TEXAS GOVT — EXAM I

When does constitutional government in Texas begin?

1824

The State Constitution of Coahuila and Texas (1827) did not apply to __________. Two goals of the state government that were never fulfilled were _______.

the military and religious leaders; trial by jury and public education

The Constitution of the Republic of Texas (1836)

included separation of powers into three branches.

The 1836 Constitution extended rights included in the previous constitutions, such as _________. Select all that apply.

homestead exemptions and community property

The Texas Constitution of 1845 included

all answers are correct

The Constitution of 1861

was a conservative document.

The Constitution of 1869

recognized the equality of all persons before the law.

The Constitution of 1869 differs from the 1866 Constitution in the following way(s): _____. Select all that apply.

it was written in compliance with congressional Reconstruction, authorized a poll tax, the equality of all persons before the law was recognized, the military had to take charge of its creation

The Constitution of 1869 was replaced when ____ gained control of Texas government.

Democrats

The Texas Constitution of 1876 includes a Bill of Rights. This Bill of Rights is located in which section of the Constitution?

Article 1

The 1876 Constitution grants the power to tax to municipal corporations, which are also known as ______.

local governments

Proposition 1

Raffles for charity may be conducted at rodeos

Proposition 3

State and local governments may not prohibit religious services

Proposition 7

Limits on school district taxes

The Texas Constitution of 1876 is long and detailed _____. Mark all that apply.

in order to limit government, as a reaction to a Republican governor

What did the 1845 Texas Constitution do to limit the power of the governor?

Added an amendment that removed the governor's ability to appoint other executive officers and instead required that they be elected

What was included in the Republic of Texas Constitution to protect owner-occupied properties from forced sales under most circumstances?

Homestead protections

In what ways is the Texas Constitution of 1836 like today's U.S. Constitution?

It called for a careful separation of church and state.

What is a consequence of the Texas Constitution of 1845’s provision to have voters elect most executive branch officeholders and judges?

Texas has a long ballot.

What perspective did the Texas Grangers take on public education?

They opposed it but were persuaded to support it by insisting on segregated schools.

In Texas, what is a statewide matter that voters may directly decide during an election?

The setting of legislative salaries

Which of the following describes the partisan election of judges in Texas?

Incumbent judges have an electoral advantage and are often reelected.

Salary increases for Texas state legislators are recommended by which state agency?

Texas Ethics Commission

Which power allows the governor to appoint supervisory boards but not operational directors for most state agencies?

Indirect appointive

Which of the following does the governor have the authority to do?

The governor may fire the chief of staff without state senate approval.

Who is unable to vote in Texas elections?

Citizens convicted of certain felonies

Which of the following constitutional powers are granted to local governments?

Cities with populations greater than 5,000 may adopt home-rule charters.

Which statement most accurately reflects constitutional amendments presented to voters in Texas since 1995?

Voter turnout for constitutional amendment elections is very low, and most amendments presented to voters have been approved.

Members of the Constitutional Convention of 1974 were opposed to which of the following?

A right-to-work provision

Which of the following is a true statement regarding constitutional amendments in Texas?

They have involved both symbolic and important issues.

A benefit of a federal system is _____. Mark all that apply.

state discriminatory laws can be overruled by the federal government, limits powers of national and state governments, state policies are better able to reflect local concerns, states may act as "laboratories of democracy", flexible system in adapting to changes

Which U.S. Constitutional Amendment reserves powers to the states?

10th

Article 1, Section 8, Clause 18 of the Constitution, “Congress shall have the power…To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States” created

flexible powers that could be expanded

Each state is required to recognize the "public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings" from other states in ______________ of the U.S. Constitution

Article IV

The case involving the question of “Are states allowed to control commerce between states?” was

Gibbons v. Ogden

The Supreme Court decision that ended the debate whether a state could secede from the Union was

Texas v. White

The U.S. Supreme Court used __________________ 's guarantee to states of a "Republican Form of Government" to justify the national government creating a government in Texas during Reconstruction after the Civil War.

Article IV

Cooperative federalism is sometimes described as

“marble cake” federalism

Which of the following is part of the definition of cooperative federalism?

