Chapter 7 test bank

Since the lieutenant governor is elected in a statewide election, he or she represents the interests of the whole state rather than a smaller geographic constituency.

true

The Texas Constitution forbids the legislature to borrow money to conduct the daily operations of government.

true

In even-numbered years, Texas representatives receive a salary of only ________ per year, not including a per diem.

$7,200

Each member of the Texas Senate represents about ___________ people, while each member of the Texas House represents about_________ people.

811,000; 168,000

In Texas, why is a governor's post-adjournment veto so powerful?

It cannot be overturned by the legislature.

As in the U.S. Congress, the purpose of a conference committee in the Texas legislature is to do what?

It is a committee designed to make differing House and Senate versions of the same bill identical.

Senators and House members take office in______________ of odd-numbered years.

January

What is the difference between a bill and a resolution?

Resolutions can be filibustered while bills cannot.

________ must begin in the House of Representatives.

Revenue bills

Who has responsibility for redistricting the legislative districts in Texas?

The Texas legislature tries first, but if it is unable to do so at the first regular session after the census, the job goes to the Legislative Redistricting Board.

In the Texas legislature, when a committee chair "pigeonholes" a bill, what happens?

The bill is set aside before it is ever discussed in committee.

Why is the comptroller of public accounts so important to the legislature?

The comptroller informs the legislature how much money it has to spend on the budget.

If the governor decides that he or she does not want a bill passed by the legislature to become law, he or she must do what?

The governor must veto the bill.

While bills must be introduced by a member of the legislature, ______________ can write a bill.

anyone

Districts for members of the Texas House include more people than districts for members of the Texas Senate.

false

General bills apply only to a specific location like one city or one county.

false

In Texas, both the lieutenant governor and the Speaker of the House are elected in statewide elections.

false

In a bicameral legislature, a bill only has to be passed by either the House or Senate before it is sent to the governor to be signed into law.

false

In the Senate, the Speaker controls legislative debate by selecting who speaks and how long the debate will last.

false

Like the U.S. president, the governor of Texas can kill a bill by refusing to sign it.

false

Members of the Texas House of Representatives are permitted to speak on the House floor for as long as they wish.

false

Pigeonholing happens when the Speaker of the House or lieutenant governor sets a bill aside and does not refer it to a standing committee for consideration.

false

Special sessions last 60 days, and there is no limit to the number of special sessions a governor can call.

false

The Texas Constitution permits the election to the Texas legislature of persons who are not U.S. citizens but who have been legal residents of Texas for at least 10 years.

false

The Texas House of Representatives is responsible for both impeaching government officials and holding the trials after impeachment.

false

The governor of Texas can use the line-item veto on any type of legislation.

false

The legislature can overturn a post-adjournment veto.

false

The redistricting process only impacts the districts for the U.S. House of Representatives.

false

The voters are the only political actors in Texas that have electoral powers.

false

According to the Texas Constitution, regular sessions of the Texas Legislature are held

for 140 days biennially, occurring in odd-numbered years

The Speaker of the House and the lieutenant governor are viewed as among the most powerful actors in Texas government because

they have enough institutional powers to be able to influence which legislation passes and which legislation is killed.

The governor often uses the State of the State address to do which of the following?

to describe his or her legislative priorities and agenda

By focusing on some things and not others, the media can shape the legislative agenda and what becomes public policy in Texas.

true

Conference committees are designed to make Texas House and Senate bills identical to each other.

true

Elected members of the legislature are paid a per diem for days they are doing official business in Austin when the legislature is not in session.

true

Regular sessions of the Texas legislature last for 140 days and are held every other year.

true

Which type of districts are used in the Texas House and Senate?

single-member districts

Which committee is a permanent committee that covers one particular subject area?

standing

The Texas General Land Office is accused of mishandling funds earmarked for hurricane relief and recovery. Who is responsible for investigating?

the House, Senate, or both chambers jointly, using the legislature's investigative power

In the Texas legislature, the House has ________ members and the Senate has ________ members.

150; 31

Which of the following is true about bicameralism in the Texas legislature?

Since bills must be passed by both chambers, the process requires compromise, but also allows individual members of the legislature the ability to block passage of bills.

When people talk about "redistricting" what are they referring to?

The redrawing of district lines for U.S. House of Representatives, Texas Senate, and Texas House every 10 years after the census to ensure that each district has roughly the same number of people.

Which of the following rules applies to the filibuster in the Texas Senate?

The senator who has control of the floor must always speak in an audible voice, so that he or she can be heard and understood.

What is the importance of the Supreme Court's decisions in Reynolds v. Sims and Baker v. Carr?

They declared the constitutional principle of "one person, one vote."

Which of the following statements about simple resolutions is correct?

They do not require the signature of the governor.

Impeachment is ___________________ and is an example of the Texas Legislature's ____________ power.

a formal charge by the House of Representatives that leads to a trial in the Senate that could result in the removal of an official from office; judicial

If the legislature grants a particular corporation an exception from a state law, it is called

a special bill.

Special sessions of the legislature

are called frequently because the legislature is unable to complete all of its required business in the allotted 140 days of its regular sessions.

The Texas legislature is responsible for formally counting the returns for the election of governor and lieutenant governor. This is an example of which one of the legislature's powers?

electoral power

Constituent service can play an important role in

creating a personal relationship between legislators and constituents, and gives legislators an advantage when running for reelection.

The power of recognition allows the Speaker of the House to

determine who will get to speak and how long a legislative debate will last.

Texas senators serve ________-year terms and House members serve ________-year terms

four; two

Which is the most important bill that applies to all people and property throughout the state?

general bill

The agenda for special sessions in the Texas legislature is set by the

governor.

The first four steps in the process for a bill to become a law are:

introduction, referral, consideration by standing committee, and floor action.

In the Texas legislature, there are three types of resolutions that are used:

joint resolution, concurrent resolution, and simple resolution.

A bill in the Texas legislature that would allow a county to establish a new community college would be classified as a

local bill

In Texas, the governor's State of the State address is an example of the ________ power.

message

The legislature has "directive and supervisory powers" that include the ability to

review each state agency every twelve years.

In a representative democracy, such as the one established by the Texas Constitution, members of the legislature are elected to represent

the interests of their constituents.

Legislative districts must have roughly equal populations to comply with the one-person, one-vote principle.

the line-item veto.