Early Texas Politics
Before 1845, politics in Texas was centered around what—candidates or parties?
What are political parties?
After joining the U.S. in 1845, Texas became dominated by which party?
What is the Democratic Party?
A ballot reform that increased voter privacy
What is the secret (Australian) ballot?
A major economic crisis helped divide Democrats
What is the Great Depression?
Which party dominates Texas today?
What is the Republican Party?
Name one key function political parties controlled in early Texas
What is choosing candidates / funding campaigns / organizing voters?
Republicans were viewed as a party from which region?
What is the North?
A system that replaced the patronage system
What is the civil service system?
What type of conflict developed within the Democratic Party?
What is conservative vs. liberal factions?
Name one internal Republican faction in Texas.
What are social conservatives / business conservatives / Tea Party wing?
How would you describe early political parties’ power?
What is strong and dominant?
What era briefly gave Republicans power in Texas?
What is Reconstruction (1865–1877)?
A reform that allowed voters to choose candidates instead of party leaders?
What are direct primaries?
Who was the first Republican U.S. senator from Texas since Reconstruction?
Who is John Tower?
Since what year have Democrats struggled statewide?
What is 1994?
A type of system existed—party-centered or candidate-centered?
What is party-centered?
What system existed in Texas in the late 1800s–early 1900s?
What is a one-party Democratic system?
Reforms shifted power from where to where
What is from parties to voters?
What major law pushed many conservatives out of the Democratic Party?
What is the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
What type of politics is more common today—party-centered or candidate-centered?
What is candidate-centered?
Why were parties so influential in early politics?
What is they controlled elections, candidates, and voter mobilization?
Laws helped maintain Democratic control
What are Jim Crow laws?
Overall, what happened to party power during this era?
What is it weakened?
What term describes the long-term shift in party loyalty?
What is realignment?
Name one way modern candidates campaign independently.
What is raising money through PACs / using social media / targeted ads?