Gov Test 2
According to the Texas Judicial Campaign Fairness Act, what dollar amount is an individual limited to when donating to a statewide judicial candidate?
$5,000
According to ALEC's own reporting, approximately how of the 826 introduced pieces of legislation based on their proposals ended up becoming law in 2009?
0.14
Each county has at least how many district courts?
1
By 2017, what percentage of appellate judges are Latinos?
15
How old does someone have to be to serve in the Texas House?
21 years old
By 2017, what percentage of district judges in Texas were women?
35
According to Brace and Hall, how many more cases to state supreme courts decide each year compared to the US Supreme Court?
700 times as many
Each member of the Texas Senate represents about ___________ people, while each member of the Texas House represents about_________ people
811,000; 168,000
How many justices sit on the Texas Supreme Court?
9
In Texas, approximately how many criminal convictions are the result of plea bargains?
97
What is the main difference between a home-rule city and a general-law city?
A general-law city is chartered for localities with a population of fewer than 5,000 persons
What is the main difference between a special purpose district and a county?
A special purpose district provides only one specific service within a geographic region
Which French author understood and appreciated the instability of majoritarian, American politics and the role that courts and law played in the American political system?
Alexis de Tocqueville
A 2014 survey-based research study finds that elected officials may primarily use incentives -- even if they are not particularly effective -- for which of the following reasons?
As a political tool in pursuit of electoral success
Former governor Rick Perry used to use radio advertisements in an effort to recruit businesses primarily from which of the following states?
California
By the early 1980s, judicial candidates in Texas made a mass change in their campaign strategies. What was that change?
Candidates began making a switch from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party
The ________ is the oldest state agency in Texas
General Land Office
Which of the following Texas cities received the largest amount of foreign direct investment between 2014 and 2016?
Houston
In Texas, what is the primary effect of a plural executive?
It dilutes the power of the governor and fragments the executive branch
What is a key problem with counties in Texas?
Many of them are too small and underpopulated to function well
Existing evidence suggests that incentives have ___ on a business' decision to build or relocate in a particular locality
Marginal effects
What is the level of popularity of the commissioner system of city government in Texas today?
No city in Texas today has a pure commissioner system, but a handful claim a variation of the system
The concept of Devolution (in Federalism) has primarily had which of the following effects on state courts, and state courts of last resort in particular?
State courts of last resort have seen a growth in their role in policymaking
Authority over railroads throughout Texas was given to the ________ in 2005
Texas Department of Transportation
What is considered unique about the appellate court structure in Texas?
Texas has separate appellate courts for civil and criminal cases
In Texas, ________ create(s) special purpose districts
Texas voters in the areas that will be covered
Before 1978, partisanship was not a factor in Texas judicial elections because
Texas was effectively a one-party state
What was the effect of Dallas shifting from an at-large to a single
The change was responsible for the election of a significant number of African American and Hispanic council members
What happens in a bench trial?
The defendant gives up his or her constitutional right to a trial by jury. Instead, the trial is conducted with only the judge
Which of the following is true with respect to the rate at which sitting judges face challengers in nonpartisan judicial elections?
The number of sitting judges who faced a challenger almost doubled between 1990 and 2000
For how long does the Texas legislature meet?
The regular legislative session lasts 140 days in odd-numbered years.
Why did the Texas Constitution establish a plural executive?
There was suspicion of a strong chief executive
What is the function of the twenty-four councils of government in Texas today?
They are a regional board meant to coordinate local planning and economic development
How are most special purpose districts in Texas administered?
They are run by a board elected by residents within the district
Why are Texas counties important?
They provide the main form of government in rural areas.
Why is it difficult for voters to learn about judicial candidates in Texas?
Voters are called upon to vote for too many different judicial races in a single election
Which of the following is an example of a case that would most likely be heard in criminal court?
a case in which a student has vandalized cars in a school parking lot
"Pigeonholing" is a practice in which
a committee chair sets aside a bill
A school district is
a special purpose district
In a criminal trial,
a unanimous verdict is needed to find a defendant guilty or not guilty.
