GOVT 2026 unit 1 redo

It is true that there may be language or amendments in state constitutions: that provide rights

not found in the US constitution

It is true that there may be language or amendments in state constitutions: that have been nullified as a result of

of the US Supreme Court decisions

It is true that there may be language or amendments in state constitutions: such as restricting

marriage between a man and a woman that has been subsequently overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court

It is true that there may be language or amendments in state constitutions: that have adopted rights that have

already been granted by the US Constitution

Most large cities of Texas use the ___________ form of government

council - manager

Texas Constitution can be amended by: 2/3 legislative body vote only

proposes an amendment, not becomes a law - needs public voting

Texas Constitution can be amended by: simple

majority vote from voters

Texas Constitution can be amended by: the house and the Senate

2/3 majority is required to pass a joint resolution

"Guarantees a system of free and efficient public education" appears in Article VII

of the US constitution

"Guarantees a system of free and efficient public education" appears in Article

V of the US constitution

"Guarantees a system of free and efficient public education" becomes very important in understanding public policy

regarding educational funding in Texas after 1989

"Guarantees a system of free and efficient public education" becomes very important in understanding the Texas Supreme Court

decision in Edgewood

State institutions may vary in regard: the terms of office

for the governor

State institutions may vary in regard: terms of office for the members of

legislature

State institutions may vary in regard: whether the legislative is

bicameral or unicameral

State institutions may vary in regard: whether members

of the judiciary are elected or unelected

California is more liberal than

Texas

California is similar to Texas

that both are "majority-minority" states

California allows voters to amend the state Constitution

through voter initiatives

state representantion in the House _______

changes based on population

state representantion in the Senate _______

stays at 2 members per state

A major influence upon Farmers of the 1876 Constitution was

The Ganges Movement and Reconstruction

state governments have duel sovereignty with the

federal gov, known as Federalism

local govt are entirely

creatures of the state

police powers are

the fundamental authority of a govt to enact laws and regulations

The Bill of Rights: may be incorporated/applied to the

states through the 14th amendment

The Bill of Rights: the first

10 amendments

The Bill of Rights: was originally

meant only for the national govt in 1787

the basic political subunits of Louisiana and Alaska are

parishes and boroughs

Texas Supreme Court and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals consist

of 9 justices and judges

The 1869 Texas Constitution: was the immediate predecessor to the

1876 Constitution

The 1869 Texas Constitution: reflected a political backlash against

Reconstruction

The 1869 Texas Constitution: used by Gov.

Edmund Davis to impose sweeping changes favorable to African-Americans

The exclusionary rule:

says that evidence seized illegally cannot be used against the defendant

Judge Sutton suggested that although criminal defendants won a victory in Mapp v Ohio regarding the exclusion of

illegally seized evidence, they may have lost in the long run since courts began finding that there was no illegal acquisition of evidence

The so-called "science of eugenics" was a critical aspect of

Buck v Bell

Bradley Effect

named after Tom Bradley, running for governor of California in the 1940s

African American and was, a former governor, and was very popular, but he was running against a republican

The polls said that Bradley was meant to win by 3 points, but he lost by 3 points come election night -> racism

Trump Effect

2016 and 2020 about 4 points of voters on the polls did not want to admit that they were voting for trump

Arizona, Nevada, and Idaho

are NOT conservative states, however they used to be

Mancour Olsen discovered

large groups could be a disadvantage in politics because of the free-rider effect

Free Writer Effect

people benefiting from co

Idaho, Nevada, and Utah

all share in the fact that the federal govt owns most of their land

by Judge Sutton, Brennan and Scalia, the former progressive, the latter a conservative

agreed on the structural mechanics of government matter far more to preserving liberty than the Bill of Rights alone

Judge Sutton believed ______ was better than ________ for equal rights protection

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Brown v Board of Education

The US Supreme Court in San Antonio ISD v Rodriguez found that:

The US Constitution does not require school districts provide at least minimally adequate funding for both wealthy and poor school districts

The various symbols that we think of Texas: The Alamo, "Big Tex," and others such as the Johnson Space Center, the Dallas Cowboys, the Lone Star flag, etc. reflect:

political culture

The lieutenant governor of Texas is

not included as the 31 members of Texas Senate

A state who made it mandatory to read the Ten Commandments would be

conservative policies

A state with expanisve abortion laws would be

liberal policies

Individual income tax is one of the

primary sources of revenue that state governments use to fund public services and social safety nets

The African-American population in the US has

stayed consistent

The Latino population in the US has

steadily been growing

Unlike states that feature direct democracy, where citizens can collect signatures to place a law or constitutional amendment directly on the ballot, Texas

requires all statewide ballot measures to originate within the state legislature (2/3 house and senate, then public)

The Black and African American population in Texas is heavily concentrated in

major metropolitan areas like Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth, as well as historically in East and Southeast Texas.

Latino and Hispanic voting strength is the strongest in

the Southwest and select Sun Belt states

Cities in Texas to be bastions of

democratic and liberal support

The area of Texas that would have the most democratic support for Democratic candidate James Talarico would be

Austin

New York is to California as Texas is to

Florida

where is the african american population most prominent in the united states

the South

Who is a unicameral state?

Nebraska

Texas state executive offices: Governor

serves as the chief executive of the state, directing state administration, proposing budgets, and commanding military forces, though Texas operates under a "plural executive" system that independently elects other key executive leaders to limit central power

Texas state executive offices: Lieutenant Governor

is the second-highest executive official in the state, but functions primarily as the powerful presiding officer of the Texas State Senate (most powerful)

Texas state executive offices: Comptroller of Public Accounts

serves as the chief financial officer, tax collector, accountant, and revenue estimator for the state government

Texas state executive offices: Attoney General

serves as the chief legal officer and top lawyer for the state of Texas

Mapp v Ohio

is a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision ruling that evidence obtained during an illegal search and seizure violates the Fourth Amendment and is inadmissible in state courts (exclusionary rule)

US bill of rights was originally only meant for

the federal govt

"We are not a national school board"

was said by the Supreme Court in addressing funding inequality

number of states still have mandatory sterilization

31 states

Maine has the highest population of

individuals over the age of 65

scott v sandford

was a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision ruling that enslaved people and their descendants were not U.S. citizens and could not sue in federal court (most wrong US supreme court decision)

buck v bell

that a state can constitutionally enforce the involuntary sterilization of individuals deemed "feeble-minded" or intellectually disabled. (most wrong US supreme court decision)

conservatives and liberals most agree on the issue of

due process

local govt employment has

dramatically increased in the last 50 years

Before the 26th amendment, Georgia

lowered the voting age to 18 years old in 1943

Before the 19th amendment, Wyoming Territory

legalized women's suffrage in 1869

Article 1 section 23 of the Texas constitution

gives the right to bear arms