final exam posi

TOPIC 1

Limited Government - a political system that restricts the government to protect individual rights and liberties

Sovereignty - Political authority held in the hands of people

Implied Powers - political powers granted to the United States government that aren't explicitly stated in the Constitution

The Bill of Rights - The first ten amendments to the United States Constitution passed in 1791.

Check and Balances - A system in which each branch of government can "check" or control the actions of the other branches. It keeps each branch from becoming too powerful.

The most common form of government in the world is - Unitary

Enumerated Powers - These powers include taxation and the regulation of commerce, as well as the authority to provide for the national defense

Necessary and Proper Clause - clause “to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper” for the implementation of its enumerated powers

Devolution - the process of transferring power from a central government to a local or regional level

Characteristics of the American Political System - the five C’s

  • Conflict

  • Competition

  • Corporation

  • Community

  • Compromise

Reserved Powers - comes from the tenth amendment ( power not granted to the nation nor denied to the states are reserved to the states n ppl

Number of foundational governing bodies in the US Constitution - 3

Number of governments in the US - more than 89,000

Political Culture -

  • Our thoughts, our feelings about gov and politics

  • How gov. should be structured and politics…?

TOPIC 2

Standing Committees - a permanent committee in Congress that oversees bills that deal with certain kinds of issues

Conference Committees - temporary committees set up to resolve the different versions of the same bill that the House and Senate have passed

Where does all the work get done on proposed legislation - Committees

Number of members in the US House and US Senate - House: 435 members Senate: 100 members

The major function of the legislative branch’s policymaking role -

  • lawmaking

  • representation

  • oversight

What groups are over-represented in Congress - white, wealthy, educated,

Redistricting - redrawing of congressional district line by the individual state.

Reapportionment - redistribution of House seats based on population shifts

- occurs every 10 years consistent with the census.

Incumbent advantage - - a member of Congress seeking re-election.

- approx. 95% of incumbents are re-elected.

Which branch of government is the most representative - legislative especially the house

Presidential elections - Each state is allocated a certain number of electoral votes based on its representation in Congress, with a total of 538 electoral votes across all states. To win the presidency, a candidate must secure a majority of 270 electoral votes.

Electoral College and which branch decides who becomes the president if no candidate receives -

  • Favors large states such as Texas.

  • 270 votes to win.

  • 2 States winner take all, if not winner the House decides.

270 electoral votes - are required for a candidate to win the presidency in the United States

Method of selection for federal judges - -Appointed by President

-Confirmed by the senate

What affects the selection of federal judges- is influenced by a combination of political, legal, and procedural factors

Judicial activism - -View Constitution as a living document

-Shape constitutional meaning to fit the needs of contemporary society

-Vigorously review the action of other branches of government

Judicial restraint - View judiciary as least democratic branch

-Rely on original intent of the founding fathers. In other words, they would adhere to a position of strict construction referring to how the Constitution is written

TOPIC 3

Socialization and agents - the process by which people learn characteristics of their group's norms, values, attitudes, and behaviors. Family, teachers, peer groups, religious institutions, geographic location, class, gender, race/ethnicity, mass media; those societal forces and institutions that surround individuals from early childhood onward samples of citizens that are used to estimate the feelings & beliefs of the entire population.

The right to vote – who was able to vote during the founding, how has it expanded over time - white men with property and idk Literacy tests?

Voter participation in the US - is lower than in nearly every other democracy.

Voter registration - The act of qualifying to vote by formally enrolling on an official list of voters.

Voting and who controls it - States control the timing of primary elections

Impact of voter id and other legislation -

  • The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups argued that it placed an unfair burden on people who were poor, older, or had limited finances.

  • One study, done by Reuters, found that requiring a photo ID would disproportionally prevent citizens aged 18-24, Hispanics, and those without a college education from voting.

Two-party system vs multi-party system -

Two-Party System:

  • Two big parties dominate.

  • Like choosing between two main brands.

  • Common in the US (Democrats vs Republicans).

Multi-Party System:

  • Many parties share power.

  • It's like having a lot of flavors to choose from.

  • Seen in countries like Germany or Italy.

Key demographic for the future of both parties -

Democrats:

  • Younger voters.

  • People of color (especially Hispanic, Black, and Asian voters).

  • College-educated individuals.

  • Urban residents.

  • Women, particularly unmarried or single women.

Republicans:

  • Older voters.

  • White voters, especially older white men.

  • Rural residents.

  • Individuals without a college degree.

  • Evangelical Christians.

Media and agenda setting - media:

Agenda :The power of the media to bring issues and problems to the public’s attention

TOPIC 4

Current demographics of the Texas population - growing faster than most states; it is majority-minority; minority groups combine make up the majority of the population

Texas’ political parties – who is in control - Democratic dominance 1876 to 1970; Hint of shift with election of Eisenhower; Republican dominance since 1970.

Legislative power in the Tx House and Tx Senate -

House - speaker of house

1. Presiding officers

2. Appoints members to committee and chairs

3. Refers bill to committee

4. Incumbent advantage meaning, they rarely defeat in reelection

Sentae - President

Senators can propose, debate, and vote on laws.

Rights of public employees in Texas - First Amendment Rights: Public employees have basic rights to freedom of speech, association, and petition under the First Amendment, though these rights may have limitations.

  1. Limited Collective Bargaining: Texas generally does not allow widespread collective bargaining for public employees, especially at the state level.

  2. Civil Service Protections: Many public employees, particularly at the local level, are covered by civil service laws that provide job security, due process, and merit-based hiring and promotion.

  3. Whistleblower Protections: Public employees are protected if they report violations of law or misconduct by their employers, safeguarding them from retaliation.

  4. Equal Employment Opportunity: Public employers are prohibited from discriminating against employees based on protected characteristics like race, sex, religion, etc.

  5. Retirement Benefits: Public employees may be eligible for retirement benefits through systems like the Texas Employees Retirement System (ERS) or other pension plans offered by their employers.

Primary system in Texas - semi open

Texas’ economy – what has helped it and how has it changed- High oil prices saved texas from crash, more of an exporting state rather than land based economy.

What are constitutions and why are they written - are written to lay out how the state gov. Works and protects ppls rights.

Amending the Texas Constitution – How is it done and who influences the process- a proposed change must pass through the Texas legislature with ⅔ majority vote. Then goes to voters in statewide elections.

Influences are legislators, interest groups, citizens advocating for or against the amendments