WCJC-GOVT-2306 FINAL -BETANCOURT

The second largest city in Texas today is

San Antonio

Which racial or ethnic group in Texas is concentrated in East Texas

African Americans

Drilling and fracking led to new boom era of oil and gas production in Texas that lasted from 1973-2006

False

On average, Texans are younger than the rest of the citizens of the United States

True

Approximately how long did one-party Democratic rule last in Texas

100

Oil was the primary industry in Texas during the 1800's

False

The Great Recession hit Texas particularly hard, with Texas being on of the first states to enter and one of the last to exit

False

Previously existing banding regulations and a diverse economy helped Texas escape some of the worst effects of the Great Recession

True

Which of the following makes it difficult to classify Texas as having one unified political culture

its size and diversity

Higher education in Texas has benefited most from what industry

Oil and Gas

When compared to the rest of the nation, the population of Texas

its relatively young

New technologies such as _________ and _________ let to new boom era of oil and gas production in Texas, beginning in 2008 and continuing through today

Horizontal drilling; fracking

The constitution of 1827 tried to limit the spread of _________

Slavery

The domination of Texas politics by republicans after the Civil war ended

with the election of governor Richard Coke in 1873

Texas has operated under how many constitutions

7

The Texas Constitution created two top appeal courts: one for civil cases and one for criminal cases

True

The constitution of 1836 showed the direct influence of the U.S. Constitution though the inclusion of which of the following?

Government divided into three branches with a system of checks and balances

The first federal constitution that Texas operated under was the Mexican constitution

True

Who made up the Grange, and what effect did the have on the writing of the Texas Constitution?

They were an agriculture group who wanted a government that would improve the plight of farmers.

In federalism, an individual citizen lives under the direct authority of which of the following

the central government and regional government

Which statement best describes the structure of the Texas legislature?

since independence from Mexico, Texas has had a bicameral legislature.

Constitutional amendment elections tend to have very low levels of voter turnout

True

Texas became an independent republic in ______ and became part of the United States in____:

1836;1845

There are rights guaranteed to Texans in Article 1 of the Texas Constitution that go far beyond those of the US Constitution

False

Which statement best describes the post-Civil war governorship of Edmund Davis?

Davis was a republican who used the centralized powers of the governorship to maintain control over his regime

Dual federalism is also known as

layer -cake federalism

A defining characteristic of federalism is that

rather than being held exclusively or primarily by one body, governing authority is divided at different levels between several bodies.

Under dual federalism, the national and state governments regularly cooperate and share responsibilities

False

A system of government in which power is divided between a central government and a regional government is known as

federalism

The us of block grants, allowing states to considerable leeway in how federal money is spent, swaps championed by president ______ under the name New Federalism

Nixon

Federalism is often used in countries that have

ethnic or cultural divisions

Cooperative federalism is also known as marble cake federalism

True

Cities are primarily responsible for providing indigent health care

False

Special purpose districts in Texas are

democratic in theory but often not in practice

The chief financial officer for a city is called the

city controller

General-law cities have more autonomy from the state than home-rule charter cities

False

Who is responsible for setting the county's budget and tax rate?

Commissioners court

A school district is

a special purpose district

Who collects the taxes owed to the county

county tax assessor-collector

In the commissioner for of government

the legislative and executive function are preformed by the elected commission

Which statement correctly describes the requirement for membership in a major political party in Texas?

White no requirements, a registered voter simply chooses which party primary to vote in

In Texas today, rural areas have become more _______, while urban areas have become more ____.

Republican; Democratic

Similar to other states, Texas is

religious and socially conservative

Texans are increasingly identifying themselves as

independent

Most of the African American population of Texas is concentrated in

East Texas

In a "nonpartisan" election

the party affiliations of candidates are not listed on the ballot

Most Texas democrats today would be classified as

liberal

What is the most basic level of the permanent party organization in Texas?

