Texas Govt. 2306 final
Many Texans oppose same-sex marriage and abortion. This is a reflection of _________ in the state's ideology:
Social Conservatism
The notion that all individuals possess inalienable rights and willingly submit to government to protect those rights is embodied in:
Social contract theory
The first modern European nation to lay claim to the territory of Texas was:
Spain
Why are state constitutions amended more frequently than the U.S. Constitution?
State constitutions deal with a wider range of functions
Article 6 of the U.S. Constitution contains the ________ clause establishing the U.S. Constitution as the law of the land that no federal or state law may violate.
Supremacy
How does Texas compare to other states in terms of the number of permanent and session-only staff supporting legislators?
Texas has more staff that most states
In terms of the number of Texans living in urban and rural locales, what is the trend that can be seen based on U.S. Census Bureau data?
Texas is becoming more urban
Based on Table 3.2, how does a Texas legislator's salary compare to other populous states?
Texas legislators are paid much less than other populous states
Based on the state and national electoral results in the 2014 and 2016 elections, one can conclude that:
Texas will continue to be a strong Republican state.
One major difference between the U.S. and Texas constitutions is that:
The Texas constitution begins with the Bill of Rights
Texas' first petition for statehood was denied because:
There was not a free state to balance the admittance of Texas as a slave state.
What is the composition of the county commissioner's court?
a county judge and four county commissioners
A candidate who is listed on the general election ballot as a Libertarian is considered:
a minor party candidate
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
In 2016, Texas voters elected
all the members of the Texas House of Representatives and half the members of the Texas Senate
The Texas Constitution allows cities and school boards to cancel elections if:
all the races are uncontested
In most states, which courts hear major criminal and civil cases?
all these answers are correct
Which of the following aspects of the process of amending the state constitution contributes to low voter turnout?
all these answers are correct
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
Municipal elections in Texas:
are nonpartisan
The Texas governor gains strength from his or her ability to:
be continually reelected
Why was Texas's 2011 voter ID law rejected by the U.S. Justice Department?
because the data Texas provided demonstrated minorities would be adversely affected
How does Texas compare to the rest of the country in terms of percentage of eligible voters who actually vote?
below average
Voter turnout rates in Texas are:
below the national average and lower than most other state rates
The highest percentage of Texas inmates are:
black
Which region of the state is known primarily for its production of citrus fruits and vegetables?
border area
The Texas Government Code allows jurisdictions to draw upon which source(s) for jury selection?
both registered voters and licensed divers
Which of the following defines tenure of office?
both the ability of elected officials to succeed themselves and the term length
According to legal experts and political theorists, ideally, a constitution should be:
brief and explicit
A former governor would be most likely to hold which of the following jobs?
business executive
In Texas, appellate courts:
decide whether procedure was followed
What is the most important difference between trial and appellate courts?
deciding points of fact versus points of law
As a result of Hunt v. Cromartie (1999), political gerrymandering:
drawing "safe" districts for both political parties was permissible
Ballot form in Texas is decided upon by:
each county
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
How often does Texas hold general elections?
every two years
The expansion of political participation in the southern U.S. states has come about largely because of:
federal government intervention
The system that provides for a sharing of powers between the national government and the state governments is known as:
federalism
___________ is the political principle that assigns different functions to different levels of government.
federalism
After World War I, the Supreme Court required states to adhere to basic protections in the Bill of Rights through the use of clauses in the _______ Amendment.
fourteenth
Which of the following elections would typically have a higher voter turnout?
general election
Multimember districts promote majority representation or domination, and single-member districts can promote___________ representation.
geographical
Each election year, around ___________ of the Texas House races face no opposition in the general election.
half
What is the largest county in Texas in terms of population?
harris
Most state constitutions:
have been amended many times
Which of the following informal qualifications for governor is nearly universal in Texas?
having previously held elected office.
The commission form of government:
helped spark the transition to the council-manager form of government
One suggestion for reform of county government that has been frequently made over the past 70 years involves:
home rule
The war that led to the declaration of the Republic of Texas began:
in 1835
In Verba and Nie's typology of political participation, which category contains the highest percentage of the population?
inactives
Which of the following groups benefits the most from gerrymandering?
incumbents
The articles of the Texas Constitution that define the creation and structure of counties in the state provide for a fairly _________ system that counties are required to abide by.
inflexible
Straight-ticket voting:
is encouraged by the party column format
What was the result of a bill introduced in 1999 calling for a general revision of the Texas Constitution?
it died in committee
What is the impact of Texas political culture on political participation?
it discourages political participation
Why do political candidates often use the "tough on criminals" campaign strategy?
