Chapters 3 4 11 Review Chapter 4 Political Parties in Texas A political party is a group of people who share a common body of principles or goals and who attempt to control government by gaining and controlling public offices A political party differs from an interest group in that it is usually larger it addresses a broader array of issues and it nominates and formally runs candidates for office The two major parties in Texas politics the Democrats and Republicans have more in common than you might think In fact the main goal of each of these organizations is the same thing Win elections You can t govern if you can t win In order to win you have to put together a coalition of voters large enough to give you at least a plurality of the vote That does not mean that you must like or even always agree with your fellow party members It simply means that your disdain for your allies must be less than your distaste for the other party The basic structure of the two major political parties in the United States and in Texas as well can best be described as coalitional This means that each party comprises a number of different subgroups that band together for the purpose of winning elections The two major political parties are organized along similar lines The Libertarian and Green parties don t hold primaries but still hold state conventions At the state convention each party selects a chair for the convention writes a platform for the state party selects the State Republican Executive Committee and the State Democratic Executive Committee respectively and selects a state chair to lead the party over the ensuing two years The party platform is a statement explaining where the parties stand on a variety of issues The State Republican Executive Committee and State Democratic Executive Committee are selected at their respective state conventions Each committee comprises 31 men and 31 women each selected in their senate district caucus at the state convention The most important action at a county or state senatorial district convention is the selection of delegates to the state convention since that ultimately determines the party platform chair and executive committee The base of the Texas political system is the precinct convention The precinct convention elects a chair writes a platform and selects delegates to the county or senate district convention Attendance at these conventions is usually small What is the main goal of both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party in Texas to win elections For more than a century Texas was dominated by the Democrats Which of the following statements is true of political parties and interest groups Interest groups are usually smaller than political parties When a party comprises a number of different subgroups that band together for the main purpose of winning elections the party is considered to have a n structure coalitional A party that has a n structure is one that is united by a single principle or a narrowly defined set of principles to which all members are expected to adhere ideological Which of the following is currently the most prominent ideological political party in Texas Libertarian Party The statement of principles passed by a political party s convention is known as a platform The easiest way for most people to get involved within a political party is by attending a precinct convention Which of the following represents the order in which conventions are held in Texas precinct county or senatorial district state Divisions within a political party are known as factions The 105 years of Democratic control of the governor s office in Texas ended with the victory of Bill Clements in 1978 What challenge do Texas Democrats currently face They must reassert themselves in the Texas political arena where Republicans control a majority in both the house and senate After Reconstruction the Republican Party in Texas survived primarily because of support from radicals and African Americans is considered the father of the modern Republican Party in Texas because his victory in the 1961 senate race laid the foundation for the growth of the Republican Party John Tower Who was the first Republican governor of Texas since Reconstruction Bill Clements Which of the following groups in Texas is more likely to vote Republican than Democrat business owners The Tea Party is a n political movement within the Republican Party If the Democratic Party wants to win in Texas now which of the following should it do appeal to suburban white voters on issues like education After the 2012 election Democrats controlled the U S Senate and Republicans controlled the U S House of Representatives What did this mean from a power perspective Every chair of every Senate committee was a Democrat and every chair of every House committee was a Republican Which of the following is true of bipartisanship in Texas politics Republican leaders have appointed a number of Democratic committee chairs A bill is required to have to be brought to the floor of the Texas senate a three fifths vote CH 4 TEST How do interest groups and political parties differ Political parties nominate and formally run candidates for public office while interest groups do not How are ideological parties different from coalitional parties An ideological party s main goal is fidelity to principle while a coalitional party s main goal is winning elections Which statement comparing and contrasting the structures of the Democratic and Republican parties in Texas is accurate Both parties have similar internal structures that include conventions and elected offices Jeff is completing his Master s degree in political science in Texas He wants to become actively engaged in politics as soon as he graduates Which of the following is the easiest way for Jeff to get involved in the political party of his choice attend a precinct convention Which of the following statements accurately differentiates between county conventions and district conventions in Texas County conventions are held by rural counties district conventions are held by urban counties There was still political competition in Texas after Reconstruction because Democrats fought other Democrats for political dominance Why was Texas still not able to be considered a two party state in 1986 Republicans were still unable to win statewide down ballot races Which of the following demographic facts is true and may help the Democratic Party in Texas The Latino
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