5-6 tx gov

What determines who wields power in Texas politics and shapes the nature of democratic politics in the state?

Elections and the rules and procedures surrounding them.

In what type of election is an absolute majority required to avoid a runoff primary?

Primary elections.

What is the difference between an open primary and a closed primary?

An open primary allows voting in either, but not both, primaries, while a closed primary requires a voter to declare their party affiliation.

When are general elections in Texas held, and what is their purpose?

General elections are held in November, and voters cast ballots to select public officials.

How do city and school board elections in Texas differ from national and state elections regarding party labels?

They are nonpartisan, meaning candidates' political affiliations are not listed on the ballot.

What specific functions do special elections serve in Texas?

They are used to fill vacancies in office, give approval to borrow money, or ratify or reject amendments to the Texas Constitution.

According to the transcript, which state officials are elected in nonpresidential midterm years like $2022$ and $2026$?

The Governor, Lieutenant governor, and Attorney general.

What term refers to the act of voting or the right to vote?

The franchise.

Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in $1920$, gave women the right to vote?

The Nineteenth Amendment.

What was the primary purpose of the poll tax and early registration requirements in Texas history?

To disenfranchise poorer people and migrant workers.

What was the White primary, and when was it instituted in Texas?

The White primary was a design to minimize the strength of African American voters, instituted in $1923$.

What was the outcome of the Voting Rights Act of $1965$ regarding African American registration in Texas by $1971$?

Registration increased from approximately $35 \text{ percent}$ to $65 \text{ percent}$.

What are the current age and residency requirements to vote in Texas?

A voter must be $18$ years of age, a U.S. citizen, and a resident of Texas and the county for $30$ days.

Which law allows Texans to register to vote while applying for or renewing a driver's license?

The motor voter law.

Under Texas voter ID laws, which form of identification is accepted, and which is notably disallowed?

Concealed weapons permits are allowed, but student identification cards are not.

How long is the period for early voting in Texas?

A two-week period before Election Day.

What change occurred regarding straight-ticket voting in Texas as of $2020$?

The straight-ticket option is no longer available.

What were the major changes introduced by the legislation known as $\text{SB } 7$?

It banned $24$-hour and drive-thru voting, banned unsolicited mail-in ballot applications and drop-boxes, and restricted absentee voting.

What is the difference between reapportionment and redistricting?

Reapportionment determines how many congressional seats a state receives, whereas redistricting redraws district lines for the Texas legislature and U.S. House.

Why does the winner of the Republican primary typically win the statewide election in Texas?

Because of the current era of Republican dominance in the state.

What requirements must an independent candidate meet to get on the ballot in Texas?

They must obtain signatures equal to $1 \text{ percent}$ of the total votes in the last governor's race from registered voters who did not participate in a primary.

What is the single biggest expense in a Texas political campaign?

Media ads.

Which interest group spent millions in $2016$ Republican primaries to defeat backers of former speaker Joe Straus?

Empower Texans.

What percentage of the statewide vote did Donald Trump receive from Latino voters in Texas in $2024$ according to exit polls?

$55 \text{ percent}$.

According to Michael Li of the Brennan Center for Justice, what percentage of the statewide vote must Democrats win to control a majority of seats in the Texas House?

About $57 \text{ percent}$.

How is public opinion defined in the lecture?

The attitude citizens have about public policies, politicians, political institutions, and events.

What is the process of political socialization?

The way in which individuals develop their political opinions through influences like family, school, religion, and the media.

What is political efficacy?

The idea, often fostered by higher education, that a person can make a difference by engaging in the political process.

Who are the dominant religious groups influencing political socialization in east Texas?

Evangelical Protestants and Roman Catholics, particularly in the Latino community.

What is the 'gender gap' in political identification?

The phenomenon where women are more likely to support Democratic candidates and social welfare programs, while men have become increasingly Republican since the mid-$1960s$.

According to the transcript, what percentage of Texans support raising the age to purchase an assault rifle to $21$?

$71\%$.

What are the core beliefs of political conservatives regarding the economy?

Support for limited government intervention, reduced spending, and low taxes.

What do political liberals typically support regarding social services?

Expansion of social services, spending on education, and health care.

What trend did political scientist Daniel Hopkins identify regarding political engagement?

Americans are more engaged with national politics than local politics, largely because they have turned away from local media in favor of national media.

What are informational shortcuts, also known as heuristics?

A process where individuals take cues from family, friends, or leaders to decide their political views instead of learning about every issue.

What is the definition of scientific polling?

The practice of securing a representative sample in a poll that accurately predicts public opinion and election outcomes.

Define policy congruence.

The alignment between the opinions of constituents and the actions of policy makers.

