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69 Cards in this Set

  • Front
  • Back
No Child Left Behind Act
· Education is a state, not federal government, but president and congress influence by lawas that direct state to govern in some way or money in exchange for performing action.
· 2002 President Bush signed, No Child Left Behind.
· Requirements that administer an achievement test to every child in grades 3-8
· Sanctions on schools whos students failed to live up to a set of national standards
· Texas students performed so poorly, panic in Texas State of Education
· Board dumbed down number of question needed to pass to get money
“The NAFTA highway”
· With the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement, increased commerce between Mexico and Texas Cities
· Interstate 35 link is called the “nafta highway”
· Importance of Mexico in politics
Pseudo laissez-fair
· Buisness of texas, don’t want government to tax or regulate them
· But if encounter problem will accept government help
· Houston example
o Ship channel maintained by gov, oil industry sold cheap government pipelines, money to NASA
· Only when govermnet tries to help ordinary people that business community upholds laissez faire
“necessary and proper” clause
· Also known as elastic clause, enables congress to execute all is other power by giving it broad authority to pass needed legislation
· Powers for federal and state govermnet , example, setting taxes for gas
Annual legislative sessions
-legislature may meet in regular session only every two years, revision of texas’s new constitutions in 1875
-become more of a problem because are short and need long range public policy
“amend in” verses “amend out”
· In: to initiate during regular or special session of legislature, 2/3 majority of each house must vote , governor cannot veto, and legislature specified date. Three months before election, amendment must be published once a week for four weeks in a newpaper in each county. Placed on the ballot in general elections to ????
TRCC
· Texas Residential Construction Comission, agency designed to resolve disputes between builders and consumers who have bought the homes they have constructed.
· Perry hired commissioners who were sympathetic to construction industry
· Used own money to buy influence over government
· Private interests affect on public policy
Plutocratic government
· When policy is made for few rich interest working behind the scenes
· Line between bribery and gifts very thin
Co-optation
· The transition from guardian of public interest to defender of private interest (become so entangled into the interest that it becomes a private interest)
Texans for Lawsuit Reform
· Some people say business lobbying groups are most influential types
· One example is TLR to alter tort laws, or wrongful acts ==in civil lawsuits, offender must pay victim
· Two paths 1) forged alliances with other groups to make it hard to win frivolous lawsuits
· 2) use money to win favor of lawmakers
· Reason why republicans own both houses, donates money to politicians
· As of 2003, hard to sue anyone
Immigration reform
-both parties contain groups who favor major efforst to guard border, but also those who oppose
-results in paralysis in each party
-Texas Coalition Research Institute published a report advocating stringent new anti illegal immigrant laws, like denying citizen ship to those born in US, however also republicans who represented industries that employ undocumented Mexican immigrants.
Coalitions
-formation of interests to attract blocs of voters and campaign contributions, or take up certain positions of an interest (for example, involving tort laws and republicans
Conservative Democrats
-conservative on social issues, conflicted/inconsistent on economic issues since southerners are usually economically conservative, at the same time feel to protect little people—“populism”. Part of the Old south “populist party” ideals. Some were so conservative couldn’t be distinguished from republicans on social interests, however many have to change to get minorities to vote for them.
Poll tax
-after Blacks allowed to vote with voting rights act, impeded by poll taxes to prevent poor and minorities from voting
-voter ID bill considered to be the new form of poll tax
-24th amendment outlawed the poll tax
Negative campaigning
-use of negative attacks on candidates, especially during commercials, accused of drugs, infedelit, etcetera
-study by Center for responsive politics say 80% of aired television campaign spots were negative
-bad effect on campaigns because some elections are decided on false charches
-good people prevented from entering campaign because of fear
-campaign of 2002 very vicious (ann Richards accused of drug use)
-in texas no worse than in other states
eSlate
-electronic voting machine
-argue that may be less subject to fraud than paper voting.
