"Government" is defined as the person or people with the power to make and enforce laws.
Regulations
Regulations for day-to-day life like birth, death, marriage, and divorce are NOT spelled out in federal law.
Demographics
Texas is becoming increasingly urbanized.
Identity Politics
Identity politics is grouping people by a single trait to fabricate solidarity and gain support.
Municipal Government
Most home rule cities in Texas use the Council-Manager form, where the mayor and council make policy decisions carried out by another person.
Gerrymandering
Gerrymandering is drawing electoral districts to favor one party.
Republic
Republic relies on indirect democracy and representation
Preemption
Preemption example: Texas legislature passing a zoning law that requires local governments to revoke building permits
Texas Revolutionary War
The Battle of Galveston Bay was NOT an important battle during the Texas Revolutionary War
Ideology
Libertarianism advocates for minimal government intervention in social and economic realms.
Temporary Party Structure
The temporary party structure builds a party's platform and selects delegates.
Political Parties in Texas
The Democratic Party has been the minority political party in Texas for the past two decades.
Liberalism
Liberals are more comfortable with government intervention in the economy than conservatives.
Campaign Finance
There are no limits to how much individual citizens can donate to a SuperPAC.
Ideology
Ideology is a set of beliefs that shape our understanding and interpretation of politics.
Texas Politics
The Democratic Party tends to outperform the Republican Party in Texas' urban centers.
Political Engagement
Elections in Texas offer a method for citizens to engage in the political process.
Texas Constitution
The Texas Constitution does NOT include a powerful executive.
Federalism
Under federalism, Texas can establish local governments as a reserved power.
Redistricting
Political parties are incentivized to draw districts that favor one party or the other.
Texas Government
The republican style of mixed government found in Texas today was developed to create a check against BOTH an overly powerful executive AND an unrestrained populace.
Voter Turnout
Relatively high frequency of elections and the large number of qualified candidates are NOT two reasons that Texas is among the states that have the highest levels of voter turnout.
Public Opinion
Most people DO seek input from others to make decisions.
Elections
Midterm elections do not include the office of the President on the ballot, and they typically see lower voter turnout
Dillon's Rule
Under Dillon's Rule, local governments derive their authority from the state.
At-Large Election
At-large elections pool voters from several districts to elect one person.
Political Socialization
Political socialization is the process of learning about the world and interpreting political events.
9th Amendment
The 9th Amendment maintains the rights and powers of the people, generally.
Political Party Structure
The permanent party structure maintains a political party's presence in Texas.
Open Primary System
Under the open primary system, voters can participate in either party's primary regardless of affiliation.
Subsidiarity
Subsidiarity suggests problems are best solved closest to the problem and by those capable of solving it.
Special Districts
Regional Water Planning Groups are examples of districts created to coordinate rules and guidelines.
Municipal Governments
Municipal governments in Texas do NOT negotiate treaties.
Demographics in Texas
The Latino population is the fastest growing in Texas.
County Government
The County Judge presides over the county commissioners court.
Exam 2
Texas Legislature
The Texas legislature meets biennially.
Interest Groups
Economic interest groups primarily aim to gain monetary benefits for their members.
The Media
Conversations between friends is NOT part of "the media"
Homogenization of Media Outlets
Homogenization of media outlets does NOT bring diverse perspectives.
Texas State House
Individual members of the Texas State House ARE able to select what caucuses they CAN join and work with.
Texas State House
The ability of the Speaker of the Texas State House of Representatives to appoint members to committees is one example of the hierarchic nature of this chamber.
The Media
The media serves as a filter for interactions between political figures and the public.
Interest Groups
An interest group influences government policy outcomes.
Texas Legislature
Every bill introduced into the Texas state legislature MUST be assigned to a relevant committee.
Texas State Court System
The bifurcated nature of the Texas state court system refers to the highest level of courts in Texas which is split into civil and criminal courts.
Public Interest Groups
Public Interest Group aims to benefits enjoyed by all members of society
Impeachment
Impeachment is the constitutional procedure to remove an elected official from office.
Texas Legislature
Republican Governor Greg Abbott identified building out the state's water infrastructure to better meet growing demand.
Texas State Senate
A Standing Committee is concerned with a major policy area
Gerrymandering
Legislators are NOT increasingly engaging in gerrymandering to create balanced districts designed to include a variety of voices.
Texas Governor
The Texas governor does NOT determine committee assignments
Texas State legislature
Dustin Burrow's choice in appointing Democratic members to serve as Chairs on several standing subcommittees reflects his recognition that he will need to compromise with members of the other party in order for legislation to be adopted by the House of Representatives.
Redistricting
In addition to the requirement of creating districts with roughly equal populations, the Texas state legislature must also follow strict state and federal guidelines when engaging in redistricting.
News Consumption
Younger Americans are more likely to obtain their news from online sources than older Americans.
Legislative Process
The legislative requirement that a proposed bill be read out three times (with opportunities for debate between each reading) before a final vote can be taken is most directly designed to help craft proper legislation.
Texas Bureaucracy
The bureaucracy in Texas is the primary organization tasked with implementing laws and regulations across the state
Spin
Spin refers to situations where a media outlet imparts a particular perspective or opinion to a story in order to highlight or distract from certain elements of the story.
Texas Judges
Texas judges being selected through partisan elections offer Judges are held to be more accountable to voters.