it is safe issue that offends few voters
Bexar County, Texas, is an example of which category of local government?
limited-purpose
Which group was the primary target of the poll tax?
low-income white farmers
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
Mexican governments provided generous land grants to ant family willing to settle in the state. The sitio or legua each family could receive how large?
more that 4,000 acres
All Texas judges are selected by partisan elections EXCEPT:
municipal judges
What is the primary attribute voters use to select judges?
name familiarity
Which method of judicial selection leads to the highest degree of judicial responsiveness?
nonpartisan election
Between 1900 and 1950, what was the primary factor that accelerated demographic shift form a rural society to an urban society in Texas?
oil
Which of the following elements dominated the land-based economy of post-Reconstruction Texas and is/are still important today?
oil,cotton, and cattle
Fundamentally, the Supreme Court decisions in Baker v. Carr and Reynolds v. Sims were based on the principle of :
one person, one vote
Imagine you are a die-hard member of party A, but wanted the less popular candidate from party B to be party A's general opponent. What type of primary election system would allow you to vote for the less popular candidate in party B during the primaries without changing parties?
open-primary system
John is upset that the power company is planning to build several wind turbines on the property next to his home. He writes letters to his elected representative and the local newspaper, voicing his displeasure with the project. According to Verba and Nie, what type of political participation is John demonstrating?
parochial participant
Which method of judicial selection leads to the lowest level of judicial competence?
partisan election
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
Which of the three measures for voter turnout consistently shows the lower figures?
percentage of VAP who voted
Which of the three measures for voter turnout consistently shows the higher figures?
percentage of VEP who voted
What is the voter participation measure used most often by political scientists?
percentage of voting-age population
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
According to a recent survey, which of the following types of political participation is most common?
political activity in the context of a social networking site
The drawing of legislative districts to favor one political party over another is termed:
political gerrymandering
Texas is an example of a plural executive system because:
power is divided among several elected officials
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 Spanish constitutions contributed what key element to the political climate of Texas?
property rights for women
The primary source of revenue for counties is:
property tax
Political Action Committees or PACs engage in activities such as:
raising and utilizing campaign contributions.
The rate of population growth in Texas over the last decade can be characterized as:
rapid
In order to vote in Texas, a person must:
register 30 days in advance of an election
Which of the following is NOT among the formal qualifications for the office of governor in Texas?
registered voter
Which of the following is an exclusive power of the national government?
regulate interstate commerce
The "carpetbagger's constitution" reversed which right of whites who had participated in the Civil War?
right to vote.
In the early twentieth century ___________ areas were generally over represented in many state legislature.
rural
Which of the following is a rational reason for why some people choose not to vote?
satisfaction with the status quo
Nineteenth century federalism
saw states dominant over the federal government
The chief record keeper and election official for the state of Texas is the:
secretary of state
Texas has which of the following types of primary systems?
semi-open primary system
According to a recent survey, which of the following types of political participation is least common?
sent a letter to the editor of a local publication
The most common for of local government in the United States is the
special district
Which type of legislative committee is most important?
standing
In 1984, many incumbent Democratic judges lost their seats in large urban counties to unknown Republican challengers because of:
straight ticket voting
Many reformers believe the Texas Constitution is in need of a comprehensive revision. Why is this unlikely to happen?
strong distrust of government
If most of the power rests with the mayor, that city is said to have a:
strong mayor government
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
In 2014, Texas's incarceration rate was _____ in the nation.
the 5th highest
Which group was the primary supporter of the white primary in Texas?
the Democratic Party
Who submits a recommended budget to the Texas legislature?
the Legislative Budget Board
The merit system used to identify and select judges is also known as:
the Missouri system
In a council-manager government, who is responsible for preparing the budget?
the city manager
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
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
Redistricting is
the process of redrawing district boundaries
Ballot eligibility requirements are set by
the states
Which of the following represents a rationalist's explanation for not voting in a local election?
their vote isnt going to be that critical in deciding the outcome
Why does the Texas Constitution create a fragmented executive branch?
to limit the power of the governor
One of the primary political goals for Reconstruction was:
to restore law and order to a society recovering from war.
The state of Texas's history of restricting access to voting is very much in keeping with its:
traditionalistic political culture
Most countries in the world have a ____________ form of government.
unitary
The power of the Texas governor to remove government officials is:
very weak
High turnover rates in the Texas legislature are due primarily to:
voluntary retirement
Texas is considered a semi-open primary state because:
voter cannot participate in another party's activities for the remainder of the election year
What is the most common form of political participation?
voting
The annual registration system for Texas voters:
was replace by a permanent registration system
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
What is the pay of a member of the Texas legislature, taking into account salary and per diem compensation , in a year that the legislature is in session?
