GOVT 2306: Exam 2 (Ch. 4-6)

What is the greatest expense for most campaigns?

Payment for media ads

In order to vote in Texas, you must meet which of the following requirements?

be a resident of Texas, a U.S. citizen, and at least 18 years of age

How is the precinct chair selected?

by voters in the Party Primary

If you have a job in a "government relations" department, you are a _____________ working for a ______________.

lobbyist; corporation or company

Which term describes an interest group that serves as an umbrella organization to coordinate the activities of member groups in specific targeted areas?

peak association

Outlawed by the Twenty-Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, a ________ was a state-imposed tax on voters as a prerequisite for voting.

poll tax

Once a lobbyist has access to a member of the legislature, the lobbyist can

provide information about how specific policies can benefit the legislator's district.

The States' Rights Party, also known as the Dixiecrats, split with the national Democratic Party over which issue?

racial integration

Which of these are ways in which interest groups influence politics?

raising money

In order to gain access to politicians, interest groups in Texas will often

spend money on entertaining politicians.

When does interest-group capture occur?

when a state agency ends up furthering the objectives of the interest group rather than behaving as an independent actor

Newspaper endorsements tend be more influential in which types of races:

Down-ballot races, such as for school board or city council, where there is not as much coverage or attention paid to the race

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

German counties in the Texas Hill Country.

Why is the process of political socialization important?

It introduces individuals to the political culture and can help them discover and develop their partisan identification.

Why are statewide officials in Texas, such as the governor and lieutenant governor, elected in nonpresidential years?

It prevents presidential candidates from influencing the outcome of Texas races.

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

Jimmy Carter

Texas used a system of early registration until 1971 that required which of the following:

Voters had to register to vote more than nine months before the general election and were required to register to vote every year.

The exodus of more affluent White people from urban areas to suburban areas is sometimes referred to as

White flight.

Which movement has had the largest impact on Texas state legislative races in recent years?

the Tea Party movement

In 1923, the Texas legislature established ____________________ to prohibit African Americans from voting in the Democratic primary.

the White primary

Parties use social media for which of the following?

voter mobilization

The Latino movement known as La Raza Unida mostly occurred during the

1970s.

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

79 percent

Compared to an interest group representing an industry, or a professional association representing members of a certain profession, which tactic would a public interest group most likely use?

A public interest group is more likely to have its members write or call legislators urging them to vote for the legislation.

What happens if one person does not receive a majority of the vote in the party's primary election?

A runoff election will be held by the party to determine who will be the nominee to run in the general election.

Which of the following statements about Black people winning elected office in Texas is accurate?

Black people have been elected mayors of the three largest cities in Texas.

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 personal ID card

Suppose you wanted to create a method of redistricting that would make races for the Texas legislature more competitive. Which plan would you recommend be enacted to do so?

Give the redistricting process to a nonpartisan commission.

Which type of group contributed the most to candidates running for seats in the Texas Legislature in 2020?

Ideological/single issue

Which of the following third parties has been most successful in terms of winning elections in Texas?

La Raza Unida

The Tea Party movement advocated for which of the following?

Limited government, lower taxes, and less government spending

Which of the following is the best expression of a "pluralistic society" in action?

People with common interests join together into groups and these groups compete with each other for power and influence.

_____________ introduces individuals to the political culture and helps people develop their own political beliefs and values.

Political socialization

The _______________ requirement was included in the Voting Rights Act to ensure that states that had previously restricted the political participation of minorities could not use redistricting for partisan gain and against the interest of minority groups.

Preclearance

What could Texas do if it wanted to encourage the development of more third parties?

Replace the single-member district, "first past the post" electoral system with one that uses proportional representation.

In Texas today, rural areas have become more ______________, while urban areas have become more ___________.

Republican; Democratic

What event marked a significant change in how Texans began to vote not only in presidential elections but also in state elections?

Ronald Reagan was elected as President.

If you join an interest group and you are given access to special benefits that are reserved for members only, you have received which type of benefits?