County judges who preside over county commissioners' courts are responsible for
administering county governments
In Texas, county governments are responsible for which of the following tasks?
administration of social services
What is an at-large election?
an election in which voters elect officials from the entire geographical area rather than from a smaller district within the area
The lieutenant governor is
an official who is elected in a statewide election for a four-year term
The chief lawyer for Texas is the
attorney general
In large Texas counties, the ________ prepares the county budget.
auditor
In criminal cases, the prosecutor must prove that the defendant is guilty
beyond a reasonable doubt
The Texas legislature is a
bicameral body consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate
Under the Senate Rules, the lieutenant governor has the power to
break a tie on any vote
Cities and towns in Texas often see rapid population growth. Such growth requires school districts to quickly expand. In this type of situation, school districts use __________________ to borrow the necessary funds to achieve this goal.
capital appreciation bonds (CABs)
The chief financial officer for a city is called the
city controller
What types of cases does the Texas Supreme Court hear?
civil appeals
The state attorney general is primarily concerned with
civil cases
Which city governments have officials who act as both executives and legislators?
commissioners
Who is responsible for setting the county's budget and tax rate?
commissioners' court
A(n) ________ is the presentation of a grievance by the plaintiff in a civil case.
complaint
A ________ form of government is one in which public policies are developed by the city council and executive and administrative functions are assigned to a professional city manager
council manager
Across the United States, which form of government for cities with over 10,000 residents has been the most popular?
council manager
Dallas operates under which style of city government?
council-manager
San Antonio operates under which style of city government?
council-manager
The law enforcement budget at the county level is approved by the
county commissioners' court
In Texas, what is the name of the officer who presides over the county commissioners' court?
county judge
In what type of court would a justice of the peace handle minor criminal cases, less serious civil suits, and traffic/parking violations?
court of limited jurisdiction
The debate over preemption between local self-governance and control by the state government echoes which of the following
debates between the state governments and the federal government about which level of government should make governing decisions
Special purpose districts in Texas are
democratic in theory but often not in practice
Civil law focuses on __________________, while criminal law focuses on __________________.
disputes about relationships, obligations, and responsibilities; violations of codes of right and wrong as determined by criminal statutes
The major trial courts in Texas are
district courts
The state comptroller has two major duties: collecting tax revenue for the state and
estimating future revenue
In Texas, what is the most important power of the state comptroller?
estimating state revenues for the legislature
In spite of judicial campaigns, voters often know little about judicial candidates. As a result, they vote
for the party label
District courts usually have ________ jurisdiction, meaning that they hear a broad range of civil and criminal cases.
general
Which is the most important bill that applies to all people and property throughout the state?
general bill
According to the Dillon Rule doctrine
general-law cities and towns are much more constrained than home-rule cities, and cannot take any action unless explicitly authorized by a law passed by the state.
Special bills are used to
give an individual or corporation an exemption from state law
In order to be eligible to serve on either the Texas Supreme Court or the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, you must
have been either a judge or practicing lawyer for at least 10 years
As the number of urban areas grew in the state in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the management of local affairs became such a growing burden on the state legislature that it passed the
home-rule charter
The commissioner form of city government was developed as a response to the
hurricane at Galveston in 1900
Commissioner forms of government were at the height of their popularity
in 1918, during the Progressive era
The legislative powers of the governor
include the ability to veto bills and to call special sessions of the legislature
One of the most important social services provided by counties is
indigent health care
The governor's power of appointment is the most significant of the executive powers because it allows the governor to appoint
individuals to numerous agencies, commissions, and boards in Texas
The Speaker of the Texas House
is considered the most important elected official in state policy making
If a bill passes the House and the Senate, but in different forms, the bill
is sent to a conference committee
The State Bar of Texas is a unique organization because
it is a professional organization, but it also performs functions on behalf of the government, such as licensing and disciplining members
One reason why there are few minority judges in Texas is that
judicial districts are often quite large and dominated by whites who vote against minority judicial candidates
Which court's justices are the least likely to be lawyers?
