GOVT TX, CH 8
The Texas Constitution of ______ placed strict limits on the governor's ability to control the people appointed to office and almost eliminated the possibility that appointees to office could be removed
1876
Prior to ________, Texas governors were elected to two-year terms, with most being elected to a maximum of two consecutive two-year terms. Since then, governors have been able to get elected to unlimited four-year terms.
1974
The Texas governor is ranked ______ among other states in overall institutional powers.
39th
Which of the following is/are informal criterion/criteria for becoming governor?
All of these are correct.
In the history of Texas, the only other female governor than Miriam Ferguson was
Ann Richards
Both the lieutenant governor and the secretary of state in Texas have the authority to call a special session of the legislature.
F
Historically, Barbara Jordan, Miriam Ferguson, and Ann Richards are the only females who have ever served as governor of Texas.
F
Impeachment of a governor begins in the Texas Senate.
F
The Texas Sunset Advisory Commission has mandated that no government official may serve in any single office for more than 12 years.
F
The Texas governor has many formal powers, making him or her one of the United States' strongest chief executives.
F
The Texas governor has strong power for granting clemency
F
The Texas governor has the power to use the pocket veto on appropriation bills.
F
The attorney general in Texas is responsible for overseeing the registration of voters.
F
The governor of Texas currently serves a two-year term in office.
F
The legislature has the ability to declare martial law
F
The structure of the Texas executive branch is centralized, with much formal authority allocated to the governor.
F
The ______ is the oldest state agency in Texas.
General Land Office
In 2014, ____________ was elected governor of Texas
Greg Abbot
What is the ultimate check on the governor?
Impeachment
What do some argue is the one advantage of a plural executive in Texas?
It constrains the governor in the pursuit of excessive policies.
In Texas, what is the preliminary effect of a plural executive?
It dilutes the power of the governor and fragments the executive branch
Which of the following statements concerning the Texas Department of Insurance is INCORRECT?
It is run by a multi-member body appointed by the governor
______ is the only Texas governor to be both impeached and convicted.
James Ferguson
The Texas governor only has the ______ on appropriations bills.
Line-item veto
Who was the longest-serving governor in the history of Texas?
Rick Perry
The governor appoints people to office, but the Texas ______ must also confirm them.
Senate
The governor may be removed from office only by impeachment with conviction by the
Senate
In Texas, why are gubernatorial elections held in off-years?
So that gubernatorial elections will not be influenced by a presidential election.
In Texas, the lieutenant governor is also the president of the Senate and may cast a vote to break a tie.
T
Texas has a plural executive made up of multiple popularly elected offices.
T
Texas's chief election official is the secretary of state
T
The 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.
T
The attorney general's office offers advisory opinions to state agencies concerning the legality of actions.
T
The comptroller of public accounts directs the collection of taxes for the state of Texas.
T
The governor makes approximately 3.000 appointments to executive boards and commissions during a single term in office.
T
Authority over railroads throughout Texas was given to the ______ in 2005.
Texas Department of Transportation
Which entity has the main responsibility for collecting child-support payments?
Texas attorney general
Which office is charged with ensuring the accuracy of official weights and measures?
The Department of Agriculture
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.
For a Texas governor, what is the benefit of a post-adjournment veto?
The legislature is prevented from overriding it.
Who was the first Republican governor of Texas following Reconstruction, and when was he or she elected?
William Clements in 1978
Governors can be quite powerful in spite of weaknesses of the office by doing all of the following EXCEPT
filing legislative bills at the beginning of every legislative session.
Which term best describes the executive branch?
fragmented
The Texas State Board of Education is responsible for all of the following EXCEPT
funding public school districts
In Texas, the only constitutional method of removing a governor from office is by ______ and conviction
impeachment
What is the purpose of the Sunset Advisory Commission in Texas?
it reviews state agencies every 12 years to see if they are still needed.
The governor has some control over the final appropriations bill through the use of the ______ veto.
line-item
What makes the greatest difference between strong and weak governors of Texas
personality differences
Why is the Texas governor's power exceptionally weak as compared to that of the governors of some other states?
plural executive system
Setting local telephone and electric rates is the responsibility of the
public utilities commission
Which of the following about the lieutenant governor in Texas is INCORRECT?
the lieutenant governor's powers are primarily executive, not legislative
What is the governor's most significant executive power?
the power of appointment
What is the Texas governor's greatest judicial power?
the power to appoint judges to vacancies in the courts
In Texas, which officer in the plural executive is NOT elected by voters?
the secretary of state
Why did the Texas Constitution establish a plural executive?
there was suspicion of a strong chief executive
What is the primary task of the Texas secretary of state?
to handle elections and voter registration
The governor of Texas has
few formal powers, so the office is one of the weakest chief executives in the United States.
The Department of Public Safety is responsible for all of the following EXCEPT
animal and insect control
In Texas, the plural executive is held accountable through all of the following EXCEPT
appointed 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
Which of the following is NOT a qualification a person would need to be a viable candidate for governor of Texas?
born in Texas
The Texas governor has all of the following legislative powers EXCEPT the power to
break tie votes in the Senate
In Texas, what is the most important power of the state comptroller?
estimating state revenues for the legislature
Which state office was eliminated in 1996?
state treasurer
The Texas governor was very powerful, and many regarded state government as oppressive and corrupt, under which constitution?
the Reconstruction Constitution of 1869
Which of the following is the best example of the Texas governor's military powers?
the governor can declare martial law during a natural disaster.
In Texas, if a sitting governor is unable to hold office due to impeachment and conviction, resignation, or death, who becomes governor?
the lieutenant governor
