Unit 3 Test GOVT Flashcards
Chapters 7, 8, 12
WHEN IS A REGULAR SESSION?
-2nd Tuesday in January of odd-numbered years
-Lasts 140 days
-Ends on May 31st
WHAT IS A SPECIAL SESSION?
-Governor can call as many as they want
-Lasts up to 30 days
-Governor picks the agenda
WHAT ARE THE QUALIFICATIONS TO BE A MEMBER OF THE HOUSE?
-US Citizen
-Qualified voter
-21 yrs old
-Live in TX for 2 yrs
-Live in District for 1 yr
-THE HOUSE: LED BY? HOW MANY MEMBERS AND HOW LONG IS THE TERM FOR HOUSE MEMBERS?
-Led by Speaker of the House
-150 members
-2 yr terms
WHAT ARE THE QUALIFICATIONS TO BE A MEMBER OF THE SENATE?
-US Citizen
-Qualified voter
-26 yrs old
-Live in TX for 5 yrs
-Live in District for 1 yr
SENATE: LED BY? HOW MANY MEMBERS AND HOW LONG IS THE TERM FOR SENATE MEMBERS?
-Led by Lt. Governor
-31 members
-4 yr terms
WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE LEGISLATURE?
-White, Straight, Male Republicans
-50-60 yrs old
-Have a degree/law degree
-Able to raise funds or get donations
WHAT IS APPORTIONMENT?
Proportionate distribution of elected representatives in states/districts
REYNOLDS V SIMS
-Equal representation in voting in proportion to the population
-One person, one vote rule
WHAT IS GERRYMANDERING?
The drawing of district lines for political advantage
Lines are redrawn every 10yrs with the new census information
WHAT ARE THE FUNCTIONS OF THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE?
Current SofH?
Presides over?
How is he elected?
3 facts
-Current: Dade Phelon
-Presides over House of Representatives
-Elected by House members
- Member of the LBB
- Refers the bills to committees
- Controls who sits on what committee chair
WHAT ARE THE FUNCTIONS OF THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR?
Current Lt Gvnr?
Presides over what body?
2 branches involved with?
How is he elected?
Responsibility?
4 facts
-Dan Patrick
-Lt Governor= Senate
-Works in legislative and executive branches
-Elected statewide
-Takes over for governor if necessary
- Constitutionally the most powerful person in TX legislature
- Not a member of the senate
- Chairs the LBB
- Decides all committee assignments in the house
WHAT ARE THE FUNCTIONS OF THE LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD?
-10 Senate & House member board
-Recommend with the appropriations/budget bill for every 2 year cycle
HOW IS A BILL PASSED?
WHY DOES IT GO THROUGH COMMITTEES?
HOW MANY BILLS PASS?
-Starts in H or S> committee> committee> floor > passes to H or S> Committee> committee>floor> goes up to the governor
-Why? Committees slow down the process and catch mistakes
-Most legislature dies in the process
WHAT ARE STANDING COMMITTEES?
2 KINDS?
When a subject area needs further consideration, the H&S passes it on to a Standing Committee, which is a permanent committee created to consider a specific subject area
-Substantive (what)
-Procedural (how)
WHAT ARE SUBCOMMITTEES?
The standing committee breaks down further into subcommittees working on a specific subject area
WHAT ARE SUBSTANTIVE VS. PROCEDURAL COMMITTEE?
-Both are standing committees
-Substantive: What? What the law is.
-Procedural: Hoe? How to prove and enforce this law if committed.
WHAT IS A SPECIAL COMMITTEE?
-Temporary committee
-Appointed when a standing committee doesn’t have the authority or capability to perform a special function
WHAT IS A CONFERENCE COMMITTEE?
-Temporary
-Iron out the differences
-Must work to make one version of a bill/ a clean bill that both parties can agree to pass through
WHAT IS THE MOST COMMON PROFESSION IN THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE?
Law
WHAT GROUPS ARE UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE?
-Women
-Minorities
-LGBTQIA+
WHAT IS PIGEONHOLING?
When a committed stops action on a bill and kills it/ stops its progress
WHAT IS A FILIBUSTER?
-A prolonged debate to prolong the passage of a bill
-Can talk as long as you want as long as you remain standing
-Must talk only about the bill or you can “fail to be recognized” and cannot speak anymore
WHAT IS THE TWO-THIRDS RULE?
2/3rds of the senators must approve a bill for it to be debated
WHAT IS TAGGING?
-Delaying a bill for 2 days
-If it’s your bill- you may not have all the votes you need for it
-If it is someone else’s bill- you may not have all the votes against it
WHAT IS A CAUCUS?
