ch 7-10 Tx Gov

What is an interest group?

An organization established to influence government policies and programs.

What is the difference between a public interest group and a member interest group?

Public interest groups like the Sierra Club serve broad societal goals, while member interest groups like labor unions serve the specific interests of their members.

How does a pluralist democracy function?

It is a system in which groups can organize and compete for power and influence.

What is the "free rider problem"?

An incentive to benefit from others’ work without making a contribution, which can lead to the nonproduction or underproduction of collective goods.

What strategies do interest groups use to overcome the free rider problem?

They may offer selective and solidarity benefits.

Which types of interest groups dominate representation in Texas?

Business-oriented groups, including the "8F Crowd," oil and gas groups, and tech groups.

Why do policy makers benefit from interest groups?

Interest groups provide expertise, contribute campaign funds, mobilize voters, provide campaign workers, and run advertisements.

In the context of campaign contributions, what is "bundling"?

The practice of combining individual campaign contributions to increase their overall impact.

Regarding the 2023 school voucher debate, which group was the major opponent?

Raise Your Hand Texas.

Which organization deployed lobbyists to promote school voucher legislation in 2023?

The Texas Public Policy Foundation.

Through what method have civil rights groups like the NAACP and LULAC achieved notable success in influencing policy?

Litigation.

What is the "revolving door" in Texas politics?

The phenomenon where former legislators or aides are employed as lobbyists, using personal ties and experience to gain access for interest groups.

What action by "Bo" Pilgrim in 1989 caused concern regarding corruption in Texas politics?

He distributed $10,000$ checks to state senators while lobbying them on workers’ compensation reform.

Who is the individual cited for influencing public policy regarding visual smoke alarms for the hearing impaired?

Tyrus Burks.

What is Texas’s ranking regarding voter participation in the United States?

Texas has the lowest level of voter participation in the country.

How many active PACs were in Texas in 2020, and what was their cumulative spending?

There were just over $2,000$ active PACs, and they spent over $297\text{ million}$.

According to Figure 7.1, what were the contribution totals for House incumbents versus challengers in 2022?

Incumbents received $36,576,936$ while challengers received $2,235,598$.

What was a result of the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2009) ruling?

The creation of "dark money" sources, making it possible to fund organizations that oppose incumbents without disclosing donors.

What is "interest-group capture"?

A situation where a government agency serves the interests that it is supposed to regulate.

What conflict of interest was reported regarding the Texas Railroad Commission in 2010?

A report found that $80\%$ of donations to incumbent commissioners were from industries they regulated.

In the 2024 contribution data, which group provided the highest percentage of its contributions to Republicans?

Candidate contributions ($99\%R$) and Ideology/single issue ($95\%R$).

Which group provided the lowest total dollar amount to Texas Legislature candidates in 2024?

Defense, with a total of $30,480$.

Bicameralism

A legislature with two chambers, such as the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas Senate.

Texas House of Representatives

The lower chamber of the Texas legislature consisting of $150$ members who serve two-year terms.

Texas Senate

The upper chamber of the Texas legislature consisting of $31$ senators who serve four-year terms.

Regular Sessions

Meetings of the legislature required by the Texas Constitution to be held for $140$ days biennially in odd-numbered years.

Special Sessions

Legislative sessions called by the governor that last no more than $30$ days to address specific issues chosen by the governor.

Legislative Salary

The annual pay for Texas legislators, which is set at $7,200$$ per year.

Per Diem

The daily allowance provided to legislators when the legislature is in session, currently set at $221$ per day.

Constitutional Requirements for Texas Senate

Must be at least $26$ years old, a U.S. citizen, a resident of the state for $5$ years, and a resident of the district for $1$ year.

Constitutional Requirements for Texas House

Must be at least $21$ years old, a U.S. citizen, a resident of the state for $2$ years, and a resident of the district for $1$ year.

Single-member districts

Districts in which one official is elected for each legislative chamber.

