HIST-2306 Texas Government Chapter 7 Questions

The fact that the Texas legislature is disproportionately Anglo and male compared to the population of Texas means that it lacks what? A.) Policy representation. B.) Descriptive representation. C.) Symmetry. D.) Allocative representation. E.) Authority.

B

The redistricting process is necessary to address what issue? A.) Partisan bias. B.) Population changes. C.) Diverse representation. D.) Economic inequities. E.) Uncompetitive elections.

B

What are the arguments that opponents of the short-term biennial legislative sessions in Texas make in favor of longer, annual sessions? A.) Short sessions limit the pool of potential candidates because the short sessions mean legislators are paid very little. B.) Texas legislators cannot acquaint themselves with the immense volume of legislation presented to them during the short session. C.) Short sessions force interest groups to work more efficiently to support legislators during the session. D.) Texans believe that the legislature does more good than harm; therefore, a longer session is better. E.) The short biennial sessions encourage members to compromise and find bipartisan solutions.

B

What is the gerrymandering technique in which members of a party are concentrated into one district? A.) Redistricting. B.) Packing. C.) Cracking. D.) Chubbing. E.) Stacking.

B

What is the underlying assumption of proponents of descriptive representation in the legislature? A.) The United States is a melting pot, and legislators govern without regard to race, ethnicity, or gender for the common good. B.) An individual's background and perspective gained from his or her social identity (e.g., as a woman, minority) shape the kinds of policies pursued in office and issue positions. C.) Constituents care about their members' ability to pass policies and will punish the less effective members. D.) The parties will take clear issue positions; consequently, voters can easily hold them accountable for their policies. E.) This theory assumes that there will be no gerrymandering and elections will be competitive.

B

What type of representation would rely on town hall meetings and purposeful polls to make decisions on bills before voting? A.) Trustee. B.) Delegate. C.) Descriptive. D.) Ex officio. E.) Filibuster.

B

When the governor appoints executives, which governmental entity is responsible for confirming the appointment? A.) The Texas House of Representatives. B.) The Texas Senate. C.) The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. D.) The Texas Supreme Court. E.) The Democratic and Republican parties.

B

Which method of prolonged debate can be used only in the Senate to delay and maybe cause the bill to be changed or to not reach the floor? A.) Suspension of the rule. B.) Filibuster. C.) Chubbing. D.) Point of order. E.) Packing.

B

Which of the following exemplifies the concentration of power that resides with the presiding officers in the Texas legislature? A.) Calling special sessions. B.) Appointing committee chairpersons. C.) Clemency. D.) Appointment and removal of executive leadership. E.) Setting limits for campaign contributions.

B

Which of the following is an example that illustrates bureaucratic oversight? A.) Legislators seek input from voters prior to determining their position on a bill. B.) Legislators hold hearings to examine potential wasteful spending in an agency. C.) Legislators charge the governor with a crime. D.) Legislators determine the budget of executive agencies. E.) Legislators vote on the confirmation of a governor's nominee.

B

Opponents of a bill may delay or slow its process by asking many irrelevant questions, debating earlier bills for a lengthy time, or proposing many amendments. What is this strategy called? A.) Quorum. B.) Filibuster. C.) Suspension of the rules. D.) Chubbing. E.) Pigeonholing.

D

What results when nonpartisan institutions provide information to legislators? A.) Nonpartisan institutions eliminate gridlock because the nonpartisan institutions can provide unbiased information. B.) Nonpartisan institutions pass most of the legislation they introduce because it has been evaluated by an independent group. C.) Nonpartisan institutions ensure that no flawed bills make it into consideration. D.) Nonpartisan institutions reduce legislators' dependence on special interests and administrative agencies for information. E.) Nonpartisan institutions reduce the likelihood of gerrymandering.

D

What was the Supreme Court's ruling in Reynolds v. Sims? A.) It upheld gun-free school zones. B.) It ruled that campaign donations are a form of free speech. C.) It upheld the President's authority over border control. D.) It outlawed malapportionment of congressional districts. E.) It upheld the right to bear arms.

D

Which House committee controls the flow of legislation from committees to the floor? A.) Ways and Means Committee. B.) Rules Committee. C.) Scheduling Committee. D.) House Calendars Committee. E.) Transportation Committee.

