Temporary Party Organization

Exists for a short time and has several levels of conventions

Permanent Party Organization

The part of the party that works all year round at party building

2 Factions of the Republican Party

Pragmatists and Ideologues

Institutional Support Activities

Includes fund raising, mobilization programs, public opinion polls, issue leadership and a printed newsletter

Candidate Centered Activities

Candidate contributions, candidate recruitig, convention delegate selection, and pre-primary endorsements

Party in the electorate

A group of people who identify with a party and consider themseleves members.

Straight ticket voting

Voting the whole ballot for all candidates of one party

De-alignment

Party ties are weakening

Party in Government

The party mechanism for co-operation between government branches

5 types of interest groups

Business groups and trade associations, professional associations, union groups, ethnic and racial groups, and public interest groups

2 ways to lobby the legislature

Direct lobbying (contacting the legislatures themselves) & indirect lobbying ( also known as gras roots lobbying)

Texas Ethics Commission

The body who oversees the lobbyists in Texas

Grass roots lobbying

Lobbying by activating members to contact their legislators and launching an advertising campaign

Political Action Committees

Groups formed to solicit and use funds to elect or defeat candidates.

Terrill Election Law

Passed to require both state party primaries and state convention choose party nominees

Special Elections

Elections held at any time other than regular/general elections

General Elections

The elections in which the winer of the election takes the seat they are running for

local elections

all but the Mayoral race are non-partisan elections

3 M's of campaigning

Money, media, and marketing

Texas Campaign Finance Legislation

Has been reactive (happening after a problem arises) rather than proactive (happening before a problem)

Benchmark poll

First poll taken to gauge the public and helps design the theme and advertising the candidate's image

2 decisions for voters in an election

Do I vote? If so, for whom?

Revenue bills start

Only in the House of Representatives Chamber

Impeachment Starts

Only in the Senate Chamber

TX constitution Article 3

Covers the legislative branch of the TX government

Amendment for military absense of a legislator

Allows for the legislator to appoint a qualified temporary replacement in their absence

Pay level of TX legislators

Is much lower than the average in other states

Who can call a special session

Only the governor

Redistricting

Changing the district lines to equalize the population in each district

Gerrymandering

Drawing district lines to either add or take away power of a particular group

New Mexico in 2003

Where the democrats fled to avoid having to vote

Liberally centered

Democratic party in TX

Conservatively centered

Republican party in TX

Lieutaenant Governor

Also is the senate president in the legislature

Commmittees

Subunits of the legislature appointed to work on designated subjects

Legislative Party caucus

A legislative organization whose members are all of the same party

Speaker's Lieutenants

Legislators who assist the Speaker of the House in leading the House of Representatives Chamber

House Study Group-House Research Organization

Stated out by democrats in the legislature as the House Study Group and changed to be available to all Legislators and changed the name to the House Research Organization

Bill

A proposed law introduced into the legislature

Reading of a bill

In both chambers, a bill must be read 3 times before a final passage vote can be taken

Filibuster

The term for a legislator talking for an extended amount of time to avoid a vote on a particular bill

Enrolled

The term for a bill that has been passed in the legislature and is awaiting action by the governor

Deficit spending

Spending more than is available in the budget to spend

Budget execution authority

The power of TX leadership to move money from one program or agency to another

Conference committee

The joint committee made up of 5 senators appointed by the Senate President and 5 House members appointed by the speaker of the house to compromise on a bill before going to a final vote.

Joint resolution

Term for a proposal to ratify or amend the constitution

Delegates for county level conventions

The number is chosen based on the number of votes for the party's most recent candidate for governor

Permanent party independent or dependent

They interact with one another but are each independent units of the party

Chair and vice chair state convention opposite sex only

1 must be male and the other must be female

Choice in public hearings or private meetings

can only happen in the House, the Senate must have public hearings on ALL bills

3 components of State Political Parties

Party Organization, party in the electorate, and party in government.