justice of the peace
Which judicial office has existed in Texas since 1837, even before statehood?
justice of the peace
The president of the Texas Senate is also the
lieutenant governor of Texas
The Texas Judicial Campaign Fairness Act
limits the amount of campaign contributions a judicial candidate can receive from an individual donor
The governor has some control over the final appropriations bill through the use of the ________ veto.
line-item
Gubernatorial elections are held in off-years (election years in which we do not select a president) because state leaders want to
minimize the effect of presidential elections on the governor's race
Which of the following is a court of limited civil jurisdiction within the Texas state court system?
municipal court
If you live outside city limits, water, sewer, sanitation, and electricity services are offered by
municipal utility districts (MUDs)
How many states also have in place a campaign fairness act similar to that of Texas's Judicial Campaign Fairness Act?
none: Texas is the only one
Texas officially uses which method to select state judges?
partisan election
What makes the greatest difference between strong and weak governors of Texas?
personality differences
A person who files a civil lawsuit against another party is called a
plaintiff
The weak-mayor form of government is similar to the __________________ because they both ________________.
plural executive; divide power among multiple people who can present the positions of their constituencies
In civil cases, the burden is on the plaintiff, and the standard that must be met is known as
preponderance of the evidence
What are the main sources of revenue for special purpose districts in Texas?
property taxes and user fees
A merit election plan would
provide for an appointment process, and then when the term has been served, the judge would seek retention in an election with no opponents listed
Special purpose districts were initially designed to help develop poor and rural areas of Texas. However, many people are now concerned that the system is being abused because
real estate developers have figured out a way to develop the infrastructure for new developments but pass the costs on to future owners of the property
The Texas Department of Insurance
regulates the insurance market in Texas under the guidance of an appointed commissioner who serves a two-year term
What types of resolutions are acted on without debate and without requiring members to read the resolution?
resolutions of honor or recognition
The legislature has "directive and supervisory powers" that include the ability to
review each state agency every twelve years
The Texas Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeals have appellate jurisdiction, which means they have the authority to do what?
review the decisions of lower courts to determine whether legal principles and court procedures were followed correctly
What is the most important expenditure of most county commissioners' courts?
roads and bridges
Which member of the plural executive is appointed by the governor rather than elected by the people?
secretary of state
The chief law-enforcement officer in county governments is the
sheriff
The mayor-council form of government is most common in
smaller general-law cities
What type of government is called hidden government because people often do NOT know it exists?
special purpose districts
Which of the following is the most common form of local government in Texas?
special purpose districts
Veterans' courts, DWI courts, and drug courts are types of
specialty courts
Courts that can review matters relating to the disposition of property of deceased people are referred to as what?
statutory probate courts
In Texas, which judicial candidate race is considered the most expensive, where candidates are likely to raise over $1 million?
supreme court
If you want to know how many people serve on a city's governing body, which document do you need to consult?
the city's home-rule charter
Which court in Texas has automatic jurisdiction over all death penalty cases?
the court of criminal appeals
In a capital case,
the death penalty is a possible punishment upon conviction.
Which of the following is a source of often unanticipated costs faced by county governments?
the financial burden of capital murder trials
Which of the following has been given as a reason for reforming the way judges are selected in Texas?
the importance of a judicial candidate's name in the current system
In the commissioner form of government
the legislative and executive functions are performed by the elected commission.
