Uncovering Texas Politics in the 21st Century - Vocabulary Flashcards

A comprehensive vocabulary flashcard set covering foundational concepts, constitutional frameworks, political processes, and governmental structures in Texas politics.

Political culture

The set of attitudes, norms, and values that provide the underlying assumptions and rules that govern a society.

Urbanization

The population shift from rural areas to urban areas.

Moralistic culture

A political culture that values community and sees the common good as the proper scope and purpose of government.

Individualistic culture

A political culture based on the idea that individuals should be free of government, viewing government as a practical institution to further private enterprise.

Traditionalistic culture

A political culture that views the proper role of government as a privilege for the elite.

Constitution

A written charter that sets forth the rules, structure, and powers of government, serving as a nation's fundamental law.

Separation of powers

The division of governmental authority into three distinct, coequal branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.

Articles of Confederation

The first written constitution governing the 13 American colonies, which established a confederate system with a weak centralized government.

Virginia Plan

A proposal at the Constitutional Convention supported by larger states that envisioned a powerful bicameral Congress with representation based on population.

New Jersey Plan

A proposal at the Constitutional Convention supported by smaller states that called for a unicameral legislature with equal state representation.

Great Compromise

An agreement establishing a bicameral Congress with population-based representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate.

Federalism

The constitutional division of power between state governments and the central federal government.

Police powers of the states

The residual power reserved to the states to regulate the health, safety, and morals of their citizens.

Supremacy Clause

Article 6 of the U.S. Constitution, which establishes that the U.S. Constitution and federal laws made pursuant to it are the supreme law of the land.

Bill of Rights

A set of fundamental liberties against the government that limits what the government may constitutionally do.

Selective incorporation

The case-by-case process through which the U.S. Supreme Court enforces fundamental rights in the Bill of Rights against state governments via the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause.

Popular sovereignty

The foundational principle that political power ultimately rests with the people.

Bicameralism

The division of a legislative body into two separate chambers, providing an internal check on legislative power.

Plural executive

An executive branch structure where executive power is divided among several state officials who are independently elected by voters.

Line-item veto

The power of an executive, such as the Governor of Texas, to veto specific spending items in an appropriations bill without rejecting the entire bill.

Dual federalism

A view of federalism holding that federal and state governments operate in clearly divided spheres of authority and sovereignty.

Cooperative federalism

A view of federalism holding that the federal government is supreme in its enumerated powers and states cannot impede legitimate federal actions.

Voting-age population (VAP)

The total number of individuals in a geographic region who are eighteen years of age or older.

Voting-age citizens

United States citizens residing in a jurisdiction who are eighteen years of age or older.

Poll tax

A mandatory fee that voters were historically required to pay before casting a ballot in an election.

White primary

A primary election held by the Democratic Party in Texas that disenfranchised non-white voters, including African Americans and Latinos.

Direct primary

An election held by a political party to allow voters to choose the party's nominees for public office.

Australian ballot

A secret ballot printed and distributed at public expense that lists all qualified candidates.

Political party

An organized team or group of citizens seeking to gain political office, contest elections, and influence policy.

Duverger’s Law

The political science theory stating that single-member district election systems lead to a two-party system.

Proportional representation

An electoral system in which legislative seats are distributed according to the percentage of votes each party receives.

Cadre party

A decentralized, part-time political party primarily focused on winning elections rather than maintaining ideological purity.

Mass party

A centralized political party with a large dues-paying membership focused on adhering to a specific ideological vision.

Political socialization

The lifelong process through which individuals acquire their political beliefs, values, and orientations.

Party platform

A formal document adopted every two years outlining a political party's core policies, principles, and legislative goals.

Interest aggregation

The act of combining individual citizens' interests into a collective force to gain political power.

Realignment

A process where a core group of supporters leaves a political party to join an opposing political party.

Critical realignment

A major party shift caused by a core voter group changing parties, resulting in the establishment of a new majority party.

Dealignment

A trend where a core group of supporters leaves a political party and becomes independent rather than joining another party.

Interest group

An organization or coalition that seeks to influence public policy decisions without running candidates for office.

Pluralism

The theory that public policy is formed through competition among diverse interest groups, preventing any single group from dominating.

Elite theory

The theory that a small number of wealthy, powerful interest groups dominate public policymaking at the expense of the majority.

Political action committees (PACs)

Organizations established by interest groups to collect contributions and spend funds on political campaigns and candidates.

Dark money

Political spending funded by nonprofit organizations that are not legally required to disclose the identities of their donors.

Lobbying

The practice of directly contacting government officials in the legislative, executive, or judicial branches to influence policy decisions.

Astroturf lobbying

Lobbying tactics funded by interest groups that create a artificial or false impression of widespread public grassroots support.

Citizen legislature

A lawmaking body comprised of representatives who maintain full-time external occupations and serve part-time.

Gerrymander

The practice of drawing legislative district boundaries to give an unfair advantage to a specific political party or candidate.

Delegate

A model of representation in which an elected official votes strictly according to the expressed wishes of their constituents.

Trustee

A model of representation in which an elected official relies on their own independent judgment to make policy decisions.

Politico

A model of representation in which an elected official combines delegate and trustee roles depending on situational clarity.

Attorney general

The elected official who serves as the chief legal officer and legal representative for the State of Texas.

Comptroller of Public Accounts

The elected state official responsible for collecting taxes, maintaining state accounts, and estimating state revenues.

Judicial review

The authority of the courts to review actions of the legislative and executive branches to determine their constitutionality.

Original jurisdiction

The authority of a court to hear and decide a legal case in the first instance.

Appellate jurisdiction

The authority of a higher court to review, revise, and correct decisions made by lower courts.

Grand jury

A panel of twelve citizens convened to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to formally indict a person with a felony.

Petit jury

A trial jury that hears evidence presented in court to determine civil culpability or criminal guilt.

Merit selection

A judicial selection approach combining initial appointment by a governor or panel with periodic retention elections.