Texas Gov 2306 Exam 2

If most of the power rests with the mayor, that city is said to have a:

Strong mayor government

What is the composition of the county commissioner's court?

a county judge and four county commissioners

Of the following, who is most likely to be appointed to his or her initial seat on the court in Texas?

a municipal court judge

In most instances, the adoption of articles of impeachment results in

a trial in the senate.

San Antonio wants to expand and add new territory to the city and broaden its tax base by doing what with regard to an upscale subdivision that borders the city?

annexing it

In a strong-mayor city, the mayor

appoints major department heads.

The highest percentage of Texas inmates are

black.

The Texas Government Code allows jurisdictions to draw upon which source(s) for jury selection?

both registered voters and licensed drivers

Which of the following defines tenure of office?

both the ability of elected officials to succeed themselves and the term length

What is the most important difference between trial and appellate courts?

deciding points of fact versus points of law

In most states, which courts hear major criminal and civil cases?

district courts major trial courts superior courts All these answers are correct.

Which state government sector has the largest number of employees?

education

Which method of judicial selection is a system left over from colonial America?

election by the legislature

Which of the following informal qualifications for governor is nearly universal in Texas?

having previously held elected office

One suggestion for reform of county government that has been frequently made over the past 70 years involves

home rule.

Bexar County, Texas, is an example of which category of local government?

limited-purpose

Which method of judicial selection leads to the highest degree of judicial responsiveness?

nonpartisan election

Which method of judicial selection leads to the lowest level of judicial competence?

partisan election

The largest expenditure of state funds is for

personnel.

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

plural executive system

Which of the following is one of the roles of the mayor in a council-manager form of government?

presiding officer of the council

The primary source of revenue for counties is

property tax.

Which of the following is NOT among the formal qualifications for the office of governor in Texas?

registered voter

The chief record keeper and election official for the state of Texas is the

secretary of state.

The most common for of local government in the United States is the

special district.

In 1984, many incumbent Democratic judges lost their seats in large urban counties to unknown Republican challengers because of

straight ticket voting.

What change was noted when cities in Texas were forced to change to single-member districts for at least some city council seats?

substantial increase in minority city council members

The merit system used to identify and select judges is also known as

the Missouri system.

Which office created in 1876 functions as the chief fiscal and revenue forecasting office and is responsible for investing state funds?

the comptroller of public accounts

Why does the U.S. have a dual court system?

the federal system of government

In 2014, Texas's incarceration rate was _____ in the nation.

the fifth highest

The weak-mayor's formal powers most resemble those of which other government official in Texas?

the governor

In states without lieutenant governor, who is usually next is succession to the governor's office?

the leader of the state senate

The Texas legislature can override the governor's general veto with a _____vote in each house.

two-thirds

The power of the Texas governor to remove government officials is

very weak.

The office of lieutenant governor is different from the office of the vice president in that

when governors leave their state, lieutenant governors become acting governors.

Voter turnout in City of Austin municipal elections is usually about

10 percent.

How many states, including Texas, do not limit how long a person can serve as governor?

14

For incorporation to proceed in Texas, first a minimum population of ________ citizens must be living within a two-square-mile area.

201

As of 2016, what percentage of all Texas judges are female?

34%

A former governor would be most likely to hold which of the following jobs?

Business executive

When a governor has an active policy agenda, he or she is fulfilling the role of:

Chief legislator

Which executive-level officer collects taxes and invests state funds?

Comptroller of Public Accounts

Courts differ from legislature in that:

Courts cannot initiate policy changes

When a governor takes action to respond to a natural disaster in the state, he or she is fulfilling the role of:

Crisis manager

___________ is the political principle that assigns different functions to different levels of government.

Federalism

San Antonio ran slates of candidates using a "nonpartisan organization" known as

Good Government League.

What is the largest county in Texas in terms of population?

Harris

Under the council-manager form of government, how is the city manager selected?

city council appointment

The least common form of local government in the United States is the

city.

If you selected any city in Texas at random, what government form would you LEAST likely find?

commission

In which type of city government do voters elect people directly to oversee city departments?

commission

What are the two kinds of county courts?

constitutional county courts and county courts at law

Most court cases in Texas deal with

controversies with individuals.

If you selected any city in Texas at random, what governmental form you most likely find?

council manager

In which type of city government does the city council select a person to be chief administrator?

council-manager

Who is responsible for collecting revenue for the state and disturbing county?

county tax assessor

What voting system is preferred by voting rights activists as a means of increasing minority representation?

cumulative voting

The commission form of government:

Helped spark the transition to the council-manager form of government

Why do political candidates often use the "tough on criminals" campaign strategy?

It is safe issue that offends few voters.

The strict procedural rules that govern courts:

Might disallow evidence gathered in an illegal manner

Judges appointed by governors are typically:

More competent and less responsive

The Frontline program entitled "Justice for Sale" highlighted how justices on Texas' supreme court had received:

More than $9 million in donations

According to Map 4.1, about how many states have had a woman governor at one point?

More than half

All Texas judges are selected by partisan elections EXCEPT:

Municipal judges

What is the primary attribute voters use to select judges?

Name familiarity

Across all fifty states, the most common method for selecting trial court judges is:

Partisan elections

How are supreme court judges selected in Texas?

Partisan elections

When a governor acts as head of his or her political party, he or she is fulfilling the role of:

Party chief

Texas is an example of a plural executive system because:

Power is divided among several elected officials

The Texas governor gains strength from his or her ability to:

Be continually reelected

The governor of Texas's salary is __________ per year.

$150,000

Based on the informal qualifications for office, which of the following types of individuals would be most successful in a Texas gubernatorial race:

A member of a wealthy family

Municipal elections in Texas:

Are nonpartisan

In Texas, appellate courts:

Decide whether procedure was followed

In a council-manager government, who is responsible for preparing the budget?

The city manager