Exam 2 Review Sheet

Question 1

How do most people participate in the political system?

Answer 1

Political participation includes voting, running for office, participating in marches or demonstrations, giving money, attending rallies, writing letter or emails, or discussing issues with friends

Question 2

What is a rational voter

Answer 2

A “rational” voter is one who will vote only if the personal benefits outweigh the costs

Benefits: policy, civic duty, varies by individual
Costs: time, information/becoming informed, also varies by individual

It’s not rational to vote (cost outweighs benefits): individual vote doesn’t matter, especially in Texas and other non-battleground states

Question 3

Who votes vs who does not vote

Answer 3

People with higher education tend to make more money and in turn, tend to vote more often

Women are more likely to vote than men

Socioeconomic: High education/income means more likely to vote. Partisan competition related explanations: High turnout in swing states

White, older, married, rich, and religious people are more likely to vote

Question 4

Why do some states have higher voter turnout?

Answer 4

Voter registration differs significantly across states, same day registration (also election day registration) vs. 15-30 days in advance, Online, mail, ID, location, race, political ideology,

States that are more competitive politically (battleground states) usually have higher voter turnout because the individual votes is “worth more” than in states where the political party is historically set and not likely to change.

Question 5

How could voter turnout be increased?

Answer 5

-Secure convenient locations
-Secure larger venues
-More voting machines (lines will be shorter),
-Shorter & better designed ballots
-Make registering to vote easier.
-Make voting easier.
-Online voting.
-Hire invested and engaged poll workers.
-Get people excited about politics between elections.
-Incentives to vote.

Question 6

Who or what determines voter qualifications?

Answer 6

State determines voter qualifications. Generally includes voter eligibility and verification (IDs), voting locations and ease of voting, online Internet registration, ballot requests and voting.

Question 7

Open primary

Answer 7

Any primary election in which a voter either does not have to formally affiliate with a political party in order to vote in its primary or can declare his or her affiliation with a party at the polls on the day of the primary even if the voter was previously affiliated with a different party.

Question 8

Closed primary

Answer 8

A type of primary election in which a voter must affiliate formally with a political party in advance of the election date in order to participate in that party’s primary.

Closed primary in Texas: voter must vote with the same party throughout primary season (can’t change parties from primary to runoff), even if not registered with that party

Question 9

Runoff primary

Answer 9

A second primary election conducted to determine which of the top vote-getters in the first primary will be awarded the party nomination for an office.

60 days after primary
Top two candidates by percentage go against each other
One of the two must have >50% of votes
Candidate can finish second in primary and win the runoff

Question 10

Semi-closed primaries

Answer 10

Voters that are not affiliated with a political party may participate in the partisan primary election of their choice. Voters who are affiliated with a political party are only allowed to vote in that party’s primary.

Question 11

Top-two primaries

Answer 11

All candidates are listed on the same ballot. The top two vote-getters advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliations, Consequently, it is possible for two candidates belonging to the same political party to win in a top-two primary and face off in the general election

Question 12

Blanket Primaries

Answer 12

All candidates are listed on the same ballot and voters choose one candidate per office regardless of party affiliation. In a blanket primary, the top vote-getter from each party advances to the general election. This ensures that candidates from the same party will not compete against each other in the general election

Question 13

Primary Election

Answer 13

An election used either to narrow the field of candidates for a given elective office or to determine the nominees for political parties in advance of a general election. “Selection not election”

Question 14

General Elections

Answer 14

An election in which voters cast ballots to select public officials at any level, including city, county, congressional district, or state. General elections determine the final winner – the candidate to take office. The candidate obtaining the most votes (even if not necessarily a majority of votes) wins.

Question 15

Special Elections

Answer 15

Used to ratify or reject Texas constitutional amendments, fill elected offices that have become vacant between general elections, or provide approval to borrow money. Special elections are called by the Texas Legislature.

Question 16

Initiative Election

Answer 16

In civics, an initiative is a means by which a petition signed by a certain number of registered voters can force a government to choose either to enact a law or hold a public vote in the legislature in what is called indirect initiative, or under direct initiative, where the proposition is put to a plebiscite or referendum

Question 17

Recall Elections

Answer 17

The power of the voters to remove elected officials from office through a direct vote before their terms expire

Question 18

Fifteenth amendment

Answer 18

Prohibits the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen’s “race, color, or previous condition of servitude”.

Question 19

Nineteenth amendment

Answer 19

Prohibits the states and the federal government from denying the right to vote to citizens of the United States on the basis of sex.

Question 20

Twenty-fourth amendment

Answer 20

Prohibits both Congress and the states from conditioning the right to vote in federal elections on payment of a poll tax or other types of tax.

Question 21

Twenty-sixth amendment

Answer 21

Prohibits the states and the federal government from using age as a reason for denying the right to vote to citizens of the United States who are at least eighteen years old.

