Texas Govt. Unit 2 Test Review Chapters 6-9
On which of the following issues does the Legislative Black Caucus focus?
criminal justice system
A __________________________ government increases the opportunities for interest groups to form and influence government.
decentralized
Members of the Texas Senate have always represented single-member districts, which means that the voters of each district
elect one senator
The text describes which of the following as an important source of support for governors, particularly when it comes to influencing public opinion?
family members
Any Texas House member may introduce a bill by
filing electronically with the chief clerk
When the news media provide meaning or define the central theme of an issue, they are
framing
Article 4, Section 7 of the Texas constitution states that the _________________________is the Commander-in-Chief of the state's military forces.
governor
When a state judge dies, resigns, or is removed from office, the vacancy is filled through
gubernatorial appointment
All bills that produce revenue must originate
in the House
Bills fall into three categories: special, general, and
local
What is the annual salary of the governor of Texas for fiscal years 2016-2017?
$153,750
What is the annual salary of a Texas legislator?
$7,200
How many people did Texas execute in 2015?
13
How many members does Texas have in its House of Representatives?
150
After the legislature adjourns, how long does the governor have to veto pending bills and concurrent resolutions?
20 days
Which of the following statements is true?
A variety of conservative talk radio hosts have found a home on the AM dial of the radio.
Which party's candidates spent more money on advertising during the 2014 election cycle?
Republican Party
Has a formal request been made to the Texas government for the release of execution drug information?
Yes
Within Texas, the two major political parties, most statewide candidates, and a multitude of interest groups all maintain
blogs
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?
business organizations
One example of an economic interest umbrella organization is the
Texas Association of Business
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.
Texas Legislative Council
What Texas official is responsible for deciding to release information?
The Texas Attorney General
What Law requires the state government to give information when a request is made?
The Texas Public Information Act
According to the Texas Observer in 2005, what "has become the in-house think tank of the state's current Republican leadership"?
The Texas Public Policy Foundation
Research suggests that the effect of the news media on public opinion can best be described by which of the following statements?
The media are not all-powerful, but are influential in important ways
Talk radio has long been dominated by _____________________ at both the local and national level.
conservatives
Providing favored candidates with interest group membership information, mailing lists, and email lists that help candidates solicit money and votes is an example of
electioneering
One of the complaints about news coverage of campaigns is that it tends to be __________________ journalism, which means it focuses more on who is winning than on the issues.
horserace
What is the only constitutionally prescribed method of forcing a Texas governor from office before the end of a term?
impeachment by the House of Representatives and conviction by the Senate
The Texas Medical Association was successful in lobbying the Texas legislature to
impose a cap for noneconomic damages in medical malpractice cases.
In recent years, Texas has ranked second in the country, after California, in interest group money spent on
lobbying state government
Studies have consistently shown that Texans tend to be _______________ in civic engagement compared to the rest of the nation.
low
One of the charges against the digital media is that use of the Internet and social media contributes to
lower civic engagement.
What is one thing that the Mayor risks when conducting his persuasive media campaign?
The perception that individual constituent's needs are not as important to him.
Nationally, newspaper circulation peaked at 37 percent of the population in ____________________, but had declined to 15 percent by 2009.
1947
What is the age prerequisite for becoming governor?
30
In Texas, legislators with a minimum of 12 years of service can receive their retirement pension at age
50
How did the state legislature respond to the Sharpstown bank scandal of the 1970s?
They passed a law to prevent it from happening again
T or F: Most Americans receive their news from social media sources.
True
What is a political action committee (PAC)?
a group of persons that has a principal purpose of accepting political contributions or making political contributions
Which type of resolution involves action by one legislative chamber only and is NOT sent to the governor?
a simple resolution
One important role of the media is to influence which issues are dealt with by government. This is known as
agenda setting
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?
He or she may not hold another government office
According to the text, which television news station is thought to have a conscious liberal bias?
MSNBC
Any organized group, regardless of size, is usually composed of
an active minority and a passive majority membership.
The Texas governor's____________________________ allows him or her to nominate friends and political supporters for political positions.
appointive power
The powers of the Speaker of the Texas House include which of the following?
assigning bills to House committees
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
astrotweeting
Who began serving as the Speaker of the Texas House in 2009?
Joe Straus
Which of the following is not a concern associated with the news today?
Lawmakers are able to directly communicate with constituents without the media filter.
What drug was Texas using in 2014 for executions?
Pentobarbitol
Which party's candidates won more seats in the 2014 election?
