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26 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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The Texas Constitution is similar to other state constitutions in key respects, only it is longer and much more detailed. T/F
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TRUE
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The Texas Constitution had approximately ___ words in __ before any amendments.
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23,500, 1876
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Define/discuss political socialization. Discuss 7 influences.
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-Your views were molded by “political socialization” -- the process by which political beliefs are molded over a lifetime. Influences are parents, media, educational system, politicians and other leaders, interest groups, religious groups, peers and co-workers, and personal experiences.
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Define/discuss: any three influences upon the Texas political culture.
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immigrants- Hundreds of thousands of military personnel have moved in and out of Texas over the past half century. Millions of Mexicans, Central Americans, and South Americans have moved to Texas in the Twentieth Century, and the pattern continues in the Twenty first Century.
-natural resources- With the discovery of petroleum and natural gas trapped deep beneath the surface of Texas, a number of powerful interests arose demanding influence in government. -high technology -Texas is regarded as one of several “high tech” areas of the US. High tech companies and their employees impact on both State and local government in Texas. The latest wave of economic growth in Texas has been in “technology” related industries -- computers, telecommunications, software, and so forth |
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Outline/discuss the impact of the Federal Constitution on Texas.
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-Voting Rights- doesn’t matter what race, or gender. Min of 18 yrs old. Abolished poll tax where voters were charged a fee in order to vote.
Equal Rights- no discrimination in colleges based on race, sex, or sexual preference. Bank lending not biased. Sports funding roughly equal for boys/girls. Everyone entitled to the same state and local government services. Everyone treated as equally as possible. -Due Process- entitled to an attorney if you cannot afford one. If you wish to protest a grade, you are allowed to sue. -Capital Punishment- cruel and unusual to sentence anyone under the age of 18 to death or anyone who is mentally retarded. -Free Speech and Expression- permit demonstrations on campus or elsewhere and protection of professor’s lectures. -Establishment Clause- children are free to pray, create voluntary prayer groups. Prohibition of the states- states cannot enter into treaties, alliances, or confederations |
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Outline/discuss: any three factors impacting upon the writing of the Texas
State Constitution. |
-Water boards, road construction, operation of railroads. (also Water bond sales, parks administration, municipal retirement systems, interest rates on bonds, elections for sheriff, the sale of school lands, creation of hospital districts, seawalls, dueling.)
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5. Outline/discuss: any three examples of the impact of Reconstruction on the
contents of the Texas State Constitution of 1876. |
-the republican party was discredited for a long time bc of its association with the reconstruction.
-government would be as small and weak as possible. -the reconstruction created a bitterness towards African Americans which would delay the attainment of equal rights for another full century. |
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6. Outline/discuss: any three criticisms of the Texas State Constitution.
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-Overy long, extremely detailed, confusing in organization, and poorly written.
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17. Outline/discuss: any four reasons for the rapidly increasing Texas prison population
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• Because narcotics are illegal and such
• Up to 42% have had no contact with their father • Many of them are illiterate • immigrants |
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7. Define/discuss: four types of interest groups.
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-Economic activities, professions, racial ethnic sex/sexual preference, single issues
(Divided into two broad categories- private concerns or public concerns.) |
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Outline/discuss: any ten legal tactics used by interest groups to influence state and local government.
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-Campaign donations, endorse, lobbyists, public relations campaigns (slogans and rhetoric), face to face meetings with elected officials, phone calls/letters/emails, file lawsuits, testify, public demonstrations and protest, write bills, appointments
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9. Outline/discuss: any six influences upon legislators' voting patterns.
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-1. Elected officials ideology 2. Other legislatures. 3. Political leaders 4. Media 5. Lobbyists 6. Co-workers and peers
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0. Outline/discuss: the steps or stages to law making which occur before a bill is introduced into a state legislature
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1. bill is introduced. 2. Bill sent to committee, they could ignore it. Public hearing. Votes, they may amend (change the bill) vote against it. Committee of the whole… debate vote. Conference committee lasts 5 years. Next step it goes to governor.. it can be approved or denied.
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11. Outline/discuss: any two reasons the Texas governor is considered one of the
weakest offices in the US. |
-The short legislative session - along with the limited powers given to the Governor - exemplifies the attempt of the Constitution's authors to restrict the ability of the government to govern too much.
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12. Outline/discuss: any two reasons the Texas Lt. Governor is considered more
powerful an office than the Governor. |
-The Lt. Governor is constitutionally assigned the office of the President of the Senate.
-The Lt. Governor has a lot more authority than a legislator and plays an important role in the Senate. |
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13. Outline/discuss: the reason the Texas governor does not have a “Cabinet.”
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-it keeps his/her power limited by not allowing direct input into agency spending decisions on an ongoing basis.
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14. Outline/discuss: the four major expenditure areas of Texas State Government.
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-war, overexpansion and overuse of energy, petroleum addiction, money paid to enemies to allow convoys through.
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15. Outline/discuss any four proposed reforms of Texas K-12 Education.
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1. longer school day/year 2. 18 yr old drivers license. 3. Privatize athletic competition 4. Sex education- us has highest teenage pregnancy rate in the world. 5. Shorter vacations 6. Ideal size high school 600 people 7. Fees for parents to pay. 8. Much more diversity. 9. Greater parental involvement.
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16. Explain, using at least two major factors, why Community College tuition and fees are lower than Senior Universities.
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-community colleges have the property tax. And the instructors are paid far less.
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(18. Outline/discuss: the role of the State Legislature, the State Board of Education, The Texas Education, and the local ISDs in regard to K-12 education in Texas.
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?
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19. Outline/discuss: why Texas per capital spending for public assistance programs are lowest in the US.
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-because the federal system pays for most of the public assistance programs, rather than the state
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(20. Outline/discuss: any two reasons underlying soaring prison costs in Texas.
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1. Texas has a rate 31% higher than than the national average of incarcerated adults per 100,000.
2.The crime rate in Texas is about 18% higher than the national average rate. -more prisoners -poor economy |
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Outline/discuss: why Texas per capita spending for highways has been declining for a number of years and more and more toll roads are being built.
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-because the water hasn’t been freezing on the roads as much, therefore we don’t have to rebuild the roads as often. More toll roads to collect more revenue for the state.
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23. Outline/discuss: the three major steps or stages to the annual Texas property tax. Which governments in Texas assess a property tax?
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• Appraisal
o Land o Improvement o Location • Exemptions from taxation • Ad valorem – a tax based specifically on the calue of real estate or personal property o Set annually by legislature of each taxing jurisdiction |
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24. Outline/discuss the two major sources of revenue for Texas State government.
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How are these revenue sources different from most other states?
-the two major sources are federal money and sales tax, which makes up 60% of texas' revenue. and they also get revenue from alcohol and tabacco taxes, state lottery, cash flow from from interest, and fees from state parks. these make up 40% of texas' revenues. It is different from most states because usually states get most of their revenue from their own state rather than from federal money and sales tax. |
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25. Why are cities in Texas in relatively better financial shape than Counties or ISDs?
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-because they get financial help from property taxes, sales taxes, water sewage tax, and traffic tickets. Counties do not get sales tax or water sewage tax. ISDs only get property tax.
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