At the same time that the Texas Supreme Court become more conservative,
the legislature was also passing laws that favored businesses, creating a situation where it is becoming more difficult for individuals to successfully sue businesses in civil lawsuits
In a strong-mayor council form of government, who controls the legislative agenda of the city council?
the mayor
In the case Avery v. Midland County, the U.S. Supreme Court held that
the principle of "one person, one vote" applied to county commissioners' courts
In Texas, which officer in the plural executive is NOT elected by voters?
the secretary of state
In smaller counties, the sheriff performs which of the following jobs?
the tax assessor/collector
The elected members of the plural executive are ultimately accountable to
the voters
In most Texas cities that use the council-manager form of government today,
there is a professional city manager, a mayor that is elected at large, and a city council that is elected by single-member districts.
Civil rights organizations representing Latinos and African Americans have argued that for minorities to get elected into office
there must be small judicial districts where minority voters make up the majority
What is the most important type of case that the Texas Supreme Court handles?
tort law cases
The majority of the cases that justice of the peace judges hear are those regarding
traffic misdemeanors
If the governor does not like specific provisions of an appropriations bill passed by the legislature, he or she can
use the line-item veto to remove those portions from the rest of the bill
Municipal courts have jurisdiction over
violations of city ordinances
For a law to pass in the Texas legislature it must be voted on by
two deliberative bodies representing different constituencies
Texas governors can serve a(n) __________ number of __________-year terms
unlimited, four
The governor's line-item veto power allows him or her to
veto specific lines (or items) from appropriations bills
Members of the State Board of Education (SBOE) are elected in single-member districts. Therefore,
voters in Texas have the ability to influence public education policy, such as high school graduation requirements and textbook adoptions.
Historically in Texas, the governor is considered to be __________, while the lieutenant governor is considered to be __________
weak; strong
The Sunset Advisory Commission (SAC) evaluates
whether state agencies continue to meet the needs of the state in an effective manner
Which of the following legislators would be LEAST likely to propose an ALEC model bill according to the findings of the article?
"68 years old, liberal democrat, 20 years in office"
According to Paul Peterson, an author cited in the article, which of the following is one reason why focusing studies of state-level policy making influence on state legislatures is misguided?
"The parochialism (narrow, limited outlook) of state legislatures make them a poor vehicle for achieving state-wide policy goals"
In even-numbered years, Texas representatives receive a salary of only ________ per year, not including a per diem
$7,200
In 2017, approximately how many people worked for the state bureaucracy in Texas?
330,000
What is ALEC?
American Legislative Exchange Council
How can the plural executive limit the governor's power?
Members of the plural executive are elected by the people of Texas; this means members are accountable not to the governor but to voters
The Railroad Commission of Texas's strategy of limited oil production to maintain prices was adopted by which organization?
OPEC
According to the hypotheses of the Barrilleaux and Berkman article, which of the following do the authors expect Democratic party controlled state legislatures to favor?
Policies associated with higher levels of state government spending
Which of the following policy areas or policy-related activities do Barrilleaux and Berkman use to study the power of the governor relative to the power of the state legislature?
Budgetary policy
________ is a kind of talking that is used to stall legislation
Chubbing
Which of the following is NOT one of the things that, for example, make strong governors particularly successful in policy making?
Having experience derived from prior service in a lower-level executive office
Which chamber not only is larger but also is subjected to more frequent elections?
House of Representatives
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
What is the function of the "local and consent" calendar?
It is reserved for uncontroversial bills or bills limited to a localized problem.
What is the purpose of the Sunset Advisory Commission in Texas?
It reviews state agencies every twelve years to see if they are still needed
________ is the only Texas governor to be both impeached and convicted
James Ferguson
Which of the following most accurately describes the influential activities undertaken by ALEC in pursuit of policymaking success?
Providing model bills to state legislators with little expertise in particular policy areas
Which of the following policy pursuits is most likely to reward governors?
Provision of statewide benefits
________ must begin in the House of Representatives.
Revenue bills
Which entity has the main responsibility for collecting child-support payments?
Texas attorney general
For what offense may the governor of Texas be impeached?
