Pols 2312 Exam 2 review

Who is the first female Governor of Texas?

Miriam A. “Ma” Ferguson

What is the minimum age of a Texas governor?

30 years

What is a plaintiff?

someone who brings a case(civil suit) against another person or entity in a court of law.

What is the residency requirement for a Texas governor?

5 years

What is the current salary for the Texas governor?

$153,750

What are the Four elements of governor’s informal powers?

• governor’s electoral mandate

• political ambition ladder

• personal future as governor

• performance ratings

What are ceremonial duties by the governor?

appearances made by the governor as the most visible state officeholder that can function as a source of power

What happened when Rick Perry was federal appointment by Trump?

he was put to lead the U.S. department of energy by Trump

What is the average executive orders released by Texas governors’ per year since 1950

39 per year

What is a Post-adjournment veto?

a veto that occurs after the legislature has adjourned it is absolute, as there is no way for the legislature to overturn it

What happened when Bill Clements was election as governor in 1978?

he broke the Democrats’ century-long winning streak in 1978

Who is the Current Texas Agriculture Commissioner?

Sid Miller

Who is the Current Texas secretary of state?

John B. Scott

Who is the Longest serving Texas Lt governor?

William Hobby

What are the Duties of Texas attorney general’s office?

• Serves as legal representation for the state in court; elected by voters statewide every four years; no term limits

• Ensures that corporations in Texas comply with state and federal laws

• Collects unpaid child support and delinquent state taxes

• Issues advisory opinions to the governor’s office, the legislature, or other state agencies

What is an example of appointed regulatory commission?

Public Utility Commission

What are the Railroad Commission duties?

regulate railroads, oil and gas industry, protection of the environment & promotion of alternative recources

What is the Other name for patronage system?

spoils system

What are Sunshine laws?

laws designed to make government transparent and accessible to the people

Who is in charge of voting and appointed by governor?

secretary of state

How many regions does TxDOT divide the state?

4 broad regions

What are the Number of boards and commissions in Texas?

close to 300 boards and commissions in Texas

What are Terms for Department of Criminal Justice board members?

• the office of the inspector general

• the Windham School District

• the internal audit division

• the office of the state counsel for offenders

• the ombudsman.

What is ERCOT?

Electric Reliability Council of Texas

What is the importance of Fort Worth ISD.

allow students to use the bathroom consistent with their gender identity; transgender bathroom policy

What is a Per curiam opinion?

legal decision issued by a court that does not attribute the decision to any specific judge or justice. Instead, it represents the collective opinion of the court as a whole.

What is En banc?

an appeal that is heard by the entire court of appeals rather than by a select panel of judges

What is the chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court?

• Wallace Jefferson

• Nathan Hecht

• Highest civil case court in the state.

• Eight justices, one chief justice

• Also makes procedural and legal rules, appointments, and accreditations within the state

What is the Chief justice (presiding judge) of Texas court of Criminal Appeals?

• Hears no new evidence; reviews the trial record and briefs filed by the lawyers

• Court has nine judges, one of them presiding.

• Court may hear appeals in panels of three judges, while others are heard en banc

• Court has some discretion over cases but mostly examines mandatory review cases (78 percent) that the defendant wants thrown out

• Appeals in death penalty cases are mandatory for this court, and they are typically considered en banc

What is the Missouri plan?

merit system used to elect judges

What is the size of grand jury?

12 members

What do JP courts and municipal courts have in common?

are courts of original jurisdiction only; handling the least serious criminal and civil cases

What are the Cases Texas Supreme Court hears?

Final appeals in civil cases

What is beyond a reasonable doubt?

the standard burden of proof necessary to find a defendant guilty in a criminal trial; the defendant is presumed innocent

What is punitive damage?

larger monetary awards designed to punish the defendant and also send a message to society

What is a capital felony?

most serious transgresion could resut in a death sentence; Ex- capital murder; murder of a child

What is the recent Texas tort reform?

loser pay law, which requires certain litigants who lose their lawsuit to pay the legal costs of the person who was sued

What is Texas incarceration rate compared too other states?

Texas had the fifth-highest per capita incarceration rate in the country

What is restorative justice?

an approach to criminal justice that sees crime as a break in society between the community, the perpetrator, and the victim and focuses on healing this break

What is a Class c misdemeanor?

public intoxication; possession of alcohol in automobile; theft of less than $100

What is suffrage?

the legal right to vote

What ruling was declared in Smith v Allright 1944?

Texas Democratic Party's white-only primary elections were unconstitutional. The decision declared that the state's Democratic Party, by excluding African Americans from participating in its primary elections, violated the 15th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution

What is the 19th amendment?

the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex

What is indigent defense?

the requirement that governments provide legal counsel to those charged with serious crimes who cannot afford representation

What are civil liberties?

individual freedoms that limit the powers of government and prevent unjust interference by government

What is the 13th amendment?

neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction

What is a Peonage?

laws that allowed debts to be paid with labor; debts were often “created” by arresting individuals for vagrancy

What is De facto segregation?

a type of segregation that is a result from human action or behavior but not required by law