GOVT 2306 Chapter 7 Quiz

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

two deliberative bodies representing different constituencies.

If the governor does not like specific provisions of an appropriations bill passed by the legislature, he or she can

use the line-item veto to remove those portions from the rest of the bill.

Which of the following legislators would be LEAST likely to propose an ALEC model bill according to the findings of the article?

"68 years old, liberal democrat, 20 years in office"

In even-numbered years, Texas representatives receive a salary of only ________ per year, not including a per diem.

$7,200

The number of legislators ALEC claims among its membership is closest to which of the following percentages of all state legislators in the United States?

34%

Each member of the Texas Senate represents about ___________ people, while each member of the Texas House represents about_________ people.

811,000; 168,000

What is ALEC?

American Legislative Exchange Council

The president of the Texas Senate is also the

Lieutenant Governor of Texas

________ is a kind of talking that is used to stall legislation.

Chubbing

Which of the following most accurately describes the influential activities undertaken by ALEC in pursuit of policymaking success?

Providing model bills to state legislators with little expertise in particular policy areas

Which chamber is not only larger but also is subjected to more frequent elections?

House of Representatives

As in the U.S. Congress, the purpose of a conference committee in the Texas legislature is to do what?

It is a committee designed to make differing House and Senate versions of the same bill identical.

What is the function of the "local and consent" calendar?

It is reserved for uncontroversial bills or bills limited to a localized problem.

________ must begin in the House of Representatives.

Revenue bills

What is required to convene a special session of the state legislature?

The governor must call for a special session outside a general session.

The lieutenant governor is

an official who is elected in a statewide election for a four-year term.

After a bill is referred by a committee, the next step in the process is

floor action.

One of the most notable effects of bicameralism in the Texas legislature is that it

permits more opportunities to kill or significantly modify a bill.

The governor often uses the State of the State address to do which of the following?

to describe his or her legislative priorities and agenda

How old does someone have to be to serve in the Texas House?

21 years old

In order to be eligible to serve in the Texas House, you must be ______ years old; in order to be eligible to serve in the Texas Senate, you must be ______ years old.

21; 26

Special sessions last ________, but there is no limit to the number of special sessions a governor can call.

30 days

Which committee acts as a screening mechanism to filter out bad bills or bills that have little or no political support?

standing committee

Redistricting usually happens every __________ years so that it aligns with the new __________ results.

10; census

According to ALEC's own reporting, approximately how of the 826 introduced pieces of legislation based on their proposals ended up becoming law in 2009?

14%

The Texas legislature meets in regular session for

140 days every odd-numbered year.

In the Texas legislature, the House has ________ members and the Senate has ________ members.

150; 31

The pluralist view of interest group influence in policy making sees business interests as just one among many influences with nothing particularly special about it insofar as other interests are able to check the influence of business groups. This pluralist perspective is opposed to the ___ perspective of interest group influence in policy making.

Elitist

Which of the following statements about special sessions of the Texas legislature is true?

Special sessions are common, held an average of once a year since 1876.

For how long does the Texas legislature meet?

The regular legislative session lasts 140 days in odd-numbered years.

What is the outcome for the vast majority of bills that are assigned to committees in the Texas legislature?

They are pigeonholed by the committee chair.

Which of the following statements about simple resolutions is correct?

They do not require the signature of the governor.

"Pigeonholing" is a practice in which

a committee chair sets aside a bill.

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

a special bill.

The Texas legislature is a

bicameral body consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Under the Senate Rules, the lieutenant governor has the power to

break a tie on any vote.

Constituent service can play an important role in

creating a personal relationship between the legislator and the individual constituent, which will give the legislator an advantage when running for reelection.

The power of recognition allows the Speaker of the House to

determine who will get to speak and how long a legislative debate will last.

Texas senators serve ________-year terms and House members serve ________-year terms.

four; two

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

general bill

Special bills are used to

give an individual or corporation an exemption from state law.

The agenda for special sessions in the Texas legislature is set by the

governor

The Texas Constitution grants the __________ veto power, and it is used __________.

governor; actively

The Speaker of the Texas House

is considered the most important elected official in state policy making.

If a bill passes the House and the Senate, but in different forms, the bill

is sent to a conference committee.

A bill in the Texas legislature that would allow a county to establish a new community college would be classified as a

local bill

Texas House members differ from Texas Senate members because House members

represent small districts and are subject to more frequent elections.

What types of resolutions are acted on without debate and without requiring members to read the resolution?

resolutions of honor or recognition

The legislature has "directive and supervisory powers" that include the ability to

review each state agency every twelve years.

The Texas Legislature has many powers that are not related to legislation, including which of the following?

the power to formally count returns for the governor's and lieutenant governor's elections.