Govt 2306 – Flashcards
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Why are Texas counties important?
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They provide the main form of government in rural areas.
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Which of the following statements about counties in Texas is INCORRECT?
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All counties have approximately the same number of people.
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What is the most important expenditure of most county commissioners' courts?
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roads and bridges
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The job of serving legal papers at the precinct level of a county goes to the ________.
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constable
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Which of the following is a source of often unanticipated costs faced by county governments?
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the financial burden of capital murder trials
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The chief law-enforcement officer in county governments is the
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sheriff.
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The ________ is a public official who is the main record keeper of court documents.
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district clerk
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The most important social service provided by counties is
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the provision of emergency welfare assistance.
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Home-rule charters provide for all of the following EXCEPT
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consisting of a population less than 5,000.
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A ________ form of government is one in which public policies are developed by the city council and executive and administrative functions are assigned to a professional city manager.
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council manager
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San Antonio operates under which style of city government?
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council-manager
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Which of the following is NOT a key difference between the mayor-council and the council-manager forms of local government?
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In the council-manager system, local politics is viewed as a full-time job, unlike in the mayor-council system.
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What is an at-large election
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an election in which voters elect officials from the entire geographical area, rather than from a smaller district within the area
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Which of the following statements about the commissioner form of government is FALSE?
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The commissioner form of government is currently popular among the largest cities in Texas.
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Commissioner forms of government were at their height of popularity
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in 1918, during the Progressive era.
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Which of the following cities currently has a city government with a strong mayor-council form of government?
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Houston
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The mayor and city council members are subject to recall if ________ percent of the qualified voters in a district sign a petition of recall and a recall election is successful
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10
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________ is a unit of local government that performs a single service in a limited geographic area.
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A special district
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which of the following is the most common form of local government in Texas?
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special districts
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A school board can do all of the following EXCEPT
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draft standardized evaluation exams.
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In Texas, ________ create(s) special districts.
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Texas voters in the areas that will be covered
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What are the main sources of revenue for special districts in Texas?
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property taxes and user fees
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Special districts in Texas are
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democratic in theory, but often not in practice.
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Which problem has been found recently in the system of special districts?
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Real estate developers have moved a few people onto land, rent free, who then vote for huge bond measures that future residents are obliged to pay.
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What is the function of the 24 councils of government in Texas today?
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They are a regional board meant to coordinate local planning and economic development
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Which of the following is NOT a description of an interest group?
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It is typically active only at the national level of government.
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What do interest groups want from policy makers?
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They want policy that is beneficial for their groups.
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Unlike private citizens involved in politics, better-funded interest groups have several advantages EXCEPT
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media access
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Lobbyists can do all of the following EXCEPT
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provide information to politicians, write bills, testify before legislative committees, and entertain politicians (really they can do all of these things^^^, badly worded question)
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One of the most influential professional groups in Austin is the
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Texas Medical Association.
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The largest and most effective public employee interest group in Texas is made up of
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teachers.
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Which of the following is NOT a common way for interest groups to gain access to politicians and policy makers?
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running for office themselves
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One important way for interest groups to gain access to those in Texas government is to employ ________ as lobbyists.
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former legislators and government officials
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Texas has ________ laws dealing with lobbying by former government officials.
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weak
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________ was the former Texas Speaker of the House who was indicted for taking an illegal gift from a law firm that specialized in collecting delinquent taxes for local governments.
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Gib Lewis
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Which interest is NOT represented in a list of the top interest groups in Texas?
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the environment
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One major way for interest groups to promote the political interests of elected officials who support their viewpoints and oppose the interests of those who do NOT is by engaging in
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campaign contributions.
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Which is NOT a reason for forming a political action committee?
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Candidates are more likely to allow political action committees to purchase media access during election season.
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A private group that raises and distributes funds for use in election campaigns is called a(n)
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political action committee.
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Texas trial lawyers frequently ally with
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consumer interest groups.
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Most political action committee spending in Texas represents
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business.
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As in the U.S. Congress, most campaign contributions in Texas go to
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incumbents.
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On average, incumbents in the Texas House of Representatives are able to fund-raise ________ challengers.
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twice as much as
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If an interest group "gets on the late train," it means
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an interest group gives contributions after the election to a winning candidate the group had earlier opposed.
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Which U.S. Supreme Court case in 2009 created the opportunity for organizations that opposed powerful incumbents to NOT disclose their donors?
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Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission
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Individuals are most likely to successfully lobby government when they
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are not challenged by powerful, organized interest groups.
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What are the top two reasons Texans give for NOT voting?
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busy/conflict with work and not interested/vote does not matter
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Which of the following is NOT a typical threat to an incumbent running for re-election?
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the greater fund-raising opportunities of challengers
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What is the function of EMILY's List?
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It provides early campaign funding for female candidates.
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According to the Measures of Texas Civic Health, ________ percent of Texans have either contacted or visited a public official, ranking Texas ________ among the states.
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9; forty-ninth
