Chapter 7-11 Texas Government

In the Texas legislaturre, the referral of a bill to a standing committee in the House and the Senate is the job of the...

Speaker of the House and lieutenanat governor.

Which entity has the main responsibility for collecting child- support payments?

Texas attorney general

How is the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives chosen?

The Speaker is elected by members of the House.

From an overall standpoint, which statement is true?

The Texas economy is closely tied to the national economy.

Why did the Texas Constitution establish a plural executive?

There was suspicion of a strong chief executive.

All judges in Texas, except municipal judges, are elected.

True

Anyone can write a bill, but only members of the legislature can introduce a bill.

True

In Texas Constitution of 1876 placed strict limits on the governor's ability to control the people appointed to office and eliminate the possibility that appointees to office could be removed.

True

Media can deterine issues of importance by the selection of stories they cover.

True

Revenue bill must begin in the House of Representatives.

True

Texas has a plural executive made up of multiple poularly elected offices.

True

The Legislative Budget Board plays an important role in the budget process in Texas.

True

The comptroller of public accounts directs the collection of taxes for the state of Texas.

True

The majority of money for school funding in Texas comes from property taxes.

True

For a law to pass in the Texas legislature it must be voted on by...

Two deliberative bodies representing different constituencies.

Why was partisanship in Texas judicial elections NOT as issue until 1978?

Up until that time, Texas was essentially a one- party state.

Why is it difficult for voters to learn about judicial candidates in Texas?

Voters are called upon to vote for too many different judicial races in a single election.

If the legislature grants a particular corporation an exception from a state law, it is called...

a special bill

Federal judges are...

appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

In Texas, the plural executive is held accountable through all of the following EXCEPT?

appointment by the governor

Constitutionally, a state- of- the- state message must be given by the governor

at the beginning of each legislative session

The chief lawyer for Texas is the

attorney general

The Texas governor has all of the following legislative powers EXCEPT the power to...

break tie votes in the Senate

The major trial courts in Texas are?

district courts

In Texas, what is the most important power of the state comptroller?

estimating state revenues for the legislature

District courts usually have _____ jurisdiction, meaning that they hear a broad range of civil and criminal cases.

general

For a bill that starts in the House the steps are...

introduction, referral, consideration by standing committee, floor action, action by a conference committee and approval by both houses, and action by the governor.

Which judicial office had its origins in medieval England and has existed in Texas since 1837, even before staehood?

justice of the peace

Federal judges have...

lifetime appointments

How many states also have in place a campaign fairness act similar to that of Texas's Campaign Fairness Act?

none: Texas is the only one.

Rules of the legislature require that the bill be read

on three separate occasions

Unlike other states, Texas allows ______ to introduce a bill in the Texas legislature.

only a member of the legislature

What makes the greatest difference between strong and weak governors of Texas?

personality differences

A person who files a civil lawsuit against another party is called a

plaintiff

Why is the Texas governor's power exceptionally weak as compared to that of the governors of some other states?

plural executive system

All Texas legislators are elected using

single-member districts

Justice of the peace courts handle which kind of disputes?

small claims

To address the budget shortfall in the 2012- 2013 budget, the most common tactic used by the legislature was...

spending cuts

Which state office was eliminated in 1996?

state treasurer

The Permanent School Fund distributes money to school districts across the state based on what two factors?

student attendance and guaranteed bonds issued by local school boards

Which office is charged with ensuring the accuracy of official weights and measures?

the Department of Agriculture

In addition to the legislators and the governor, there are others involved in the lawmaking process during both regular and special ssessions. Which one official has direct involvement in the legislative process, while other players are involved indirectly?

the comptroller of public accounts

Which of the following political leaders in Texas are two of the most powerful figures in the state?

the lieutenant governor and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

What is the Texas governor's most significant executive power?

the power of appointment

Which of the following is NOT a nonlegislative power of the Texas legislature?

the power to overturn state supreme court decisions with a two-thirds majority

In addition to federal monies, which two other sources in recent years have had a major impact on monies flowing into to the state budget?

the state lottery and the settlement the state reached with tobacco companies.

