GOVT 2306: Section 2

Which of the following Amendments to the US Constitution did NOT deal with suffrage?

12th Amendment

The poll tax was made illegal in federal elections in ___________ but remained legal in state elections in Texas until __________

1964;1966

Women were given the right to vote in the United States with the passage of the

19th Amendment

Texas Ranks ____________ in the nation in voter participation

50th

Approximately what percentage of the state's voting-age population is registered to vote?

70 percent

According to the outside reading on pre-party Texas, which political philosophy had an impact on politics prior to the rise of the Democratic party in Texas?

All of the above: Classical Liberalism, Populism, Social Conservatism

What resource(s) are interest groups able to use to influence politics?

All of these are correct: members, ability to raise money, credibility

A major difference between a political party and an interest group is that

All of these are major differences: a political party seeks to operate the government and to determine public policy, an interest group tends to focus on issues whereas political parties blur their issue positions; interest groups do not put forth candidates; political parties try to win elections

What are some reasons for the dominance of the Democratic Party in Texas?

All would be correct: Civil War, Assassination of Lincoln, President Johnson and Radical Republican Congress, Reconstruction, E.J. Davis and Union Army in Texas

Partisan polarization refers to situations in which members of the same political party begin to fight over policy and ideological issues.

False

Reapportionment involves the determination of how district lines will be drawn in each state

False

Some of Texas's biggest lobby spenders are groups that include the interests of consumers, the environment, or human services.

False

The Dixiecrat movement led by Storm Thurmond in 1948 opposed the segregationist ideas of President Truman.

False

The Texas Constitution and election laws call the Texas primary system an open primary

False

The emergence of a strong two-party system in Texas will ultimately hurt Texas voters.

False

The primary elections are the second elections held in an electoral cycle

False

Which U.S. Supreme Court decision held that confining party membership to white citizens within the Democratic Party in Texas was constitutional

Grovey V. Townsend

What did Lonnie "Bo" Pilgrim do in 1989?

He distributed $10,000 checks to state senators while lobbying them on a bill

Which of the following are NOT functions of political parties?

Influence government office holders

Which third party emphasizes the importance of small government and personal responsibility?

Libertarian Party

By about the 1940's, a split between liberal and conservatives developed in the Democratic Party that focused on

New Deal economic policies and civil rights measures.

What month are general elections held?

November

What type of general election does Texas use?

Off-year election

When you vote in a general election, what are you helping to decide?

Officials for public office

If an interest group "gets on the late train," it means

an interest groups gives contributions after the elections to a winning candidate the group had earlier opposed.

What is a political party?

an organization that seeks to elect officeholders under a given label

A closed primary allows only those individuals who ___________ to participate

are party members

The Voting Rights Act has been renewed several times since 1965, and new provisions have been added since then. For example,

bilingual ballots are now required in certain areas where more than 5 percent of voters speak another language

What are the top two reasons Texans give for NOT voting?

busy/conflict with work and not interested/vote does not matter

In what case did the Supreme Court rule that a key section of the Voting Rights Act was unconstitutional, which affected a key provision requiring Texas to have its new districts approved by the U.S. Department of Justice?

Shelby County V. Holder

______________ believe that they can have more influence in state politics if they become a force to be reckoned with within the Republican Party.

Tea Party members

One of the most influential professional groups in Austin is the

Texas Medical Association.

What is the purpose of a party label under which candidates run for office?

To help voters identify with a candidate

Each state decides its own requirements for getting on the ballot.

True

In Texas, special elections are used to fill vacancies in office and to give approval to borrow money

True

Incumbents are most likely to receive large campaign contributions.

True

One of the most influential professional groups in Austin is the Texas Medical Association.

True

Political parties help keep the government accountable to the people

True

Redistricting and scandal are the two greatest threats to an incumbent's electoral advantage.

True

Republicans have won every statewide election in Texas since 1994.

True

Texans tend to vote less than the national average

True

Texas Democrats have been relegated to minority status in the state since 1994.

True

The Tea Party movement is strong in Texas.

True

The main role of the precinct convention is to select delegates for the county-level convention.

True

What is NOT an indicator of who is most likely to vote?

Where you live

___________ was the first Republican to hold the office of Texas governor since the end of Reconstruction

William R. Clements

Which statement correctly describes the requirements for membership in a major political party in Texas?

With no requirements, a registered voter simply chooses which party primary to vote in.

In recent presidential elections, Texas has

consistently supported the Republican nominee.

The main role of the precinct conventions is to select delegates to the ____________ and possibly to submit resolutions that may eventually become part of the party platform.

county convention

In modern-day Texas, control of the state government

lies solely in the hands of the Republicans.

Which of the following is/are employed to express the values of interest groups?

lobbyists

There is no question that ___________ is/are important for candidate success in Texas

money

The degree to which members of the Texas Republican Party have become more conservative, and members of the Texas Democratic Party have become more liberal, is referred to as

partisan polarization

In Texas, which group is most likely to support the Republican Party?

people who reside in rural areas

Lobbyists can do all of the following EXCEPT

provide bribes to lawmakers.

The situation in which individuals receive the benefits of collective action without contributing is known as

the "free rider problem"

One distinct advantage that the Democrats and Republicans have in winning elections in the United States is

the winner-take-all system

If corporations, labor groups or other professional groups want to donate money to a political candidate

they must first create a PAC to do this.

What type of party system do we have in the United States?

two-party system

General elections for all national, state, and local offices must be held in November

False

What has meant more in Texas when it comes to party politics?

Being Conservative

All of the following are voting requirements except:

Birth certificate

In Texas elections, the __________ play(s) the largest role in running campaigns

Candidates

Which is NOT a reason for forming a political action committee?

Candidates are more likely to allow political action committees to purchase media access during election season.

Which U.S. Supreme Court case in 2009 created the opportunity for organizations opposed to powerful incumbents NOT disclose their donors?

Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission

Which of the following groups have had notable political success by litigating in federal courts?

Civil rights groups

What type of primary system does Texas use?

Combination of open/closed system

Which of the following is the best example of a public interest group?

Comon Cause

Elections are the mechanism people use to do all of the following except

Create debate over controversial issues

For most of Texas;s history, which political party dominated state politics and through it policy making?

Democrat

The demographic changes in Texas make the state more similar to its southern neighbors because the Texas

Democrats will become more minority and less white

Most of the African American population of Texas is concentrated in

East Texas

A lobbyist is an individual employed by a political action committee who tries to influence governmental decisions on behalf of that group

False

Blue Dog Democrats are becoming more and more popular in Texas.

False

Gaining access to politicians through personal connections is a violation of Texas state laws.

False

What is it called when conservatives vote Democratic candidates for state office and Republican candidate for Presidential elections?

Presidential Republican

Texas was the first state in the South to

Ratify the women's suffrage amendment

Why are Texas Republicans considered to be in a "divided moment"?

because pro-business Republicans have dominated state politics in recent years, and the Tea Party movement has begun to influence state legislative races as well as major statewide races

When individuals or interest groups take out ads concerning a campaign issue but do not tie them directly to any particular candidate it is called

issue advocacy

The way Texas handles political contributions from individuals and professional groups (lobbyists) is

different than the National Government - only concerned with who and what but no regulation of how much.

One important way for interest groups to gain access to those in Texas government is to employ ______ as lobbyists.

former legislators and government officials

The first (and most important) task of a lobbyist is to

gain access to legislators and other elected officials

The most important goal of political parties is to

gain control of government through popular elections.

What is not an example of a direct technique used by lobbyists to pressure policy makers?

generating public support

The principle objective of an interest group is to

influence government officials and policy decisions