-glitches however, vote tampering
-researchers at Caltech, mit conclude paper ballots less likely to be tampered with
-not a cure for tampering, ill intentions
LRB
-if legislature fails to redistrict itself, legislative redistricting Board comes into play. Composed of five state officials: Liutenant governor, speaker of the house, the comptroller of public accounts, the general land commissioner, and the attorney general. If both legislature and LRB fail in reapportionment, matter goes to federal coursts for resolution. LRB also subject to review by US department of Justice because subject to voting rights act of 1965.
“Killer Ds”
-Rick perry and tom Craddick, tried to increase repub numbers by redistricting, democrats fended off redistricting attempt when 53 of 62 democrats left the state and set up in Oklahoma, insufficient numbers of house members present to constitue necessary quorum for leg actions, and killed the bill. Democrats known as killer D’s.
-all reapportionment and redistricting is political, yet partisian
Legislative fringe benefits
-although salary is very low, “fringe benefits” are very generous. Some have manipulated salary, and travel reimbursements that bring in about 75,000 dollars per year. Also receive allowance for operating an office. In reality make 4x the supposed salary.
Referral power
-large number of committees make it difficult to tell
-presiding officers use referral power to determine outcome of a bill—which committee it goes to depending on who favors it
-referral depends on 1) positions of financial supporters/2) effect of bill on other legislation 3) ideological commitment to bill 4) past record of support or nonsupport of bills backers 5) bargaining bill backers are willing to engage in
Item veto
-the governors constitutional power to strike out individual items in an appropriations bill
The more civil house?
-senate and houses are different, house frozen in state’s individualistic/traditionalistic culture, senate provides glimpses of moralistic thinking
-Most of the time, senate continues to operate as a chamber characterized by civility and lack of hard edgned partisian ship. Only when really partisan issues are at stake does senat minority gain way by preventing consideration of bill.
-skirmishes between demo allies and rep allies despite which party in majority blatant partisian ship in the house.
Malfeasance
one ground for impeachment (TX), in other words, official misconduct.
Misfeasance
one ground for impeachment (TX), incompetence
Nonfeasance
one ground for impeachment (TX), failure to perform
Governor’s salary:
-The legislature provided generous increments for many years, raising the governor’s salary from 12, 000 to 150,000, ranking 11th among all governors. Also receives fringe benefits, official mansion, car, travel expenses, aircraft, bodyguards. Compare favorably with other governors. Lieutenant governor paid as legislator, but receives salary supplementation for acting as a governor whenever governor leaves the state.
-still not nearly paid as much as football coaches at big universities.
Texas Film Comission:
Part of the governor’s office, which encourages movie making in the state by providing support for such activities as finding locations and accommodating production needs
Interim appointments
Texas’s short biennial legislative session, permits the governor to make many interim appointments when the legislature is not in session. Gives appointees a “free ride” fro as long as nineteen months. Must be presented to senate within first ten days of the next session, whether regular or special.
Southern Heritage
Definition:
to the north) is more violent, religious, and conservative on social issues
Importance:
This helps understanding the roots and thought process in Texas society today. Southerners are more politically conservative
Western Heritage
Definition:
one of two cultural factors of Texas, which implies the west (in comparison to the north) is a frontier state with a myth of cowboy romance and the need to spend money on irrigation due to the lack of rain.
Importance:
This helps understanding the roots and thought process in Texas society today.
Westerners are conservatives but hypocrites because they rely on socialist projects
Historical Context of Constitution
Definition:
designed in 1876 with 98,000 words and 467 amendments. It is long with explicit directions, many amendments and divided power
Importance:
Texas adapted from the founding father’s techniques and now has a weak constitution with little power to be given, but because it is in depth it needs amendments.
Disintegrated Executive
Definition:
a term used to describe the spread of power among those holding authority
Importance:
This was adapted from the founding father’s constitution and it one of the reasons Texas holds a weak constitution
Texas rank among state in public expenditures
Definition:
Texas ranked in the second half of the criteria of: how big the state’s government is and what it spends (1 being most money)
Importance:
Texas government does not spend much money to increase the quality of life, causing a lower ranking objective quality of life in comparison to other states.
