pols207 exam 2

political participation

voting, running for office, participating in marches or demonstrations, giving money or time to efforts, attending rallies or events, writing letters or emails, wearing a button, discussing issues with friends, belonging to a org

primary form of political participation

voting

protest

direct collective activity to obtain concessions. most success if nonviolent and clear goals. While nearly all states' constitutions require simple majorities to establish a quorum, Texas is one of only four states that require a supermajority of legislators (i.e., two-thirds) to conduct business.

civil disobedience

breaking unjust laws and accepting the punishment

role of media in protests

response is key, any covered violence leads to general public disapproval

when was property requirements for voting eliminated

early 1800s jacksonian era, "universal suffrage" to all white men 21+

15th amendment

1870, bans race discrimination. all men 21+ can vote

19th amendment

bans gender discrimination in voting

26th amendment

all 18 year olds can vote in federal elections

white primary

only white males can vote in the primary elections, ended by smith v allwright because primaries are an essential part of elections, violating the 15th amendment. Nixon v Herndon: struck down Texas law saying blacks cannot vote in primaries, unconstitutional under the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment.

literacy tests

not meant to be passed on very minute details of government, meant to bar "uneducated" people from voting

poll tax

banned by the 24th amendment, prerequisite required in order to vote

grandfather clause

if your grandfather could vote before the passage of the 15th amendment, you do not have to pay poll tax or take literacy test

civil rights act of 1964

ban unequal standards. Stopping any disenfranchisement by unequal access/standards. Title I of the act addressed voting discrimination by providing for the enforcement of the 15th Amendment: immediate impact on eliminating voter suppression. crucial for setting the stage for more comprehensive voting rights legislation

voting rights act of 1965

eliminates discrimination in voting. Federal govt has power over voting and voting requirements, can send monitors and registrars, section 5 (pre-clearance): Any state that has discriminated in the past must get clearance from fed govt before changing a voting law --> Shelby county versus holder strikes down sections 4b so section 5 is null until congress enacts new coverage formula.

voter requirements for texas

citizen, 18 years old, resident for 30 days

voter turnout

the percentage of the voting age population or registered voters that cast ballots in an election

rational voter theory

votes only if the benefits outweigh the costs. the costs: information cost, time, energy. benefits: unclear

single greatest predictor in voting

education. higher education and higher socioeconomic status = more likely to vote

single greatest predictor of HOW you vote

your political party affiliation

political party

an organization that seeks to achieve political power by placing their representatives in public office in government through elections. the main goal of any political party is to win elections. they are policy generalists and face electoral pressure (the party will get new leadership if they lose). they RUN candidates

interest group

the goal is to advance the interest of their members, even without having to win elections. Leadership will not get replaced just because preferred candidate is not selected. they ENDORSE candidates

responsible party model

a party system in which each party offers clear policy alternatives and holds their elected officials responsible for enacting these policies in office. Key: adherence to sticking to the party platform

pros of the responsible party model

develop and clarify policy, educate the people about issues, recruit and organize the candidates and hold them responsible if they win, organize legislatures

cons of the responsible party model

not generally offering clear policy alternatives, voter decisions not motivated by policy considerations, American politics have no way of binding the candidate to their campaign promises.

candidate centered model

individual candidates rather than parties raise funds, create personal organizations, and rely on professional consultants to direct their campaigns. Candidate is in charge of funds/staff etc. focus on candidate rather than party platform

consequences of the candidate centered model

now the candidates are responsible more for reaching out to voters, leads to emphasis on primary elections, decline in party identification, split ticket voting, decline in political patronage. largely all due to more media coverage

rational choice theory on the political spectrum: median voter theory

Most voters are moderate, and parties seek voter loyalty. Voters self-identify in the middle of the spectrum and these make up the independent swing: politicians are vying for swing independents. this leads to policians campaigning in the middle then ruling from whatever side they are truly on

open primary

you get to choose on election day in whose primary you will vote. allows for broader participation and gives independent voters a chance to influence the selection of candidates, but can lead to crossover voting. Texas has open primaries.