Power is not concentrated at any level of government.

Funds that are distributed to state or local governments for programs, but that require them to follow federal administrative guidelines, are called:

categorical grants

What percentage of Texas’s general revenue comes from federal aid?

33%

States generally prefer that the federal government provide them money in the form of block grants because they:

provide the most leeway in how federal dollars will be spent.

Federal or state legislation that requires the states to implement policies but does not supply funding necessary for implementation, are called

unfunded mandates

Examples of independent state grounds in Texas include _____. Mark all that apply.

the Supreme Court of Texas striking down property tax based funding for K-12 education + protection against sex discrimination

Texas officials argued that _____ of election law changes required by the Voting Rights Act violated the 10th Amendment due to substantial costs on federalism.

Preclearance

Which of the following systems of government is in place in an overwhelming majority of the world's countries?

A unitary system

Which of the following explanations might best justify a confederal system of government?

Previous forms of government had been abusive of authority, and the people were wary of granting any significant power to a large government again.

Which of the following most accurately characterizes the regional governments that may exist under a unitary system?

In a unitary system, all regional governments are subordinate to the central government.

Which is an example of a reserved power of the states?

The power to conduct elections

Which of the following best characterizes the Supreme Court's decision in McCulloch v. Maryland?

It broadly defined the scope of federal power via the Court's interpretation of the necessary and proper clause.

Which of the following constitutional provisions governed state-federal relations during the era of dual federalism?

The Tenth Amendment

As a condition of receiving some federal grant money, Texas and other states are expected to meet minimum standards set by federal law. Which of the following terms best characterizes this requirement?

Cooperative federalism

Would you expect conservative Texas politicians to support devolution?

Yes, because it reduces federal oversight and allows states to better decide how grant money is spent locally

Which of the following best explains why states resisted Brown v. Board of Education and the Voting Rights Act of 1965?

Both of these promoted laws of equality in direct opposition to the separate but equal laws favored by the states.

Which of the following statements would most likely have been made by someone who supports the practice of coercive federalism?

Without the threat of withholding funds, the national government would never have the constitutional power to pass laws about state public health initiatives.

Which of the following examples would be considered an unfunded mandate?

The federal government required universities to accept more students tuition-free without appropriating more funds to offset the lost revenue.

Which of the following best explains why the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion would have had such a large impact on Texas?

Texas has a comparatively large number of low-income citizens who would have qualified.

What did the Supreme Court evaluate in Roe v. Wade?

The right to privacy

Which of the following best describes Texas's approach to the question of marijuana policy change?

Texas has resisted efforts to liberalize marijuana policy.

When examining casino gambling policies in the bordering states of Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, which of the following statements is accurate?

Casino gambling is regulated by the state and is highly regulated in Texas but allowed in the bordering states.

The leader of the Texas House is the ___________, selected by ____________; but the leader of the Texas Senate is the___________, selected by __________.

Speaker, the chamber; Lieutenant Governor, voters across the state

The Texas Legislature meets ___________ and there are ________ days in a regular session.

every two years/140

The governor may call special legislative sessions of up to ________ days. Issues discussed during special sessions are determined by the __________.

30; governor

Texas state legislators are responsible for redrawing district maps in accordance with census results, a process called redistricting. The process is inherently partisan. Legislators from both parties want district lines drawn to improve their party's chances of winning elections. If legislators cannot come to an agreement on a redistricted map, then ________ has an opportunity to play a role in creating new maps.

all answers are correct

Majority minority districts are those in which a minority racial or ethnic group comprises a majority of the district's population, thus improving the likelihood of electing more diverse legislators. Proponents claim this guards against _______, which means it divides the group between several districts so they cannot achieve a majority. Opponents charge this is ______, which means it diminishes the group's influence in other districts.

cracking; packing

Statistics for the 87th Texas legislative session include: Total Incumbents _____ Total number of members under 30 years old _____ Female Senators _____ _____ more Republicans than Democrats in the Texas Senate

179; 0; 10; 5

In order for a bill to go to the Governor’s desk it must

be enrolled or both chambers agree on identical forms of the bill.

