Exam 1 Flashcards
what is Gerrymandering?
an OLD practice whereby the party in power creates districts that favor their party
why does congress value specialization?
to make sure complex issues are being addressed
peoples impressions of congress are; ______ view on congress and ______ on their representative
negative
positive
the year 1992 was “the year of the woman” in congress because it marked the first time that
a large number of women were elected to congress
powers specifically granted to the House and the Senate are called?
enumerated powers
where does most detailed legislative work take place?
in committee meetings
in order to end a senate debate
3/5 majority of senators must end a filibuster by supporting cloture
the greatest political risk to members of congress comes from..
having cast a handful of votes on salient issues
one perk that enables members of congress from districts far from Washington to remain in personal contact with their primary and reelection constituents is…
the franking privilege
The founding period:
Aristotle
the purpose of civil society is happiness
what is social contract theory?
- people trade liberty for the protections of society
- w/o government, people exist in a “state of nature” (hobbs)
- people posses natural rights to life, liberty and property (locke)
- rulers are bound to protect everyones rights and rulers who fail to do so have broken the social contact (rousseau)
the constitutional convention was a what?
gag order (cant talk about it)
What thins led to convention of 1787?
- post war period saw hard economic times
- the new (state) governments had to repay way war debt
- taxes had negative effects on farmers
- shay’s rebellion
- Annapolis convention of 1786
what was the constitutional convention?
delegates from 12 states meet to amend the articles of confederation
-decide to scrap articles and write a new constitution
what were the features of the articles of confederation?
- first constitution of the US
- in effect from 1777-1789
- formally ratified in 1781
- lose federation among states
- required unanimity to amend
problems with the articles of confederation?
- unable to regulate commerce (provide steady economy)
- unable to provide for a coherent foreign policy
- unable to raise taxes
- able to pass laws but unable to make states follow them
- no mean of national defense
Two central functions of the Texas legislature?
To allow representation of various interest ps and to provide forum where parties with conflicting goals can reconcile their differences through the law making process
What is a bicameral legislature?
A legislature with tow chambers
Difference between the house and the senate representation in Texas?
Legislators in the house represent smaller districts with fewer constituents and have shorter terms than senators
The governor may use the threat of a special session on what purpose?
To incentivize the legislature to focus on policy areas of concern to the governor
Why does the speaker of the house have more power than the the lt governor?
The lt governor is chosen statewide meanwhile the speaker is chosen from among the house.
How long are the terms of the Texas house of reps?
2 years
What is the purpose of staggering terms of office for senators?
It prevents the disruption that a political or economic upheaval might cause
After which historical era did diversity within the Texas legislature slowly begin to increase?
Civil rights era
What event marked the start of a viable Republican Party in modern Texas?
The 1961 election of John tower to the U.S Senate
Why were reelection rates for the incumbents in 2010 different than in previous years?
Tea party candidates successfully challenged incumbent republicans who were not considered conservative enough
What are types of bills that can be introduced?
General, local, special
How does a concurrent resolution differ from a law?
A concurrent resolution is a formal statement of opinion but does not carry force of law
Which branch impeached and which branch tries the case?
The house of reps may impeach and the senate tries the case
What does it mean that legislators have certain immunities?
The legislators may not be sued for slander or otherwise held accountable for statements made during legislative proceedings
What makes the lt governor such a powerful figure in the legislature?
He can assign bills to specific committed
What is the duty of the speaker of the house?
He or she must maintain order during debate on floor
What does pro tempore mean
For the time being
What is the difference between a standing committee and a special committee?
The standing committee is a permanent committee meanwhile special committee is a subcommittee for the standing committee
Of the temporary committees in both houses, which tends to play the largest role in affecting legislation?
Conference committees
Which of the following is true regarding the committee system in tx legislature?
The committee system serves to channel the supposed to well financed interest groups
What’s logrolling?
Vote trading
Who can formally introduce a bill for consideration in the legislature?
Only members of the legislature
What is the practice informally referred to as “voting the district”?
Legislators, knowing what issues matter to their constituents, cast votes in line with those preferences
Under what circumstances is a legislator likely to be unengaged and become open to the influences of other members, interest groups, and lobbyists?
When a representative from an urban district is faced with a proposed law affecting agricultural policy
What are legislative days?
Days when interest group leaders organize visits by members of their group to the Capitol offices of their representatives
Why are lobbyists usually better positioned than legislators to develop policy expertise?
Extremely low pay provided to legislators requires them to have other full time occupations that take their attention from legislatings
How does the Capitol press corps impact the legislative session?
The stories that press corps reporters write may affect outcomes and alter the legislative process
What is the person who introduces a bill for consideration known as?
The sponsor of the bill
The shortness of the legislative session has led to what practice?
Members of the legislature pre-filing bills before the legislative session even begins
What occurs when a committee pigeonholes a bill?
The committee moves that bill to the bottom of the committee’s agenda, effectively killing it
When a bill is read for the 3rd time, the bill may be amended but it requires how much majority approval?
2/3
Filibuster is what?
Trying to kill a bill by “talking it to death”
What is the purpose of a conference committee?
To resolve the often significant differences in the two versions of a bill passed by the house and the senate
What happens if the governor receives a bill to sign and chooses to do nothing with the bill?
The bill automatically becomes law after the 10 day period of gubernatorial consideration has been passes
What is a point of order?
An objection that claims an error in the format content, or procedural path of a bill
Under which circumstances can a point of order be raised on an amendment?
An amendment changes the bills original purpose slightly
What is likely to happen to a bill that is found to be in violation of the rules?
It goes to a committee to fix its mistakes and is then sent to the floor where there may not be enough time to address it
What is the practical effect of the “constitutional order of business”?
There is a frantic scramble to deal with large numbers of bills during the final few weeks of the session
The federalist paper no 51. Is about what?
The separation of powers
Federalist paper no. 23?
Too much power in central government
Federalist paper no. 10
Factions (interest groups)
