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Government - Harold Comello > Midterm (Test 2) > Flashcards

Midterm (Test 2) Flashcards

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1
Q

Bicameral

A

Legislative body that consists of two houses.

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2
Q

The Texas senate has how many members and what is their term year?

A

31 members; 4-year term

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3
Q

How many members does the Texas House of Representatives have and how long is the year term?

A

A total of 150 members; 2-year term.

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4
Q

Biennial session

A

Legislature meets every two years. (For 140 days)

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5
Q

Extraordinary session

A

A specially called meeting of the legislature outside the regular session to discuss specified matters

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6
Q

Special sessions

A

In Texas sessions called by the governor to consider legislation proposed by the governor only.

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7
Q

What are the Texas Legislature salaries?

A

A total of $7200

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8
Q

What are the qualifications for a Texas house member?

A

Must be 21 years of age, must have lived in the state for at least two years and for a minimum of 12 months in the district he or she will represent

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9
Q

What are the qualifications to become a Texas state senator?

A

A person must be a US citizen, must be at least 26 years old before the date of the general election and must have been a Texas resident for at least five years and a district resident for at least 12 months.

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10
Q

Single member district

A

Districts represented by one elected member to the legislature.

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11
Q

Multimember district

A

Districts represented by more than one member elected to the legislature.

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12
Q

How many state senators are in Texas?

A

31

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13
Q

How many members are in the House of Representatives in Texas?

A

150

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14
Q

Reapportionment

A

Refers to the process of allocating representatives to districts.

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15
Q

Redistricting

A

A drawing of district boundaries.

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16
Q

Gerrymandering

A

Drawing district boundary lines for political advantage.

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17
Q

Legislative redistricting board (LRB)

A

State board composed of elected officials that can draw a new legislative districts for the house and senate if the legislature fails to act.

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18
Q

Political gerrymandering

A

Drawing legislative districts to the advantage of a political party.

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19
Q

racial gerrymandering

A

Legislative districts that are drawn to the advantage of a minority group.

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20
Q

Hunt V. Cromartie

A

Court case that ruled while race can be a factor it could not be the primary factor in determining the makeup of legislative districts.

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21
Q

Term limits

A

Limitations on the number of times a person can be elected to the same office in state legislatures.

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22
Q

Turnover

A

The number of new members of the legislature each session.

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23
Q

Speaker of the house

A

Member of the Texas house, elected by the house members, who serve as presiding officer and generally controls the passage of legislation.

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24
Q

Lieutenant governor

A

Presiding officer of the Texas Senate.

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25
Q

Extra legislative powers

A

Legislative leaders serve on boards outside of the legislature.

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26
Q

Standing committee

A

Committees of the House and Senate that consider legislation during sessions.

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27
Q

Conference committee

A

Joint committees of the house and senate that work out differences in bills passed in each chamber

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28
Q

Interim committees

A

Temporary committee of the legislature that study issues between regular sessions and make recommendations on legislation.

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29
Q

Rider

A

Provision attached to a bill that may not be of the same subject matter as the main bill.

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30
Q

Closed rider

A

Provisions attached to appropriations bills that are not made public until the conference committee meets.

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31
Q

Calendars

A

Procedures in the house used to consider different kinds of bills.

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32
Q

Committee on local and consent calendars

A

Committee handling minor and non-controversial bills that normally apply to only a discrete area.

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33
Q

Committee on calendars

A

Standing committee of the house that decides which bills will be considered for floor debate by the full house and to which committee they will be assigned.

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34
Q

Informal rules

A

Set of norms or values that govern legislative bodies

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35
Q

Delegate

A

Representational role of member stating that he or she represents the wishes of the voters.

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36
Q

Trustee

A

Representational role of a member that states that the member will make decisions on his or her own judgment about what is best for voters.

37
Q

Citizen legislatures

A

Legislatures characterized by Low pay, short sessions, and fewer staff resources.

38
Q

What is the Texas governor salary as of 2015?

A

$150,000

39
Q

If there is a governor succession and what steps do the next people come in?

A

In Texas, the lieutenant governor becomes governor if the office is vacated.

1) The order of succession
2) President pro tempore of the Texas Senate
3) The speaker of the house
4) The attorney general.

40
Q

Impeachment

A

The process by which some elected officials, including governors, may be impeached (accused of an impeachable offense) by the lower house adopting articles of impeachment.

41
Q

Conviction

A

Following adoption of articles of impeachment by the lower legislative house, the Senate tries the official under those articles; if convicted, the official is removed from office.