$28,200
In Texas, to run as an independent for statewide office, a candidate must file a petition with number of signatures equal to __________ percent of the votes cast for governor in the past election.
1%
Voter turnout in City of Austin municipal elections is usually about:
10%
What percentage of the Texas House of Representatives is elected during a presidential election year?
100%
How many states, including Texas, do not limit how long a person can serve as governor?
14
The current Texas Constitution was approved by voters in _________.
1876
In what decade was the poll tax abolished in Texas?
1960s
The House and Senate can override a governor's veto with a __________ vote.
2/3
The Texas legislature can override the governor's general veto with a _____vote in each house.
2/3
For incorporation to proceed in Texas, first a minimum population of ________ citizens must be living within a two-square-mile area.
201
In 2014 the percentage of women in the Texas legislature was about ___ percent.
22
In Texas, how long prior to an election must you register in order to be eligible to vote?
30 days
As of 2016, what percentage of all Texas judges are female?
34%
How many third parties have there been in Texas in the last 50 years?
4
Based on efforts to increase minority representation in Texas, how many Hispanic legislators served in the Texas legislature in 2015?
41
As of 2014, white non-Hispanics made up about ____ percent of the state's population.
44%
Discussion of the judicial department is in Article ____ of the Texas Constitution.
5
To qualify for minor-party status, a party must have won at least ___ percent of the votes in a race for statewide office in the last general election.
5%
What percentage of the Texas Senate is usually elected during a presidential election year?
50%
About ______% of Texas House seats are considered competitive.
6%
Which group had the highest turnout rate in Texas in the 2012 presidential election?
African american
When a governor has an active policy agenda, he or she is fulfilling the role of:
chief legislator
In the case Evanwel v. Abbott (2016), the plaintiffs argued that legislative districts should be drawn based on:
Eligible voters
Member of which of the following groups are most likely to identify themselves as Republican?
Evangelical Protestants
The Adelsverien Society promoted the immigration of _______ settlers in Texas.
German
San Antonio ran slates of candidates using a "nonpartisan organization" known as:
Good government league
The least common form of local government in the United States is the:
city
Under the council-manager form of government, how is the city manager selected?
city council appointment
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
An individual who is an active voter but avoids the combat and controversy of partisan campaigns is which type of political activist?
communalist
Which executive-level officer collects taxes and invests state funds?
comptroller of public accounts
Currently, the top export in Texas is:
computers and electronics
A ______________ form of government leaves the most power with state and local governments.
confederal
What are the two kinds of county courts?
constitutional county courts and county courts at law
Most campaign contributions for Texas legislature races come from:
contributors who live outside the district
Most court cases in Texas deal with:
controversies with individuals
What is the main reason why early petitions by the Republic of Texas to join the U.S. was rejected?
controversy over Texas becoming a slave state
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
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
What voting system is preferred by voting rights activists as a means of increasing minority representation?
cumulative voting
Which group had the lowest turnout rate in Texas in the 2012 presidential election?
Hispanic
John believes that government's primary purpose is to defend the country and build roads. Additionally, he believes in low pay and terms limits for political offices. John is demonstrating the beliefs of which political subculture?
Individualistic
As Texas shifted form Democratic to Republican:
Its ideological landscape did not really change
About one third of the Texas legislature is composed of
Lawyers
Under the Texas constitution, the power to tax resides with:
Legislature
The framers of the 1876 Texas constitution adopted a plural executive system in order to:
Limit the power of the governor
According to Table 2.1 of your text, what is one power that the governor of Texas enjoys?
Line-item Veto
A belief that government is a positive instrument for change and means for promoting the general welfare of all citizens defines which political subculture?
Moralistic
The size of legislatures raise issues, as smaller legislatures may be ___________, while larger legislatures may be ______________.
More efficient; more representative
Which of the following is an example of "luck" that limited Texas's exposure to the ravages of the Civil War?
Native American occupation west of the Balcones Escarpment.
According to Figure 1.3 in the text, what can be determined about population change in Texas?
Population in Texas has grown about twice the national rate.
Why was the Legislative Redistricting Board's multimember plan invalidated by a federal court in 1971?
Possible unfairness to minority voters
The theory of popular sovereignty holds that all power:
Rests with the people
Which of the following is rationalist reason for not voting?
"the is no chance my single vote will decide the election"
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
Which of the following is a national government power and NOT a state power?
Declare war
Which of the following is NOT a reason that the Texas constitution limits government's authority to act:
Deep-rooted southern beliefs in centralized government