GOVT 2306 EXAM 2

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

12th amendment

Texas ranks __ in the nation in voter participation

50th

Elections are the mechanism people use to

All of these are correct

Which of the following is a deterrent to higher voter turnout in Texas?

All of these are correct

In Texas, the most local level of a party organization is the county.

False

Is is relatively easy for an independent candidate to get on the Texas ballot

False

Local issues are always ideological in nature

False

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

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

Today, Texas is a Democratic Party dominant state.

False

In the post- Civil War era, the only parts of Texas that showed significant Republican leanings were

German counties in the Texas Hill Country

For an independent candidate to get on the ballot in Texas, which requirement must they meet?

He or she must gain petition signatures from registered voters who did not previously participate in any political party primary election

The fastest-growing demographic group in Texas is ____, the majority of whom vote _____.

Hispanic; Democratic

As in the U.S. Congress, most campaign contributions in Texas go to

Incumbents

It is unusual for a(n) _____ to run for office in Texas because the requirements are set high for this group of people

Independent

Texans are increasingly identifying themselves as

Independent

Which of the following are NOT functions of political parties?

Influence government office holders

Who argued in Federalist 10 that "factions" would play an important role in American politics?

James Madison

No Democrat has won Texas in a presidential race since ________.

Jimmy Carter

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

Libertarian Party

What month are general elections held?

November

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

all are factors

The ___ movement was a movement during the 1950s in which conservative Democrats in Texas supported Republican candidate Dwight Eisenhower for the presidency because many of those conservative Democrats believed that the national Democratic Party had become too liberal

Shivercrat

____ 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

The largest and most effective public employee interest group in Texas is made up of

Teachers

Why don't people vote for third parties?

Texas employs what is known as a "first past the post" electoral system

What was the problem Speaker Sam Rayburn identified with the "steak men" at the beginning of the twentieth century?

They were legislators who would "sell" their votes on a bill for free steak dinners

Anglo Texan voter turnout levels are higher than Latino turnout levels

True

As of 2014, Texas Republicans hold all the major statewide elected offices

True

Dark money is political money that comes from donors who do NOT have to be disclosed

True

In Texas, teachers make up an important public employee interest group

True

Lobbyists may gain access to legislators by building support for an issue among their constituents.

True

New immigrants are more likely than Tejanos to identify as Democrats and to see the Democratic Party as more supportive of immigrant rights

True

One important way of gaining access to those in government is to employ former officials as lobbyists

True

One reason for low levels of voter turnout in Texas is the low level of educational attainment in the state

True

Political parties help keep the government accountable to the people

True

Poll taxes, such as those used in Texas, disenfranchised poor voters.

True

Since the early 1980s, testing has been considered one of the best ways to ensure accountability by identifying schools that work and those that do not.

True

To register to vote in Texas, a person must have been a resident for at least 30 days

True

Upper-class business interests are more likely to be represented than lower-class minority interests

True

The general election is held the first

Tuesday following the first Monday in November of even-numbered years

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.

What type of primacy system does Texas use?

closed system

In modern-day Texas, control of state government

lies solely in the hands of the Republicans

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

members, ability to raise money, credibility

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

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

people who reside in rural areas

A _____ was a state-imposed tax on voters as a prerequisite for voting

poll tax

Certain states, such as Texas, are required to obtain approval through which procedure every time they make changes to districts?

pre-clearance

The pattern, beginning in the 1950s, of Texans voting for a Republican president but sticking with conservative Democrats for state offices is called

presidential Republicanism

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

presidential republicanism

Diverter's Law states that

proportional representation systems result in two-party systems

In Texas, special elections are used to

ratify amendments to the Texas Constitution.

One possible solution to reforming redistricting in Texas is to

take the process away from the legislature

During the Texas Constitutional Convention of 1875, which interest group played an important role?

the Grange

Which of the following is NOT a typical threat to an incumbent running for re-election?

the greater fund-raising opportunities of challengers

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

Which of the following advantages do better-funded interest groups have?

time, money, expertise

Which of the following is NOT a reason for special elections?

to impeach a state official

What is the main purpose of a primary election?

to select a party's candidate for the general election

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

two party system

Which demographic group has the largest percentage share of voters in Texas?

whites

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

Being Conservative

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

Civil war, Assassination of Lincoln, President Johnson and Radical Republican Congress, Reconstruction, E.J. Davis and Union Army in Texas

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?

Classical liberalism, populism, social conservatism

For most of Texas's history, which political party has been dominant?

Democrat

In 2011, the Texas legislature passed a voter identification law that requires a photo identification in order to vote. Which form of photo identification is acceptable?

Department of Public Safety-issued concealed handgun license

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

Dates for special elections are specified by the Texas governor

False

EMILY's List is a national political action committee that is funded by men and provides early campaign contributions to female candidates

False

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

False

_____ is a system of representation that encourages third-party voting because it allows each political party representation in proportion to its percentage of the total vote

Proportional representation

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

a political party seeks to operate the government and to determine public policy

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

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

gain access to legislators and other elected officials

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

generating public support

Battleground Texas is the latest attempt by the Democratic Party to do all of the folowing EXCEPT

identify potential candidates

The principle objective of an interest group is to

influence government officials and policy decisions

Campaigns attempt to reach voters through all of the following EXCEPT

involvement in high-profile litigation