POLISCI Test 4

What is Texas Political Culture and how does it affect our views?

People’s collective attitudes about government and politics, and the values they want government to support. It forms the view of what role ordinary people should play in the political process

What is public opinion?

The aggregate of individuals opinions on issues

How is it connected to individual opinions?

Individuals are socialized and the sum of individual opinions becomes public opinion

What role do most Texans think ordinary citizens should play in politics?

Limited Types of political participation in Texas. Running for office, displaying your preference by posting a yard sign, wearing a button, or placing a bumper sticker, working for candidate by block walking, or making phone calls. State employees of Texas can belong to labor unions, but they cannot engage in collective bargaining

What are the demographics of the state’s population?

Texas has a majority minority population

Has the population of Texas grown?

Yes, it is growing faster than most other states. This is important because of the impact on the

electoral college since each state has as many electors as their US senators (2) and US House

representatives (38) and the candidate with the most votes take all the electors in the state. 270

electoral votes needed to win the presidency and if no one gets that number the House of

Representatives decides who becomes president

How do Texas political parties operate?

Used to select the candidate of the party that will stand in the general election. If no candidate gets

the majority in a primary, a runoff primary occurs – this practice is used in South, like Texas

Is the state’s political party system strong or weak?

Fairly weak. Why? They are weak because there are really 50 state party structures, this phenomenon leaves room for interest group influence

What party is dominate in Texas and when did that party gain dominance

Republican party state. Republican party started to gain prominence since the Texans voted for Eisenhower in 1952 but became dominate in 1980s.

Are there minor parties in Texas?

Yes, the Green Party and Libertarian PartY

Have they or are the minor parties successful?

No significant succes

What are state and local interest groups and what do they do?

State and local interest groups (SLIGs) protect local government interests from state interference

What impact do interest groups have on constitutional amendments?

Most constitutional amendments are pushed through by interest groups

Who can vote?

Anyone who is registered and provide proof of identity and residenc

What type of primary system is used in Texas?

Open (sometimes referred to as semi-open) primary. Parties operate through committees, the state executive of committee for each party consists of an equal number of men and women. The county party chairs maintain party headquarters, fund-raise, conduct primaries, and count ballots cast in a primary. The precinct convention is lowest level of participation open to anyone who voted in the party’s primary

Who controls voting and elections?

The Secretary of State. In Texas there is no straight ticket voting

How is the Texas Legislature structured?

Bicameral. 150 seats in House and 31 in Senate

How long is a legislative session and when do they occur?

140 days in odd numbered years

What are the qualifications to serve as a Texas Senate member?

26-years old, live in the state for 5 years and in the district for 1 year

What are the qualifications for a Texas House member?

21-years old, live in the state for 2 years and in district for 1 yea

What are the terms of office for Senators and Representatives in the Texas legislature?

Texas senators serve a 4-year term (US senators from TX serve a 6-year term) House member serve a 2-year term (same as US House

What is the annual salary for a Texas legislator?

7,200

How are bills passed?

Through a system of committees and required a majority vote in both the House and Senate. If a bill Is introduced after the sixtieth day of session, a vote of 4/5 is required

When are most bills passed?

In the last two weeks of session

Where is most of the legislative power in the state?

Power is dominated by leadership, Speaker of the House and President of the Senate which is the Lt. Governor

What type of committee is the most powerful in the state legislature?

Standing committees

What does the Texas Speaker of the House do?

Appoints committee chairs, appoints members of committees, presides over all sessions, and refers bills to committee

What does the President of the Texas Senate do?

Presides over the Senate

Is there an incumbent advantage, and, if so, what is it?

Yes, like the Speaker of the House the Lt. Gov., Pres. Of the Senate are rarely defeated for reelection

What are the qualifications to serve as Texas governor and as lieutenant governor?

Age, citizenship and residency

What are the powers of the Texas governor and how do they compare to governors of other states?

Our governor is weak compared to other states because his appointments must be approved by the state Senate

What are the powers of the Texas lieutenant governor?

Presides over the Texas Senate with same power as Speaker of the House in the House

What is the term of office for the Texas executive?

4 years with no term limits. Only 2 governors have been recalled but that is not allowed in Texas

What are the largest sources of revenue for the state?

Sales tax. But, in general high oil prices have enabled the state to avoid most national recessions.Texas still leads the nation in oil production.

What is largest source of local revenue?

Property tax

Who appoints administrators and how are they confirmed?

Those that can be appointed are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Texas Senate

Why has the Texas State Board of Education been criticized?

Deemphasizing civil rights movement, religious freedom, and Thomas Jefferson’s role as a primary figure in world history