Texas Gov Final Exam

Why must the budget in Texas be balanced?

The Texas Constitution requires that the Texas budget be:

balanced

Federal expenditures primarily affect the state budget in which two areas?

Health and human services and education

Texas has the reputation for being

a low-service, low-tax state

One major revenue source for Texas is the sales tax, which is

6.25 percent for state government and 2 percent for local government.

A Texas personal income tax would

would have to be approved by the voters, and the revenues from it would have to support public education.

The Rainy Day Fund

was designed to provide funding for the state during times of financial distress.

The National Research University Fund

funds Texas universities seeking national prominence as research institutions

Which of the following is NOT a constitutional constraint on the budgetary process in Texas?

All of the above are constitutional limits

What is meant by "the budget-execution authority"?

the legislature's power to establish rules for the expenditure of funds by state agencies

Who is the chief executive planning officer?

the governor

The principal job of the Legislative Budget Board is to

to conduct audits of state expenditures.

A budgetary surplus is best defined as

a budgetary situation wherein projected revenues exceed projected expenditures

What is one of the recent projected deficits that dominated budgetary politics during the 2017 session of the legislature?

declining oil prices

The Gilmer-Aikin Laws

were major educational reforms passed in 1949

Among the reforms in public education in Texas to improve the quality of education was

"No Pass, No Play."

Which of the following statements is true about Medicaid in Texas?

Texas can apply for a waiver with the federal government, enabling it to create programs directed toward particular clients.

The Affordable Care Act

\-will increase health insurance coverage to millions of Texans.

\-was a major national reform of health insurance in the United States

The welfare reforms of the 1990s

\-Resulted from a belief that the welfare policies of the 1960s had failed,

\-Led to a 36-month limitation on welfare benefits in Texas,

\-Led to a five-year ban on reapplying for benefits once benefits ran out,

\-Expanded education and job-training programs

Managed care program

provide medical care to an increasing number of Medicaid clients in Texas

According to the video watched in class, know the notable products Mexico began exporting in larger numbers due to NAFTA

avacados

Know the role creative destruction plays in our economy

Creative destruction creates new economies and destroys old ones.

Know the trends of economic development in Texas, from cotton/cattle to oil to our current, more diversified economy

• First wave-cotton and cattle(via railroad)

• Second wave- oil industry

• Third wave-High tech digital economy

The four major metropolitan areas in Texas are

Houston,Dallas-Fort Worth,San Antonio, and Austin

Which idea is contained in both the U.S. and Texas constitutions?

Separation of powers

Under the U.S. Constitution, the government of Texas is most limited by

the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Know the differences between the state Bill of Rights and the US Bill of Rights

the state- Article 1 of the Texas Constitution; contains the Texas Bill of Rights

US- the first 10 amendments

Why is there such low participation in constitutional amendment elections?

These elections are held in "off" years

Federalism refers to

a system of government in which there is a national government as well as a number of regional governments

An advantage of federalism is that it

allows experiments to determine the best policies

Prior to the ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment, the Bill of Rights

applied only to the national government

Incorporation of the Bill of Rights

A legal doctrine whereby parts of the U.S. Bill of Rights are applied to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause

Dual federalism refers to

a system of government in which states do most of the governing

Layer-cake federalism (dual) switched to marble-cake (Cooperative) federalism

during the New Deal

The use of categorical grants was a way of promoting

cooperative federalism

Providing a label that helps voters identify those seeking office is an important function of

political parties

All of the following groups constitute the Democratic Party base in Texas except

Business leaders

In the state of Texas, the highest level of temporary party organization is the

state convention

What forms of ID are acceptable at the polls?

Driver License, Election Identification, Personal ID, Handgun License, Military ID, U.S Citizenship Certificate, U.S. Passport.

In a primary election,

voters select their party's candidate for a general election

The first Tuesday following the first Monday in November of even-numbered years is the day for which election?

general election

When are gubernatorial elections held?

during even-numbered years that are not presidential election years

The procedure by which certain states, such as Texas, are required to obtain approval every time they make changes to districts is called

Preclearance

Interest groups provide public officials with all the following EXCEPT

Committee assignments

The goals of interest groups include all except

maintaining a heterogeneous membership

Interest groups have an advantage over individuals in influencing policy because interest groups usually have

more time to influence officials, greater expertise than individuals, more money to influence elections, more staff.