Selective benefits

The ________ movement was a movement during the 1950s in which conservative Democrats in Texas supported Republican candidate Dwight Eisenhower for the presidency.

Shivercrat

Which scenario would make a runoff primary most likely to occur?

Six candidates are all running for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.

Why do we generally not see strong interest groups focusing on issue areas where there is a large or broad common interest, but we do where there is a narrow common interest?

The broader the interest, the harder it is to overcome the free rider problem and create an effective interest group.

What is a consequence of Republicans consistently winning all or most state-wide offices?

The competitive election for each office is the Republican primary in March, which has much lower levels of voter turnout.

Why is it so difficult to get on the ballot as an independent in Texas?

The parties that control government, and therefore control ballot access, want to maintain their power and make it harder for other parties to compete for votes during elections.

Why doesn't the voice of consumers get heard as clearly by Texas legislators through the lobbying process?

There are no dedicated interest groups that focus on consumers among the biggest spending groups.

What challenges do factions within parties present to party leaders?

These groups have their own priorities, and the party must be able to manage the factions to be able to prevent any of the groups from leaving the party.

Why would it be beneficial for an interest group to open an office in Austin?

They can develop long-term relationships with lawmakers and continually present the views of the organization.

Who were the "steak men" identified by Speaker Sam Rayburn at the beginning of the twentieth century?

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

When do Texans vote in general elections to elect members of Congress?

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

What happens if a governmental agency in Texas wants to take on long-term debt?

Voter approval is required in a special election.

Which of the following laws was written specifically to deal with expanding and protecting voting rights?

Voting Rights Act of 1965

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.

Texans tend to vote

at lower rates than Americans in other states.

Presidential Republicanism describes a pattern in which Texas voters would vote for a Republican president and

conservative Democrats for state offices.

In Texas, what convention is held by political parties after its precinct convention in order to elect delegates to its state convention?

county

When deciding how to vote, people will use mental shortcuts. Political scientists call these shortcuts

cues.

The _________________ begins with primary elections and concludes with general elections.

electoral cycle

How often do political parties in Texas hold their state conventions?

every two years

Which of the following is the most important way in which parties help voters make decisions during elections?

giving voters a party label they can identify with when deciding how to vote

Who among the following tend to receive the most campaign contributions in Texas?

incumbents

If you are a lobbyist, it is your job to

influence government decision makers on behalf of an interest group.

You recently received a postcard in the mail encouraging you to vote in favor of a particular issue that is on an upcoming ballot in your local community. When you look carefully at the postcard, you see that it was sent by a PAC. This is an example of

issue advocacy.

Which of these is the main activity of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF)?

monitoring changes in electoral law that may suppress the votes of minorities

Which of the following tends to lower voter turnout?

most elections for low-visibility offices

Compared to the national average, Texans tend to rank ______________ on measures related to civic engagement.

near the bottom

What type of primary allows a voter to choose on Election Day which party they will vote for?

open primary

In Texas, special elections are used to do which of the following?

ratify amendments to the Texas Constitution

Texas was the first state in the South to

ratify the women's suffrage amendment.

Which of the following has consistently been one of the largest and most effective public employee interest groups in Texas?

teachers

EMILY's List is a national PAC that is primarily funded by women and focuses on raising money for women candidates at which part of the campaign cycle?

the early part of the campaign cycle

In a nonpartisan election ________.

the party affiliation of the candidates does not appear on the ballots

In Texas, which group is responsible for fundraising for the party and establishing the party's policies?

the state executive committee

In Texas, political parties help candidates by providing

training for a campaign.

Conservative Democrats in Texas are also known as

Blue Dog Democrats.

A political party outlines its fundamental principles and positions in which of the following?

a party platform

Which of the following best describes bundling?

a strategy used by interest groups to maximize the impact of small donations by combining them together before they are passed along to the candidate.

When people talk about "get out the vote" (GOTV) efforts, what does this mean?

activities such as phone banking, texting, or canvassing to encourage people sympathetic to your position to go vote in an upcoming election