Quiz 5 (Chapter 8)

The attorney general in Texas is responsible for overseeing the registration of voters. (T/F)

False

The governor of Texas currently serves a two-year term in office. (T/F)

False

Authority over railroads throughout Texas was given to the ________ in 2005. a. lieutenant governor b. Texas Department of Transportation c. attorney general d. General Land Office e. Railroad Commission of Texas

Texas Department of Transportation

Which of the following is the best example of the Texas governor's exercise of senatorial courtesy? a. The Senate will use the governor's budget plan as its blueprint for the upcoming session. b. The Senate will automatically approve any nominee submitted by the governor. c. The governor will not veto a bill without first giving the bill's Senate sponsor an opportunity to amend it. d. The governor will address the full Senate at the beginning of each legislative session. e. The governor will not appoint someone to office unless that appointee's state senator agrees.

The governor will not appoint someone to office unless that appointee's state senator agrees

Which of the following about the lieutenant governor in Texas is INCORRECT? a. The lieutenant governor is chair of the Legislative Budget Board. b. The lieutenant governor's powers are primarily executive, not legislative. c. The lieutenant governor is elected in a statewide election. d. The lieutenant governor is first in line for succession of the governor. e. The lieutenant governor presides over the Senate.

The lieutenant governor's powers are primarily executive, not legislative

Impeachment of a governor begins in the Texas House of Representatives. (T/F)

True

In Texas, the lieutenant governor is also the president of the Senate and may cast a vote to break a tie. (T/F)

True

Texas has a plural executive made up of multiple popularly elected offices. (T/F)

True

The governor has the ability to declare martial law in Texas. (T/F)

True

The governor makes approximately 3,000 appointments to executive boards and commissions during a single term in office. (T/F)

True

A Texas governor can only grant ________ for a convicted felon without the help of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. a. clemency b. a pardon c. a 15-day reprieve d. a 30-day reprieve e. commutation

a 30-day reprieve

The governor has some control over the final appropriations bill through the use of the ________ veto. a. post adjournment b. pocket c. line-item d. amendatory e. reduction

line-item

In Texas, if a sitting governor is unable to hold office due to impeachment and conviction, resignation, or death, who becomes governor? a. the lieutenant governor b. the Speaker of the state House of Representatives c. a temporary replacement appointed by the lieutenant governor d. the secretary of state e. the comptroller of public accounts

the lieutenant governor

What is the Texas governor's greatest judicial power? a. the power to restrict the types of cases the appeals courts may decide b. the power to appoint judges to appeals courts, with the Senate's consent c. the power to appoint judges to vacancies in the courts d. the power to remove judges e. the power to appoint all judges in the state

the power to appoint judges to vacancies in the courts

What is the primary task of the Texas secretary of state? a. to handle elections and voter registration b. to oversee the state's economic interactions with other states c. to oversee the state's foreign, economic, and diplomatic policy d. to collect child-support payments e. to coordinate and plan projects in conjunction with the federal government

to handle elections and voter registration

The Department of Public Safety is responsible for all of the following EXCEPT: a. motor vehicle inspections. b. animal and insect control. c. truck weighing stations. d. drivers' licensing. e. the Texas Rangers.

animal and insect control

In Texas, the plural executive is held accountable through all of the following EXCEPT: a. the Sunset review. b. the impeachment process. c. the budgetary process. d. appointment by the governor. e. elections.

appointment by the governor

The chief lawyer for Texas is the: a. attorney general. b. secretary of state. c. state comptroller. d. chief justice of the state supreme court. e. lieutenant governor.

attorney general

Which of the following is NOT a qualification a person would need to be a viable candidate for governor of Texas? a. access to money b. 30 years of age c. prior political experience d. born in Texas e. U.S. citizenship

born in Texas

The Texas governor has all of the following legislative powers EXCEPT the power to a. address the legislature in State of the State speeches. b. break tie votes in the Senate. c. lobby the legislature on important bills. d. sign and veto bills. e. call special sessions.

break tie votes in the Senate

The governor of Texas has: a. strong formal powers granted by the Texas Constitution. b. an average amount of power compared to governors of other states. c. the power to appoint all state judges. d. few formal powers, so the office is one of the weakest chief executives in the United States. e. the power to appoint all officials in the executive branch.

few formal powers, so the office is one of the weakest chief executives in the United States

Governors can be quite powerful in spite of weaknesses of the office by doing all of the following EXCEPT: a. pardoning criminals and permitting fugitives to be extradited to other states. b. appointing people to the state governing boards and commissions. c. calling special sessions of the legislature. d. mobilizing interest groups and editorial boards of newspapers. e. filing legislative bills at the beginning of every legislative session.

filing legislative bills at the beginning of every legislative session.

The Texas State Board of Education is responsible for all of the following EXCEPT: a. establishing accreditation standards for Texas public schools. b. determining the licensing requirements for public school teachers. c. funding public school districts. d. adopting textbooks. e. setting minimum high school graduation requirements.

funding public school districts

In Texas, why are gubernatorial elections held in off-years? a. so that voters will not become overwhelmed by too many candidates in one year b. so that presidential elections will not be influenced by the gubernatorial election c. so that gubernatorial elections will not be influenced by a presidential election d. so that candidates cannot run for governor and a federal office at the same time e. because Texas happened to become part of the United States during an off-year

so that voters gubernatorial election will not be influenced by presidential election

What makes the greatest difference between strong and weak governors of Texas? a. the percentage of the total vote they receive in their election bids b. the willingness to use formal powers c. the frequency of vetoes d. the differences in personality e. the partisan makeup of the legislature

the differences in personality