One-person, one-vote principle

The constitutional requirement that redistricting must result in districts with roughly equal populations.

Gerrymandering

The practice of state legislatures manipulating the boundaries of district maps to favor one party or group.

Racial Gerrymandering

The practice of drawing district lines to advantage one racial group of voters over another.

Sunset Act

A law providing for the periodic review and, when deemed appropriate, the termination of state agencies.

Resolutions

Expressions of opinion on an issue by a legislative body, categorized as concurrent, joint, or simple.

Introduction

The first step in the legislative process where a member drafts a bill and files it with the clerk of the House or secretary of the Senate.

Referral

The second step in the legislative process where a bill is assigned to a standing committee by the Speaker or lieutenant governor.

Pigeonholing

A tactic used by a committee chair to kill a bill by setting it aside and not acting on it.

Floor Action

The fourth step in the legislative process where a bill is scheduled for debate and voting by the full chamber.

Filibuster

A tactic used in the Senate involving unlimited debate to delay or prevent a vote on a bill.

Conference Committee

A joint committee of $10$ members ($5$ from each house) created to work out a compromise between House and Senate versions of a bill.

Post-adjournment Veto

A veto issued by the governor after the legislature has adjourned, which prevents the legislature from overriding it.

Line-item Veto

The governor's power to veto specific parts or items within a bill rather than the entire piece of legislation.

State of the State message

An address delivered by the governor early in each session that puts forth a vision for Texas and recommended legislation.

Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives

The most important party and House leader who influences the legislative agenda and appoints committee members and chairs.

Lieutenant Governor of Texas

The presiding officer of the Senate who has significant control over legislation and committee appointments in that chamber.

Power of Recognition

The authority of the Speaker of the House to determine who speaks and for how long during a debate.

Plural Executive

An executive branch in which power is fragmented because the election of statewide officeholders is independent of the election of the governor.

Secretary of State

The only executive official in the Texas plural executive who is appointed by the governor and serves as the state's chief election official.

Constitution of 1876

The document, created as a reaction to the power of the executive under Reconstruction, which placed strict limits on the governor's power and dispersed authority through the plural executive.

Institutional Powers Rank

The ranking of Texas among other states in terms of the governor’s overall institutional powers, currently at $41st$.

Line-item Veto

The power of the governor to veto individual amounts or parts of an appropriations bill while signing the remainder of the bill into law.

Gubernatorial Qualifications

Constitutional requirements for governor including being at least $30$ years of age, a U.S. citizen, and a resident of Texas for $5$ years immediately preceding the election.

Impeachment

The formal charge by the House of Representatives that leads to a trial in the Senate; it requires a majority vote in the House and a $2/3$ vote in the Senate for conviction and removal.

James Ferguson

The only Texas governor to have been impeached and convicted.

Governor's Salary

The yearly compensation for the governor set by the legislature, which is currently $153,750$.

Patronage

The power of the governor to make political appointments to boards and commissions, or to confer grants and favors to supporters.

Executive Budget

A budget submitted by the governor to the legislature that indicates priorities, though it is often overshadowed by the legislative budget.

Legislative Budget Board (LBB)

The body responsible for preparing the legislative budget, which typically carries more influence than the governor's executive budget.

Public Safety Commission

A three-member board appointed by the governor, with Senate approval, that directs the work of the Department of Public Safety (DPS).

Message Power

Any communication between the governor and the legislature, notably including the State of the State message given at the beginning of a session.

Post-adjournment Veto

A veto issued by the governor after the legislature has adjourned, making it impossible for the legislature to override it.

Clemency Power

The governor’s authority to issue pardons, grant paroles, and issue reprieves, a power that is checked and limited by the Board of Pardons and Paroles.

Lieutenant Governor

The official who becomes governor if the office is vacant and who derives significant power from serving as the presiding officer of the Senate and chair of the LBB.

