Quiz Answers

Quiz 1

The Republican Party was very successful in gaining power in the Texas Government immediately after the civil war because supporters of the Confederacy lost the right to vote

The ideal constitution is brief and flexible

Texas revolted against Mexican president Santa Anna because he suspended the 1824 Mexican Constitution

The current Texas Constitution is often called the “redeemer” constitution because it was written in an attempt to atone for the “sins” of the 1869 Texas constitution

The belief that the power to rule emanates from the people is called popular sovereignty

The question of whether the U.S. should annex Texas was most heavily influenced and delayed by the issue of slavery

The framers of the Texas Constitution created small salaries for legislators, but this has led to legislators who are wealthy and dependent on big business

Which of these reasons contributed to tensions between Anglo immigrants to Texas in the early 1800s and the Mexican government - English was not the official language, Non-Catholic Anglos were legally required to become Catholics, and Slavery was disliked by the Mexican government

Prior to 1845, all Anglos immigrated to Texas legally is FALSE

Native Americans taught the Spanish how to ride horses is FALSE

Quiz 2

Legislative sessions for the Texas legislature are held in odd-numbered years

Texas does not have term limits for the state legislature

The delegate theory of representation holds that elected officials are agents of the majority who elected them to office and are, therefore, responsible for carrying out the wishes of the majority

The pay for Texas legislators is among the highest in the nation is FALSE

How old does one have to be to serve in the Texas House of Representatives? 21

Whoever wins an election by receiving the most votes has won a majority of the votes cast is true

Each Texas Senator represents roughly the same number of Texas counties is true

What is one reason why many citizens do not run for state office in Texas? it’s because the financial compensation for legislators is too low for the average citizen.

How long does a regular session of the Texas legislature last? 140 days

What is the primary purpose of a bicameral legislature? It’s to divide power and prevent majority tyranny

Quiz 3

What is meant by the term “plural executive”? It means Administrative powers are shared between officials who are independent of the governor

If a governor wins an election by significant margin, what can they do to keep the legislature from challenging them? They can claim a popular mandate (Regina George from mean girls coded)

How old does one have to be to be a Texas Governor? You have to be a whopping 30 years old.

Which governor of texas was infamous for selling pardons? It was “Pa” Ferguson

If governors cannot perform functions of the office for a temporary person, who fills in for them? The lieutenant governor would fill in.

True or false? In the impeachment process, the Senate does the accusing (“impeaching”), and then members of the Texas House determine whether to remove the official from office. This is false.

Which of these powers allows Texas governors to have some control over the budget? A line item veto

Who is the primary audience for the governor’s state of the state address? It would be the Texas legislature it’s in the constitution. As citizens and residents we can watch it but the main audience is the Texas legislature.

Who has the authority to declare whether the state of Texas is in a state of emergency? The Texas Governor

Governors of Texas remain weak governors today, just as the current system (constitution) of 1876 set them up to be. IS FALSE

Quiz 4

The Comptroller of Public Accounts is a member of the Texas Executive branch.

Texans may vote for candidates in the executive branch that are from a different party than the governor.

Imagine that you were given the opportunity to create a merit-based civil service system in the state of Texas. What is an example of the kind of system you should create? A judge is appointed to a position based on their expertise.

What is the purpose of the sunset review process? It’s a formal review of the effectiveness of a commission or board.

Imagine that you are the Secretary of State in Texas. What actions should you take to fulfill one of the responsibilities of your office? I would have to administer the Texas Election Code

Texas brings in more tax revenue from income taxes than from sales taxes is FALSE

What is a characteristic of the patronage system? Jobs are given based on political support.

Which statement accurately describes the Texas Executive Branch? The ability for Texans to vote for different offices in the branch makes the executive more accountable.

Which member of the plural executive in Texas takes care of the Permanent School Fund? The Land Commissioners.

Roughly how many of the 370,000 employees in the Texas Executive Branch are appointed by the Governor? 10%!

Quiz 5

A court’s jurisdiction defines that court’s sphere of authority.

Which court has responsibility for administering wills and estates? Probate court.

how many courts of last resort (supreme courts) are there in Texas? 2

Courts of record are courts that keep record of their proceedings

True or false? In Texas. Democratic judges tend to side with big business against the plaintiffs who sue them? Is False

The party claiming to have been wronged and bringing a suit is called the plaintiff

What is the primary role a court with appellate jurisdiction? To review the court record form an original trial to see if the law was properly applied.

