POLS 2312 Final Flashcards

flashcards to study

Ch 7— legislature

Ch 7

What is casework according to the textbook and what we discussed in class?

Legislators and their staff assist constituents in their districts with specific requests

The TX legislature is…

Bicameral

When is Sine Die mentioned during a legislative session?

At the end of a session

Based on the distinct lawmaking procedures that the legislatures do, which one is best described below?

“A law that exempts businesses, organizations, or individuals from state laws”

Special Lawmaking

How many House members are there in the Texas State legislatures?

150

A committee is best described as…?

A small group of legislators who investigate, craft, assess, and act on legislation before it is considered by the entire chamber

How many days are there in a regular session for the state legislature?

140 days

What are the differences from standing committees and select committees?

committees are different based some being permanenet and others being temporary

In order for lawmakers to pass legislation they must work together. Which term below is being described?

The trading favors, votes, and influencing for legislative actions.

Logrolling

Ch. 8

ch. 8

Which of the government judicial powers are being described in the textbook?

Clemency and pardon

The military power the governor of texas is to direct the national guard to certain locations, where is the national guard usually present?

natural disasters or state of emergencies

What best describes the agenda setting of the governor?

an informal power where the governor uses the public platform to address the state’s political policy agenda

special sessions can last up to 30 days only? t/f

false

Historically, special sessions are much more present in times of…?

war, financial crisis, or a depression in the state.

What best describes a veto?

a constitutional decision by the governor to reject a resolution or bill by the legislature

Which chamber of the legislative branch approves the appointment/appointees of the Governor?

Senate

Ch 9. the plural executive

ch 9

According to the textbook, what term is being described? “a government organization that implements laws and provides services to individuals”

Bureaucracy

According to the scale of governor influence, which of the 4 types of TX bureaucracy has less governor influence?

Agencies head elected by the people (independent elected)

Regarding power and political role, the Lieutenant Governor (LG) in TX is…

strong

What is the name of the organization that periodically reviews executive agencies for efficiency?

Sunset commission

If the senate is evenly split, which individual is responsible for being the “tie-breaking” vote?

Lieutenant Governor

Which governor appointee single-headed agency is the “chief election officer”?

secretary of state

Which multimember agency manages and protects wildlife habitats and acquires Texas State parks and historic areas?

TX park and wildlife department (TWPD)

This plural executive position is considred the state of texas lawyer, he or she defends the law and the TX Constitution by representing the in-state court

Attorney General

Ch 10

Ch 10

The are three reasons why there are 2712 courts in the state of Texas, what are those reasons?

Large population, economy, and TX Constitution

What best defines an appeal in a court

reverse a decision from a lower court

In general, what type of cases are reviewd at courts. this determines if they are either: _______ and ________?

Criminal and Civil

What are examples that justices use to interpret the law?

TX Constitution, Legislation, and Common Law

Trial courts are the higher courts in the courts hierarchy t/f

False

The appellate courts have much higher volume of cases when compared with the trial courts t/f

False

Judicial Selection: There are different ways that justices are selected, what are those methods

Elections by the people, appointed by the executive branch, and election of judges by the legislators

Voter turnout in judicial elections have a high voter turnout t/f

False

Ch 11

ch 11

The oldest law enforcement agency in the state of TX is

The texas rangers

which of the following is the correct order of the criminal justice process in texas

Pretrial trial and punishment

Texas has a history of being “tough on crime” t/f

True

There are three types of misdemeanors: which of the three (class a, b, c) is considered to be h

class A

Which state agency oversees the following states facilities: psychiatric facilities, private units, transfer facilities, and state jail facilities

Texas Department of Criminal Justice

What best defines recidivism?

The tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend

What best describes the “Texas Control Model”?

Inmate obedience, discipline, work, and education

This individual is the state’s lawyer who is responsible for bringing charges against the accused lawbreaker

prosecutor

Once the Supreme Court was again permitted the death penalty, in 1977 Texas adopted the following option for the death penalty

Lethal injection

Ch 12

ch 12

WHat term is being described in this definition? a ruling that establishes state government can place restrictions on municipalities if these rules do not violate the state’s consitution

Dillions Rule

Which of the following definitions best describes an ordinance

Local laws of municipal area, passed by the city council

There are 5 elected officials serving across each county in TX. What are the titles for these that serce in the texas county commissioners court and how many are there?

1 County Judge and 4 County Commissioner's

In the section of types of City Government, this particular system serves as a (corporate system): a system of local government in which the city council appoints a manager to run city business.

 Council-Manager System

At the local level governments, there is an electoral system that carves a citywide area into separate district seats (Where city council members will represent). What term is being described? 

Place system

This particular district is not technically considered a special district but posses government like power to issue fines and foreclose on homes. 

HOAs, Homeowner’s Association

One issue in local government is described as specialized zone created to attract businesses and develop the economy with the geographic area. 

Tax Increment Zones (TIRZ)

A rapid growth of urban and suburban areas spreading into the undeveloped land surrounding it

Sprawl

County Sheriffs are elected t/f

True

Which of the following is the city-level equivalent to a constitution

Charter

What is the process called whereby a home-rule city joins unincorporated land into the boundary of an existing city?

Annexation

This type of city government is described as: this (inherent power), where a city is allowed to self-governance independent of state law. Which term is being described? 

Home rule cities

In county administration, this particular county official is a legal recordkeeper, (handles background checks), administers child support payments, processing court fees, and records all proceedings of district courts. 

District clerk

Which term is being described? A process through which voters can oust sitting members of the city government before their terms are up. 

Recall

This type of tax is considered the 4th largest source of revenue for the state. It is applied to corporations, partnerships, business trusts, limited liability companies, and many other businesses. Which of the following tax is being described? 

Franchise Business Tax

What tax is being described? This tax is assessed locally, for use of school boards, local, and county gov’t

Property Tax

According to the textbook and its reference to 2019, what is the current homestead exemption for most Texans? 

$25k

Which two taxes account for most of the state's budget? 

Property and Sales Tax

Do small businesses and nonprofit organizations fall into the Franchise Business Tax? 

No

If you object to the appraisal of your house's value, can one appeal it? 

Yes

This particular fund is a surplus (unspent money) and majority of these funds are drawn from oil and gas productive tax revenue. 

Rainy Day fund

The budget process is very complex as it involves many budget players and its process. The budget rule that Texas cannot spend more money than it receives in revenue is which of the following terms? 

 "Pay as you go"