Attorney General (AG)

The elected state official who serves as the chief lawyer for Texas, primarily dealing with civil law and issuing advisory opinions on the legality of government actions.

Opinion Process

The procedure by which the Attorney General's office provides an advisory opinion on the legality of an action, which carries the force of law unless overturned by a court.

Commissioner of the General Land Office

The elected official responsible for managing most publicly owned lands in Texas, including the awarding of grazing and oil and gas exploration rights.

Agriculture Commissioner

The elected official responsible for enforcing agricultural laws, animal quarantine laws, and disease-control programs, as well as checking weights and measures.

Comptroller of Public Accounts

The elected official who directs the collection of tax and nontax revenues and provides revenue estimates that are crucial for the state’s budgeting process.

Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC)

A $3$-member elected board that regulates the oil and natural gas industry, as well as intrastate railroads and trucks.

State Board of Education (SBOE)

A $15$-member board elected from single-member districts that sets public education policy and high school graduation criteria.

Texas Education Agency (TEA)

The state agency responsible for enforcing the public education policy and accreditation standards established by the State Board of Education.

Sunset Advisory Commission (SAC)

A commission that reviews state agencies every $12$ years to determine if they should be continued, abolished, or reorganized.

State Bureaucracy Employment

The total number of people employed by the state bureaucracy during the $2022$ fiscal year, which was approximately $325,000$.

Civil Law

A branch of law that deals with disputes between private individuals, where the remedy is often compensation paid to the injured party.

Criminal Law

A branch of law involving the violation of criminal statutes, where punishment can include the loss of liberty or life.

Contingent Fee

An arrangement where an aggrieved person obtains legal services and the lawyer's fee is based on a percentage of the settlement or recovered funds.

Preponderance of the Evidence

The standard of proof that a plaintiff must meet in civil law cases.

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

The evidentiary threshold that must be met by the prosecution in a criminal case.

Tort Law

A specific area of civil law that aims to redress civil wrongs.

Arbitration

A method of dispute resolution where parties agree to present their case to a decision-maker and be bound by that person's decision.

Mediation

A process in which parties try to reach a compromise resolution to a dispute without going to trial.

Felony

A serious crime that, before trial, requires an indictment by a grand jury.

Misdemeanor

A lesser offense or crime that does not carry the same severity as a felony.

Grand Jury

A body of 12 persons that determines whether there is sufficient evidence to justify a trial and issue an indictment.

Indictment

A formal charge issued by a grand jury when they decide a trial is warranted.

Plea Bargain

A common occurrence in criminal cases where a suspect agrees to plead guilty, often to a lesser charge or for a lighter sentence.

Bench Trial

A trial conducted before a judge only, occurring when a suspect waives their right to a trial by jury.

Texas Supreme Court

The highest civil court in Texas, consisting of nine justices with final appellate jurisdiction over civil cases.

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

The highest criminal court in Texas, which has final state appellate authority over criminal cases and jurisdiction over automatic appeals in death penalty cases.

District Courts

The major trial courts in Texas that have general jurisdiction over a broad range of civil and criminal cases.

Specialty Courts

Courts created to address specific crimes or populations, such as drug courts, focusing on rehabilitation and lowering recidivism.

Justice of the Peace Courts

Local trial courts with limited jurisdiction over small claims and minor criminal misdemeanors.

Municipal Courts

Courts created in incorporated cities that have jurisdiction over city ordinance violations and primarily function as traffic courts.

Judicial Campaign Fairness Act

A 1995 law that provides limitations on campaign contributions to judicial candidates in Texas.

Integrated Bar

A system in which licensed lawyers are required to join a professional organization, specifically the State Bar of Texas.

State Commission on Judicial Conduct

The mechanism for regulating the conduct of judges, responsible for investigating misconduct and disability and disciplining judges.

House Bill 25 (2017)

A Texas law that banned straight-ticket voting starting in 2020.