GOVT 2306 Exam 2
In even-numbered years, Texas representatives receive a salary of only ________ per year, not including a per diem.
$7,200
How long must a former member of a governing body or former executive head of a regulatory agency wait before he or she can lobby that agency?
2 years
Based on a 2017 Gallup poll, ____________ of Texans identified as being Republican or leaning Republican, while _______________ of Texans identified as being Democratic or leaning Democratic.
41 percent; 38 percent
Each member of the Texas Senate represents about ___________ people, while each member of the Texas House represents about_________ people.
811,000; 168,000
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) provides what kind of assistance to conservative state legislators across the country?
ALEC writes legislation and helps get the legislation passed.
The ________ is a dedicated fund established by the constitution for the support of public education in the state.
Available School Fund
Which U.S. Supreme Court case in 2009 created the opportunity for those opposed to powerful incumbents to create organizations without having to disclose their donors?
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission
In 2011, the Texas legislature passed a voter identification law that requires a photo identification in order to vote. Which form of photo identification is acceptable?
Department of Public Safety-issued personal ID card
Most Democrats in Texas today consider themselves to be "Blue Dog Democrats."
False
Texas requires people to designate party affiliation when registering to vote.
False
The Libertarian Party is both socially and economically liberal.
False
The ________ budget is comprised of funds for dedicated revenues that target money for specific purposes.
General Revenue-Dedicated Funds
In the post-Civil War era, the only parts of Texas that showed significant Republican leanings were
German counties in the Texas Hill Country.
Universities that are not eligible to receive funding from the Permanent University Fund (PUF), are eligible for funding from the
Higher Education Fund (HEF)
In Texas, why is a governor's post-adjournment veto so powerful?
It cannot be overturned by the legislature.
Why must the Texas legislature maintain a balanced budget?
It is required by the Texas Constitution
Why are statewide officials such as the governor and lieutenant governor elected in nonpresidential years?
It prevents presidential candidates from influencing the outcome of Texas races
No Democrat has won Texas in a presidential race since ________.
Jimmy Carter
Which of the following is a consequence of Texas having a part-time legislature?
Legislators have small staffs, and therefore rely on lobbyists to explain the details of a bill, such as how it may benefit their districts.
What happens in a "pluralistic society"?
People with common interests join together into groups and these groups compete with each other for power and influence
The Economic Stabilization Fund (ESF) is also known as the
Rainy Day Fund
Texas was the first state in the South to
Ratify the women's suffrage amendment
In Texas today, rural areas have become more ______________, while urban areas have become more ___________.
Republican; Democratic
What is the difference between a bill and a resolution?
Resolutions can be filibustered while bills cannot
What event marked a significant change in how Texans began to vote not only in presidential elections but also in state elections?
Ronald Reagan was elected as President.
Which of the following is true about bicameralism in the Texas legislature?
Since bills must be passed by both chambers, the process requires compromise, but also allows individual members of the legislature the ability to block passage of bills.
Which of the following was the largest PAC in Texas in the 2018 election cycle?
Texas Association of Realtors
Battleground Texas is a get-out-the-vote (GOTV) effort undertaken by which group?
The Texas Democratic Party
Why is the comptroller of public accounts so important to the legislature?
The comptroller informs the legislature how much money it has to spend on the budget.
Why are factions within parties important?
These groups have their own priorities, and the party must be able to manage the factions to be able to prevent any of the groups from leaving the party.
Why would it be beneficial for an interest group to open an office in Austin?
They can develop long-term relationships with lawmakers and continually present the views of the organization.
What was the problem Speaker Sam Rayburn identified with the "steak men" at the beginning of the twentieth century?
They were legislators who would "sell" their votes on a bill for free steak dinners.
It is because of the process of political socialization that most people tend to have the same political beliefs as their parents
True
Partisan polarization makes it difficult to get legislation passed in the legislature.
True
Poll taxes, such as those used in Texas, disenfranchised poor voters.
True
Primary elections in Texas are generally held in March.
True
Texas Democrats have been relegated to minority status in the state since 1994.
True
Texas voters often use the party affiliation of the candidates as a way to make voting decisions.
True
The poll tax was made illegal in federal elections with the passage of the
Twenty-Fourth Amendment.
During the 2017 legislative session, lobbyists representing ____________________ were influential in shaping legislation that repealed local ordinances.
Uber and Lyft
Which of the following laws was written specifically to deal with expanding and protecting voting rights?
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The mass exodus of more affluent Whites from urban areas to suburban areas is sometimes referred to as
White flight
Which statement correctly describes the requirements for membership in a major political party in Texas?
With no requirements, a registered voter simply chooses which party primary to vote in.
Which statement concerning women's suffrage is correct?
