Final Review

Ethnic make-up of Texas

Ethnic make-up of Texas

• Hisp. 37.6% (will be majority)

• Anglos minority 45.3%

Challenges in Texas

Urbanization: overpopulaiton caused increase need for govt

Aging population: Tax burden to younger populaiton

Poverty: has some of the poorest counties: below poverty line (means income below a certain amount is considered poor)

Education:

Individualistic Subculture

Government less power/ Business Mid-Atlantic

Traditionalistic Subculture

Old beliefs/ Run by elite/ Social order

Moralistic Subculture

Government listens to people

Texas Constitution

Outline government power & limitations

Principles of Texas Constituion

Popular Sovereignty

Seperation of Power

Limited Gov. Power

Representative Gov.

Protection of Individual Rights

Weakness of Texas Constitution

long/ detail/ contradiction

Constitutional Convention of 1974

Failed to revise, 1876

Limited Rep.

not enough rep.

Seven Versions of Texas Constitution

Coahuila - 1827

Republic of Tx - 1836

Tx joined the US: 1845

Civil War - 1861

First Reconstruction Const. attempt:1866

Reconstruction - 1869

Currently- 1876

Grange

Protection interest of farmers

• Patrons of Husbandry

• to connect with other farmers

• To advance methods of agriculture

Right-to-work

-pros: right to work without union

-cons: took away rights & lowered rages

Devolution

Return power to state gov.

Supremacy Clause

National law above state law

Unfunded Mandates

imposing requirements to states without funding (National gov. telling states to do something without help)

Cooperative Federalism

Nat & St gov. work together

Formula Grant

Fed gov. funds state/local programs (Medicad, Medicare, deal with wellfare of the people)

Project Grant

Fed gov. funds state/local projects (Public services to stimulate economy)

Categorical Fund

Nat. fund for specific activities

Patriot Act

9/11 George W. Bush, more power to gov

Interest Group

group of people with same beliefs to influence policies of gov.

Pluralism

Group of people participating in gov.

Elitism

Elite with more power

Iron Rule of Oligarchy/ Iron Triangle

Policy-making relationship

(Interest Group, Rep., Administrative Agencies)

Lobbying

Spokesperson of interest groups

Issue-Attention Cycle

Policy should be accomplished quickly before forgotten

Horserace

journalism focusing on who’s winning elections

(polls)

One-party South

One dominate party

Jim Crow Laws

Laws for segregation

Realignment

Switching parties

Political Action Committee (PAC)

fundraising of interest groups

Redistricting

redistrict lines

Gerrymandering

create oddly shaped electoral district line

Voting Rights Act

Eliminating barriers to voting

Motor Voter Registration

Register at DPS

Absentee Voting

Early voting

Regular legislative session

-Legistlature meets

-pass budget and laws

-every 2 yrs for 140 days

Special Sessions

-Meeting outside regular session

-called by govevernor (up to 30 days)

Legislative leadership

Leaders of legislative branch

-Presiding officer for Senate-

Bill Becomes Law

Appointment power

-Posiitions assigned by Governer

-not in Constitution/limits the power of Govr

-Appt Sec. of State and other positions as rewards to his supporters

Senatorial courtesy

Governor appointments must be approved by St. Senate

Lieutenant Governor

1. succeeds the Governor

2 assigns a bill to committtee

3. interprets debates

4 vote to break a tie

5 appoints members to committees

Speaker

1 presiding officer of the Tx House of Rep

2 seek support from both parties

3 presides over debates

4 assigns bills to committees

5 interprest rules

6 appoints half of standing committee and more

Conference Committee

meets to reconcile different versions of bill

Two-thirds rule

majority is needed to be able to do something

-overturn a veto

-pass a bill or amendment

-move bill up a calendar

Attorney General

Chief legal adviser for the st in courts (legal matters to gover, legislature, & st agencies)

Secretary of State

1responsible for business licensing

2supervises elections

3 oversee border issues Mex-Tex relations

Texas Railroad Commission

1 regulate railroads, decrease corruption

2 added oil and gass industries

3 protection of environment

4 alternative enery sources

State Board of Education

approve st curriculum/ textbooks/ passing scores for state testing

Agricultural Commissioner

-implements all agricultural laws in the st

-not in the constitution

-responsible for weights and measures\

-measures scales used for food

-retail scanners

Sunset review

Assess all commissions and agencies in the st.

Sunshine act

Laws to make govt transparent and accessible

• access to government records

• open meetings to public

Plea bargain

Arrangement between prosecuter and defendant

• pleads guilty for lesser time

Jury System

System were verdict is decided by jury on bases of evidence

• Grand Jury 12 people determine if enough evidence for trial

Home Rule City

City granted greater freedom in organizing and functining of city govt.

Annexation

Adding an area to the city, extending the city limits. (tool for economic development)

Regressive tax

taxes from lower income people than rich (3rd in the country)

House Bill 72

• limited class sizes

• created student achievement

• require teachers to take a literacy test

• Created tutoring & pre-K programs

• No Pass, No Play

• replaced elected with appointed to St. Board of Education

Edgewood v. Kirby

SC Case 1989 that violated Tx requirement of free and efficient schools.

• Bexar County inequality in 2 districts

• forced funding to help poor schools “Robin Hood Plan”

• raise taxes on cigarretes

• raise sales tax

Home schooling

Education of children at home by their parents

• not regulated by the St

• high rate in Tx

• considered private schools in 1994 by law

Tuition deregulation

Allows public universities to set designated tuition rates

• set aside revenues for financial aid to lower income students

Death Penalty

Punishment through execution someone convicted of capital crime.

• before it was hanging before 1920s

• Electric Chair 1923

• given when murder a public safety officer

• firefighter, correctional employee or child uner age of 6/ murder during kidnapping, burglary, assault

• Tx is still most cases

Permanent University Fund

funds from mineral rights set aside from the St

to support UT & Texas A&M systems

• only for construction and renovations for for academic excellence programs

Dedicated Fund

Fund that is to a dedicated entity, mostly investors.

Revolving door

Legislators and members of the executive branch moving easily from government office to lucrative positions with lobbying firms

Co- optation

Granting special favors in exchange for a benefit

Veto Power

formal power of executive to reject a bill that has been pass by legislature

-can be overridden by 2/3 of the House in Tx

Pay-as- you- go principal

permits borrowing under specific circumstances

• cannot spend more than what is being generated