Gov

Extra Exam Time
- Two hours provided for the exam, typically sufficient.
- Average completion time around forty minutes for most students.
- Intent is to alleviate pressure and provide ample time for all examinees.
Exam Administration
- Administered through Blackboard; students must click on 'test one' or 'exam one' to begin.
- Important guidelines include:
- Students cannot save and return later; must complete in one sitting.
- No searching for information online during the exam.
Grading Procedure
- Blackboard may auto-grade, but some answers (fill-in-the-blanks, short answers) may require instructor judgment.
- Final grades may differ from immediate online results due to manual grading of certain responses.
Review Material Prior to Exam
- A review session is scheduled to cover relevant material.
- Lecture content and notes are crucial for preparation, including highlighted areas where focus is needed.
- Availability of short answers on Blackboard might serve as additional study resources.

Exam Logistics
- To be conducted during class time, in the designated online format. (Starts at 10:30 AM and concludes by 12:30 PM).
- Although the exam is online, attendance in the Zoom room is not required.

Texas State University Incident
- A professor was terminated for making inappropriate comments on social media about a plastic surgeon.
- The situation raised questions about the limits of free speech, especially for individuals representing educational institutions.
- This incident prompts discussion around university policies on faculty conduct and complaints.
Responses on Freedom of Speech
- Some students argued that the professor’s comments, while protected by free speech, raised ethical concerns about biases in the educational environment.
- Others support the idea of consequences for speech that could damage reputations or affect the atmosphere within universities.
Legal Action in Academia
- Discussion about a female professor from Texas A&M who filed a lawsuit for being terminated over curriculum decisions in a gender studies course.
- This illustrates ongoing debates about academic freedom, curriculum standards, and institutional policies.

Vesey vs. Abbott (2016)
- Case surrounding Texas's voter ID laws tailored to prevent voter fraud.
- Controversy over whether such laws suppress vote access among minority groups.
- Identification Requirements:
- Driver's license (Texas issued).
- State ID card.
- Voter registration card.
- U.S. passport.
- License to carry.
- Identification enforcement can be seen as unconstitutional if discriminatory against particular demographics.
Recent Changes
- After litigation, Texas adjusted the law allowing for affidavits to assert citizenship for those lacking ID.
- Highlights federalism's dynamic nature between state and federal jurisdictions regarding voting rights.

Structure of Texas Government
- Bicameral legislature made up of:
- House of Representatives
  - 150 members;
  - Represents districts averaging 168,000 constituents.
- Senate
  - 31 members;
  - Represents districts averaging 811,000 constituents.
Legislative Session
- Meets every two years for 140 days, beginning in January of odd-numbered years.
- No term limits for legislators, allowing incumbents to serve indefinitely.
Representation Issues
- Current composition includes a significant gender disparity:
- House: 53 females, 97 males.
- Senate: 8 females, 23 males.
- This raises questions about the fairness and efficacy in representing Texas’s population.

Political Culture
- Texas has a political image characterized by independence, conservatism, and resilience.
- The concept of business dominance is prominent due to the state’s significant economic size.
- Texas holds the second-largest economy in the U.S., valued at approximately $2,700,000,000,000$ .
Diversity in Identity
- Influence of various cultural groups in shaping the Texas political image, including:
- Native American contributions.
- Hispanic population's increasing impact on local culture and politics.
Electoral Patterns
- Texas often exhibits patterns consistent with conservative ideology in voting.
- Calls for expanding the Democratic platform might alter the longstanding red state characterization.

Review definitions of key concepts such as political culture, political ideologies, and significant state policies.
Focus on key legislative cases such as Arizona vs. US, which provide essential context for understanding federalism.
Engage with materials on the Texas Constitution and its historical amendments to aid in understanding both state and federal legislative frameworks.
Analyze current issues and recent court cases to substantiate knowledge of how local governance operates within federal confines.
Preparation should include detailed study of how the Texas legislature functions, the specific members, and their demographic makeup to grasp representation's implications on governance.

Term Limit: Restrictions on the number of times an elected official can run for the same office (not applicable in Texas).
Term Length: Duration for which an elected official serves before reelection is needed;
- Texas House: 2 years.
- Texas Senate: 4 years (staggered terms).
Single Member District: An electoral district that is represented by a single elected official.
At-Large District: An electoral district that allows voters to elect representatives from a broader area than just local districts.