GOVT 2306.004 (State and Local Government) Exam 1

Which of the following statements is true:

- Party affiliation or identification and ideology are not identical concepts

- The governor of Texas serves a four-year term of office

- The Texas legislature meets in regular session for five months (140 days) every other year (i.e. biennially)

- All the above

All the above

True/ False

Brown vs Board of Education addressed the issue of state-mandated segregation of public schools, with the decision striking down legally mandated segregation in public schools

True

The Texas Constitution of 1836 made provisions for:

- Universal adult suffrage

- An elected chief executive

- Explicitly rejected annexation by the United States

- A chief executive selected by the legislature

An elected chief executive

Enumerated powers (those powers granted exclusively to the federal government) include the right to:

- Coin money and conduct foreign policy

- Tax

- Spend money

- Administer elections

coin money and conduct foreign policy

An example of how states may differ with each other in regard to institutional characteristics would include:

- Only Texas and Oklahoma have two supreme courts

- Some states including Texas elect state court judges

- Some states have institutionally powerful governors while some, such as Texas, provides only limited powers for the governor

- All the above

All the above

True / False

A citizen initiative is one way some states can amend their state constitution.

True

Which of the following statements is correct?

- Gibbons v. Ogden greatly expanded the ability of the national government to regulate commerce

- Turnout in amendment elections tends to be very high

- In recent years voters have rejected most amendments put before them

- Lopez vs. U.S. involved the Supreme Court's interpretation of the national government's power to regulate abortion

Gibbons v. Ogden greatly expanded the ability of the national government to regulate commerce

True/ False

All states possess a legislature, an executive and judiciary.

True

The Texas Constitution of 1876:

- Includes a guarantee of free, efficient public education

- Limit State Representatives and Senators to two terms in office

- Guarantee women the right to vote as early as 1876

- None of the above

Includes a guarantee of free, efficient public education

The level of government that does not possess sovereignty nor have any recognition or protection under the U.S. Constitution is:

- National government

- County and municipal governments

- State governments

- None of the above

Country and municipal governments

True / False

A U.S. constitutional amendment that has since 2010 been incorporated to the states is the Second Amendment guarantee involving the right to keep and bear arms

True

The decision by the Supreme Court in NLRB vs. Jones & Laughlin Steel:

- Gave the federal government power to regulate business-labor union relations

- Expanded the right to keep and bear arms

- Addressed the issue of agricultural prices

- None of the above

Gave the federal government power to regulate business-labor union relations

The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution:

- Contains the due process and equal protection clauses

- Provided a mechanism to apply the Bill of Rights to the states on a case-by-case basis

- Was adopted as one of the three Civil War amendments following the Civil War

- All the above

All the above

True/ False

Demands by the public are at least one explanation for the increase in federal power

True

True/ False

Republicans tend to be more supportive of federal regulation than Democrats.

False

Which of the following statements are true?

- The U.S. population has become increasingly urbanized since the early 20th century

- The growth of cities means that in many respects local and municipal government have become more important

- Cities have become a primary driver of economic growth

- All of the above

All of the above

True/ False

The 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution allowed the federal government to impose a personal income tax.

True

State constitutions do which of the following:

- Establish the legitimacy of state institutions such as the legislature, executive and the judiciary

- Delegates powers to political institutions

- Defines the limits of political power and its exercise

- All the above

All the above

The Bill of Rights:

- Are the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution

- Address primarily individual rights such as the right of free speech

- Includes the 10th amendment, the purpose of which is to protect the rights of states in a federal system

- All the above

All the above

The U.S. Supreme Court decision in the New Deal period that greatly expanded the ability of the federal government to regulate agricultural production was:

- McCulloch v. Maryland

- Marbury v. Madison

- Gibbons V. Ogden

- Wickard v. Filburn

Wickard v. Filburn

True/ False

"Dillon's Rule" basically says that local governments do not have authority independent of the state.

True

The COVID pandemic illustrates:

- How federalism helped shape policy responses

- Major differences between Democratic and Republican state governments and partisan tensions between the national governments and many state governments

- How states competed with each other for resources in the early days of the pandemic

- All the above are correct

All the above are correct

True/ False

Counties are typically responsible for providing law enforcement, road maintenance and other basic services including tax assessment and property tax collection.

True

True/ False

The Supreme Court case McCulloch v. Maryland struck down a tax by the state of Maryland on the Bank of the United States.

True

Your instructor noted that with regard to Article VIII of the Texas Constitution:

- It refers to the power of the legislature to impeach public officials

- Addresses taxation, and precludes the legislature from adopting an income tax without the approval of citizens

- Addresses the issue of education

- Discusses the role of the state in granting powers to local governments

Addresses taxation, and precludes the legislature from adopting an income tax without the approval of citizens

Which of the following statements are true?

- The Texas Constitution can be amended through the legislature approving the proposed amendment by a two-thirds vote followed by majority approval by voters

- The largest state in terms of population is Texas

- Connecticut, Illinois and Arizona have actually lost population since 2010

- None of the above statements is true

The Texas Constitution can be amended through the legislature approving the proposed amendment by a two-thirds vote followed by majority approval by voters

The white (Caucasian) population began to decline in Texas as a percentage of the population:

- Around 1950

- Around 1990

- About 1900

- None of the above

Around 1950

True/ False

The four largest cities in Texas in order of size (largest to smallest population) are Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Houston.