closed primary

you must be registered with the party whose primary you are voting in. People control who gets on the ballot, but only 5-15% turnout vote in primaries, so results in extreme candidates.

runoff primary

second primary between top two candidates to get a majority. Wastes times when they could be campaigning. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes in the primary, the top two candidates with the most votes proceed to a second round. The candidate who receives the majority in the runoff wins the election. These elections are intended to ensure that the winning candidate receives a majority of the votes, as opposed to a mere plurality.

caucus

run at night, at some location in the district/county, one for each party. Have people for all campaigns there working to convince people on what candidate to select. criticized as elitist and unrepresentative because party leaders and members of congress gathered to choose nominees.

decentralization of political parties

local, state, and national chapters, but national does not really have power over the states. the state chapter is ruled by state laws. decentralization leads to a diversity of leadership at different levels. State and local party leaders often have significant influence and may pursue different approaches from the national leadership, contributing to a broader representation of views within the party. but it also is hard to maintain coordination and cohesion and makes complicated the allocation of resources.

precinct convention

lowest level, voters select people to go to the county convention

county convention

delegates select people to go to the state convention

state convention

every 2 years, they select and officially nominate the candidate, and adopt the rules that will govern the parties/state committee for the next two years, then select delegates for the national convention

national convention

every 4 years, a pep rally for the party/candidate. they adopt the rules and regulations and guidelines to govern the party of the next 4 years

precinct chair

each party has this position, but it is not always filled. a part of the county executive committee which has a county chair selected by voters during the primary

state commmittee

64 person executive committee with a chair and vice chair selected at the state convention. the chair oversees the party operations and represents state committee at the national convention

national committee

has a national chair which is selected at the national convention or by election or by the president if the party wins. keep the party going in between elections. they oversee fundraising, operations, and day to day strategic planning to set the party's agenda

election laws

based on partisan divides, always favor the two major parties.

in texas, if the party receives 20% of the vote in the last governor election → you get a primary. if not, no one has to hold one. so only dems and reps do it. BUT a primary guarantees you a spot on the ballot. libertarians and green party etc are not guaranteed a spot, have to jump thru hoops to get their name on the ballot.

party control

the party in power determines policy, and there is gridlock if there is a split government

doctrine of sufficiency

no need to outspend the opponent to win.

spurious relationship between money and winning the election

the more money you spend, the more likely you are to lose.

"third variable" in campaign spending-success relationship

The incumbent has a lot of advantages (such as voting history), known commodity. Naïve challengers underestimate this. A quality challenger takes away the incumbent advantage if they are known in some way.

If you are vulnerable, you want to spend more money!

campaign goals

reinforcement, activation, and conversion. conversion is rare: your party affiliation is the greatest predictor of how you vote

functions of state legislatures

enacting laws (pass about 15-20% of them), consider amendments, governor appointments, and state courts, approve budgets, serve constituents, oversee state agencies (principal (legislature), agent (executive))

setup of the texas state legislature

biennial session (140 days every 2 years), 31 senators, 150 reps. 38 seats for Texas' fed house of rep

makeup of the legislators

Upper middle class or affluent families, typically retired, lawyers (good legal knowledge), business owners, physicians, college educated, over 56 avg., it is a part time job! Qualifications to be elected are minimal to ensure anyone can run, but to successfully run you need to be connected to money in some way

districting

done by the legislature, every 10 years

partisan and incumbent gerrymandering

the drawing of district lines for partisan advantage.

bill defintion

a proposed law. can be written by anyone, but only introduced by a member of the chamber. have a specific way of being written. read by the speaker and assigned by them to the appropriate standing committee

standing committee

permanent subject matter committees, policy-specific. Can pigeonhole, where the committee chair refuses to schedule the bill for hearing by committee. They are the workhorses of the legislature! Most bills die in this stage, only 15% pass in the session.