D

Which of the following is true about gerrymandering? A.) Gerrymandering is not possible when the population of every district is equal. B.) Gerrymandering is unlikely because of the number of counties in Texas. C.) Gerrymandering generally makes elections more competitive. D.) Gerrymandering is the practice of drawing district lines in a way that gives candidates an advantage. E.) Gerrymandering is inevitable due to urbanization and population changes over time.

D

Why did the Texas Senate impose a five-ninths rule? A.) To make it easier for a bill to reach the floor than to pass the bill. B.) To prevent single party control of the Senate. C.) To decrease the likelihood of the filibuster. D.) To reduce the number of Republican senators required for a bill to reach the floor. E.) To reverse the practice of putting a blocking bill on the calendar.

D

What is one power the Texas speaker of the house has that can be used to pressure rank-and-file members to vote with the party leader? A.) The Speaker has the power of the filibuster. B.) The Speaker has sole budgetary powers. C.) The Speaker has the power to initiate investigations over executive officers. D.) The Speaker has the ability to call for quorum. E.) The Speaker has control over committee appointments.

E

Which two individuals are the presiding officers of the state legislature? A.) The governor and the lieutenant governor. B.) The speaker of the house and the president pro tempore. C.) The president pro tempore and the governor. D.) The speaker of the house and the secretary of state. E.) The lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house.

E

What are the terms of office for members of the legislature? A.) Texas senators are elected for four-year staggered terms; representatives are elected for two-year terms. B.) Texas senators and representatives are both elected for four-year staggered terms. C.) Texas senators are elected for six-year staggered terms; representatives are elected for two-year terms. D.) Texas senators are elected for two-year staggered terms; representatives are elected for four-year terms. E.) Texas senators and representatives are both elected for two-year terms.

A

What is a consequence of the ability of senators to launch a filibuster? A.) The filibuster makes passing bills more difficult. B.) The filibuster makes passing bills easier. C.) The filibuster gives committees more power. D.) The filibuster gives the majority party more power. E.) The filibuster gives the majority leader more power.

A

What is one consequence of gerrymandering? A.) Gerrymandering results in vote dilution of certain individuals. B.) Gerrymandering results in more competition in politics. C.) Gerrymandering always produces better representation. D.) Gerrymandering is only possible in a one-party system. E.) Gerrymandering is used to ensure that the concept of "one person, one vote" is upheld.

A

What is one potential consequence of term limits for state legislators? A.) Term limits undermine legislative professionalism, making members more dependent on special interest groups. B.) Term limits improve legislative professionalism, giving members greater capacity to make public policy. C.) Term limits make legislators more powerful. D.) Term limits improve legislators' qualifications and experience. E.) Term limits improve legislative oversight of the executive.

A

What is required of budget bills in Texas? A.) Budget bills must be approved for two-year cycles. B.) Budget bills can contain provisions for most issues except transportation, which is primarily federal. C.) Budget bills require a supermajority (three-fourths) of support by members. D.) Budget bills consist of five bills that must be reconciled by the legislature. E.) Budget bills must win a majority of votes on a public ballot.

A

What is the term for the process of drawing district lines in such a way as to give an advantage to candidates from a certain party, ethnic group, or faction at the expense of other groups? A.) Gerrymandering. B.) Reapportionment. C.) Redistricting. D.) Sectioning. E.) Sorting.

A

What was the outcome of the Shelby v. Holder Supreme Court decision? A.) It weakened the Voting Rights Act and preclearance is no longer required to change electoral rules in Texas. B.) It strengthened the Voting Rights Act, expanding preclearance requirements in most states to change electoral rules. C.) It ended partisan gerrymandering because the Court ruled that partisanship cannot be taken into consideration in redistricting. D.) It eliminated racial gerrymandering, stating that race may not be used as a criterion in redistricting. E.) It ended the opportunity to gerrymander because the Courts now require states to use nonpartisan, independent commissions to redistrict.

A

Which of the following are characteristics of a conference committee? A.) A conference committee is temporary, consists of members from each chamber, and resolves differences between the house and senate versions of a bill. B.) A conference committee is permanent, has members from only one chamber, and has original jurisdiction over bills. C.) A conference committee is temporary and has members from only one chamber. D.) A conference committee is formed only for executive oversight purposes. E.) A conference committee considers only the governor's appointments.