Precinct chair

The fastest-growing demographic group in Texas is _____, the majority of who vote_____

Latino; Democratic

The fundamental principles and positions supported by a political party are explained in the:

party platform

Which individuals are legally disqualified from voting?

Individuals who have been declared mentally incompetent

One of the advantages incumbents have when running for recognition is

name recognition and visibility

Which of the following tends to lower voter turnout?

Most elections are for low-visibility offices

Which of the following is the largest expense for most campaigns?

Media ads

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

Poll Tax

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

Open Primary

Which portion of the Texas government is responsible for redistricting in Texas?

The legislative

The Motor Vehicle Act of 1993:

allows citizens to register to vote while applying for a driver's license

The general election is held in first:

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

The two most important factors that determine whether someone votes are:

income level and education

What is the most basic and fundamental duty citizens have in democracy?

Voting

The poll tax disenfranchised:

Poor People

A closed primary allows only those individuals who___to participate:

are a registered member of their political party

In Texas, primary elections are usually held in:

March

Which party usually has the higher level of turnout in Texas?

Republican

What is the main purpose of a primary election?

To select a party's candidate for the general election

Major state officials are elected in nonpresidential years because:

it prevents popular presidential candidates from influencing the outcome of Texas races

By forming a political action committee (PAC), the interest group can show a candidate that:

its members care very deeply about an issue and are willing to donate money to support the group's position on the issue

Most lobbyists:

have expertise in policy matters or personal relationships with legislators.

Interest groups use judicial strategies in order to

challenge existing policies and laws within the court system

Interest groups will often try to get ____to write letters or all legislators to show their support for the group's position on a particular issue.

Constituents

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

The grange

Which of the following is/are employed to express the values of interest groups?

Lobbyist

Arguably, the largest and most effective public employee interest group in Texas is made up of:

Teachers

Interest groups are best seen as:

organization established to influence the government's programs and policies

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

All of these are correct

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

All of these are correct

Compared to national average, Texans tend to rank______ on measurements that are related to civic engagement.

Near the bottom

An interest group that serves as an umbrella organization to coordinate the activities of member group in specific targeted areas is known as a(n).

Peak association

The Texas Medical association is best described as what kind of interest group?

Professional

The governor often uses the State of the State address to do which of the following?

to describe his or her legislative priorities and agenda

In Texas, both the lieutenant governor and the Speaker of the house are elected in statewide elections

False

In order to be eligible to serve in the Texas house, you must be _________ years old; in order to serve in the Texas senate you must be ____ year old.

21;26

How is the speaker of the Texas house of representative chosen?

The Speaker is elected by members of the House.

For how long does the Texas legislature meet?

The regular legislative session lasts 140 days every two years.

Which committee acts as a screening mechanism to filter out bad bills or bills that have little or no political support?

Standing

Which of the following rules applies to the filibuster in the Texas senate?

The senator who has control of the floor must always speak in an audible voice, so that he or she can be heard and understood.

After a bill is referred by a committee, the next step in the process is?

Floor Action

Regular sessions of the Texas legislator las for 200 days.

False

The agenda for special sessions in the Texas legislature is set by the?

Governor

Special sessions last_______, but there is no limit to the number of special sessions a governor can call.

30 days

In the Texas legislature, the House has _________members and the senate has ____members

31;150

The Texas house of representatives is responsible for both impeaching government officials and holding the trials after impeachment

True

By focusing on some things and not others, the medica can shape the legislative agenda and what become legal or illegal in Texas

True

The legislature can overturn a post-adjournment veto

False

A bill in the Texas legislature that would allow a county to establish a new community college would be classified as a.

Local Bill

____must begin in the house of representatives.

Revenue Bill

The governor appoints people to office, but the Texas_______must also confirm them.

House of Representatives

What makes the greatest difference between strong and weak governor of Texas?

How the governor conducts him- or herself in office, uses the position's formal power, and exercises political influence.

Officially, who is the chief budget officer of Texas?

The Texas Governor