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is responsible for reviewing which type of case? Death penalty appeals.

One of the biggest concerns with the Texas judicial system is that the quality of justice is passed is often into question. If Texas wishes to remedy this concern, which action should lawmakers take? They should implement stricter education and experience requirements to judges.

Judges in Texas are elected

Quiz 6

Participation in the electoral process must be free of coercion

According to the U.S. Constitution, who determines which individuals qualify to vote? State governments

Which level of Texas government is responsible for maintaining a permanent list of voters? The county

What happens in a closed primary election when offered by the Democratic Party? Only members of the Democratic party are allowed to vote.

Ina. preference primary, voters have the final say in determining who will be the party’s candidate. Is false

Which of the following accurately described the Motor Voter Act? It allowed citizens to register to vote when applying for a driver’s license.

State officials in Texas may be removed from office through recall petitions is false.

Which of these is NOT an essential quality of a democratic system? Chronic minorities.

In a runoff election between two candidates, one of the candidates will necessarily receive a majority of the votes cast in the election.

In Texas, the population is declining in rural areas and increasingly concentrated in major metropolitan areas.

Quiz 7

Compared with many other U.S. states, texas ahs many more local government(s)

Dillons Rule describes a principle that assumes local government to be the creature of state government.

Why do we characterize Texas counties under a one-size-fits-all model? They all are structured in the same legal manner.

Hypothetically you are a genealogist studying your great-grandmother. She was married in Winnsboror, Wood County, Texas in 1893. To get a copy of her marriage certificate, you should contact the Wood County Clerk.

The governing body for Texas counties is the commissioners court

In Texas, real estate is the only property that is routinely taxed for the purposes of funding local governments

Which type of government is allowed flexibility in its form? City government.

Whereas home rule cities may adopt any of the three forms of city government, general law cities are often too rigid to adapt to the demands of population growth.

Which of the following, describes city charters correctly? Home rule city voters approve of their city’s charter. They vote on amendments or changes.

Compared to strong-mayor systems and weak-mayor system, council-manager systems have weaker mayors.

Quiz 8

You are seeking to establish a state-funded orphanage in Orange, Texas. You already convinced prominent legislators to put this on the legislative agenda. Right now, they are debating the cost, placement, and regulation for the orphanage. Later they will come to an agreement and vote in the Texas legislature on the agreed-upon proposal. At what stage are you in policy-making process? You’re in policy formation.

Which factor differentiates a redistributive policy from a distributive policy? Whether any specific groups are targeted as the source.

Fiscal policy is primarily concerned with which facet of life. The economy.

Texans traditionally have had an aversion to an income tax, which has never been levied by the state or local officials in Texas.

Through tax policy, the Texas state government encouraged people to eat at home.

You are driving north on I-35. you stop at Bucc-ee’s to fill up your gas tank. In total, you purchase 10 gallons of gas. How much of your purchase goes to the Texas state treasury in the form of taxes? $2

Sin taxes are taxes on products and activities that legislatures would like to discourage

The legislative budget board is co-chaired by the Speaker of the Texas House and the Lieutenant governor.

The authors describe Texas as a “pay-as-you-go” state. This means: The Texas Constitution requires a balanced budget, thus limiting debt.

Which Texas government function receives the most public expenditures? Health and human services.

Quiz 9

The Gilmer-Aiken laws were significant because when they were passed in 1949 they established the modern K-12 public schools system in Texas.

One average, Texas school districts today get the greatest amount of revenue from which source? Local governments.

In which 1954 decision did the U.S. Supreme Court demand that public schools were not to be segregated based on race? Brown v. Board of Education.

Students who failed one of the STAAR tests are not allowed to do which of of the following> Enter a state four-year college

Charter schools differ form other public schools in that charter schools have fewer state rules to follow

Today, one major barrier that tends to segregate public education by class and race is financial cost

How many members sit on the State Board of Education (SBOE)? 15 members.

About what percentage of K-12 students in Texas are english language learners? 20%

Texas has issues with ensuring that all racial and ethnic minority groups graduate at the same levels as white people.

In Texas, public opinion supports arming teacher and school officials.