Unlike the pocket veto power of the U.S. President, when the Texas Governor ignores a bill it will _____.

become law

A Texas legislator's salary is $_______ per year, with a per diem of $______ for every day the Legislature is in session.

7200; 221

During the 86th Legislative Session, the Republican Speaker of the House assigned ______________ to chair substantive committees.

more Democrats

What is one potential consequence of term limits for state legislators?

Term limits undermine legislative professionalism, making members more dependent on special interest groups.

What are the arguments that opponents of the short-term biennial legislative sessions in Texas make in favor of longer, annual sessions?

Texas legislators cannot acquaint themselves with the immense volume of legislation presented to them during the short session.

Who provides bill analyses, floor reports, and issue focus reports for the Texas House of Representatives?

House Research Organization

The fact that the Texas legislature is disproportionately Anglo and male compared to the population of Texas means that it lacks what?

Descriptive representation

How are all Texas legislators elected?

By single-member districts

What is the term for the process of drawing district lines in such a way as to give an advantage to candidates from a certain party, ethnic group, or faction at the expense of other groups?

Gerrymandering

What is one consequence of gerrymandering?

Gerrymandering results in vote dilution of certain individuals.

Which of the following is a power of the lieutenant governor?

Voting in the event of a tie in the Senate

What is one power the Texas speaker of the house has that can be used to pressure rank-and-file members to vote with the party leader?

The Speaker has control over committee appointments.

Why did the Texas Senate impose a five-ninths rule?

To reduce the number of Republican senators required for a bill to reach the floor

Which of the following must the comptroller of public accounts do for the legislative budgeting and appropriations process?

Certify the approximate biennial revenue for the state

Which of the following contributes to the system of crony capitalism in Texas bureaucracy?

Pushes for privatization of the bureaucracy often see contracts awarded to supporters of incumbents

A line-item veto allows the governor to do which of the following?

Remove funds for specific items or projects without killing an entire bill

Which of the following has resulted from attempts to hold the bureaucracy more accountable to the people?

The large number of elected positions in the executive branch

What does the gubernatorial staff do?

Lobby the state legislature on the governor's behalf

In what ways do appointed boards limit the powers of the governor?

The boards themselves, not the governor, appoint agency directors.

Why are powers of persuasion important for governors in Texas to be successful? The governor has fewer formal powers than most other state governors.

Which of the following is responsible for voting on whether to convict a governor once charges of impeachment are approved?

Texas Senate

Which of the following best characterizes the Texas governor's veto power?

Line-item vetoes allow the governor to use budget cuts as a tool to influence the administration of laws.

What happens in the event of agency capture?

An administrative agency ceases to consider the interests of the general public and instead acts only to further the interests of those it is charged with regulating.

Which of the governor's staff members have the most direct influence in the development of public policy?

Legislative assistants

Together with the attorney general, which of the following officials would be involved in responding to a federal ruling that the Texas election law requiring a photo ID to vote is unconstitutional?

Secretary of state

How has Glenn Hegar, the comptroller of Public Accounts, modernized state financial practices?

By rebuilding the public-facing website

If the Texas attorney general issues an opinion arguing that a proposed state policy violates the Texas constitution, what is likely to happen?

Opponents of the legislation will use the opinion as a way to defeat the legislation.

In which of the following situations would the governor's informal powers be more important than the governor's formal powers?

Two weeks into the session, the legislature has not yet passed a bill the governor considers important.

Why has the Texas governor’s office contributed to the state’s conservative political culture after the period when the state was solidly Democratic after Reconstruction?

Most governors have been Republican.

Which of the following best explains why the bureaucracy is inherently political?

Administrations must gain political allies to secure appropriations and enforcement support.

Which of the following factors limits the legislature's ability to effectively provide independent oversight of the bureaucracy?

Legislators are often lobbied by special interest groups that have their own agenda for the bureaucracy.

Why does the Texas attorney general have relatively little sway in criminal prosecution? Because Texas has a decentralized judicial system that empowers local prosecutors

Which of the following interests is most directly tied to the actions of the Commissioner of the General Land Office?

Texas public schools