicameral

Consisting of two houses or chambers; applied to a legislative body with two parts, such as a senate and a house of representatives(or assembly).

Biennial regular session

In Texas, regular legislation sessions are scheduled by the constitution. They are held once every two years.

Special sessions

A legislative session called by the Texas governor, who also sets its agenda.

Filibuster

An extended discussion by a legislator on the floor with the goal of delaying or blocking a final vote on a bill.

Deadwood

Inoperable constitutional provisions that have been either avoided by a conflicting U.S. constitutional or statutory law or made irrelevant by changing circumstances and contexts.

Plural executive

An executive branch where power is divided among several independently elected officials, thereby weakening the power of the chief executive, which, in Texas, is the governor.

Indirect appointive powers

Texas governor’s authority to appoint supervisory boards but not the operational directors for most state agencies.

Removal powers

The authority to fire appointed officials.

Directive authority

The power to issue binding orders to state agencies.

Budgetary power

The power to recommend to the legislature how much it should appropriate for various executive agencies.

Line-item veto

The power to strike out sections of a bill without vetoing the entire bill.

Reduction veto

The power to reduce amounts in a appropriations bill without striking them out altogether; this power is not available to Texas’s governor.

Pocket veto

The power to kill legislation by simply ignoring it after the end of the legislative session; this power is not available to Texas’s governor.

Partisan elections

General elections where the candidates are nominated by the political parties and their respective party labels appear on the ballot.

Suffrage

The legal right to vote.

Initiatives

An election method that empowers citizens to place a proposal on the ballot for voter approval. If the measure passes, it becomes law (permitted in some Texas cities but not at the state level).

Referendums

An election that permits voters to determine if an ordinance or statue will go into effect (permitted in some Texas cities but not at the state level).

Popular recalls

A special election to remove an official before the end of his or her term, initiated by citizen petition (permitted in some Texas cities but not at the state level).

Proposal of constitutional amendments

In Texas, the proposal of a constitutional amendment must be supported by two-thirds of the total membership of each house of the Texas legislature (at least 21 senators and 100 representatives).

Ratification

Approval by a majority of those persons voting on the amendment in either a general or a special election.

Participation paradox

The fact that citizens vote even through a single vote rarely decides an election.

Voter turnout

The proportion of eligible Americans who can actually vote.

Voting-age population (VAP)

The total number of persons in the United States who are 18 years of age or older.

Direct primary

A method of selecting party nominees in which party members participate directly in the selection of a candidate to represent them in the general election.

Runoff primary

A second primary election that pits the two top vote-getters from the first primary, where the winner in that primary did not receive a majority. The runoff primary is used in states such as Texas that have a majority election rule in party primaries.

Open primary

A type of party primary where a voter can choose an election day in which primary they will participate.

Closed primary

A type of primary where a voter is required to specify a party preference when registering to vote.

Crossover voting

When members of one political party vote in the other paty’s primary to influence the nominee that is selected.

Plurality vote

An election rule in which the candidate with the most voted wins regardless of whether it is a majority.

Party-column ballot

A type of ballot used in general election where all of the candidates from each party are listed in parallel columns under the party label.

Split-ticketing voting

A voter selecting candidates from one party for some offices and candidates form the other party for other offices.

Straight-ticket voting

Selecting all of the candidates of one particular party.

Office-block ballot

A type of ballot used in a general election where the names of the parties’ candidates are randomly listed in under each office.

Australian ballot

A ballot printed by the government (as opposed to the political parties) that allows people to vote in secret.

Early voting

The practice of voting before election day at traditional voting locations, such as schools, and other locations, such as grocery and convenience stores.

Chad

The small pieces of paper produced when voting with punch-card ballots.

Electronic voting

Voting by using touch screens.

Negative campaigning

A strategy used in election campaigns in which candidates attack opponents’ issue positions or character.

Political action committees (PACs)

Organizations that raise and contribute money to political candidates.

Soft money

Money spent by political parties on behalf of political candidates, especially for the purposes of increasing voter registration and turnout.

Independent expeditures

Money individuals and organizations spend to promote a candidate without working or communicating directly with the candidate’s campaign organization.