Texas Politics- Chapter 2

In what year did the current Texas Constitution become effective?

1876

Separation of powers provides

A check on the actions of government.

The Republic of Texas Constitution of 1836 was

A composite of the U.S. Constitution and the constitutions of several southern states.

Which of the following was part of the state constitution of Coahuila y Tejas in 1827?

A unicameral legislature. A state religion.

Which phrase best describes a constitutional convention as used in most states?

An assembly of citizens who may propose general revisions to the state constitution.

Which of the following correctly identify an article o the Texas Constitution and the general topic it addresses?

Article 6: Suffrage Article 17: Amending the constitution

Which phrase best describes the ideal constitution?

Broad and Flexible

Funds allocated to the states by Congress that can only be used for a specific purposes are known as ___ grants.

Categorical

Under Article 4 of the Texas Constitution the executive branch consists of the

Commissioner of the general land office. Lieutenant governor. Comptroller of public accounts. Governor. Attorney general.

In a ___ system of government power is divided between a weal national government and strong, independently sovereign regional governments.

Confederal

The Interstate Commerce Clause is an article in the U.S. Constitution that gives ___ the exclusive power to regulate commerce between the states.

Congress

Constitutions are

Contracts between the government and the people

The level of detail in the Texas Constitution is problematic because it

Contributes to the necessity of constant change to the constitution. Makes the constitution too inflexible. Contributes to the unwieldy length of the document.

How does the U.S. Constitution create a federal system?

Distributes power between the national and state governments

What characteristics of the political culture in Texas are reflected in the current constitution of the state?

Distrust of government. Conservatism.

In a plural executive system, power is

Divided among several statewide elected officials.

Like most state constitutions, the Texas Constitution

Does not meet the qualifications of an "ideal constitution." Is lengthy and detailed.

Political culture

Drives institutions.

During most of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a system called ___ federalism operated in the U.S., under which the national government exercised powers delegated to it by the Constitution and the state governments provided basic services to citizens.

Dual

The 1824 constitution was ___ in concept.

Federalist

Which of the following is true of the Constitutions that have governed the region that became Texas?

For each major historical transition, a new constitution was drafted.

The Equal Protection Clause and Due Process Clause of the ___ Amendment extend protections of the Bill of Rights to the actions of state and local governments.

Fourteenth

Advocates of gay marriage argue that section 2 of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which states that no state must accept another state's definition of marriage, violates the ___ of the constitution.

Full Faith and Credit Clause

Which of the following statements about voter initiative is accurate?

Initiative requires the collection of a certain number of signatures within a set time. Texas does not have the initiative. The initiative process allows voters to propose changes to the state constitution.

Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of constitutions?

Instruct a government on what it can and cannot do

The current Texas constitution

Is compatible with the political climate of the state. Is in line with voter's desires for decentralization. Supports the idea of limited government.

As compared to the "average" state constitution, Texas's constitution

Is longer. Has more amendments.

What does the supremacy clause do?

It makes the U.S. Constitution the supreme law of the land

Which of the following is true of the 1861 constitution?

It prohibited the emancipation of slaves. It was essentially the same as the 1845 constitution. It contained a provision to secede from the Union.

Article 3 of the Texas Constitution refers to the ___ branch.

Legislative

Initiative-generated amendments are

Less likely to succeed than those proposed by state legislatures.

The 1845 statehood constitution provided for

Limited Executive authority.

Which statement is true regarding the freedoms identified in state constitutions and the U.S. Constitution?

Many state constitutions provide more freedoms than the national constitution

Which of the following describe(s) Article 2 of the Texas Constitution?

More explicitly refers to the separate checks on the branches of government than does the U.S. Constitution. Discusses the separation of powers in Texas government.

Voter turnout for constitutional amendments in Texas tends to be low because

Most amendments face little opposition. Amendments are placed on ballots in odd-numbered years, when there are no state-wide elections. The subject matter of most amendments are not of interest to most voters.

In McCulloch v. Maryland, the Supreme Court provided a broad interpretation of the ___ Clause, giving Congress the authority to pass laws that it deemed appropriate so long as they are consistent with the letter and spirit of the Constitution.

Necessary and Proper

Under President Nixon, state governments were given more discretion in program administration and revenue sharing. The federal--state relationship during this time is referred to as

New federalism

Ballot wording in constitution amendment elections is

Often intentionally noninstructive and misleading.

The Bill of Rights is Article ___ of the Texas constitution

One

Article ___, Section ___, grants Congress the right to tax and spend to promote general welfare.

One; Eight

Article 5 of the Texas Constitution

Outlines the qualifications for judges in Texas. Describes the judicial branch.

The constitutional principle that holds that the power granted in state constitutions rests with the people is known as

Popular Sovereignty

Which clause in Article 4 of the U.S. Constitution means, generally, that a state cannot treat its citizens differently than citizens of other states?

Privileges and Immunities

Most state constitutional amendments are

Proposed by the state legislatures and approved by voters

Which of the following are among the delegated and reserved powers of the states?

Protect property rights. Regulate banks and credit. Conduct local, state, and national elections.

The constitution of 1876

Reflected the traditionalistic/individualistic political culture of the state. Restricted the powers of the legislature. Reestablished many statewide and local elected offices.

In a federal system of government, power is

Shared between national and state governments

Which statement best characterizes amendments to state constitutions?

State constitutions are amended much more often than the U.S. Constitution because of the detailed nature of state constitutions.

Fear of what led to the plural executive system that is used in Texas today?

Strong executive authority

All state constitutions contain articles relating to

Taxation and finance.

Which part of the U.S. Constitution delegates or reserves some powers to the state governments or the people?

Tenth Amendment

What stands in the way of broad changes to the Texas Constitution?

The conservative nature of Texas politics.

Which of the following best describes social contract theory?

The idea that individuals have inalienable rights and willingly submit to government to protect these rights.

How do most constitutions governing American states compare to the federal Constitution?

They are longer with greater detail.

Why did the framers of the U.S. Constitution separate powers and provide for a system of checks and balances?

They were afraid of concentrating power in the hands of a single person.

Which of the following identify general criticisms that can be made of the Texas Constitution?

Unclear organization. Overly long. Archaic language. Constant change.

Which of the following statements best summarizes voters' responses to the constitutional amendment process in Texas?

Voters approve far more proposed amendments than they reject, thanks to intense efforts by interest groups.