Module 1 major test

Which event occurred at Spindletop, TX?

Oil was discovered

Within the major population centers of the Gulf Coastal Plans region, the suburban areas are becoming more __________________, while urban areas are becoming more ______________.

Republic; Democratic

Who were the Radical Republicans?

Republicans who controlled Reconstruction policy in the former Confederate states after the Civil War and passed the Congressional Reconstruction Acts of 1867

Which part of the U.S. Constitution requires that states provide all individuals equal protection of the laws

The Fourteenth Amendment

As of 2020 what was the status of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program?

The Supreme Court stopped the Trump plan to end DACA, but it did not rule out other plans that could end DACA later

The majority of water in Texas comes from rivers

False

The proposed bullet train between Dallas and Houston would revive a high-speed train system that crisscrossed Texas up until the 1960s.

False

The thirteenth amendment guarantees that no state can deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.

False

Under the Tenth Amendment, the federal government is the only level of government that can regulate elections.

False

As of 2021, which city in Texas has the largest population?

Houston

dual sovereignty allows both the federal and state governments to do which of the following?

It permits both the federal and state governments to pass and enforce their own laws even if they overlap

When we use the term "sanctuary cities" what are we talking about?

Localities where sheriffs do not notify federal immigration authorities when undocumented immigrants are arrested.

As the number one importer of exports from Texas, which country has the most to lose from tighter restrictions on the border?

Mexico

The use of block grants, allowing states considerable leeway in how federal money is spent, was championed by President --- under the name New Federalism

Nixon

The regulation of oil and energy in Texas is performed by

The Texas Railroad Commission

Which of the following statements about the powers of national government is most accurate

The amount of power the national government has exercised has grown over the last 200 years as a result of the "necessary and proper clause"

What is the function of the 24 councils of government in Texas today?

They are a regional board meant to coordinate local planning and development.

Constitutional amendment elections tend to have very low levels of voter turnout

True

County governments are most important for administering rural areas throughout Texas

True

Governor Rick Perry signed the Texas Dream Act into law

True

Many of the political conflicts in the United States have been fought over the proper roles of states versus the national government

True

San Antonio and Dallas both have council-manager forms of government.

True

The Constitution of 1866 was written under the provisions of President Andrew Johnson's "Presidential Reconstruction" plan.

True

The Texas Bill of Rights guarantees the right to a Republican form of government

True

The Texas Constitution became a place where special interests could seek to promote and protect their own agendas

True

The Texas Constitution of 1869 was written by members of the Republican Party, including ten elected African Americans

True

There are rights guaranteed to Texans in Article 1 of the Texas Constitution that go far beyond those of the U.S. Constitution.

True

Which agency is responsible for monitoring land crossings between Texas and Mexico?

US Border Patrol

Which of the following requires state governments to spend their own money to meet standards imposed on them by the federal government?

Unfunded mandates

What is the composition of the county commissioner's court?

a county judge who is elected countywide and presides over the meetings, and four county commissioners who are each elected to represent about one quarter of the population of the county

The Texas Bill of Rights includes the right to "a republican government" this means

a government comprised of officials selected through free and fair elections

The Texas Constitution is

a long, complex, and detailed document

The drive to rewrite the Texas Constitution in the 1970s grew out of

a major stock fraud involving bribery of several elected officials, state party officials, and bankers.

Provincialism is best defined as

a narrow view of the world.

The Texas Constitution requires which of the following for amending the state constitution

a two-thirds vote in both houses of the state legislature and a majority vote from the voters of Texas

More than one-half of the water used in Texas comes from

aquifers

As More Women, Minorities, & LGBT Individuals Gain Influence In Politics

aspects of provincialism are being challenged

One of the primary goals of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was to

lower tariffs among Mexico, the United States, and Canada

Who led the Grange and Populist movements of the late nineteenth century?

tenant farmers

Who is responsible for developing the state water plan?

the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB)

To whom are most county officials most responsible, and how?

the voters, through the electoral process

Why were university systems created in Texas?

to coordinate the activities of multiple colleges, universities, medical schools, and special agencies that are located in different locations across the state

State Constitutions are designed to perform which of the following functions

to define the limits of power, delegate power to different institutions and individuals, and set up local governments

_______ have recently been used to pay for maintenance and construction of roads and highways

tolls

Between 2001 and 2010, the overwhelming majority of constitutional amendments have been approved by voters

true

Many suburban areas in Texas choose not to participate in the public transportation programs of central cities

true

One problem with special purpose districts is that sometimes local government officials work in relative obscurity, avoiding media and public scrutiny

true

The Higher Education Fund (HEF) is funded through general revenues portion of the state budget

true

Unfunded mandates requiring states to meet federal guidelines without financial support are associated with coercive federalism

true

According to the Texas Dream Act,

undocumented immigrants living in Texas have the ability to pay in-state tuition at public universities in Texas.

