chapter 2 inquizitives texas government

What solution did the framers of the US Constitution find to this problem that was ultimately copied and included in the structures of the Texas Constitution?

checks and balances

What is the most consequential way in which Presidential Reconstruction differed from Congressional Reconstruction?

presidential reconstruction disenfranchised only a small number of former secessionists.

If a public official is impeached by the Texas House of Representatives and two-thirds of the Senate votes to convict the official, what is the next step?

they are removed from office

Because the framers believed that education was so important, they included Article 7 in the state constitution. Select the portion of text from Article 7 that best expresses what the framers thought was the most important element that would protect our system of government.

A general diffusion of knowledge

Choose all of the options that support the argument that the U.S. should have a powerful national government in relationship to the states.

Correct: supremacy clause necessary and proper clause Incorrect: Tenth Amendment the preamble

The civil liberties protections in the --- have largely been incorporated to apply to states through the due process clause of the ---.

Bill of rights, 14th amendment

Match the clause characteristic with the United States Constitution amendment in which it is found.

13th: ends slavery 14th: forces states to follow due process to remove rights guarantees equal rights for people in all states defines who is a citizen

Match each characteristic or provision to the constitution it belongs to: the Texas Constitution of 1845, 1861, or 1869.

1845: detailed the original agreement for Texas's statehood guaranteed Texas kept public lands and profits from them 1861: created a powerful governor propped up by military was heavily influenced by Radical Republicans 1869: made it illegal to free enslaved people declared allegiance to the Confederacy

Elections for constitutional amendments on divisive social issues tend to have the highest turnout of all elections on amendments. Based on the data in this chart, which year's election most likely had an amendment on such an issue?

2005

How do both the U.S. and Texas constitutions seek to prevent tyranny?

Correct answers: separation of powers checks and balances natural self-interests

Which of the following statements about similarities between the Texas Constitution and the U.S. Constitution are true?

Correct: Both protect the rights of individual citizens. Both establish the people as the foundational source of government power. Both provide the power for branches to limit the actions of one another. Both give the distinct branches of government autonomous powers. Incorrect: Both specifically define authority very specifically to prevent abuses of power. Both define the authority to regulate and conduct elections.

Which of the following characteristics have been central in all of Texas's constitutions since Texas joined the United States?

Correct: Federalism. Individual rights. Division of power. Strong popular control. Incorrect: Flexibility. Strong government.

Local governments in Texas, such as cities and counties, derive their authority from which sources?

Correct: The Texas constitution. The citizens of Texas. Incorrect: The U.S. Constitution. American citizens. The county commissioners' court. The residents of the city.

Study the following data on election turnout in Texas and determine which of the following statements are accurate.

Correct: Turnout for constitutional amendment elections is consistently low. Turnout for presidential elections is far higher than turnout for constitutional amendment elections. Incorrect: Presidential and constitutional amendment elections are held at the same time. Well-advertised constitutional amendments can boost turnout to well over 30 percent.

Why is voter participation in Texas constitutional amendment elections so low?

Reason turnout is low: The elections are held on off years from major general elections. There are no candidates on the ballot. Many amendments are insignificant to voters. Not a reason turnout is low: Voters must separately register to vote in constitutional amendment elections.Few voters can pass the poll test.

Which statement accurately portrays the tax burden in Texas?

Texans still contribute about a twelfth of their income to state taxes

Drag the following provisions of the Texas Constitution of 1876, the U.S. Constitution, or both to their proper place on the Venn diagram.

Texas Constitution of 1876: Complex, specific, and long document. Free and equitable public schools.Victims rights. Both: Popular sovereignty. Bicameral legislature. U.S. Constitution: Short document with flexible language. Supreme law. Single executive.

Place the following events in the history of Texas in order from oldest to most recent.

Texas's independence from Mexico State of Texas joins the United States Civil War Fourteenth amendment ratified Grange movement influences new Texas Constitution

The authors of the Texas Constitution were influenced by the U.S. governing documents and the writers of The Federalist Papers, such as James Madison. Select the passages of Madison's text from Federalist 51 that reflect how government is structured to protect people from government becoming too powerful.

Usurpations are guarded against by a division of the government into distinct and separate departments.Divided between two distinct governments.Subdivided among distinct and separate departments.

What is the meaning of the term impeachment?

a charge of wrongdoing

Which of the following is the most accurate characterization of the current Texas Constitution?

a long and complex collection of specifically written policy

Since 1983, Texans have voted to amend the state's constitution dozens of times. Turnout in these elections is always low, even when well-publicized amendments are on the ballot. For example, in 1991 and 2005, amendments were proposed to create the Texas lottery and ban same-sex marriages in the state, respectively—issues with significant public interest. The graph shows that while turnout in presidential elections since 1992 has hovered between 50 and 70 percent, turnout in constitutional amendment elections is rarely above 20 percent (and most often, less than 10 percent). Which of the following statements are reasonable conclusions to draw based on the data?

correct: Presidential elections consistently attract more than triple the turnout of amendment elections. incorrect: There is a consistent increase in voter turnout over time. People do not rely on the political parties to influence their voter behavior.

Voter participation in statewide constitutional amendment elections is most likely to see big increases under what circumstances?

divisive social issues are on the ballot

The United States Constitution mandates that every state must have a republican form of government, which Texas abides by. What is the best way to understand the meaning of the word "republican" in the way it is used here?

government made up of people elected to make decisions on behalf of the public

Texas has one of the lengthiest state constitutions. Which of the following is a reason that the state's constitution has been amended more than 500 times, even though it is nearly 100 years younger than the U.S. Constitution, which has only 27 amendments?

it places specific restrictions on the government and political process

Which of the following is one of the most important themes embedded in the Texas Constitution of 1876?

limited spending

As one of only a handful of states without a form of an income tax, what is the only way that Texas could institute an income tax statewide?

the legislature and voters would have to amend the constitution