A

Which type of committee screens bills by holding hearings, debating, and marking up bills before allowing them to be considered by the whole House or Senate? A.) Standing B.) Conference. C.) Joint. D.) Select. E.) Oversight.

A

Who is responsible for drawing legislative district lines in Texas? A.) The legislature. B.) The Texas attorney general. C.) The Texas Supreme Court. D.) An independent, nonpartisan commission. E.) The secretary of state.

A

Who is the presiding officer of the Texas state senate? A.) The lieutenant governor. B.) The majority leader. C.) The Chief Justice. D.) The president pro tempore. E.) The governor.

A

How are all Texas legislators elected? A.) By multimember districts. B.) By floating districts. C.) By single-member districts. D.) By proportional representation. E.) By malapportionment.

C

What do standing committees do? A.) They include members from both chambers. B.) They last for the duration of one biennial legislative session. C.) They enable research and debate on policy issues. D.) They are short-term and focused around a single, specific purpose. E.) They only meet between legislative sessions.

C

What feature of the Texas legislature characterizes it as a citizen legislature? A.) There are no independent research groups to provide information to legislators, such as the Congressional Research Service at the national level. B.) The legislators serving in the Texas legislature tend to be less educated than in most other states. C.) The legislature meets for only 140 days biennially, and the salary is low. D.) The legislators do not have offices. E.) Most members of the Texas legislature only have one staff member.

C

What is one consequence of the low annual salaries paid to Texas legislators? A.) Texas lawmakers can focus solely on making laws without having to work another job. B.) Texas lawmakers' salaries have been high to exclude them from taking consulting jobs or accepting retainer fees. C.) Because the salary is quite low, it can be difficult for legislators who must work other jobs to serve. D.) Given the low salaries of Texas legislators, only truly ethical people will run for the office. E.) The low compensation offered means that only public-spirited candidates run for state legislative office.

C

What is pairing in the context of legislative redistricting? A.) Placing a first-year officeholder with an incumbent in the same elective district to strengthen a party's stronghold in the legislature. B.) Placing officeholders of opposing parties in the same elective district to encourage bipartisanship. C.) Placing two incumbent officeholders in the same elective district through redistricting. D.) Placing the "right kinds" of incumbents in the same elective district to represent powerful special interests. E.) Placing minority candidates in one district to dilute their votes.

C

What rule ensures that legislation is not rushed through the voting process without proper consideration? A.) Members must make comments on the record for each bill. B.) Members are required to sign a form with their vote stating that they have read the bill. C.) A bill must be read on three consecutive days in each chamber. D.) A bill must have attached to it an analysis of the budgetary impact and position papers by interest groups on each side. E.) Members may not consider a bill on the floor until 120 days after it is introduced.

C

Which is a common criticism of the short 140-day biennial legislative sessions in Texas? A.) Short biennial sessions tend to be more focused and productive; consequently, more legislation gets reviewed. B.) Short biennial sessions give legislators more time to review bills when the legislature is not in session, reducing the amount of time needed for debate during the regular sessions. C.) Short biennial sessions create the need for more 30-day special sessions. D.) Short biennial sessions simplify the process of reviewing legislation and getting bills passed. E.) Short biennial sessions provide more opportunity for the legislature to exercise oversight of the governor.

C

Which of the following is a power of the lieutenant governor? A.) Voting on all bills and resolutions before the legislature. B.) Appointing members to all executive agencies. C.) Voting in the event of a tie in the Senate. D.) Acting as a senator and implementing filibusters. E.) Appointing Supreme Court justices.

C

Who establishes the per diem allowance for state legislators? A.) The governor. B.) The lieutenant governor. C.) The Texas Ethics Commission. D.) The legislators themselves. E.) It is set in the constitution with annual cost-of-living adjustments.

C

Who sets the agenda for the Texas legislative special sessions if they are called? A.) Texas speaker of the house. B.) Texas senate president. C.) Texas governor. D.) Texas lieutenant governor. E.) Voters by ballot initiative.

C