False

Which of the following statements are true:

- Some aspects of "co-operative federalism" have been described by some as effectively coercive in nature

- All states have a "court of last resort"

- All states function under a system of separation-of-powers and checks and balances

- All the above

All the above

True / False

Article III of the Texas Constitution specifies two-year terms of office for members of both houses of the state legislature.

False

True / False

A council-manager form of municipal government confers substantial power and authority to the city manager appointed by the city council.

True

Which of the following elements of the U.S. Constitution has given expansive powers to the national government?

- Necessary and Proper Powers clause

- Commerce clause

- Supremacy clause

- All the above

All the above

The Texas Constitution of 1876 provides for:

- A 150 member House of Representatives and a 31 member Senate

- A part time or citizen legislature

- An elected judiciary

- All the above

All the above

True / False

All states have a bicameral legislature.

False

A fundamental change in the relationship between the national government and states occurred with:

- President Trump's election in 2016

- The Great Depression and the resulting New Deal

- The enunciation of the "Cooley Doctrine" in the early 1900s

- None of the above

The Great Depression and the resulting New Deal

The Supremacy Clause basically means that:

- If a state law conflicts with federal law or with the U.S. Constitution, that law is null and void

- If a state law conflicts with federal law or state law it is the responsibility of a convention of states to determine if that law will survive

- If federal law conflicts with the laws of a majority of states then the federal law is null and void

- If a state law and federal law conflict, both are considered to be valid

If a state law conflicts with federal law or with the U.S. Constitution, that law is null and void

The powers that have historically been considered the purview of the states are what are known as the:

- Enumerated powers

- Secondary powers

- Police powers

- Executive powers

Police powers

True/ False

An example of an area where both the national government and states share power and responsibility is taxation.

True

Some state constitutions:

- Confer rights not found in the U.S. Constitution

- Deny rights now guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution

- Granted rights decades before such rights were affirmed under the U.S. Constitution

- All of the above

All of the above

True / False

In Scott v. Sanford the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1857 that slaves were not citizens and that Congress had no authority to interfere with the status of slaves in newly formed states.

True

True / False

The Robin Hood plan resulted from efforts to address sentencing in equities in the criminal justice system

False

True / False

Although the U.S. Supreme Court in 2012 upheld most aspects of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) they did rule that states could not be compelled to increase Medicaid expenditures since that would violate state's rights.

True

Which of the following statements is true:

- Latinos today make up about 20 percent of the Texas population

- Rights found in state constitutions can exceed those found in the U.S. Constitution

- African-Americans comprise about 30 percent of Texas population

- Latinos comprise nearly 20 percent of the California population

Rights found in state constitutions can exceed those found in the U.S. Constitution

True / False

A major reason Texas has one of the longest constitutions (both in terms of number of words and the number of amendments) reflects the deep suspicion of political power and the refusal to provide flexibility to policy makers.

True

The major goals of the Texas Constitution of 1876 included:

- Popular control of government

- Strict limits on the powers of government

- Restraints on spending while also protecting agricultural interests

- All the above

All the above

True / False

Trust in the federal government has declined over the last several years

True

True / False

The responses of different state governments with regard to COVID is illustrated by the dramatically different "lockdown" policies implemented by Republican versus Democratic-controlled states.

True

True / False

Those in the United States in 1787 who were opposed to ratification of the Constitution were known as Federalists.

False

Which of the following statements are true?

- Some states allow voters to engage in direct democratic participation by voting in an amendment approved by the legislature

- California became the first state to ban smoking in public spaces

- Texas' rejection of the Affordable Care Act incentives to increase Medicaid expenditures by the states reflected deep tensions between a Democratic national administration and conservative states

- All of the above

All of the above

True / False

The recent Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health (2022) reversing Roe v. Wade (1973) could be considered a major victory for federalism and states' rights.

True

The Bill of Rights of the 1876 Texas Constitution:

- Is detailed and specific and found in Article I of the document

- Is stated at the very end of the Texas Constitution

- Establishes a "plural executive"

- Has been superseded by later amendments to the Constitution modifying or denying those rights

Is detailed and specific and found in Article I of the document

True / False

The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gave the right to vote for women.

True

True / False

The 1869 Texas Constitution great expanded the power of the executive

True

True / False

Timbs vs Indiana was a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision that incorporated the 8th Amendment guarantee against unreasonable fines

True

True / False

Among the three basic ways of organizing a political system (confederal, federal and unitary), a federal system represents an effort at balance between confederal and unitary systems.

True

True / False

The Bill of Rights when originally adopted was meant to apply only to the national government

True

True / False

Constitutional elections in Texas are held in odd numbered years.

True

True / False

The Texas Constitution of 1876 calls for a plural executive.

True

Today approximately what percent of the U.S. population lives in an urban area?

- 40%

- 50%

- 20%

- None of the above

None of the above

In order to amend the Texas Constitution:

- Voters must approve the amendment after 10 percent of all eligible voters have signed a petition of support

- Each house of the legislature must approve the proposed amendment by a two-thirds vote and the proposed amendment must be approved by a majority of voters

- The Texas Supreme Court must first approve the proposed amendment

- Each house of the legislature must unanimously approve the amendment

Each house of the legislature must approve the proposed amendment by a two-thirds vote and the proposed amendment must be approved by a majority of voters