Government

Fear, Experience, Familiarity, Differences

House and Senate

• Originate/initiatives all revenue bills
• Power to bring impeachment charges
• Passes articles of impeachment

• Power to offer “advise and consent” over appointments
• Approves treaties with 2/3 vote
• Tries impeached officials

• Lawmaking
• Service to Constituents
• Representative styles
• Oversight of the bureaucracy
• Public Education
• Conflict Resolution

• Delegate Theory
• Trustee Theory
• Politico

• Limited racial redistricting
• Race could not be the predominant factor in creating electoral districts
• Under 1965 Voting Rights Act to give – minority districts

• Texas created 3 additional congressional districts
• 18th Sheila Jackson – Lee; 29 Gene Gree; and 30 – Eddie Bernice Johnson
• Supreme Court ruled that it violated the 14th equal protection clause strict scrutiny approach and 1965 voting rights act.

Congressional committees

• Standing Committees
• Joint Committees
• Conference Committees
• Select (or special) Committees

Committee to which proposed bills are referred

Includes members from both houses or Congress, conducts investigations or special studies

Joint committee created to iron out differences between Senate and House versions of a specific piece of legislation

Temporary committee appointed for specific purpose, such as conducting a special investigation or study

• Speaker of the House
• Majority Leader
• Minority Leader
• Whips

Technically nonpartisan but has been the leader of the majority in the House

• Elected by a caucus of party members to foster cohesion among party members & to
• act as a spokesperson for the party

The candidate nominated for speaker by a caucus of the minority party – official spokesperson for minority party

Act as liaisons between the leaders and the rank and file

• President Pro
• Majority Leader
• Minority Leader

A bill becomes a law by first being passed through both houses of Congress through a majority vote. The bill is then sen to to the President for approval. He sign, It become a law

• 1. Resolution
• 2. The committee vote
• 3. The house vote
• 4. The hearing
• 5. The report
• 6. The house vote
• 7. The trial in the senate
• 8. The senate vote

• Establish size of the court
• Its appellate jurisdiction
• Structure of federal courts system
• Senate accepts/ rejects presidential nominees to fed ct as well as executive branch appoint

• 150 House
• Texas resident 2 years
• 2 years term
• 21 years old

• 31 Senators
• Texas resident 5 years
• 4 years term
• 26 years old

Elected in november of even numbered years

He simple need at least 6 votes from the 150 HOuse member, to remain as speakers

Can only meet for 140 days in odd numbered year

• Quality of legislation is reduced
• Bill that do make it are more of consequence then merit
• Increases power of the legislative leaders and lobbyists over member
• State becomes reactive instead of proactive

• 2000: 20 million
• 2009: 24.7 million

Census information race/ethnicity in Texas

• Hispanics: 36.5%
• Anglo: 47.4%

• Applied the 1 person 1 vote in texas
• Specifically declaring unenforceable Texas’s Constitutional provision limiting 1 senator to a county and the # ofrepresentatives from county regardless of equality

North Carolina was not in violation of 14th equal protection clause by using party affiliation/identification as a predominant

• Special: addresses a specific individual, class or cop.
• General:applies to all people/property in all parts of Texas
• Local:create/ affects a single unit of local government [city/county/special district]
• Bracket:specifies a geographical area as part of a local bill

• House investigates and a majority vote on articles (s) of impeachment move to theSenate for trial: There is not set criteria: engaging in serious misconduct
• Senators take an oath as a jury which is presided by the Chief Justice of The SupremeCourts of Texaso Convicted by: 2/3 senators present
• If convicted – removal
• Can be tried in court if charges violate criminal law[James Ferguson 1917]
• Can be sued for slander during legislative debates
• May not

• If there is no majority of electors forPresident the top 3 candidates are sent to the House and each state gets onevote and you need a majority of the states to win Presidency
• If no president is reached by March then theVice-President becomes President until a decision is made by the House
• If there is no majority of electors for theVice-President then the Senate determines through majority vote who isVice-President

• Senators and House members take the oath of office on Tuesday, January 3rd at noon
• If there is no president by January 20ththen the House determines who is president

limited to 2 terms [total 10 years]

