Politics Final Exam (old tests)

Which of the following correctly describes the term length for elected representatives in the Texas Legislature?

2 years for House of Representatives, 4 years for Senate

Hypothetically, if a public opinion poll is conducted, and the average approval rating of governor Greg Abbot is found to be 48%, with a margin of error of 3%, the 95% confidence interval for the results would be:

45%-51%

How many levels of courts does Texas have

5

Which of the following commissions have officials which are elected to their positions?

?

Manifest destiny most closely matches which of the following:

A "God-given" license to forge a continental empire westward across the United States

A gubernatorial veto can be overridden with:

A 2/3 majority in both the House and Senate

The Texas Association of Business (TAB) is:

A broad association representing business and industry in general

"Any group, however loosely organized, seeking to elect government officeholders under a given label is:

A political party

In public opinion polling, a sample is:

A smaller percentage of the population, selected under the assumption that this group will be representative of the population as a whole

A 'poll tax' is:

An annual fee with the purpose of discouraging poor and minority groups from participating in political process

The majority of top executive offices in Texas:

Are appointed by the governor

Block Grants:

Are grants of money which can only be used for specific projects

The Reconstruction Constitution

Centralized authority in the governor, and was dominated by the authorization style of Edmund J. Davis

Who is the current lieutenant governor of Texas

Dan Patrick

The idea that political power is primarily held by a few individuals who derive such power from leadership in business, civic, or governmental institutions is the theory/concept of:

Elitism

The constitution of Coahuila y Tejas:

Established a unicameral congress, where most representatives were from outside Texas

Cost-benefit analysis is associated with which step of the policymaking process?

Evaluations and Termination

The concept of a plural executive in Texas refers to

Executive power is not concentrated in a single individual, but is instead 'fragmented' across different offices; governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, etc.

Since 1980, men have consistently voted at higher rates than women in presidential elections

False

The current constitution of Texas was written primarily by

Farmers and Lawyers

The "Dillon Rule" is most closely associated with which from of law

General Law

Which of the following executive positions has the authority to grant clemency or stat of execution?

Governor

Who is the current governor of Texas

Greg Abbot

All of the major, or most populous cities in Texas follow:

Home Rule

Which of the following is descriptive of the 'Iron Triangle"

Interest groups provide electoral support to the legislature who then fund and politically support the bureaucracy, which then offers benefits or special favors to interest groups

Which of the following courts are not created by the Texas Constitutions

Justice of the Peace Courts

home rule

Local self-government

Which of the following describes congressional members of the Texas Legislature, based on the original intent of the current state constitution?

Low-paid, part-time, 'citizen' legislators who have professions other than representing congress

The lowest level courts in Texas, which often handle large volumes of traffic tickets/fines are are:

Municipal/Justice of the Peace Courts

After the supreme court ruling in Brown v Board of Education:

Racial segregation in public schools was declared unconstitutional

Federalism:

Represents a complicated relationship where the lines between governments are not always clear or consistent

Which of the following executive statewide offices is appointed bu the governor?

Secretary of state

Social media platforms:

Set a dangerous precedent; many stories are demonstrably false and make no pretense of objectivity

The leader of the Texas House is the:

Speaker of the House

Generally speaking, the journalistic integrity of Texas newspapers began to see dramatic increases during:

The 1970's and 1980's

On March 6, 1936, Mexican general Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna defeated Texan rebels at:

The Battle of the Alamo

One of the most major factors causing party realignment in Texas and other southern states was:

The Civil rights Act

In Texas, the most successful third party in recent decades has been:

The Libertarian Party

What was the outcome of Edwards Aquifer Authority and the State of Texas v Burrell Day and Joel McDaniel

The Supreme Court of Texas ruled that water restrictions places on farmers violated their constitutional property rights, and that individuals who owned land above the aquifer were allowed to pump as much water as they wanted

The interest group which was instrumental to Rick Perry's successful 1990 election campaign was:

The Texas Farm Bureau

appellate juristiction

The authority of a court to hear cases that have been tried, decided, or reexamines in other courts

From the reconstruction period to the second half of the 20th century, Texas Politics was effectively dominated by

The conservative wing of the democratic party

Ticket splitting is:

The decision of voters to divide their votes among candidates of more than one political party in the same elction

Gerrymandering:

The drawing of district lines in such a way that they favor a particular party or racial group

In public opinion polling, an 'illusion of saliency' is:

The misconception that an issue is more important than it actually is

Cohort replacement is:

The natural occurrence of generational replacement due to death

Which of the following is an example of potential gentrification here in San Antonio:

The restoration of the Pearl Brewery, increasing the cost of living for residents in the surrounding area

In Edgewood V. Kirby:

The supreme Court of Texas unanimously ordered changes in school district funding with the goal of improving equity between rich and poor school districts

The ability of interest groups to remain focuses on a particular issue, even as the public's attention shifts away during the media cycle refers to the power of

Time

Texas cities tend to expand outward rather than upward, creating sprawling urban landscapes which are relatively less densely populated compared to other major US cities (t/f)