What are the three crucial roles of the media in a democracy?

Informing the public of current events, providing a forum for public debate, and acting as a watchdog over government leaders.

How does investigative journalism reflect the media's 'watchdog' role?

By using in-depth research and analysis to expose wrongdoings by individuals, groups, or organizations.

What is citizen journalism?

Reporting and commentary by ordinary people who are not trained journalists and usually publish their work on the internet.

What was the impact of the Telecommunications Act of $1996$?

It permitted corporations to mass-purchase large numbers of local newspapers and news stations, leading to media consolidation.

What is the Texas Tribune?

A nonprofit, nonpartisan, digital-first news organization founded in $2009$ by John Thornton.

What is the difference between agenda-setting and framing?

Agenda-setting is designating certain stories as newsworthy to bring them to public awareness; framing is presenting information in a specific way to shape audience understanding.

What is a 'news desert'?

A community that lacks local news coverage, often caused by local papers shutting down or switching to exclusively digital circulation.

According to the $2022$ UT/Texas Tribune Poll, what is the most common source for news among Texans?

Local TV news at $43\%$, followed by social media at $42\%$..

Distinguish between misinformation and disinformation.

Misinformation is incorrect or misleading information; disinformation is information specifically designed to deceive the public.

What are deepfakes?

Video and digital recordings altered by artificial intelligence (AI) to make it appear a person said or did things they actually did not.

Which $2023$ Texas bill aimed to curb local regulations and give more authority to state officials?

HB $2127$, also known as the preemption bill.

What percentage of U.S. adults believe the government should restrict false information even at the cost of some freedom to publish?

$48\%$, according to a Pew study.

What are the primary roles of political parties in Texas according to the lecture?

Helping candidates win elections, assisting voters in making choices, raising money, helping "get out the vote," and organizing the government if they win.

In Texas politics, what is the purpose of providing a candidate with a party label?

It provides a label under which candidates run and with which voters identify, which is especially important in a state that elects large numbers of officeholders.

At what stage of life does political socialization primarily occur?

Our early years.

Who are the primary agents of political socialization?

Parents, religious leaders, teachers, and others.

What has historically been the status of Texas regarding party dominance?

Texas has largely been a one-party state: first Democratic, then Republican.

Which two factions currently dominate modern-day Texas Republican politics?

Republicans loyal to former President Trump and business-oriented mainstream Republicans (establishment Republicans).

What are the three levels at which political parties in Texas are organized?

Precinct, county, and state levels.

How is the permanent party organization structured at the county level?

It is headed by a county chair and a county executive committee composed of the chair and the precinct chairs.

What requirement must a candidate meet to win a primary in Texas?

They must win a majority of the primary vote; if not, a runoff is held between the two highest vote getters.

What meeting sequence defines the temporary party organization in Texas?

Precinct conventions send delegates to the county/district convention, which then elects delegates to the state convention.

What is the "first past the post" single-member district electoral system?

An electoral system where the candidate with the most votes wins, making it difficult for third parties to thrive.

How does proportional representation differ from the Texas electoral system?

It is a multimember district system that allows each political party representation in proportion to its percentage of the total vote.

Which movement in the $1950s$ signaled the beginning of a shift toward presidential Republicanism in Texas?

The Shivercrat movement.

According to the transcript, what characterizes the contemporary Democratic Party's base in Texas?

African Americans, Latinos, and White liberals in urban areas.

Of the $13$ Democrats representing Texas in Congress, how many are Latino or African American?

$$11$$

Why has the Tea Party movement had significant influence in Texas?

Because of its libertarian antitax message and its focus on influencing Republican primaries rather than running third-party candidates.

What was the turnout percentage for African Americans in the $2018$ statewide elections compared to Whites?

$45.8\%$ for African Americans versus $56.8\%$ for Whites.

What percentage of the Texas population is African American?

About $12\%$

In $2020$, what percentage of registered voters in Texas were Latinos?

About $23\%$

The tension in the $2023$ Legislative session centered on which two Republican leaders?

Speaker Dade Phelan and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

What was the Republican share of the presidential vote in Texas in the $2020$ election according to the provided graph?

Approximately $52.1\%$

How much did Latino turnout change between the $2020$ Presidential Year and the $2022$ Statewide Election Year?

It dropped from $38.4\%$ in $2020$ to $26.5\%$ in $2022$, a difference of $11.9\%$.

What is the defining characteristic of "Blue Dog Democrats"?

They are conservative Democrats who have become increasingly rare (an "endangered species") in the South.

Which third party supports fiscal conservatism similar to establishment Republicans but is socially liberal on issues like same-sex marriage and marijuana legalization?

The Libertarian Party.