Criminal Law
The defendant in a CRIMINAL trial can ONLY be found guilty if the jury unanimously agrees to convict them.
Redistricting
This process, which is legally required to occur every 10 years following the national census, has the potential to change the boundaries between the areas from which our representatives are elected.
Judicial Branch
The judicial branch apply laws passed by the legislature to ensure compliance with the state constitution
Civil Law
Civil law is concerned with disputes between individuals and does not typically involve physical injuries.
Interest Groups
When meeting with legislators and their staff, interest groups are primarily hoping to convince the legislator to adopt a policy stance that is in line with the group's goals.
Policy-Making Branches
The term "policy-making branches" refers to which entities in Texas? I. The Texas State Legislature II. The Texas Executive III. The Texas Judiciary
Gerrymandering impact
The increase in the number of safe seats created through gerrymandering they tend to select more polarized (i.e., less moderate) candidates who nonetheless have a relatively easy time in the general election..
Voting Rights Act
Texas is no longer subject to pre-clearance requirements of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Gerrymandering
The boundaries for most districts in the current State House of Representatives have been gerrymandered.
Texas Constitution
The relatively high salaries earned by state legislators has NOT sought to establish a weak state government.
Grand jury
It is NOT the responsibility of a grand jury to determine if a defendant is innocent or guilty.
The media
Weaponization of information by polarized media outlets over the past few decades has resulted in a tendency within consumers to rely on a relatively small number of news outlets
Exam 3
Texas Government
The 1876 Texas state constitution is designed to give The citizens of the state the final say over what happens in Texas
Taxes
A Progressive Tax is characterized by a situation where an individual who earns more money pays taxes at a higher rate than an individual who earns less money.
Government Funding
Grants of money from the government that are used to ensure compliance, help defray costs, or encourage certain behaviors are known as a Subsidy
State Income
Grant-in-Aid refers to money a state receives from another government, generally the federal government.
Texas School Funding
The Robin Hood Plan is commonly referred to as the school system that the state collects money from across the state and then redistributes it in a way that gives a greater share of this money to "property poor" school districts than it does to "property rich" districts
U.S. Constitution
The 10th Amendment establishes principles such as federalism, limited government, and state's rights, and also reinforces the idea that the states are empowered to the exercise powers that are not given to the federal government by the U.S. Constitution.
Texas Constitution
The Texas constitution includes relatively few limits on how the state legislature CAN raise funds through bonds or going into debt.
Property taxes
Property taxes are NOT the primary source of income for the state of Texas.
Texas Criminal Justice
The Texas criminal justice system does NOT typically treat minors who commit a certain crime in the same way that it would treat adults who commit the same crime.
Expropriation
The practice of EXPROPRIATION refers to the government's ability to take away property from its owner to help bring about some public benefit.
Recidivism
Recidivism is the problem defined by The Texas prison system is facing an increased number of individuals who are "repeat offenders."
Texas Budget
Texan voters do NOT have a direct role in proposing and establishing a budget under Texas' dual budgeting system.
Loyality
Federalist 46 describes a belief that, in the long run, American citizens will be more loyal to state, because it is closer to the individual and is more likely to reflect their perspective on issues
Public policy
Texas' public policy does NOT have a clear role in shaping our ability to make a decision when identifying which company offers better rates for car insurance.
Punishment
Perpetrators of this type of crime are subject to "enhanced punishment," whereby they are punished at the next higher degree of felony when it's a hate crime.
Litigation
Civil rights, including those related to public school funding, are often established and/or protected through the courts via litigation.
Texas Legislature
In a given legislative cycle, the Texas state legislature typically meets for a considerably shorter amount of time than the US Congress.
Balanced Budget
The budget passed by the Texas state legislature is subject to a "balanced budget" provision that is found in the state constitution
Texas government
The amount of money that the state expects to have access to through its various revenue streams is one of the most important factors the Texas state legislature must consider when crafting fiscal policy.
Domestic Policy
Regulatory Policy is concerned with punishing individuals for engaging in activities that are deemed to be harmful to the wider community.
U.S. Constitution
The 9th and 10th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution are NOT important for establish and maintain a powerful national government
Texas state constitution
The legislature proposes an amendment and then citizens vote in a special election to decide whether it should be ratified.
US Constitution
Although there is some overlap, the Texas state constitution expressly lists out a greater number of rights and liberties than the U.S. Constitution.
Texas Prison System
The Texas state prison system is NOT concerned with rehabilitating inmates.
Rights
Texas citizens are NOT guaranteed freedom of speech in all situations.
Fiscal Policy
Economic Stabilization Fund serves as a sort of rainy-day fund
Revenue for the state of Texas
The General Sales Tax is the largest single source of revenue for the state of Texas.
Local Government
Local governments typically spend the most money on providing public education
Equality movement
One central theme shared by the several Civil Rights Movements that have taken place in the United States is an effort to obtain equality of opportunity
Fiscal policy
Decisions impacting fiscal policy in Texas must take all the following items into consideration except whether the President also supports the proposed policy.
Sovereignty
The 9th Amendment is important because it reinforces the notion that all sovereignty rests with citizens.
Government Analogy
People and states are akin parents insofar as they created the federal government.
Punishment
Being convicted of committing a crime in Texas that is subject to "enhanced punishment" can result in increasing the severity of any punishment the offender may receive.