Republican Party
Which independent Texas research organization is accused by critics of having a liberal bias?
The Center for Public Policy Priorities
It is well established by research that over the last 30 years, reporters have tended to be more ___________________________ than the general population, whiles news media management has tended to be more ________________________________.
liberal and Democratic, conservative and Republican
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.
lieutenant governor
The Texas Senate's president pro tempore presides when the
lieutenant governor is absent or disabled
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?
lobbying
A study performed by the Pew Research Internet Project found which common pattern related to civic engagement?
lower education and income tend to decrease civic participation
In Texas, power groups enhance their influence by
maintaining their headquarters in Austin
When the governor delivers a State of the State address at the commencement of each regular session of the legislature, he or she is using_____________________________ to promote a harmonious relationship with the legislature.
message power
Perhaps the biggest regulatory issue facing the Internet today is ______________________, which means that Internet service providers and governments should treat all data on the Internet equally, not discriminating or charging differentially, and that providers may not block content they do not like.
net neutrality
The governor of Texas is inaugurated
on the third Tuesday in January of every fourth year
How many 30-day reprieves is the governor of Texas allowed to grant independently in a death sentence case?
one
During a special session, the legislature may consider only those matters
placed before it by the governor
Don is governor of Texas, and he decides to strike a bargain with a senator in which he promises not to deny funding for the senator's pet project. In return, the senator agrees to support a bill Don favors. This scenario is an example of
pork-barrel politics
Interest groups are composed chiefly of persons from
professional and managerial occupations
The governor of Texas can only grant a full pardon or a conditional pardon for convicted criminals if it is
recommended by the Board of Pardons and Paroles
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?
right of association (First Amendment)
What is the most common source of news for modern Texans?
television
Who is responsible for media regulation at the national level?
the Federal Communications Commission
In Texas, what is the larger chamber of the bicameral legislature called?
the House of Representatives
The oldest Latino interest group is
the League of United Latin American Citizens
All proceedings in the Texas House are controlled by
the Speaker of the House
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
the Texas League of Conservation Voters
Who is the state's chief accounting officer and tax collector?
the comptroller of public accounts
When does legislative redistricting occur for both the House and the Senate?
the first odd-numbered year in a decade
In Texas's 2002 gubernatorial election, Republicans ran a series of television ads trying to taint Democratic candidate Tony Sanchez by purporting that drug money had allegedly been laundered through his bank. These ads were examples of
attack ads.
Traditionally, which of the following occupations has been typical of a Texas legislator?
attorney
What is one way the legislature limits the governor's control over the state bureaucracy?
by limiting the governor's independent removal power
U.S. courts have been particularly suspicious of prior restraint or ___________________________ before information can be made available to the public.
censorship
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
chubbing
Who is primarily responsible for law enforcement in the state of Texas?
city police departments and county sheriffs' departments
Under a _______________________ , the governor may withhold certain rights, such as being licensed to practice a selected occupation or profession.
conditional pardon
When it comes to supporting political candidates, Texas's newspapers, with some exceptions, generally supported __________________ candidates.
conservative
Governor Rick Perry recognized and made full use of social media to connect with constituents, including providing links to podcasts of his speeches and to flattering news stories. Governor Perry was using social media to enhance his
informal powers
Where does the Texas governor's principal control over state spending come from?
the governor's power to veto an entire appropriations bill
What restriction is placed on the Texas governor's special session power?
the length of a special session is limited to 30 days
Should a governor die, resign, or be removed from office, or should a governor-elect refuse to take office or be permanently unable to fill the office, who would be the first to succeed him or her?
the lieutenant governor
Which of the following developments has increased the news impact of radio?
the rise of talk radio
Which of the following factors has precipitated the influence of interest groups?
the strength of the party system
What is the major responsibility of the Texas Senate Research Center?
to analyze bills under consideration by the Senate
In general, what is the goal of an interest group?
to influence government officials and their policies on behalf of group members
A Texas legislator's expense allowance can be used for all of the following EXCEPT
travel within the United States
Journalism that is based on sensationalism and exaggeration is known as
yellow journalism
With more than 4,000 employees, the Office of the____________________ gives advice concerning the constitutionality of many pending bills.
Attorney General
Which of the following is an example of a public interest group?
Common Cause Texas
What is the primary concern of Theresa Gatreaux?
The disruption of traditional bird migration paths.
Who became the first Republican governor in Texas since E. J. Davis?
William P. ("Bill") Clements Jr.
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?
a ban on lobby-paid pleasure trips