True

Which of the following is true regarding the impeachment of a governor in Texas

Unlike the US constitution, the Texas Constitution does not outline specific grounds for impeachment: the discretion is up to the legislature

Political Ideology is

a set of values and beliefs that form a general philosophy about the proper goals, purpose, and size of government

Political Culture is:

a shared set of views, attitudes, beliefs and customs of a people as to how their government should be organized and run

The Texas and US constitutions are similar in that they both establish all of the following except:

a. popular sovereignty b. plural executive (correct) c. limited government d. separation of powers

Texas legislators:

are "part-time" lawmakers whose annual salaries are relatively low, compared to other states

The reserved Powers:

are powers which are neither expressly delegated to the federal government nor otherwise prohibited

The procedural committee in the House of Representatives that schedules bills for the floor debate is the:

calendars committee

In general, elections under the two-party system in the US:

candidates can win office with a plurality of votes rather than a majority; in other words, they can potentially win an election while receiving less than 50% of the vote

The majority of financial assistance from the federal government to the states comes in the form of:

categorical grants-in-aid

social contract

citizens give up freedoms for government protections

Which of the following forms of local government can be traces back to 1900 Galveston Hurricane, as a response to the incompetent government response to the disaster?

city commission

The traditionalistic subculture:

conceptualizes politics and government as hierarchical power is concentrated

The committee which serves as a panel of House and Senate members to work on a compromise if legislation between the two chambers is different is the

conference committee

As the demands of the public grow, bureaucracies have increasingly hired private businesses to help some public services. These businesses are known as:

contractors

The full faith and credit clause (Article IV section 1 of US constitution):

deals with reciprocity; states will generally recognize the civil judgements or official documents made by other states

In the 1970's through the early 1990's , a string of Republican presidents attempted to return some powers held by the federal government to the states in a process called

devolution

The primary trial courts in Texas are:

district courts

All of Texas follows the "Dillon Rule" principle

false

Correlation is another word for causation (t/f)

false

In 2005, the Texas legislature passed an amendment to the constitution declaring same-sex marriage valid

false

In Texas v. Naylor , the Supreme Court of Texas directed Austin invalidate a divorce license issued to a same-sex couple who had moved to Texas from Massachusetts, claiming that the Attorney general ken Paxton, had the authority to determine the validity of such marriages (t/f)

false

In a primary election, a candidate must receive a majority of votes, rather than a plurality, in order to become the party's nominee (t/f)

false

In an "at-large" election, council members or officials may only run for office to represent the district they currently live in (t/f)

false

The Texan tradition of "small government' has effectively suppressed the growth of bureaucracy and has reduced the number of state employees

false

The constitution of 1845 provided for annual legislative sessions

false

Voter turnout in local elections has historically been higher than turnout in federal elections

false

Which of the following is not one of the responsibilities of bureaucracy?

following correct judicial procedure in the application of law during civil and criminal trials

All of the following are characteristics of the concept of pluralism, except:

government institutions can serve as "buffer" between public and policymaking

In terms of regulatory policy, Texans historically

have been skeptical or cynical of government involvement

Which political subculture conceptualizes politics and government as a "marketplace"

individualistic

A group of people with common goals who are organized to seek political policy objectives they are unable to achieve by themselves

interest group

Sunset legislation

is a periodic review and reauthorization of an agency by the legislature, with the agency being automatically eliminated if it fails or does not undergo this process

The Mayor in San Antonio:

is a weak office and is more or less the chief executive in name only

Public opinion:

is compromised of the various views, perceptions and attitudes about contemporary political issues, leaders, and institutions held by the population or by subgroups of the population

The current constitution of Texas

is more than 10 times the length of the US constitution, and contains extremely detailed policy provisions

A revenue Bond:

is repaid from the revenue generated by the facilities it helped to fund

fracking

large amounts

white primary

laws preventing minorities from voting

All of the following are polling inaccuracies and fallacies except

margin of error

In single-member district elections, candidates

may only represent the district they live in, and citizens may only vote for candidates from their district

All of the following are forms of city governments except:

mayor-manager

A perception, sometimes real and sometimes not, that reporters and news organizations slant their news coverage to favor one side or the other in particular issues or disputes is:

media bias

The vast majority of Texas cities appoint council members via:

nonpartisan elections

Before diversification in the late 20th century, the Texas economy was primarily driven by:

oil/natural gas

Co-option

powerful or wealthy interests gaining significant influence over the agency or body which was originally created to regulate such interests

A specific, local voting area created by a county commissioners court is a

precinct

All of the following are party organizations/positions except:

precinct council-member

Large television media conglomerates such as Sinclair Broadcast group have:

raised concerns regarding editorial autonomy

The sunset process has a accomplished all of the following except:

reducing the size of the state bureaucracy

The governor may use his or her 'line-item veto' power to:

reject certain sections of the state appropriations bill, without killing the legislation entirely

