Texas Govt Exam 1 Review

1836

1845

Anglo belief that their race was superior. Used violence to enforce this and believed it was honorable to defend oneself.

Anglo immigration to Texas brought homesteading, racist ideology, and violence toward other races. This built the foundation for traditionalism and provincialism to dominate the early political culture of Texas.

Natives, Tejanos, and Anglos

To maintain slavery and refusal to follow the Mexican government.

Appointive power (weak): sec of state, state board chairs, judicial vacancies, US representatives Military power: TX air, guard, national, martial law, rangers, DPS Executive Orders: set policy for executive branch Proclamations Promote Economic Development

Appoint judges Grant pardons, but not for death sentences

The Texas Constitution weakens the governor's power and spreads their power among executive officials.

Group of officials in charge of making decisions and giving orders (executive branch).

Lieutenant Governor, The Comptroller of Public Accounts, Commissioner of Agriculture, Commissioner of the General Land Office and The Secretary of State (and the governor) They are selected by the state's electorate (voters) every four years.

Prevents abuse of power, laws would appoint friends Officials must defend their positions to be elected

Less cohesion Governor has less power Voters may not elect fully qualified officials

Can deploy martial and military law in a state of emergency

The Executive branch enforces laws, the Legislative branch only makes them.

the president in the executive can veto those laws with a presidential veto

1. Bill is introduced a. Companion Bill- introduced in the House and Senate and the same time

2. First Reading, bill is assigned to a committee

3. Committee Consideration a. Kill the bill or pass with majority vote

4. Second Reading and Vote

5. Third Reading and Vote

6. If bills differ, conference committee 5 members from each chamber resolves differences

7. Enrollment and Certification

8. Governor Action a. Sign or Veto (⅔ vote, both houses) b. 10 days to sign, if it's not signed then it passes

140 days, every 2 yrs

30- bill introduction 30- committee work/action 80- floor debate and voting

Bicameral- 2 chambers (House and Senate) Unicameral- 1 chamber (ex: Nebraska)

Senate- 4 yr terms House- 2 yr terms

presides over meetings, chooses who to call on during meetings, appoints members to committees, schedules bills for debate and refers bills to the proper committee

selected by the House majority party

Statewide election every 4 years. Same time as governor.

establishes all special and standing committees, appoints all chairpersons and members, and assigns all Senate legislation to the committee of his choice.

include consideration of proposed laws and resolutions, consideration of proposed constitutional amendments for submission to the voters, and appropriation of all funds for the operation of state government

Interest groups try to influence Congress by reaching targeted members of Congress, often indirectly through other political actors (thru lobbyists) to get bills they want passed

⅔ of each chamber pass amendment Voters can approve with majority vote Governor has no veto power Gov needs to be inefficient to not be in daily life

1876

Longer than most but not Alabama's

Article 2

Separation of power between the national and state governments.

Each branch of government with individual powers to check the other branches and prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.

state and federal gov balance each other; limit national gov power

the president can veto any bill passed by Congress, but a two-thirds vote in Congress can override the veto

Represents common views held by a district’s population to insure the right official is elected for them

it can allow equal representation and allow communities to give input

One party can maintain power in state legislature through gerrymandering.

when a political group tries to change a voting district boundary to create a result that helps them or hurts the group who is against them.

a meeting at which members of a political party assemble to select delegates and to make policy recommendations at the precinct, county, or state senatorial district, and state levels

a discussion where they make NO DECISIONS, basically just talking

Traditionalist: a person who believes that older ways of doing or thinking about things are better than newer ways

Revisionist: someone who examines and tries to change existing beliefs about how events happened or what their importance or meaning is

Individualistic: view the govt. as their enemy that uses taxes and regulations to limit economic freedom. Therefore, they view the govt. negatively and wanted to limit their size.

• They believe the govt. should maintain a stable society but intervene as little as possible in the lives of people

Traditionalistic: the belief that government should be dominated by political elites and guided by tradition, only elites belong in the political enterprise

• strengthen people who are already powerful

• they want to preserve their dominant role in society

Moralistic: expect the government to improve conditions for the people through economic regulation and to advance the public good in order to create a just society

• citizens believe it’s their duty to become active in governmental decision-making through participation in politics and govt.

