The roles of interest groups:

Where do most Americans fall in an ideological spectrum b/w conservative and liberal?

Somewhere in the middle

Common goal of interest groups:

Influence policy to influence government

Why interest groups are formed:

To address a disturbance in the political, social, or economic environment that threatens the members of a group

What's a PAC?

Political Action Committee: The fund-raising arm of an interest group

The move of southern conservative Democrats to the Republican Party, why and what effect has this had on parties?

- Democratic Party has become MORE liberal

- Republican Party has become MORE conservative

The different types of interest groups (4):

1.      Public

2.      Economic

3.      Government

4.      Equal Opportunity

What are the two major roles of political parties?

1.      Governing- controlling/setting agenda for government

2.      Electioneering- process of nominating candidates/getting them elected

Which one is the largest group, what

problems do others face?

-Economic interest group is the largest group

-FRP-most commonly faced by public interest groups

Retrospective voting

basing voting decisions on reactions to past performance; approving the status quo or signaling a desire for change

What is it and why does the ‘revolving door’ between representatives and lobbyists exist?

-        the tendency of public officials, journalists, and lobbyists to move between public and private sector (media, lobbying) jobs

-        Representatives make the best lobbyists

Valence issue

issues on which most voters and candidates share the same position (ex. : education)

What is the difference between indirect

and direct lobbying?

-Indirect lobbying: attempts to influence government policymakers by encouraging the general public to put pressure on them
direct lobbying

-direct lobbying: direct interaction with public officials for the purpose of influencing policy decisions

Cooperative federalism

national and state governments share responsibilities for most domestic policy areas

“Marble cake” model of federalism

 What is Astroturf lobbying?

-Indirect lobbying efforts that manipulate or create public sentiment, “Astroturf” being artificial grassroots; indicates that it’s not really genuine

Categorical grants

   federal funds provided for a specific purpose, restricted by detailed instructions, regulations and compliance standards.

Block grants

federal funds provided for a broad purpose, unrestricted by detailed requirements and regulations.

Unfunded mandates

a federal order mandating that states operate and pay for a program created at the national level.  

The spoils-system (patronage) vs. merit-based system reforms:

Spoils-system- where a party candidate comes out and rewards their voters with jobs and favors

Professional legislature versus a citizen (part-time) legislature

The Texas legislature is citizen/part time (meets once or twice a year), they have other jobs. Professional legislatures meet every week/day/year.

What is partisanship?

a strong supporter of a single party

What is super legislation?

interest groups that get state constitutions amended

What is bipartisanship?

of or involving the agreement or cooperation of two political parties that usually oppose each other’s policies

Do local governments have constitutional rights? Who creates them and directs them?

- Local governments enjoy no special status. They are created by the State governments to serve them and they can be changed, destroyed, expanded by State governments.

Why people identify with a political party

and how that effects their voting:

Because of their parents and they vote according to their party. 

What is a plural executive? Does Texas have one?

Power is shared, YES

What problem created by the US constitution have parties helped overcome?

Fragmented government (they act as glue)

How many years was Texas independent and what was it called?

-9 years, Republic of Texas

The difference between American parties and parties in other countries (ideological, disciple, structure, etc.)

-    American parties have recently increased their party discipline and ideological stance
-    American party organizations are less organized and more decentralized than other countries

Is the Texas legislature professional or citizen?  What are the two houses of the bicameral legislature called? How many members do they have?

Citizen, 150-HOUSE, 31-SENATE

What is a two-party system? Why do third parties not do so well in US elections?

-    Where two major political parties dominated voting in nearly all elections, at every level (we have a 2 party system)
-    3rd parties don’t do well because the 2 parties in control write the election laws

How long and how often does the legislature meet for?