42
Q

Recall

A

The removal of the governor or an elected official by a petition signed by the required number of registered voters and by an election in which a majority votes to remove the person from office.

43
Q

Plural executive system

A

System in which executive power is divided among several statewide elected officials.

44
Q

Attorney general

A

Chief counsel to the governor and state agencies.

45
Q

Comptroller of public accounts

A

Chief tax collector and investor of state funds.

46
Q

Land commissioner

A

Elected official responsible for administration and oversight of state owned lands and coastal lands.

47
Q

Tenure of office

A

The ability of governors to be re-elected to office.

48
Q

Senatorial courtesy

A

The courtesy of the governor clearing his or her appointments with state senator from the appointees home district.

49
Q

Secretary of State

A

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

50
Q

Military powers

A

Powers giving the governor the right to use the national guard in times of natural disaster or civil unrest.

51
Q

Boards and commissions

A

Governing body for many state agencies

52
Q

Budgetary powers

A

The ability of a governor to formulate a budget, present it to the legislature, and execute or control the budget

53
Q

Line-item veto

A

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

54
Q

Legislative budget board

A

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

55
Q

Legislative power

A

The formal power especially the veto authority of the governor to force the legislature to enact his or her legislation.

56
Q

Judicial powers

A

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

57
Q

Chief legislature

A

The expectation that a governor has an active agenda of legislation to recommend to the legislature and works to pass that agenda

58
Q

Party chief

A

The expectation that the governor will be the head of his or her party

59
Q

Ceremonial duties

A

The expectation that a governor attends many functions and represents the state

60
Q

Crisis manager

A

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

61
Q

Intergovernmental coordinator

A

The expectation that a governor coordinates activities with other state governments.

62
Q

Stare decisis

A

Court decisions depending on previous rulings of other courts - “to stand by that which was decided before”

63
Q

Trial courts

A

Local courts that hear cases; juries determine the outcome of the cases in the court

64
Q

Appellate courts

A

Higher level courts to decide on points of law and not questions of guilt or innocence.

65
Q

Trial de novo courts

A

Courts that do not keep a written record of their proceedings.

66
Q

Magistrate functions

A

Preliminary hearings for persons charged with a serious criminal offense

67
Q

Partisan election

A

Method used to select all judges in Texas by using a ballot in which party identification is shown

68
Q

Merit system or Missouri system

A

A system of electing judges that involves appointment by the governor and a periodic retention election.

69
Q

Appointive election system

A

In Texas a system of many judges gaining the initial Seat on the court by being appointed and later standingfor election

70
Q

Grand juries

A

Juries of citizens that determine if a person will be charged with a crime

71
Q

Information or administrative hearing

A

A hearing before a judge who decides if a person must stand trial

72
Q

Petit juries

A

Judges of citizens that determine the guilt or innocence of a person during a trial

73
Q

Criminal law

A

Statutory law that defines both the violation and the penalty the state will seek to have imposed upon the defendant

74
Q

Texas penal code

A

The statutory law that defines criminal offenses and punishments in Texas

75
Q

Graded penalties

A

Punishments that differ based upon the seriousness of the crime

76
Q

Texas code of criminal procedure

A

The rules created by the Texas Supreme Court to govern the proceedings of trials in Texas

77
Q

Felony

A

A serious criminal offense punishable by death or incarceration

78
Q

Misdemeanors

A

Less serious criminal offenses, punishable by fine, incarceration or both.

79
Q

Enhanced punishment

A

The application of the next most serious penalty for repeat offenders

80
Q

Recidivism

A

The Rito at which criminal offenders commit crime after they leave the states custody

81
Q

Civil law

A

Defines private relationships as well as financial matters or damages to property committed by businesses or other individuals to a person

82
Q

Burden of proof

A

The obligation associated with providing evidence sufficient to support the assertion or claim made by the individual bringing suit in a court of law

83
Q

Exculpatory evidence

A

Material evidence that could assist the accused in proving that he or she was innocent of the offense charge

84
Q

Exoneration

A

The official absolution of a false criminal convention and released from incarceration

85
Q

Reprieve

A

The temporary 30 day stay of execution the governor may grant

86
Q

Pardon

A

Grants forgiveness by the state for a conviction and requires that the convicted receive no punishment; does not erase the criminal record.

87
Q

Commute

A

The reduction of punishment for an individual convicted of a crime.

88
Q

Intake

A

The procedures involved with the arrest and detention of an individual before a bail hearing.

Government - Harold Comello (2 decks)

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