Texas rank among states in objective quality of life
Definition:
exas ranked in second half of the criteria of: statistics of a good place to live (1 being a high ranking for a good criteria)
Importance:
There is a difference on liberal and conservative perspective as to why the qualities to create happiness and happiness level do not add up. Liberals argues weak government, Conservatives argue skewed statistics.
Texas rank among state in subjective quality of life
Definition:
Texas ranked 15th in the criteria of: level of happiness of citizens of that state (1 being happiest)
Importance:
There is a difference on liberal and conservative perspective as to why the qualities to create happiness and happiness level do not add up. Liberals argues weak government, Conservatives argue skewed statistics.
Tradition of one-partyism
Definition:
Texas was a one-party conservative democratic state after the civil war and reconstruction.
Importance:
Recently, Texas has realigned to become a more conservative republican state as a result of the democratic party being in favor of civil rights.
Party Organization(in Texas)
Definition:
structure in which the party tries to get out the vote and coordinate information
Importance:
This is weak in Texas because candidates are nominated in primaries and candidates are not required to follow or endorse the state party platform
Tom Pauken
Definition:
chair of state republican party organization
Importance:
When Bush ran for governor, reporters would ask him about his stance on certain issues(abortion) based on the republican platform but Bush didn't read the platform. There was a conflict between Bush and Tom because Tom wanted Bush to be more conservative. This shows that the candidates are separate from the party and the parties platform.
Texas Turnout
Definition:
Very low in Texas but has been increasing.
Importance:
?
Minority Voter Turnout
Definition:
In general, Texas has had a much lower turnout than anyone else.
Importance:
Statistically, minorities are democratic(liberal) and minorities don't go to the poll that much which is why republicans tend to win more often than democrats. This is a main reason why Texas is considered an Republican state.
140 Days
Definition:
The Texas constitution states that the legislature can serve for 140 days every other year.
Importance:
This is very short considering how big Texas is. The legislature does not have enough time to govern properly.
$7200
Definition:
The Texas constitution also states that the salary is only $7200 per person.
Importance:
Because the people of the legislature get paid so little, they have to get a second job and because of this, they can't give all of their attention to governing.
Power of Presiding Officers
Definition:
There are two presiding officers:
Senate - lieutenant governor
House - speaker of the house
Importance:
These two officers appoints the chair person/half the members of each committee. They don't follow party lines(strict). Party is much less important in the Texas legislature. Presiding officers are better at passing legislative than congress.
David Dewhurst and Tom Craddick
Definition:
In 2005, Lt. Gov David Dewhurst and speaker Tom Craddick argued over school finance reform. They both disagreed on w hat should be done. Went through entire 2005 year without passing anything. Finally, in 2006 Perry called a special meeting and they finally agreed though it was a very bad bill
Importance:
?
"Bo" Pilgrim
Definition:
a wealthy businessman and there was a worksman compensation law was being debated and "Bo" would sit in the front and give $10,000 to every speaker that he liked regarding the bill.
Importance:
A rule later passed that made it so people couldn't be on the floor. This shows how importance money is in the Texas legislature. You can make a lot of money lobbying but not as a legislature.
Responsible Policy Making
Definition:
?
Importance:
?
Sources of state income
Definition:
The legislature makes a 2 year budget(a balanced budget). In June, after passing the budget, it goes to the compcontroller, either he approves or he denies it and the state has no budget.
Importance:
The legislature has an "outside" force that can say no to policy making.
Oil and gas severance tax
Definition:
Texas get most of their state income from oil and natural gas taxes.
Importance:
The tax rate has lowered a lot so the state has to increase other taxes in Texas(sales tax for example).
Patterns of State expenditure
Definition:
state expenditures are mostly on education, a third on health and human services, etc...