Since 1850 there has been a marked shift of the population in Texas from rural to urban areas. This process is known as

urbanization

The domination of Texas politics by republicans after the civil war ended

with the election of governor Richard Coke in 1873, who was a democrat

The economy of Texas grew rapidly in the 1990s and was

closely tied to expanding manufacturing

Lesser criminal cases are generally prosecuted by _______________, while the more serious criminal cases tend to be prosecuted by ______________.

county attorneys; district attorneys

When we talk about American political culture, we tend to refer to which set of values?

liberty, equality, democracy

Flood control is managed through special districts because

flooding is seldom contained to a single city or county

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.

The Constitution of 1836 showed the direct influence of the U.S. Constitution through inclusion of which of the following

government divided into three branches with a system of checks and balances

A new trade agreement between the United States, Canada, and Mexico replaced NAFTA in 2018 known as USMCA. Among its provisions are

increased protections for intellectual property

Fort Bliss and the city of El Paso worked together to create the world's largest

inland desalination plant

The Texas Bill of Rights is different from the US Bill of Rights because

it grants rights and protections that are not found in the US Bill of Rights

One goal of the deferred retirement option plan (DROP) was to

keep Dallas police officers and firefighters working on the job instead of retiring and collecting their pension after 20 years of service.

As of 2019, there were approximately ________ Latinos residing in Texas.

11.5 Million

Which amendments are collectively known as the "Civil War Amendments"

13, 14, and 15

The first publicly supported junior college in Texas was established in

1922

What is the main difference between a home-rule city and a general-law city

A general-law city is chartered for localities for a population of fewer than 5,000 persons.

Which of the following is listed in the Texas Bill of Rights but is not in the US Bill of Rights

A list of rights guaranteed to victims of crime, such as the right to restitution and the right to be protected from the accused.

Since each county in Texas is required under the one person, one vote doctrine to have approximately the same number of residents, county lines must be redrawn every ten years as part of the redistricting process after the census.

False

When it was originally established, which institutions in Texas could receive funding from the Higher Education Fund (HEF)?

Colleges, Universities, and health-related institutions that are not eligible for or included in PUF could get funding from the HEF.

Which two Texas metropolitan areas are national centers for the high-tech industry?

Dallas and Austin-San Marcos

Which of the following is an example of states serving as "laboratories of democracy"

Different states having different policies and regulations regarding things like processes and procedures to get a marriage license

In which 1989 court case did the Texas Supreme Court unanimously declare that the huge disparities between rich and poor school districts were unacceptable and order changes in the financing of Texas's public schools?

Edgewood v. Kirby

According to SB 4, which created penalties for sanctuary cities, Texas would help pay for portions of the border wall between the United States and Mexico that would be built in Texas

False

According to the Texas Constitution, only the Texas legislature is permitted to borrow money using capital appreciation bonds

False

All cities in Texas with pension funds have sufficient funding to meet their obligations to be able to pay retirees.

False

Commissioner governments are designed to run school districts and other special districts throughout the state.

False

Everyone who entered the United States before they turned 18 is eligible for DACA protections

False

New Federalism often used categorical grants to help states fund programs

False

One of the consequences of cars and trucks becoming more fuel efficient is that

drivers are buying less gasoline, therefore reducing the amount of money collected by the state in fuel taxes

The understanding that the national government and state governments are both sovereign within their sphere of influence is called

dual federalism or layer-cake federalism

Prior to the Texas Revolution, Spanish and Mexican leaders relied on ________________ to encourage to people to move to Texas.

empresarios

According to the law of capture, private property owners are not entitled to water taken from under the land they own

false

In Texas, special purpose districts are run by a board of trustees appointed by the governor

false

Public colleges and universities in Texas are relying less on tuition and fees for their funding and more on support from general revenue funding from the state

false

Since most county officials are appointed, they are only accountable to the members of the county commissioner's court

false

Texas is currently on track to to meet all of the goals outlined in the 60x30TX plan without any additional funding

false

Texas must obtain preclearance from the federal government to change any aspect of its electoral systems

false

The Texas Constitution of 1866 granted the governor a line-item veto on all bills passed by the legislature

false

The Texas Constitution sets up a state government that is structured in a manner that does not utilize checks and balances

false

Cooperative Federalism is also known as

marble cake federalism

If you live outside city limits, water, sewer, sanitation, and electricity services are offered by

municipal utility districts (MUDs)

Community college districts and fire-prevention districts are examples of

non-school special purpose districts

States can be prevented from enacting policies that interfere with powers of the federal government because of which aspect of coercive federalism

preemption

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

Texas is among several states that have decided to take what action in response to the Affordable Care Act?

refuse to expand access to medicaid

Which of the following groups are starting to challenge business groups for influence in Texas politics?

social conservatives

Political culture is a term used to describe

the broadly shared values and beliefs about government.

One explanation for why laws and policies related to things like personal income taxes and alcohol sales are different in different states is

the impact of political culture

In 2010, the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment right to "keep and bear arms" was a fundamental right and also applied at the state level. This is an example of

the incorporation of the Bill of Rights