Trial lawyers are which type of interest group?

professional group

Lobbyists are

important sources of information for legislators

In Texas, the most powerful interest groups represent which interests?

business

There are ___ members of the Texas Senate, and state senators serve a ___-year term.

31 members ;4 year term

The Texas legislature meets in regular session

140 days each odd-numbered year.

The agenda for a special session of the Texas legislature is set by the

governor

Legislative districts in Texas

are designed to benefit partisan interests

The Texas legislature does not pass this type of bill or resolution:

joint resolution

Texas legislators do not

investigate wrongdoing by federal agencies

If a bill fails to pass the Texas House and Texas Senate in exactly the same form, the bill

is sent to the governor, who decides which version of the bill will be signed.

The ability of the lieutenant governor and the Speaker of the House to control the final outcome of legislation comes from their power to

change up to three lines in any bill.

In recent years, the Texas legislature has

become less partisan

Which of the following is NOT necessary to become governor of Texas?

A governor must be a lawyer.

The governor's most effective power in controlling the executive branch of state government is the power

of appointment.

The governor can grant

pardons

Which member of the plural executive is appointed?

Secretary of State

The attorney general is

elected independently of the governor.

The land commissioner

administers state land

Members of the plural executive are accountable to the

voters

The Texas Department of Insurance

has limited power to regulate insurance rates

The Railroad Commission of Texas

regulates oil and gas production in Texas

Which agency investigates the performance of state agencies and recommends whether an agency should be abolished, continued as is, or continued with changes?

Sunset Advisory Commission

Grand juries

\-decide whether a trial of an accused is warranted

\-determine if there is probable cause to prosecute an individual for a crime.

The highest criminal court in the state of Texas is the

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

The trial courts for felonies in Texas are the

district courts

Candidates for judicial office in Texas

run in partisan judicial elections.

In Texas, which event marked the rise of the Republican Party and partisan judicial elections?

the election of Bill Clements as governor of Texas

Judicial elections have become highly competitive

in urban areas in Texas

Which of the following sets campaign contribution limits for judicial candidates in Texas?

Judicial Campaign Fairness Act

Philosophically, in the past few years, Texas courts became

more pro-defendant in civil cases

Which of the following is not a type of local government found in Texas?

council of government

The basic governing body of a county is known as

a county commissioners' court

How many counties are there in Texas?

254

All county commissioners' precincts must be equal in population according to

Avery v. Midland County

A county judge

presides over the constitutional county court and the county commissioners' court.

Which county officials are responsible for the jail and the safety of the prisoners?

sheriff

To adopt a home-rule charter, a city must have a minimum population of

5,000

The two legal classifications of Texas cities are

general law and home rule

The form of city government that allows the mayor to establish control over most of the city's government is called the

strong mayor-council form of city government

Cities that have home rule

make ordinances and regulations without interference by the state

Which local government provides a single service not provided by any other local government?

special district

What are the two types of special purpose districts found in Texas?

school and nonschool

A special purpose district

is a unit of local government that performs a special service in a limited geographic area.

Comprehensive planning and service delivery in a specific geographic area are the function of a

special purpose district

The agency responsible for licensing peace officers is the

Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.

One important requirement of the Sandra Bland Act is that

jail deaths must be investigated by an independent agency

The most serious crimes are classified as

felonies

Probation refers to

a suspension of the jail or prison sentence

District attorneys may have the most important roles in the criminal justice process because

\-they have the power to charge people with crimes.

\-they have the power to plea bargain with defendants.

\-they usually make the only presentation before grand juries.

Indigent defendants charged with serious crimes in Texas

most commonly are represented by assigned counsel

The Texas prison system

was vastly affected by a federal court decision, Ruiz v. Estelle, which declared that the overcrowded system was unconstitutional.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice

is run by a nine-member board appointed by the governor

death penalty

is imposed by a majority vote of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles.

People have been wrongfully convicted in Texas because of

\-police misconduct.

\-bad or outdated forensic science.

\-mistaken identifications.

\-prosecutorial misconduct.

Reforms in the criminal justice process include

\-financial compensation for people wrongfully convicted.

\-changes to suspect lineups so that the police officer in charge of the lineup does not know who the actual suspect is.

\-expanding drug treatment programs.

\-Some prosecutors are assigned to examine possible wrongful convictions.

(All of the above are reforms to the criminal justice process.)