Women were permitted to vote in all elections in Texas with the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
In 1978, the Texas Constitution was amended (Article 8, Section 22), so that if the economy of the state shrinks,
appropriations have to shrink as well
In order to vote in Texas, you must meet which of the following requirements?
be a resident of Texas, a U.S. citizen, and at least 18 years of age
The practice of combining several individual campaign contributions into one larger contribution from a group in order to increase the group's impact is known as
bundling
The main role of the precinct conventions is to select delegates to the ________ and possibly to submit resolutions that may eventually become part of the party platform.
county convention
How often do political parties in Texas hold their state conventions?
every 2 years
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
Dates for special elections are specified by the Texas Secretary of State, who oversees and administers all elections in Texas.
false
In the Senate, the Speaker controls legislative debate by selecting who speaks and how long the debate will last.
false
Like the U.S. president, the governor of Texas can kill a bill by refusing to sign it.
false
Most Texans are actively engaged in what goes on in their neighborhoods and communities.
false
Reapportionment involves the determination of how district lines will be drawn in each state for the state legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives.
false
The Republican Party was the dominant force in Texas politics throughout most of the 1900s.
false
The Texas Constitution permits the election to the Texas legislature of persons who are not U.S. citizens but who have been legal residents of Texas for at least 10 years.
false
The Texas House of Representatives is responsible for both impeaching government officials and holding the trials after impeachment.
false
The governor of Texas can use the line-item veto on any type of legislation.
false
The incumbency disadvantage leads interest groups to work more with challengers, seeing them as a better investment of limited resources.
false
The state legislature can impose a personal income tax without requiring voter approval.
false
Texas senators serve ________-year terms and House members serve ________-year terms.
four, two
The situation in which individuals receive the benefits of collective action without contributing is known as
free rider problem
Which is the most important bill that applies to all people and property throughout the state?
general bill
When we talk about a progressive tax, we are talking about a type of tax where
individuals with a lower income pay less in taxes because of a lower tax rate than those with a higher income.
When individuals or interest groups take out ads concerning a campaign issue but do not tie them directly to any particular candidate, it is called
issue advocacy
When the governor strikes out specific spending provisions in large appropriations bills it is called
line-item veto
A bill in the Texas legislature that would allow a county to establish a new community college would be classified as a
local bill
When Tip O'Neill said, "all politics is local," he was talking about how
local issues are not generally ideological.
Compared to the national average, Texans tend to rank ______________ on measures that are related to civic engagement.
near the bottom
Once a lobbyist has access to a member of the legislature, the lobbyist can
provide information about how specific policies can benefit the legislator's district.
The legislature has "directive and supervisory powers" that include the ability to
review each state agency every twelve years.
Texas relies on ____________ taxes more than any other source of revenue to fund the government.
sales
When people vote in a primary election, they are
selecting a party's candidate for the general election
Arguably, the largest and most effective public employee interest group in Texas is made up of
teachers
In 1923, the Texas Legislature established ____________________ to prohibit African Americans from voting in the Democratic primary.
the White primary
When thinking about the system of public financing through these various budgets and funds, it is important to remember that
the legislature does not have direct control of most of the money in the state budget
Who is responsible for developing independent audits for state agencies to ensure that they are complying with the state budget?
the state auditor's office
The Speaker of the House and the lieutenant governor are viewed as among the most powerful actors in Texas government because
they have enough institutional powers to be able to influence which legislation passes and which legislation is killed.
"First past the post," single-member district electoral systems tend to favor two-party systems.
true
Federal law requires that bilingual ballots are provided in areas where more than 5 percent of the population speaks a language other than English.
true
If the comptroller certifies the budget, then it is considered to be "balanced."
true
Incumbents are most likely to receive large campaign contributions.
true
Interest groups typically have more time, money, and expertise to offer politicians than do average citizens.
true
Legislative districts must have roughly equal populations to comply with the one-person, one-vote principle.
true
Money from the State Highway fund can be used to acquire rights of way for roadways.
true
Photo IDs issued by the United States government, such as passports or citizenship certificates are acceptable forms of identification to cast a vote in any Texas election.
true
Public opinion polling can play an important role in creating targeted messages during campaigns.
true
Some blame the relatively low voter turnout for Texas elections on the frequency of elections and the large number of candidates.
true
Straight-ticket voting is now eliminated in Texas, starting with the 2020 elections.
true
Texas maintains a balanced budget because the state constitution requires it.
true
The Legislative Budget Board plays an important role in the budget process in Texas.
true
The Texas Comptroller's Office is predicting declining receipts in the tobacco settlement account due to fewer people purchasing cigarettes.
true
The Texas Constitution and election laws call the Texas system a closed primary because one must declare one's party affiliation before voting, but in practice it is an open primary.
true
The Texas Constitution forbids the legislature to borrow money to conduct the daily operations of government.
true
With a progressive income tax, people with lower income pay a lower tax rate than people with higher income
true
The National Research University Fund (NRUF) was established through a constitutional amendment to provide a source of funding for
universities seeking to achieve national prominence as research institutions.
Which universities are eligible to receive monies from the Permanent University Fund (PUF)?
universities that are part of the University of Texas and Texas A&M systems
Parties use social media for which of the following?
voter mobilization
Impeachment is ___________________ and is an example of the Texas Legislature's ____________ power.
a formal charge by the House of Representatives that leads to a trial in the Senate that could result in the removal of an official from office; judicial
