Texas Government Test 4

Knowledgeable and dedicated leadership

According to the text, which of the following factors is necessary for an interest group to exert the maximum amount of political power?

In the House

All bills that produce revenue must originate ___.

Speaker of the House

All proceedings in the Texas House are controlled by

Filing electronically with the chief clerk

Any Texas House member may introduce a bill by ___.

An active minority and a passive majority membership

Any organized group, regardless of size, is usually composed of ___ .

Local

Bills fall into three categories: special, general, and ___.

Elect one senator

Members of the Texas Senate have always represented single-member districts, which means that the voters of each district ___.

Criminal justice system

On which of the following issues does the Legislative Black Caucus focus?

Texas Association of Business

One example of an economic interest umbrella organization is the ___ .

Electioneering

Providing favored candidates with interest group membership information, mailing lists, and email lists that help candidates solicit money and votes is an example of ___ .

Larger socioeconomic conditions

Research indicates that a strong relationship exists between the ___ in a state and the power of interest groups.

They passed a law to prevent it from happening again

How did the state legislature respond to the Sharpstown bank scandal of the 1970s?

150

How many members does Texas have in its House of Representatives?

A ban on lobby-paid pleasure trips

In November 1991, Texas voters passed a constitutional amendment that implemented new legal standards for lobbyists and public officials. Which of the following regulations was part of this amendment?

50

In Texas, legislators with a minimum of 12 years of service can receive their retirement pension at age ___.

Maintaining their headquarters in Austin

In Texas, power groups enhance their influence by

The House of Representatives

In Texas, what is the larger chamber of the bicameral legislature called?

He or she may not hold another government office

In addition to meeting specific state constitutional qualifications regarding citizenship, voter status and age, what other legal restriction applies for members of the Texas legislature?

To influence government officials and their policies on behalf of group members

In general, what is the goal of an interest group?

Lobbying state government

In recent years, Texas has ranked second in the country, after California, in interest group money spent on ___ .

Professional and managerial occupations

Interest groups are composed chiefly of persons from ___ .

Strong, weak

Texas is among the states with ___ interest groups and relatively ___ political parties.

Impose a cap for noneconomic damages in medical malpractice cases.

The Texas Medical Association was successful in lobbying the Texas legislature to ___ .

Lt. Governor is absent or disabled

The Texas Senate's president pro tempore presides when the ___.

Texas Legislative Council

The ___ authorizes special research projects by its staff and consists of the lieutenant governor, the Speaker of the House, six senators appointed by the lieutenant governor, the chair of the House Administration Committee, and five representatives appointed by the Speaker.

A group of persons that has a principal purpose of accepting political contributions or making political contributions

What is a political action committee (PAC)?

$7,200

What is the annual salary of a Texas legislator?

To analyze bills under consideration by the Senate

What is the major responsibility of the Texas Senate Research Center?

The first odd-numbered year in a decade

When does legislative redistricting occur for both the House and the Senate?

The Center for Public Policy Priorities

Which independent Texas research organization is accused by critics of having a liberal bias?

Lt. Governor

According to the text, the ___ is perhaps the most powerful officer in the state because the powers granted to him or her by Senate rules.

The Texas Public Policy Foundation

According to the Texas Observer in 2005, what "has become the in-house think tank of the state's current Republican leadership"?

Right of association (First Amendment)

According to the decision made by the U.S. Supreme Court in NAACP v. Alabama (1958), which part of the U.S. Constitution supports the formation of interest groups?

Staff salaries, postage, office operations (NOT travel within the U.S.)

A Texas legislator's expense allowance can be used for all of the following _____.

Decentralized

A ___ government increases the opportunities for interest groups to form and influence government.

Astrotweeting

A lobbying tactic called ___ uses fake social media accounts to provide a false impression of the number of supporters or opponents an issue actually has.

Placed before it by the governor

During a special session, the legislature may consider only those matters

The Texas League of Conservation Voters

Ed is working with an interest group that monitors members of the Texas legislature for their support of environmentally friendly "green bills." Ed is most likely working with ___ .

Texas Ethics Commission

Ethics complaints against state officials, candidates for office, and state employees would generally be brought to the ___ .

The League of United Latin American Citizens

The oldest Latino interest group is ___ .

assigning bills to House committees

The powers of the Speaker of the Texas House include which of the following?

Chubbing

Thomas is a Texas senator. When he supports a bill that is introduced into the Senate, he sometimes debates the bill excessively with his fellow senators for the purpose of using time and preventing floor action on another bill that he opposes. Thomas is using a tactic known as ___.

Attorney

Traditionally, which of the following occupations has been typical of a Texas legislator?

Lobbying

What interest group technique is the Texas Motorcycle Rights Association utilizing when its members go to the Capitol and talk with lawmakers about preserving bikers' rights?

The strength of the party system

Which of the following factors has precipitated the influence of interest groups?

Common Cause Texas

Which of the following is an example of a public interest group?

Business organizations

Which type of interest group typically advocates lower taxes, a lessening or elimination of price and quality controls by government, and minimal concessions to labor unions?

A simple resolution

Which type of resolution involves action by one legislative chamber only and is NOT sent to the governor?

Joe Straus

Who began serving as the Speaker of the Texas House in 2009?

Contributions and expenditures in the last two days of a campaign need not be disclosed until the next semiannual report is due

Why do interest groups make last-minute contributions to political campaigns?