calendars committee

all bills in the house go here, set the rules by which the bill is debated and put it on the calendar. If there is a favorable vote here, it goes to the floor. in the senate, there is no calendars committee: the bills are put on the calendar in the order they come out of the standing committee

to the floor from the calendar

the bill is debated and amended, then voted on. if the bill is not getting the votes the speaker wants (the whips inform them), they can pull the bill from consideration.

the heads of the chambers

house: speaker of the house. senate: lieutenant governor (appointed by executive but gains power from legislative: most powerful position in texas state politics: can stop any piece of legislation and break ties)

tagging a bill

in the senate, a legislator can tag a bill putting it on a 48 hour hold

2/3 vote in the senate

needed 2/3 vote to pass a bill, eliminated by dan patrick in 2015, leading to democrats not being able to stop any bill from being considered.

filibuster

the control of the senate agenda through lengthy debate. a delaying tactic. must talk about a bill the entire time

vote of cloture

vote by a majority to end a filibuster. need 16/31 to vote to end it

vote of quorum

While nearly all states' constitutions require simple majorities to establish a quorum, Texas is one of only four states that require a supermajority of legislators (two-thirds) to conduct business.

if something is changed in the second chamber, it is sent back to the first chamber. if they do not agree, then...

conference committee: 5 from each chamber, selected by speaker of house and lieutenant governor. if they cannot compromise, the bill is dead. if they do compromise, it is sent back to both houses. if both chambers do not agree on this version, dead. IF THEY AGREE, governor's desk.

power of the governor and the veto

has veto power, but no pocket veto allowed in texas state politics. if governor vetos, he must write a veto report (which can be sent back to the houses to overturn with a 2/3 vote). if he simply does not sign it, it is passed into law without his signature. power of the post-adjournment veto: if the governor vetos it after legislature's session is over, no overturning. the governor has 10 days to decide when in session, 20 days if not in session.

why aren't legislatures more popular with the people

general cynicism for the government

effectiveness of protests

provide a platform for the marginalized, unconventional methods effectively capture public attention and put existing power structures in question

indian citizenship act of 1924

native Americans were citizens of the US and could vote in their elections

primary election

allows voters to select the candidates who will run for the general election. initially parties used caucuses, but criticized as elitist and unrepresentative.

semi-closed primary

registered party members can vote only in their party's primary, but unaffiliated (independent) voters can choose which party's primary to vote in. This system aims to balance the inclusiveness of open primaries with the party loyalty aspect of closed primaries

blanket primary

all candidates, regardless of party affiliation, appear on the same primary ballot, and all voters can vote for any candidate. This allows voters to select candidates across party lines for different offices.

jungle primary

places all candidates, regardless of party affiliation, on a single ballot. The top two vote-getters, regardless of their party, advance to the general election. This system aims to produce more moderate candidates and increase competition

plurality in primaries

Most primaries require a plurality of the votes to secure the nomination. This means that a candidate must win more votes, regardless of percentage, than any other candidate to win the primary. runoffs are held to determine the winner of a primary when no candidate receives the majority of the votes

three types of direct democracy

initiative, referendum, recall

initiative

allows citizens to propose new laws or amendments to the constitution through a petition. If the petition receives enough support (a required number of signatures) the proposed measure is put onto the ballot bypassing the legislature. If the measure receives a majority of the vote, then it becomes law without the approval of the legislature

referendum

a process that allows citizens to approve or reject laws or policies enacted by the legislature. Many states, including Texas, use referendum to amend their state constitution

recall

allows voters to remove elected officials from office before the end of their term. Voters gather the requisite number of signatures on a petition. If successful, a recall election is held where voters decide whether to remove the official from office and, in some cases, elect a replacement.

