Exam 2 - Texas Government (Chp. 7 - 9) [GOVT 2306]

System in which executive power is divided several statewide elected officials

The ability of a governor to vote part of an appropriations bill without vetoing the whole bill

30 years of age, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the state for five years preceding election

Serves as the legal counsel to the governor, the legislature, and most of the state government

Lieutenant governor, president pro tempore of the Texas Senate, the speaker of the house, and the attorney general

State agency with regulation over some aspects of transportation and the oil and gas industry of the state.

Chief tax collector and investor of state funds; the chief tax collector, revenue forecaster, and investor of state funds 

Chief election official and keeper of state records; appointed by the governor 

The TDA has the dual, and sometimes contradictory, roles of promoting agricultural products and production and regulating agricultural practices while also protecting the public health from unsafe agricultural practice.

• Protect public health and promote Texas agriculture

Elected official responsible for administration and oversight of state-owned lands and coastal lands extending 10.3 miles into the Gulf of Mexico

• Manages texas land; coastal land (makes money by renting texas land to the oil company)

TEA is responsible for the oversight of public primary and secondary education in the state of Texas involving both over 1,000 individual school districts in the state as well as charter school

Appointing people for jobs based on same interest/values/beliefs

Official say; 20 days to determine whether to sign bill, it automatically becomes law even without sign

State agency that is controlled by the leadership in the state legislature and that writes the state budget

Decentralized and spread out that governor doesn’t have any real control over it

System in which executive power is divided several statewide elected officials

A remission or cancellation of the legal consequences of an offense or conviction

• Face what you did without the legal punishment

Act by an executive member of government of extending mercy to a convicted individual. Reprieves or commuting sentences

• Giving you more time

The provisional release of a prisoner who agrees to certain conditions prior to the completion of maximum sentence period

You don’t have to go to jail; instead the government monitors you for a period of time

Almost 200 separate entities, each following its own path of endeavor, often oblivious to the goals and ambitions of other (often companion) agencies (Enforce/carry out law)

They know whats going on but it isn’t their problem

• Problem with control

• Have more power over elected officials

• Own little world

Sunshine laws (freedom of information) and Sunset legislation

Agency responsible for making recommendations to the legislature for change in the structure and organization of most state agencies 

Open-meeting laws (Laws that require most records kept by gov to be open to the public)

Allows Bureaucrats to use their own judgement as to how the laws will be carried out

The cornerstone of an agency’s political clout is the relationship with its interest group (mutually beneficial - similar goals and interests)

A small and informal but relatively stable set of bureaucrats, legislators, and lobbyists who seek to develop policies beneficial to a particular interest

• Benefit all (mutual reinforcement) B - leg - elites

Positive; more ability to hire (give more responsibility) but make the system more accountable; hold someone accountable

Police Patrol Oversight and Fire Alarm Oversight

A situation in which bureaucrats favor the interest of the groups or corporations they are supposed to regulate at the expense of the general public

(Bureaucrats use power to help the companies they’re supposed to protect the people from)

Hierarchical Authority, Job Specialization, and Formalized Rules

Chain of compand - everyone had a boss

Defined jobs and a precise division of labor.

Established procedures and regulations by which a bureaucracy conducts its operations  (There’s always a rule for something/everything)

Bureaucrats tendency to implement policies in a way that favors their own political objectives rather than following the original intentions of the legislation

Rules

Excessive or unnecessary complex regulations imposed by bureaucracy

The role of the courts in that they resolve individual conflicts by interpreting and enforcing existing rules and laws

A legal norm established in court cases that is then applied to future cases dealing with the same legal questions

Responsibility vs Committed a crime

People want out of the court's fairness (neutral and above politics) and responsiveness to the public

Civil

Criminal

Guilt or innocent (facts of case) vs if law was carried out correctly

If there should be trial vs outcome

Formal charge from grand jury

• Grand Jury says there’s enough evidence to send them to court for trial

Method used to select all judges (except municipal court judges) in Texas by using a ballot in which party identification is shown

Non political parties envolved

More than a year (major) vs less than a year (minor)

Extends to all criminal misdemeanors where the fine allowed exceed $500 or jail term may be imposed.

Before going to court, government tells if you plea guilty, you’ll be charged with a lesser sentence

Regulates the state's electric, telecommunication, and water and sewer utilities, implements respective legislation, and offers customer assistance in resolving consumer complaints.

Probates the wills of deceased person, declares the heirs od deceased persons who die without a will, established guardisnship for incapacitated persons and minors

Legislature

• “Pass bills giving me what I want, or I won’t give you money to do what you want” 

Elections, record keeping/information management, and in international protocol

Leasing state lands generating funds from oil and gas production Responsible for maintaining the environmental quality of the state’s open beaches along the Gulf Coast. 

Threat of veto also powerful. Use to veto to make legislature negotiate with him more, helps him get more of what he wants.

Law requiring that meetings of government bodies at all levels of gov be open to the general public with some exceptions.

The system of civil servants and political appointees who implement legislative and state decisions; also known as the administrative state.

A rule that allows the gov to exercise control over individuals and corporations by restricting certain behaviors

The governor

Ma Ferguson (20s-30s) and Ann Richards (90s)

No, but Greg Abbort is the first Catholic

The governor .

Powers giving the governor the right to use the National Guard in times of natural disaster or civil unrest

False, very limited

The ability of a governor to issue pardons, executive clemency, and parole of citizen convicted of a crime

The expectation that the governor will provide strong leadership in times of a natural or man-made disaster

The expectation that a governor coordinates activities with other state gorvernments

Governor uses bully pulpit to bring attention to the issues and policies he feels are most important

True, a message from a member of the governor’s staff to a state agency is taken seriously.

True

The knowledge, personnel, and institutions that the gov requires to effectively implement policies

Rules that lower-level bureaucrats must follow when implementing rules.

A difficulty faced by elected officials in ensuring that when bureaucrats implement policies, they follow these official’s intentions but still have enough discretion to use their expertise

True

The hiring of private contractors to carry out government programs, functions, and services

A practice in which politicians award contracts to their political supporters and contributors in the business community. AKA “crony capitalism

12 citizens who usually serve a three month term

True

Panels of citizens who determine the truth or falsehood of claims and guilt or innocent

Special interest give money while Legislature is laws and politics

Special interest gives information/ expertise (cheerleading) while Bureaucrats give rules and regulations

Legislature gives tasks, function, and money while Bureaucrats carry out the laws