Final Flashcards
Ideology
A vision of what political system should be and a plan for achieving that vision
Market conservative
Seeks to maximize individual fulfillment or (individualism) “be yourself”. Maintains free market (capitalism). Wants to limit government 
Social conservative
Seeks to limit government and market, but wants to use government power to regulate morality. The v religious kind
Sanctuary city
A city whose municipal laws tend to protect undocumented immigrants from deportation or prosecution, despite federal immigration law
Liberalism
Liberalism has the same goal as conservatives (maximum individual fulfillment) Private market/capitalism great for promoting individualism, USA’s best standard of living. Notes that the government needs to address our countries flaws ex: poverty/discrimination/abuses of pollution 
Socialism
Seeks maximum collective well-being. Focus on how most people are doing, not just the few rags to riches success stories
Populism
Capitalism for the little guy. It’s basically a blend of conservatism and liberalism. Hates the coorperations
Two key elements of conservatism in Texas
Distrust of government, and absence of liberal groups particularly unions
Constitution of 1869
State government too strong and imposes the federal government
How was the constitution of 1869 too strong?
The governor was too strong, had four year term, strong appoint of power like executive branches and judges, legislature met every year.
First governor under the constitution
E.J. Davis
Changes made by new constitution of 1876
4 yr term, can’t elect officials (hi executive officials like attorney general made elective and judges made elective too), legislative term meet every other year ,
Weak governor powers
Legislative initiative, budget power, appointive power
Strong governor powers
Veto power, tenure potential (how long term & how many),
Single elected executives
Attorney general, Comptroller of Public accounts, Commissioner of general land office, commissioner of agriculture
Attorney general
State CIVIL lawyer. Opinions constitutionally of laws or gov of actions. Collection office for child support, delinquent taxes, crime victim compensation, Medicaid fraud. 
Comptroller duties
States tax collector. Sets states spending limits.
Land commissioner duties
Manage and collect rentals and leases for state lands. Award oil, gas, and other mineral leases on state lands. Helps clean up Texas beaches after oil spills
Commissioner of agriculture
Accuracy of sales in meat markets and pumps in gas stations, labeling pesticides, promote Texas agriculture in the US and overseas
Single appointed executives
Secretary of state, Adjutant general, commissioner of health and human services, insurance department
Secretary of State
Supervise state elections, maintain election database, repository for laws, charter corporations 
adjutant general
Head of Texas State guard, Texas army national guard, and Texas air national guard. can deploy for overseas conflicts like Iraq, and use for border security
Commission of health and human services
Overseas states health and welfare programs. Umbrella agency
Tx dept of insurance
States insurance rates.
Elected plural executives
Railroad commission, State Board of Education
Texas railroad commission
3 member body and elected for 6 yrs. Does not regulate railroads, but that’s production quotas for oil and gas lines/wells. Set gas utility rates for rural areas outside incorporated cities. Regulate surface mining including coal, uranium, iron ore gravel and hydraulic fracturing operations
Appointed boards and commissioners approximately 220
Appointed by governor, comm may then hire an Executive Director
Appt by gov., tx comm on environmental quality
Headed by 3 commissioners. Commissioners hire an executive Director to run day-to-day operations.
Specialized law (common + statutory)
Criminal, civil, public law
Public law
Constitutional (constitution plus court decisions and what it needs), administrative (bureaucratic rules and regulations with force of law)
Tort reform
Place caps on noneconomic damages (intangible like pain and suffering and punitive) an effort to limit liability on civil cases
Grand juries
12 ppl picked by drivers license to stick in jury.
Prosecutor
Lawyer that charges the accused
Indictment
“True bill” grand jury decides enough evidence (need 9 of 12)
Preliminary hearing
Both Defense attorney and prosecutor percent evidence before a lawyer. Not common in tx
Voir dire
Lawyers for both sides question jurors to determine bias against their side
Challenges in selection
- Peremptory (no reason given)
- For cause
Trial courts
Sift through raw fax or evidence to determine guilt or responsibility
Appellate courts
See if proper procedure is followed. Played by the rules
Arraignment
First court appearance. Explain charges to accused
Passive appearance
Courts cannot initiate cases, they must wait for cases to come to them
Amicus curiae
(Friend of the court) briefs: can get around by filing: written argument to shape courts thinking
Reapportionment
Take congressional seats from states that have lost population and give it to states gaining population. Every ten hears
Redistricting 
Redraw boundaries of legislative districts based on population changes within state
Gerrymandering
The practice of drawing district lines in such a way to give candidates from a certain party, ethnic group, or faction an advantage
Packing (influence)
Gerrymandering technique in which members of a party are concentrated into one district, thereby ensuring that the group will influence only one district election rather than several
Negative packing
Pack opponents supporters into small numbers of districts. Hurts opponent
Cracking
Gerrymandering technique of dividing up a minority party’s voters into so many geographical districts that are voting power in anyone district is negligible
Pledge card
A system to pin down support. Ask ppl in writing that they will support/vote for you
Iron triangles
Long-standing alliances among interest groups, legislators, and bureaucrats held together by mutual self interest and act as subsystems in the legislative and administrative decision making process
Umbrella common interests (for all)
Business, agriculture, labor