Importance:
The legislature will have $27 billion less in the next two years, so they need to cut that much out of something. there have been protests in front of the capital because education will most likely be cut dramatically.
Functions of state chief executives
Definition:
Texas has many state executives that are independently elected:
1. chief administrator
2. chief legislator
3. party leader --> whatever party
4. "commander in chief" --> no real army though
Importance:
?
Power of Governor
Definition:
In the first 3 powers, he is very weak, and the 4th one is irrelevant.
Importance:
?
Power over administration
Definition:
Governor's power over administration is very weak.
Importance:
?
Governor Ann Richards
Definition:
first female governor elected in 1990. A tough, savvy politician. She confronted a problem that she didn't have enough appointment power. She set her staff to do research and found that one guy was indeed corrupt and he resigned and she was able to appoint a new person she liked.
Importance:
If you're a good politician, you can have more power than you think you originally had.
Chief Legislature
Definition:
has a very strong veto power(individual statements), Texas governor has a very strong legislature, but it's negative power.
Importance:
Has very little power compared to other states though
George W. Bush
Definition:
elected in 1994 based on 4 plans:
1. welfare reform
2. education reform
3. tort reform
4. changed in the juvenile justice system
Importance:
he got all 4 issues he wanted. He was successful because he was a good politician. in 1994, first time republicans has majority over everything. a good politician can get more power out of being a governor than just having normal powers and knowing the law.
Governor Rick Perry
Definition:
became governor after Bush left to run for president. Perry was very distant at first. After the session was over, he vetoed 82 bills and everyone was shocked. In 2005, he couldn't persuade the speaker and the lieutenant governor to agree on education.
Importance:
Texas governor is normally weak, but a good politician can get more power than they think.
Texas Office of Homeland Security
Definition:
an organization created by the Texas legislature in 2003 to prevent terrorists attacks/natural disasters
Importance:
?
Comptroller
Definition:
a person who has to project for the next two years the budget for the legislature. elected to discipline legislature.
Importance:
in 2003, the comptroller didn't verify the budget(cut $150 million or he wouldn't approve it). so Perry vetoed $250 million to go to the comptroller. Comptroller's say no a lot.
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Definition:
deals with the criminal track(deals with people put in prison).
Importance:
no importance
Texas Supreme Court
Definition:
deals with the civil law suits(civil track where people sue each other and can only lose money)
Importance:
no importance
Letter Opinion 97-001
Definition:
dealt with affirmative action here at UT Austin. Law school was discriminating against whites/asians. The bar to get in was set much higher for whites/asians than blacks/hispanics. A white woman sued and won(accepted). 5th circuit court told UT to stop their affirmative action program. UH asked attorney General how it applied to other universities and he said there is not to be affirmative action programs in any universities through his advising opinion.
Importance:
for 6 years, the attorney general set the rule for affirmative action(shows how powerful the attorney general can be)
Is justice for sale?
Definition:
every judge in Texas is elected and so there is not a problem with judges having too much power, but because of this judges are corrupted by money because when they campaign, people give them money to persuade their ideas.
Importance:
People have often wondered which is worse: judges corrupted by money or having them have too much power.
Robin Hood Law
Definition:
a law that took money from the wealthy schools and gave it to the poorer schools.
Importance:
In 2005, the supreme court ruled that the robin hood law created a De Facto property tax and was considered unconstitutional.Rick Perry passed a new law in 2006 that cut taxes and reconstructed the franchise tax. It turned out that the franchise tax didn't get enough money that was lost from the property tax which is why we are in a huge deficit right now.
Tort Reform
Definition:
A tort is a civil law suit. In the 1980's, Texas was considered pro-lawsuit(very easy to sue). Lawyers loved it but business people/doctors hated it. Doctors complained the most because they were being sued so much that their malpractice premiums were so high so they form a coalition in 1980 to reform the tort law and gave money to republicans. After 1984, republicans took over and took over even more in 2003 and radically changed Texas' Tort laws(tort reform). Texas is now the hardest state to sue someone.