Members come together unofficially to work together to pass a bill they all support
WHAT IS MEANT BY PRECLEARANCE?
a provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that states no new election laws or changes in existing laws can go into effect unless first approved by the Justice Department
REQUIREMENTS TO BECOME GOVERNOR.
-30yo
-US Citizen
-TX resident for 5 yrs
WHAT IS THE MUELLER SCALE? HOW DOES TX RANK?
-Designed to rank how powerful a governor is
-TX is weak in terms of constitutional power
WHAT IS SENATORIAL COURTESY?
If a governor puts a name in for a board and the state senator says no, the name is dropped, but the governor would make up an excuse and would not say it was the senator
WHAT ARE THE GOVERNOR’S LEGISLATIVE POWERS?
-Can call Special sessions
-Vetoing power over bills (has only happened 4 times in 60 yrs)
-The threat of a veto
DESCRIBE THE GOVERNOR’S POWERS OF APPOINTMENT AND REMOVAL.
-Appoints Secretary of state and members of 200+ boards and committees
-Appoints newly created judicial offices due to death or resignation
-Cannot remove past appointees of other governors but can remove ones that he has appointed with permission of the senate, which requires a vote and senatorial courtesy
DESCRIBE THE GOVERNOR’S VETO POWER.
-After a bill has passed both houses, it is sent to the governor
-If signed, the bill becomes law
-Governor can veto the bill by returning it with a message stating the reason for the veto
-Legislation can override that veto with a 2/3rds vote, but vetoes are usually final
WHAT IS THE LINE ITEM VETO?
HOW OFTEN IS IT OVERRIDDEN?
Governor can veto a specific line in a bill that he doesn’t agree with , but passes the rest through without killing the entire bill
Has never been overridden
WHAT IS A POST ADJOURNMENT VETO?
After the legislature adjourns, the governor has 20 days to do something with a bill and the legislature can’t do anything about it
It’s fairly common
WHY DOES TEXAS HAVE A PLURAL EXECUTIVE?
-Jacksonian democracy- one person can’t have too much power or will become a dictator
-Having more than one elected executive officer makes a weaker governor.
THE LT. GOVERNOR’S POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
-Constitutionally the most powerful person
-Takes over for the governor should anything happen
-Presides over the Senate
-Appoints the LBB
DUTIES OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
-The state’s chief lawyer
-Mostly civil cases
-Decides if bills are legal
-Provides legal advice- to counties and districts
-Provides legal clarification
DUTIES OF THE COMPTROLLER
-Chief budget officer
-Collects taxes
-Invests state money to make more money
-Has to approve the state budget
-Job is to predict how much money will be needed for the next 2yrs
WHAT WAS THE SPOILS SYSTEM?
-AKA patronage system
-Political party elected provides jobs/positions to supporters, friends, and family as an incentive to keep working with the party
-As opposed to the merit system- offices are awarded based on merit
DUTIES OF THE RAILROAD COMMISSION
*OIL AND GAS
-Regulates: Intrastate trucking & Oil and gas production
-Enforces severance taxes on raw materials
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE SUNSET ADVISORY COMMITTEE?
Evaluates state agencies and makes recommendations to the legislature on performance and improvements
WHAT ARE THE DUTIES OF THE AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONER?
-Enforce consumer protection laws
-Promote Texas agriculture products
-In charge of weights and measures (gas and meat)
WHAT ARE SIN TAXES?
-Specific taxes on products deemed harmful to society and individuals
-Alcohol, tobacco, drugs, candy, sodas, fast food, coffee, sugar, gambling and porn
WHAT IS THE MAJOR SOURCE OF TAX REVENUE FOR TEXAS?
-Sales
-Business/Franchise
-Motor vehicle
-Crude oil and natural gas production
WHAT ARE SEVERANCE TAXES?
Taxes on the production of raw materials like oil and natural gas
WHAT ARE DEDICATED FUNDS?
Have a stated purpose
WHAT IS A REGRESSIVE TAX?
Tax rates that decline as a persons income increases
WHAT IS NON-FISCAL POLICY?
Not involving government funds or financial matters
WHAT IS THE TEXAS BUDGET CYCLE?
2 yr budget decided by the LBB and approved by the comptroller
1.Agencies develop appropriations request
2.Legislature approves General Appropriations Act
3.Budget is implemented over the next two years
WHAT IS THE LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD?
-Lt Governor appoints the members
-Develops budget and policy recommendations for a full 2 year cycle
-State’s budget/appropriations bill is most important passed through legislature
WHAT ARE PROPERTY TAXES?
Texas has some of the highest property taxes in the U.S.
-Assessed, collected, and used locally
-Spent the collected funds on local government: schools, roads, hospitals, police departments, fire departments, and other programs
WHAT IS A WHISTLE BLOWER?
A person, often an employee, reveals information about activity in an organization that is wrong