• President succession Act (1947)
• 1)Speakers 2) President Pro-Tempore 3) Sec. 0f State 4) Treasury 5) Defense 6) order cabinet heads in order of creation
• Salary: Article II Section 1:6
• President $400,000
• Vice President: $200,000
• Presidential Tax returns

• Electors 435 + 100 + 3 [D.C – 23rd Amendment] = 538
• Majority to win: 270

• Impoundment of Funds: budget and Impoundment & Control Act 1974 prohibits the president from indefinitely withholding funds appropriated by Congress
• With approval by House & Senate with in 45 days of continuous session or the funds had to be available again for obligation

• House-simple majority vote to authorize and investigation
• House Judiciary Committee conduct inquiry & submit finding of full house
• House-simple majority indicts
• Senate hod trial - Chief Justice of Supreme Coust presides - Senate takes oath
• Senate – 2/3 remove [67 senators]

• Formal
• Personal/ Informal characteristics
• Elections and term of Office
• Compensation
• Staff

• Citizen
• 5 year resident
• 30 years old

Politically conservative, involved in civic affairs, and wealthy

• general elections in November [non-presidential years to avoid contamination]
• Inaugurated on the 3rd Tuesday. in January
• Serves 4 years with no term limit since 1974
• Minimizing the effects of national political campaigns
• Greater independence from the special interests groups
• More time to learn the details of the office and develop policy plans

• Currently paid $115, 000
• Set to reside in the governor's mansion
• Expense acct for maintenance of staff & professional staff
• Airplane & limousine

• Plural Executive
• Appointive Power
• Limitation on Appointive power
• Military Power
• Budgeting
• Clemency

• Texas National Guard: army & air force financed by U.S.
• Texas State Guard: volunteer group established during WWII and serves as a backup
• Law enforcement: decentralized at both state and local levels

• Limited
• Public Safety Commission: 3 member board is appointed by governor who oversee the Dept of Public Safety and Texas Rangers
• Sheriff-county/unincorporated areas
• Municipal - city

• restricted to one 30 day reprieve for an individual sentenced to death
• Unlimited power to pardon [release from prison] except in treason/impeachment
• With the advice and consent of senate he can grant pardon for treason.

• Lieutenant Governor
• Attorney general
• Comptroller of public accounts
• Commissioner of general land office
• Commissioner of agriculture
• Secretary of State
• Boards and Commissions

Acts as governor temporarily when the governor is out of the state, impeached, resigns, or dies in office

• Represents the state in lawsuits
• Gives advisory opinion to state and local agencies, legislature and governor’s office
• Collects unpaid child support

• Certifies that revenue is available to cover all proposed expenditures before House and Senate can pass with a simple majority
• If he/she does not certify that revenue is expected to cover proposed
• expenditures, a 4/5 majority vote in both houses is needed

• Awards oil, gas and sulfur exploration leases on state land
• Serves as chairman of the Veterans land board which lend $ to vets for land & home purchases
• Oversees the permanent school fund and university fund[PUF]
• 20.6 million acres of land-60% dedicated to education

• Heads the Texas Dept. of Agriculture and enforces agricultural laws
• Inspects commercial scales, pumps and meters for accuracy

• Administers state elections
• Tabulates election results of state and district offices

Texas Railroad Commission:

Created to regulate the railroads, decrease corruption and protect the states large agrarian population form crooked railroad practices

• Texas Railroad Commission
• State Board of Education
• Public Utility Commission

Created to regulate the railroads, decrease corruption and protect the states large agrarian population form crooked railroad practices

• Approving state-curriculum and textbooks, determining passing scores for state educational testing, and managing the Permanent School Fund.
• Composed of 15 board members elected from single member districts
• The commissioner administers the TEA

• Charged with regulating phone and energy companies
• Appointed regulatory commission
• Composed of 3 member board, each appointed by the governor with Senate approval for six-year overlapping terms
• Protect consumers from unfair rates and practices, set rates that phone and energy companies could charge

Texas elects nine statewide officials more than most states. These include governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller of public accounts, land commissioner, agriculture commissioner, and three railroad commissioner, as well as fifteen education board members elected from districts. There are frequent clashes between governors and other executive officials