The national rifle association (NRA) is an example of a:

single-issue group

A short, quotable phrase by a public official or political candidate that may sound good on television or radio, but often lacks depth and is often meaningless

sound bite

The presentation of information in the best possible light for a public official or political candidate:

spin

Laws passed by legislative bodies, bot not expressly defined in a constitution are:

statutory laws

Bureaucracies are

the agencies of government responsible for carrying out policies and providing services

Popular Sovereignty is the concept that:

the authority of the government comes from the governed

In regards to federalism, during the Clinton Administration:

the federal government ultimately intruded less into state affairs, but also offered less assistance AND Clinton utilized a large amount of private contractors to substitute or supplement federal roles and responsibilities (all of the above)

Legislative special sessions are called by:

the governor

All of the following are characteristics of the governor except

the governor enjoys centralized executive power with the ability to appoint other offices such as the attorney general, lieutenant governor, and comptroller of public accounts

In the moralistic subculture:

the morals of the societal majority from the basis of laws, and are forced upon those who do not agree

If the results of an analysis are 'statistically significant,'

the observed results were not likely to occur randomly or by chance, but instead are likely to be attributable to a specific cause

A series of state laws and party rules that denied African Americans the right to cote in the Democratic primary in Texas during the first half of the 20th century:

the white primary

Which of the following is not tru regarding regulatory policy

there is a single agency charged with administering all regulatory policy, the united states department of regulation

Popularly elected judges can result in all of the following judicial challenges except:

too much power may be given to the executive branch in determining the judicial landscape

Family is a pretty strong predictor of party identification (t/f)

true

Federal laws prohibiting discrimination based on age, sex, race, and other factors have forced Texas to pay mire attention to public employment practices (t/f)

true

Texan politics is currently dominated bu the Republican party (t/f)

true

Traditionally, the Texas speaker of the house abstains from voting on a bill, except to break a tie or encourage legislative participation (t/f)

true

In which system is power concentrated overwhelmingly in the central government?

unitary

The vast majority of modern Texans live in:

urban areas

pay-as-you-go

A constitutional prohibition against state government borrowing money for its operating budget.

The Texas legislature is

Bicameral

Immigration is closely connected with the politics, societies, and economies of Border States. As a result:

Border states have sometimes taken it upon themselves to pass far-reaching legislation to address the issue of illegal immigration

In Texas, African Americans and Hispanics identify with which party at much higher rates than Anglos

Democratic party

The commissioner's Court

Is the primary policymaking body for county government

sunset legislation

Laws requiring that existing programs be reviewed regularly for their effectiveness and be terminated unless specifically extended as a result of these reviews.

Which of the following was created in 1948, and given authority to redraw district lines every 10 years in the event the legislature failed to do so?

Legislative Redistricting Board

The leader of the Texas Senate is the:

Lieutenant Governor

In statistics, the probability that observed results occurred due to random change is the:

Margin error

Agenda setting

Media's choice of which news events and issues to cover in order to define what is important for the public to know and which issues should be addressed

In 2015, the turnover rate for state employees was more than 18%. The majority of voluntary separations were from

Mid-range career professionals who were appointed to higher positions

Predominantly, the denied powers of the us constitution can be found in the:

Necessary and Proper Clause

The opposite view to Elitism is:

Pluralism

In 2011, the word 'oops' effectively ended the presidential ambitions of

Rick Perry

"A unit of local government created by the state to perform a specific function or functions not met by cities or counties, including the provision of public services to unincorporated areas" describes

Special Districts

Which of the following activities would be considered "direct lobbying?"

Testifying at legislative hearings

The body of law that defines most criminal offenses and sets a range of punishments that can be assessed is the:

Texas Penal code

The 3-member body which regulates oil & natural gas production, as well as lignite mining in Texas is:

Texas Railroad Commission

Which of the following is not tru of texan identity

Texas has an 'unrelaxed' regulatory environment, and the barrier to doing business in the state is relatively high

An example of a contemporary voting restriction in Texas would be:

Texas voter ID Law

In 2014, the Dallas Morning News story which questioned the authenticity of Wendy Davis' personal qualities exemplifiedL

The ability of the media to impact the election cycle, and the way to frame narrative, Questions regarding the public's perception of traditional gender roles and how they affect political candidates (all of the above)

Politics can generally be defined as:

Who gets what, when and how

Judges in Texas:

are popularly elected

All major cities in Texas, with the exception of Houston, follow this form of local government

council-manager

The social contract

is a concept wherein individuals relinquish natural rights in exchange for social benefits or government protections

Done correctly, Devil's Advocate can allow you to:

successfully argue for a certain viewpoint, even if you disagree with it

All of the following are core assumptions of meaningful elections except

voters cast ballots for candidates who best represent their policy goals

Relative to other states, the office of the governor of Texas is:

weak

Alexander's question is the following:

what information, if we had it, would make us change our decisions?

Affluent or wealthy groups leaving the inner city in favor of the suburbs is one component of

white flight

political culture

widely shared set of views, attitudes, beliefs of how the government should be organized