The Texas Constitution does not specify grounds for removal
According to the Barrilleaux and Berkman, which of the following is most likely to influence the extent to which governors act as a leader of their policy-making team (their political party)?
The electoral environment and the extent to which state legislators and the governor are independent of each other either secure or threatened in their reelection prospects
Which of the following is the best example of the Texas governor's military powers?
The governor can declare martial law during a natural disaster
What is required to convene a special session of the state legislature?
The governor must call for a special session outside a general session
After a bill is referred by a committee, the next step in the process is
floor action
If the governor appointed a loyal supporter to serve on the Sunset Advisory Commission, it would be considered an act of
patronage
One of the most notable effects of bicameralism in the Texas legislature is that it
permits more opportunities to kill or significantly modify a bill
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
What is the primary task of the Texas secretary of state?
to handle elections and voter registration
In order to be eligible to serve in the Texas House, you must be ______ years old; in order to be eligible to serve in the Texas Senate, you must be ______ years old
21; 26
Special sessions last ________, but there is no limit to the number of special sessions a governor can call
30 days
If the legislature grants a particular corporation an exception from a state law, it is called
special bill
Which committee acts as a screening mechanism to filter out bad bills or bills that have little or no political support?
standing
Which office is charged with ensuring the accuracy of official weights and measures?
the Department of Agriculture
The legislative budget is prepared and submitted by
the Legislative Budget Board
The number of legislators ALEC claims among its membership is closest to which of the following percentages of all state legislators in the United States?
0.34
Redistricting usually happens every __________ years so that it aligns with the new __________ results
10; census
The Texas legislature meets in regular session for
140 days every odd-numbered year
In the Texas legislature, the House has ________ members and the Senate has ________ members.
150; 31
Which of the following types of spending is one in which benefits are concentrated in specific geographic sections of a given state?
Developmental spending
Institutional design has an influence on the power of the governor and on state-level policy making in general. Which of the following reasons is NOT generally one of the thoughts or goals considered when designing institutional arrangements?
Electoral goals
The pluralist view of interest group influence in policy making sees business interests as just one among many influences with nothing particularly special about it in so far as other interests are able to check the influence of business groups. This pluralist perspective is opposed to the ___ perspective of interest group influence in policy making
Elitist
The governor appoints people to office, but the Texas ________ must also confirm them
Senate
Which of the following statements about special sessions of the Texas legislature is true?
Special sessions are common, held an average of once a year since 1876
Which of the following is the best example of the Texas governor's exercise of senatorial courtesy?
The governor will not appoint someone to office unless that appointee's state senator agrees
For a Texas governor, what is the benefit of a post-adjournment veto?
The legislature is prevented from overriding it
What is the outcome for the vast majority of bills that are assigned to committees in the Texas legislature?
They are pigeonholed by the committee chair
Which of the following statements about simple resolutions is correct?
They do not require the signature of the governor.
According to the Texas Constitution, in order to serve as governor, an individual must
be at least 30 years old
Which of the following is one of the governor's legislative powers?
calling special sessions of the legislature
Constituent service can play an important role in
creating a personal relationship between the legislator and the individual constituent, which will give the legislator 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
Although judges are elected in Texas, the __________ can appoint a state judge in the event of a vacancy.
governor
The agenda for special sessions in the Texas legislature is set by the
governor
The Texas Constitution grants the __________ veto power, and it is used __________.
governor; actively
The ability of the governor to use message power, veto bills, and call special sessions of the legislature are all part of his or her __________ powers.
legislative
A bill in the Texas legislature that would allow a county to establish a new community college would be classified as a
local bill
Texas House members differ from Texas Senate members because House members
represent small districts and are subject to more frequent elections
What is the Texas governor's greatest judicial power?
the power to appoint judges to vacancies in the courts
The Texas Legislature has many powers that are not related to legislation, including which of the following?
the power to formally count returns for the governor's and lieutenant governor's elections
