Chapter 3 Flashcards
A legislature that consists of two separate chambers or houses
Bicameral
A proposed new law or change to existing law brought before a legislative chamber by a legislative member.
Bill
A citizen-initiated petition that forces consideration or votes on certain legislation and amendments rather than having these actions come from the legislature.
Citizen Initiative
A legislature that attempts to keep the role of a state legislator to a part-time function so that many or most citizens can perform it; low pay, few staffing resources, infrequent sessions.
Citizen Legislature
An elected official who acts as an agent of the majority that elected her or him to office and carries out, to the extent possible, the wishes of that majority
Delegate
The practice of incumbents creating very oddly shaped electoral districts to maximize their political advantage in an upcoming election
Gerrymandering
a type of election in which second-place votes are considered in instances where no candidate has received a majority of the vote; winner determined by adding first and second-place votes
Instant Runoff
this group steps in if the state legislature is unable to pass a redistricting plan or when a state or federal court invalidates a plan submitted by the legislature; active only w/ respect to redistricting of the state legislature.
Legislative Redistricting Board
A type of election in which a candidate must receive 50 percent of the vote plus on additional vote to be declared the winner; simply winning the most votes is not sufficient.
Majority Election
An election district in which the majority of the population comes from a racial minority
Majority-Minority District
election system in which the state is divided into many election districts, but each district elects more than one person to the state legislature
Multi-Member District
A system of drawing electoral district lines that attempt to remove politics from the process of redistricting.
Nonpartisan or Bipartisan Independent Commission
term for requirement of the U.S. Supreme Court that election districts should be roughly equal in population.
One Person, One Vote
A candidate’s identifiable membership in a political party, often listen on an election ballot.
Party Affiliation
electoral contest to win a political party’s nomination for the right to appear as its candidate on the ballot in the general election.
Party Primary
a type of election in which the candidate with the most votes wins the election
Plurality Election
elected official expected to follow the wishes of the electorate on some issues but on others is given leeway; hybrid of trustee and delegate
Politico
Theory that citizens, or principles, choose someone to speak or act on their behalf in the government
Principle-Agent Theory of Representation
meets annually, 9+months of the year, high salary and generous allowance to hire support and research staff.
Professional Legislature
The periodic adjustment of the lines of electoral district boundaries.
Redistricting
Legislature meeting required by constitution/law. Texas Leg. meets every other year for 140 days.
Regular Session
The relationship bewtween an elected official and the elctorate.
Representation
A type of election in SMDM that is held when an election fails to yield a clear majority winner in the initial balloting; runoff is limited to the top two vote-getters from the initial election, ensuring a majority win.
Runoff Election
an election system in which the state is divided into many election districts, and each district elects just one person to the state legislature.
Single-Member District
meetings of a legislature that occur outside the regular legislative session; in Texas, called by the gov. and last thirty days.
Special Session
a majority that is larger than a simple majority of 50 percent plus 1; include requirements of 60 percent, two-thirds, three-fourths, or 80 percent to make a decision.
Supramajority
A legal limitation on the number of terms an elected official may serve in office.
Term limit
elected official entrusted to act in the interests of the electorate based on his/her knowledge; understood to be better informed than the broader electorate
Trustee
when current officeholders step down from office and are replaced by new officeholders; may result from retirement, defeat in an election, or term limits.
Turnover