Provincial political cultures: broadly shared values, beliefs, and attitudes about how government and society should function

Executive: regulating law

Judicial: interpreting law

Legislative powers: making law

to approve or reject a bill to become a law

Texas Attorney General:

• one of texas’ most visible and powerful officeholders

• a major player in making important public policy decisions

• represents the state government in lawsuits and provides legal advice to state and local officials

Comptroller:

• one of the most powerful elected officers in the texas government

• responsible for collecting taxes, keeping accounts, estimating revenue, and serving as treasurer for the state

Secretary of state:

• assisting county election officials and ensuring the uniform application and interpretation of election laws throughout Texas

The Senate: The Senate acts as the jury and has the right to try the executive (president) or judicial (judges) official. The Senate's duty is to try the officials

The House: lists the charges of impeachment only. They have the sole power to list and bring charges of impeachment

• THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HAS THE SOLE POWER OF IMPEACHMENT.

the smallest number of people who must be at a meeting for official decisions to be made by voting

• popular sovereignty

• limited government

• separation of powers

• checks and balances

• federalism

• protection of individual rights

is a concept that exists not in objective reality, but as a result of human interaction. It exists because humans agree that it exists

Examples: Race, age, beauty, nationality, etc.

a narrow self interested view of politics often associated of rural or common value limited government

OR

belief in the superiority of one's regional government

1. Anglos

   • smallest population

   • many ethics

   • upper south

     • they all use guns

   • TX creed ( belief in the superiority of their institutions, acceptance of violence to sustain them)

2. Tejanos

   • largely separated by class

   • farmers

3. Indigenous

   • largest population

     • fractured/ not unified

• Not too broad

• clear, easy to understand

• able to change (flexible/rigid)

• establish guiding principles how power is shared, basic rules/ power of government

• equitable/ inclusive (include everyone)

1. Coahuila y Tejas (1827)

   • first state of consitution

2. Republic of texas (1836)

3. State of TX (1845)

4. Confederate state constitution (1861)

5. Reconstruction (1869)

6. TX Constitution of 1876 (current)

   • distrust in government

   • weak executive

   • binial, short legislative session

   • lengthy, over 200 pages

• 2/3 vote in both chambers

• majority vote

• distrust in government

• self-interest is expected

• separation of powers

  • division of responsibilities between branches

• Checks and balances

  • the ability of one branch to check or constrain another

home rule, self rule

powers not delegated by the constitution nor prohibited by its state, are reserved for the states, or to the people

national supremacy Claus

• federal law, constitution, treaties are supreme law of land

scope of authority

the power, right, or authority to interpret and apply the law

contracts of one state must be honored in all states

citizens of one state shall be treated as citizens of another

• police

• taxation

• eminent domain → allows state to steal individual private property

• proprietary power → the right to own property

federal money provided to the states

filled up legislators

Representatives = legislators

made up two chambers

made up one chambers

• 2 years term

• 21 years old

• 2 years state resident

• 4 years terms

• 26 years old

• 5 years resident

150 members

31 members

redrawing of voting boundaries to create equal representation → every 10 years

Every ten years, local governments use new census data to redraw their district lines to reflect how local populations have changed.

elected officials rely on their own judgement

rely on the constituents

voters represented by politician

popular elected

voted by representatives

1. Create/ abolish committees

2. Appoint committee chairs

3. Send bills to committee chairs

4. recognize speakers

5. Lt. government appoints all committee member

6. speaker of the house appoints most committee members BUT NOT ALL OF THEM

• substantive - permanent

• 7 most common number

• seniority accounts for 1/2 of membership

deal with procedural matters in the house

Ex: calendar, redistricting

between session of the Legislature in order to study subjects of legislative concern

study key issues facing the state to help prepare for the 45-day general session.

issues that cross committee jurisdiction, temporary committees and asked to perform a specific task or study by the senate

state agencies report to congress is responsible to monitor their spendings and actions

legislative function

• state judges, executive officers, appointed state officials

• majority of house to impeach (how impeachment works)

• 2/3 of senate remove (remove from office)

Presidents can still run for office after impeachment because they haven’t been remove from office

rule changes to the house or senate

majority of both chambers government signature

majority of 2/3 of chambers and no action from the government

introduced in both chambers at the same time

• 30 days - introduce bills, resolutions

• 30 days -committee work

• 80 days - floor debate voting

= 140 days

14% bill to become a law

21 senators

enforce/ carry out laws

head of executive branch

• 30 years old

• 5 years Texas resident

  • 4 year term, no term limits

• U.S citizen

• appointive (weak)

  • secretary of state, state board chairs, confirmed 2/3 senator vote → checks and balances

• Secretary of state serve 6 years, replace 1/3 every 2 years

replace, call special election

only special election

• current office holder running for re-election

  • could have an upper hand

    • people already know them and how they are

• commander and chief of TX armed forces

• martial law

  • temporary military law

• head of DPS, rangers

sets policy within the executive branch, carries force of law

• formal announcements

• head of economics development

• head of state

make law → congress

budgetery - submit a budget line -item veto- strikesingle items from bills

rejection of bill

• 2/3 congress to overrule

  • checks and balancesspecial session power

• call 30 day issue specific session