TX Govt-2306 Chapter 8

1. The executive branch of Texas is divided into:

A. many departments, all headed by elected officials.

B. many departments, all headed by appointed officials.

C. many elective and appointive offices.

D. one basic elective office with the cabinet appointed by the governor.

many elective and appointive offices

2. The main reason Texas' executive branch power is fragmented is because:

A. it follows the national model which is inappropriate for a state.

B. the framers of the Texas Constitution had a basic fear of executive power.

C. the governor has extensive important appointive power.

D. none of the above.

the framers of the Texas Constitution had a basic fear of executive power

3. Which of the following is not an informal qualification for the typical Texas governor?

A. a conservative Democrat

B. male

C. at least thirty years of age

D. a WASP

at least thirty years of age

4. If the office of governor is vacated by absence of the governor, it is filled by

A. Secretary of State

B. Speaker

C. President pro temp of the Senate

D. Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant Governor

5. Before Texas' constitution was amended, the governor was elected for:

A. a minimum of two terms of two years each.

B. a single two-year term with no re-election permitted.

C. no more than two terms of four years each.

D. two-year terms with no limit on the number of terms

two-year terms with no limit on the number of terms

6. Arguments for a four-year term of office for the governor include all of the following except:

A. it guarantees Democratic control.

B. it provides greater freedom from lobby groups.

C. more time could be devoted to affairs of state than to campaigning.

D. all of the above.

it guarantees Democratic control

7. The governor of Texas can be removed from office by:

A. impeachment by the House.

B. impeachment by the House and conviction by two-thirds of the Senate.

C. a recall vote by the electorate following the filling of a recall petition.

D. conviction by the Texas Supreme Court following a writ of removal by the Texas legislature.

impeachment by the House and conviction by two-thirds of the Senate

8. The legislative agency that helps draft the state budget is the

A. Office of Management and Budget

B. Legislative Council

C. Legislative Audit Committee

D. Legislative Budget Board

Legislative Budget Board

9. In practice, a veto by the governor of Texas is:

A. overridden a majority of the time.

B. easily overridden, but seldom is.

C. less effective at the end of the session.

D. usually final.

usually final

10. After the end of the legislative session, the governor's veto is:

A. in practice absolute.

B. easily overridden by the legislature.

C. difficult to override due to the necessity of a three-fourths vote.

D. easy to override due to the time lapse between sessions.

in practice absolute

11. The governor does not have the power to exercise:

A. an item veto.

B. a pocket veto.

C. a veto of non-appropriation bills.

D. all of the above.

a pocket veto

12. Which of these is not a legislative power of the governor?

A. may call a special session.

B. may send or deliver messages to the Legislature.

C. may exercise the pocket veto.

D. may exercise a veto on any bill.

may exercise the pocket veto

13. The salary of the Texas governor is determined by the

A. Supreme Court.

B. Legislature.

C. constitution.

D. Comptroller.

Legislature

14. The governor may exercise the item veto on which of the following

A. any bill

B. any bill originating in the House

C. joint resolutions

D. the appropriations bill

the appropriations bill

15. The most formidable power(s) that the governor has with regard to the state budget is his ability to:

A. write the budget

B. appoint key members of the Legislative Budget Bureau

C. veto line items in the budget

D. do all of the above

E. do none of the above since he or she has no role

do all of the above

16. Regarding the removal power of the governor of Texas:

A. The governor may unilaterally remove from office any person that he or she appoints.

B. The governor may impeach any public official.

C. The governor may unilaterally remove any member of his or her staff.

D. The governor may remove any state employee from office by refusing to sign the employee's paycheck.

The governor may unilaterally remove any member of his or her staff

17. The budget powers of the governor include

A. impounding funds after they have been appropriated by the Legislature.

B. raising or lowering an appropriation of the Legislature.

C. transferring appropriated funds from one category to another.

D. submitting a budget to the Legislature.

submitting a budget to the Legislature

18. Relative to gubernatorial succession, which of the following statements is true?

A. If the governor dies in office, the speaker of the House becomes governor until the next election.

B. If the governor becomes mentally incompetent in office, the lieutenant governor becomes governor until the next election.