The majority of the cases that justice of the peace judges hear are those regarding

traffic misdemeanors

Municipal courts have jurisdiction over

violations of city ordinances

Each member of the Texas House represents approximately ______ constituents, and each senator represents over _______ constituents.

168,000; 811,000

Appeals at the level of the court of appeals are typically heard by panels of how many justices?

3

Special sessions last ______, but there is no limit to the numberof special sessions a governor can call.

30 days

Which of the following best describes the requirement(s) necesary to be a judge of the Texas Supreme Court?

35 years of age, citizen of the United States, resident of Texas, practicing attorney or judge for at least 10 years.

As of 2014, ______ percent of apppellate judges in Texas were women, and ______ percent of district judges were women.

42; 31

Which factor(s) related to public finance will work against a return to highly regulated tuition and fees?

All of these are correct.

Which important fact(s) must be noted about this complicated system of public financing through these various budgets?

All of these are correct.

In the history of Texas, the only other female governor other than Miriam Ferguson was

Ann Richards

Texas will never have a personal income tax in the future because

Bullock proposed a constitutional amendment that effectiively gave the electorate a veto over any proposal for an income tax.

All juries must be made up of 12 people.

False

Because the budget process in Texas operates on a two- year cycle, Texas legislators have adequate time to gather information, carefully analyze it,and craft a detailed and accurate state budget.

False

Historically, Barbara Jordan, Miriam Ferguson, and Ann Richards are the only females who have ever served as governor of Texas.

False

In Texas, both the lieutenant governor and the Speaker of the House are elected in statewide elections.

False

In the Senate, the Speaker controls legislative debate by selecting who speaks and how long the debate will last.

False

Like the state of Nebraska, Texas has a bicameral legislature.

False

Members of the Texas House of Representatives are permitted to speak on the House floor for as long as they wish.

False

Texas is known as a high tax state; because of this, it is a good place to do business.

False

Texas' 6.25 percent sales tax is the highin the nation.

False

The attorney general in Texas is responsible for overseeing the registration of voters.

False

The governor of Texas currently serves a two- year term in office.

False

The income tax is an example of a progressive tax.

False

The rate of turnover in the Texas legislature is very low.

False

The state legislature can impose any personal income tax without requiring voter approval.

False

The structure of the Texas executive branch is centralized, with much formal authority allocated to the governor.

False

The ______ budget is one comprised of funds for dedicated revenues that target money for specific purposes.

General Revenue- Dedicated Funds

_______ is a nondedicated revenue account and is the state's primary operating fund.

General Revenues Funds budget

Which is the most important bill that applies to all people and property throughout the state?

General bill

What types of cases does the Texas Supreme Court hear?

civil appeals

Which of the following are NOT part of the Texas judicial system?

commissioners' courts

In Texas, why is a governor's post-adjournment veto so powerful?

It cannot be overturned by the legislature.

Which staement about the Texas budget is true?

It covers a two-year period

______ is the only Texas governor to be both impeached and convicted.

James Ferguson

_______ must begin in the House of Representatives.

Revenue bills

Who was the longest- serving governor in the history of Texas?

Rick Perry

In 2004 and 2005, three special sessions were called in the Texas legislature to deal with

School finance

The governor may be removed from office only by impeachment with conviction by the

Senate

Texas has a reputation of being a ______ state.

"low service, low tax"

Which of the following is NOT a rule that applies to a filibuster in Texas Senate?

There is one seven- minute bathroom break

Which of the following is the best example of the Texas governor's exercise of senatorial courtesy?

The governor will not appoint someone to office unless that appointee's state senator agrees.

Which of the following is true?

The legislative session in 2011 was particularly different because the Great Recession had significantly reduced state revenue.

For a Texas governor, what is the benefit of a post- adjournment veto?

The legislature is prevented from overriding it.

Why does it typically coat more money to win a seat on the Texas Supreme Court than a seat on the Texas court of criminal appeals?

There are few interest groups that cotribute money to the criminal appeals court candidates' campaigns, which keeps down the costs of the election.