what leads to higher voter turnout

easier voting access, or battleground/party competitive states. Early voting, no-excuse absentee voting, and more polling places can make voting more convenient. Implementing automatic voter registration, same-day registration, and online registration can boost turnout. argument that these easier methods encourage fraud

what leads to lower voter turnout

stricter laws (ID, in-person only)

political efficacy

refers to citizens' belief in their ability to influence political processes and their perception of the government's responsiveness to their participation. Political efficacy fosters a sense of civic duty. two components: the belief in your competence to understand and engage effectively in political activities and the belief that government institutions and officials will be receptive and respond to your demands

role of political parties in government

organize our elections and the government. contest elections to place their officials into government offices, organizing the policymaking in state legislatures

parties serve to

choose candidates and narrow voter choice, organize primaries and conventions, educate the public, spread awareness and inform citizens, shape public policy, influence agenda, encourage voter turnout, and organize legislative and executive branches

tenets of the responsible party model

1. parties are expected to offer clear and distinct policy choices 2. maintain strong internal cohesion and discipline to ensure members support and adhere to party platform 3. voters are able to hold parties responsible for their performance in office 4. parties accept the responsibility for their policies and governance

why doesn't the responsible party model work for us

1. political parties cannot hold their officials accountable to the party platform. 2. parties in the US rarely take responsibility for their failed policies, rather they blame the other side

main objective for any campaign

to increase the candidate's name recognition and emphasize a simplistic theme and campaign message

incumbent advantage

name recognition, a record of service, and established networks of supporters and donors. Challengers must overcome these advantages to mount successful campaigns.

political contributors

PACs, well-educated wealthy older partisans, and some online fundraising, even personal wealth funds people's campaigns. super PACs and other independent groups are unlimited in the money they can give

broad functions of the legislature

the center of policymaking. lawmaking, oversight, budgeting, representation. creating and passing laws, including drafting, debating, amending, and voting on them. one of the most important tasks is the BUDGET. also serve their constituents

appropriations

specific allocations of funds to different departments, programs, and projects within the state budget

how does the legislature oversee the executive

ensures the laws are properly implemented by hearings, requesting reports, and investigating, confirming executive appointments.

principal-agent model

framework used to analyze relationships where one party (principal, legislative) delegates authority two another party (agent, executive) to perform tasks on their behalf. mandates, budgetary control, confirmation authority, and oversight mechanisms.

bureaucratic drift

the tendency for bureaucratic agencies to create policies that deviate from the original mandate. In other words, bureaucratic drift is the difference between the bureaucratic (agent) enactment of a law and the legislative intent of the principal.

audits, performance measures, benchmarks, and sanctions to check on these agencies

state legislator composition representation

State legislatures fail in terms of descriptive representation (i.e., mirroring the characteristics of their constituents). However, state legislators excel in substantive representation (i.e., representing the interests of their constituents).

redistricting

process of redrawing the boundaries of electoral districts. This process typically occurs every ten years, following the completion of the United States Census, to reflect population changes and ensure equal representation. The primary goal of redistricting is to create districts with roughly equal populations so that each person's vote has equal weight in elections (one person, one vote).

gerrymandering

deliberately manipulating district boundaries to benefit a particular political party. Partisan gerrymandering may be accomplished through cracking or packing, neither of which is ostensibly unconstitutional. Cracking refers to drawing electoral districts that divide a particular constituency, often based on voting behavior, across several districts. Packing refers to consolidating a constituency into one district minimizing its influence in other districts.

incumbent gerrymandering

districts drawn to benefit the current officeholder, often occurs in divided government

racial gerrymandering

drawing of districts to dilute the voting power of racial minority groups, violating the voting rights acts

affirmative racial gerrymandering

drawing of legislative district lines to maximize the opportunities for minority candidates to win elections

baker v Carr

allowed federal courts to intervene in redistricting cases and ensure equal representation in legislative districts. Establishing the principle of "one person, one vote."

Reynolds v Simms

Supreme Court reaffirms baker v Carr, requiring that all state legislative districts be roughly equal in population

setup of the legislatures

mostly bicameral (besides Nebraska), senate has fewer members than house that typically serve longer terms. some have term limits. presiding officers in each house with specialized committees. hold annual or biannual sessions, but leaders can call special sessions.

all revenue bills must originate in

the House of Representatives