Importance:
The legislature has imposed their own will onto the courts.
Cameron Todd Willingham
Definition:
991 house caught on fire his 3 daughters were killed he was arrested and charged for murder
. Evidence: neighbor said he was acting oddly while fire occurred because he moved the car out of the driveway, and testimony from fire chief and start fire marshal that the pattern of the spread of the blaze in house pointed to arson
-He was convicted of 1st degree murder and executed in February 2004
. In 2005 legislator created forensic science commission to investigate how courts prosecute people
-2007 innocence projects presented a report that Willingham was wrongly convicted! Man from international relations of fire science issued a report that the people who reported the evidence were wrong, final report issued two weeks ago admitting flawed evidence was Important in the conviction of Willingham
Importance:
implementation of capital punishment in Tx is so bad there is reason to believe state has executed innocent people and will continue to do so
Cameron Todd Willingham
Definition:
991 house caught on fire his 3 daughters were killed he was arrested and charged for murder
. Evidence: neighbor said he was acting oddly while fire occurred because he moved the car out of the driveway, and testimony from fire chief and start fire marshal that the pattern of the spread of the blaze in house pointed to arson
-He was convicted of 1st degree murder and executed in February 2004
. In 2005 legislator created forensic science commission to investigate how courts prosecute people
-2007 innocence projects presented a report that Willingham was wrongly convicted! Man from international relations of fire science issued a report that the people who reported the evidence were wrong, final report issued two weeks ago admitting flawed evidence was Important in the conviction of Willingham
Importance:
implementation of capital punishment in Tx is so bad there is reason to believe state has executed innocent people and will continue to do so
Tulia
Definition:
Tulia is a small town near Lubbock and Amarillo. A panhandle narcotic task force hired an undercover agent named Coleman. He arrested 44 people(44 blacks and 2 hispanics), Coleman's testimony was the only conviction against these people. Soon afterwards, journalists began to investigate the story and Coleman's past. In 1993, the courts re-investigated the case and by 2003, all Tulia's residents who were convicted were set free and pardoned by Rick Perry.
Importance:
State system of justice worked, but the district did not give any civil rights to the convicted citizens
LCRA (Lower Colorado River Authority)
Definition:
established in 1994 and covers half of the Colorado River and makes sure there is always plenty of drinking water(govern the river). Some of the river is used by rice farmers. The LCRA provided them with 370,000 acre feet of water to them to grow rice at $5.79/acre while businesses are charged $130/acre. If the LCRA charge farmers what they charge businesses, they would go out of business.
Importance:
It's a political decision by the LCRA to charge the farmers less to keep them in business.
Whooping Cranes
Definition:
a large bird about 5 feet tall
Importance:
In 1937, there was only 15 left in Texas and 6 in Louisiana and the government formed a preservation to protect them.
In 1967, they were officially named endangered. Today, there are now 260 whooping cranes. When a utility company wants to extract water from a river, they need permission from the Texas commission of environmental quality . In 2009, 28 cranes died and people argued there wasn't enough fresh water flowing into the bay(cranes eat blue crabs and they need fresh water). In 2009, an organization sued the TCEQ. This is an example of an argument between the environment and development.
Texas Water Plan
Definition:
In the 1960's a coalition formed to get more water for Texas so they decided to build a huge water pipe from Louisiana to the North-West and to the Fort-Worth area.
Importance:
Louisiana refused to agree to such a plan. In 1969, the project was voted down. This type of inter basin transfer is what dry areas will be pushing for in the future
TWDB (Texas Water Development Board)
Definition:
an organization that ensures water is available in Texas and also predicts how much water is left in certain areas of Texas and also develops water plans every 5 years.
Importance:
Planning is a very "wishful" word, it doesn't solve political problems/issues. The last plan was in 2007, and the plan was to build a lot of dams, but the people who lived in areas where a dam was planned to be built. resisted because they didn't want their homes to be flooded. This problem will be a growing problem in the future.