C. If the governor suffers a physical disability, the attorney general rules on the information and designates the lieutenant governor to take over until the next election.

D. If the governor is in Oklahoma on a dove hunt, the lieutenant governor becomes acting governor.

If the governor is in Oklahoma on a dove hunt, the lieutenant governor becomes acting governor

19. The candidates who lost in the last three Texas gubernatorial elections (1990, 1986, 1982) have been, respectively,

A. Clayton Williams, Mark White, and Bill Clements.

B. Clayton Williams, Bill Clements, and Mark White.

C. Clayton Williams, Jim Mattox, and Mark White.

D. Ann Richards, Bill Clements, and Mark White.

Clayton Williams, Mark White, and Bill Clements

20. Which of the following is not a penalty for conviction on an impeachment charge in Texas?

A. Removal from office

B. Disqualification from holding any federal office

C. Disqualification from holding any appointive state office

D. Disqualification from holding any elective state office

Disqualification from holding any federal office

21. The lieutenant governor is considered one of the most powerful officeholders in state government for all but one of the following reasons because he or she

A. presides over the Senate

B. has a statewide constituency

C. plays a key role in the state budgetary process

D. is a member of the governor's cabinet

is a member of the governor's cabinet

22. The term, "plural executive," refers to

A. the governor and the lieutenant governor

B. an executive branch of government in which the governor shares the power with some officeholders

C. all the officeholders in the executive and legislative branches of government

D. a governor who has served more than one term in office

an executive branch of government in which the governor shares the power with some officeholders

23. Which is the only major statewide officeholder appointed by the governor?

A. lieutenant governor

B. attorney general

C. secretary of state

D. comptroller

secretary of state

24. If a governor dies or is incapacitated in office, he or she is replaced until the next general election by the

A. lieutenant governor

B. secretary of state

C. attorney general

D. speaker of the House

lieutenant governor

25. Articles of impeachment against a governor are

A. brought by the Senate and tried in the House of Representatives

B. brought by the House and tried in the Senate

C. brought by either the House or the Senate and tried in the other body

D. brought by the attorney general and tried in the Senate

brought by the House and tried in the Senate

26. Who was the only Texas governor to be removed from office by impeachment?

A. James E. "Pa" Ferguson

B. Miriam A. "Ma" Ferguson

C. James Allred

D. Gus Mutscher

James E. "Pa" Ferguson

27. The line item veto is

A. the governor's removal of specific provisions from any bill

B. the governor's removal of specific spending items from general appropriations bills only

C. the governor's removal of specific provisions from tax bills only

D. the governor's authority to rescind a specific action of a state regulatory agency

the governor's removal of specific spending items from general appropriations bills only

In 2000, Governor George W. Bush resigned to prepare for his upcoming term as President of the

United States. Which official took over as governor?

a. The speaker of the house

b. The attorney general

c. The lieutenant governor

d. The vice governor

The lieutenant governor

29, Someone was sentenced to 20 years in prison. The governor reduces her sentence to 10 years.

The governor has just issued _______.

a. judicial override

b. a pardon

c. clemency

d. executive review

clemency

The governor has vetoed a bill, but the legislature would still like to see this bill become law.

How can they accomplish this?

a. They must convince the governor to sign it.

b. They can override the veto with a majority vote in both chambers.

c. They can override the veto with a two-thirds vote in both chambers.

d. The Senate can override the veto with a majority vote.

They can override the veto with a two-thirds vote in both chambers.

The legislature sends the governor a bill. If the governor ignores the bill for 10 days, what

happens?

a. It goes to the Chief Justice for his or her signature.

b. It is automatically vetoed.

c. It goes to the lieutenant governor for his or her signature.

d. It becomes law without his or her signature

It becomes law without his or her signature

During the covid-19 pandemic, Governor Abbott issued _______ which required certain

businesses to close.

a. an executive order

b. a proclamation

c. a directive

d. legislation

an executive order

Which governor served three terms and greatly expanded the power of the Texas governor’s

office?

a. Ann Richards

b. Rick Perry

c. Sam Houston

d. George W. Bush

Rick Perry