Texas Govt

The authors conclude that the Texas legislature serves its democratic purpose of translating public preferences into policy for which of the following reasons?

The legislature is centralized and its leaders powerful.

The procedural powers of the presiding officers of the Texas legislature include all but which one of the following powers.

The power to call special sessions of the legislature.

Legislators in Texas are handicapped by

a. heavy workloads during the short 140-day session. b. inadequate legislative salaries. c. inadequate information services. d. lack of public understanding. e. all of the above.

Some limits are placed on the powers of the presiding officers of the Texas legislature by

a. legislators. b. lobbyists and state administrators. c. the governor. d. the electorate. e. all of the above.

Public policy that has the force of law is made by

a. the legislature. b. the governor. c. judges. d. administrative officials. e. all of the above.

Which of the following is not among the reforms recommended for the Texas legislature by the authors of the text?

adopting a stricter seniority rule for committee membership

The powers of the lieutenant governor in the Senate and the speaker in the House are of two types:

organizational/procedural and institutional

When a bill is pigeonholed by a committee, it is

put on the bottom of a committee's agenda never to be seen again.

Which of the following types of legislation may not originate in the Texas Senate?

revenue bills

In the House of Representatives, bills are referred to the proper committees by the

speaker.

Which of the following bodies insures that agencies have properly spent money budgeted to them?

the Legislative Audit Committee

Which of the following bodies provides research and bill-drafting services to Texas legislators?

the Legislative Audit Committee

The governor's veto power is almost absolute because

the legislature often adjourns before the governor has had time to act on a bill.

Who chairs the Legislative Budget Board (LBB)?

the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the House

If a bill is marked "By Request" it indicates that

the sponsor does not expect it to receive serious consideration.

The Texas Constitution requires that proposed legislation be given ____ readings in each chamber of the legislature before being enacted into law.

three

Bills can be taken from the Senate Calendar out of order by a

two-thirds majority vote.

Appropriations bills passed by the Texas legislature always take effect

on September 1.

The governor's item veto applies only to

appropriations bills.

Opinions of the ____ have the force of law unless they are successfully challenged in court.

attorney general

Who prepares the state budget in Texas?

both the governor and the legislature.

Differences between bills passed by the House and Senate are resolved by a ____ committee.

conference

During the 2003 legislative session, Speaker Tom Craddick exerted his power when he

eliminated seniority appointments from the Appropriations Committee.

An effort to force the withdrawal of a controversial bill through the use of the unlimited debate in the Senate is called a

filibuster.

Which of the following forms of legislative action is used by the Texas legislature to propose constitutional amendments?

joint resolution