Chapter 7

Read the excerpt, and answer the question below The [Texas House of Representative] immediately turned its attention to the numerous charges against [Governor James Ferguson] and, after a lengthy investigation, prepared twenty-one articles of impeachment. The Senate, sitting as a High Court of Impeachment, spent three weeks considering the charges and finally convicted the governor on the ten of them... The Court of Impeachment, by a vote of twenty-five to three, removed Ferguson from office and made him ineligible to hold any office of honor, trust, or profit under the state of Texas. This excerpt details the exercise of which powers of the Texas legislature?

Judicial powers

Committee chairs will pigeonhole a bill by never putting it on the committee agenda to be considered.

True

Analyze the passage to answer the question below it. The United States shall guarantee o every State in the Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence. -Article IV, Section 4, U.S. Constitution In this passage, the term Republican most likely has which of the following meanings?

A system in which individuals are elected to make decisions on behalf of constituents

The number of people in each legislative district must be roughly equal based on the total number of what?

residents

Complete the following statement: The _ members of the Texas legislature meet in regular session for _ each odd-numbered year. In the 2019 legislative session, they successfully passes _ of all proposed legislation.

-181 -140 calendar days -less than 20%

Replace the incorrect terms in the passage with the correct terms that appear in the answer choices. The Texas Constitution creates a [confederal] form of government with a unicameral legislature made up of officials elected in [November of each year] to serve during regular legislative sessions that last for [ 30 days].

-Republican -Bicameral -November of even-numbered years -140 calendar days

The _ is required to redistrict after every _.

-state legislature -census

The _ was eliminated by _ in 2015 when Republicans could not collect enough votes to overcome Democratic objections to bills in the Texas Senate.

-two-thirds rule -Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick

Place in order the following steps a bill must take before it becomes law.

1. introduction 2. referral 3. consideration by a standing committee 4. Floor action 5. conference committee between House and Senate 6. signature by the governor

Both the Speaker of the House and the lieutenant governor help ensure that allies on committees are able to carry out their agendas. This is best known as which power?

Appointment power

Match each characteristic of the Texas legislature with its best definition.

Bicameral: - composed of two chambers or houses Biennial: - occurs every two years Special session: - a legislative session called by the governor that addresses an agenda set by him or her Regular session: - a 140-day period occurring only in odd-numbered years

The governor of Texas can use the veto in various ways to reject acts by the legislature, and different types of vetoes have specific features. Label each description with the type of veto that is best and most closely describes.

Cannot be overridden by the legislature - Post adjournment veto Rejection of legislation that can be overridden by a two-third votes of the legislature - veto Used on select portions of omnibus spending bills - Line-item veto

Select all of the following ways in which legislators can attempt to force negotiation on a bill by slowing down the legislative process

Correct: -Chubbing -Filibuster -Objecting to a local and consent bill Incorrect: -Amending legislation -Vetoing legislation

Which of the following are arguments that being a member of the legislature is a full-time job even if it is technically considered part-time?

Correct: -interim committee meetings -special sessions -constituent service Incorrect: -Meeting with media

Which method to delay and perhaps kill a legislative measure can be used only in the Senate?

Filibuster

In what way had Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick most significantly different from his predecessors in the office of lieutenant governor?

Party polarization

Which of the following is the power of the executive to veto specific provisions of an appropriations bill passed by the legislature?

line-item veto

Why are delay tactics like chubbing and the filibuster effective tools for forcing compromise or killing a bill?

they use up critical limited time in the legislative session

In what ways can a member of the public act as a lobbyist?

writing letters or emails making phone calls scheduling a meeting