Question 22

Know the responsible party model

Answer 22

a party system in which each party offers clear policy alternatives and holds their elected officials responsible for enacting these policies in office

We expect parties to say what they mean and mean what they say

As per this model, the parties:
-Develop and clarify alternative policy positions for voters
-Educate people about issues and simplify choices
-Recruit candidates for office who agree with the party positions
-Organize and direct their candidates to win elections
-Hold their elected officials responsible for enacting the parties’ policy positions after they were elected
-Organize legislatures to ensure party control of policymaking

Question 23

Problems with the responsible party model

Answer 23

Problems with this model:
-Parties generally do not offer voters clear policy alternatives
-Voter decisions are not motivated primarily by policy considerations
-American political parties have no way to bind their elected officials to party positions or even to their campaign pledges

Question 24

What do the national party committees do?

Answer 24

keep the party operating in between elections

They have the greatest role in presidential election years when they are responsible for planning the nominating convention to formally select a party’s presidential candidate and also spend heavily in support of their party’s nominee (some of this spending is directly coordinated with the nominee’s campaign; the rest is in independent expenditures).

Question 25

When is negative campaigning successful?

Answer 25

Negative campaigning - soliciting voter support by attacking one’s opponent
-It is successful when they focus on opponent’s issues instead of a personal attack against their personal qualities. Political novices are more influenced by negative ads than their older counterparts. When presented by the press and not Tv ads

Question 26

Baker v. Car

Answer 26

Stated that you had to take into account geographic proximity. Districts had to be drawn in a meticulous manner. Ruled that the underrepresentation of race can be considered.

Question 27

Reynolds v Sims

Answer 27

Districts in a state have to be roughly the same population.

Question 28

The functions of legislatures

Answer 28

-Enacting laws: collectively consider 101,000 per session, pass about 19,000
-Considering constitutional amendment, gubernatorial (governor) appointments, and state courts: often shared process
-Approving budgets: may be single most important function
“Who gets what, when, and how?”
Extremely political
-Serving constituents: requires great deal of legislators’ time
Government works for you
-Overseeing state agencies: frequently need to challenge state administrators
Principal Agent Model:
-Legislature is principal: enacts but cannot implement laws
-Executive is agent: enforces but cannot enact laws
-Principal oversees that agents enforces the laws correctly

Question 29

Why do incumbents win?

Answer 29

Incumbent - an individual who currently holds a set of responsibilities within a specific office as part of a corporation or within a branch of the government.

-Visibility: campaigning for reelection almost constant, may take more time that lawmaking
-Resources of office: staffs, offices, expense accounts, travel budgets
-Money: interest group contributions go overwhelmingly to incumbents
-Professionalism and careerism: professionalism in state legislatures encourages careerism
-“Known commodity”
-Can rely on past record (I did vs. I will)

Question 30

What is apportionment?

Answer 30

the proportional distribution of the seats in a legislative body, especially the House of Representatives, on the basis of population

Question 31

What is gerrymandering?

Answer 31

The drawing of electoral district boundary lines to grant political advantage to a particular party, candidate, or group

Question 32

Different types of legislative sessions

Answer 32

The regular session convenes every two years and may last no more than 140 days.
A called session, commonly referred to as a special session, is so designated because it must be called by the governor. 30 days long.

Question 33

What do committees do?

Answer 33

The primary function of a committee is to contribute to the efficient operation of an organization.

-Major bill analysis
-Oversee implementation of laws
-Draft legislation

Question 34

Who determines the membership of legislative committees?

Answer 34

Speaker of the House

Question 35

What is pigeonholing?

Answer 35

Committee chair refuses to schedule a committee hearing for a bill and it effectively dies; A bill is ignored, never reported out of committee

Question 36

Know the requirements for election to the Texas State

Answer 36

The requirements for holding office in Texas are minimal so that it is open to as many people as possible.

A senator must be at least 26 years of age, a citizen of Texas five years prior to election and a resident of the district from which elected one year prior to election. Each senator serves a four-year term and one-half of the Senate membership is elected every two years in even-numbered years, with the exception that all the Senate seats are up for election for the first legislature following the decennial census in order to reflect the newly redrawn districts. After the initial election, the Senate is divided by lot into two classes, with one class having a re-election after two years and the other having a re-election after four years.

A representative must be at least 21 years of age, a citizen of Texas for two years prior to election and a resident of the district from which elected one year prelection. They are elected for two-year terms, running for re-election in even-numbered years.

Question 37

How is legislative leadership chosen

Answer 37

Speaker of the House: chosen by the House members themselves, not by the voters.
President of the Senate: Lieutenant Governor of Texas
Committee chairs: appointment by the Speaker of the House/President of the Senate

Question 38

How long is the legislative session in Texas?

Answer 38

140 days

Question 39

The Principal-Agent Solution

Answer 39

Principal - has self interest; owns the asset and resources. May or may not be knowledgeable.
Delegate authority and duty to the agent to work in the principal’s best interest
Agent - has self interest; manages the assets and resources for the principal. Is knowledgeable about the field
Acts and makes decisions in the principal’s best interest

Both have conflict of interest