Texas Politics- Chapter 2 – Flashcards
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Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of constitutions?
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Instruct a government on what it can and cannot do
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Constitutions are
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Contracts between the government and the people
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The constitutional principle that holds that the power granted in state constitutions rests with the people is known as
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Popular Sovereignty
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As compared to the "average" state constitution, Texas's constitution
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Is longer.
Has more amendments.
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The Equal Protection Clause and Due Process Clause of the ___ Amendment extend protections of the Bill of Rights to the actions of state and local governments.
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Fourteenth
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The Bill of Rights is Article ___ of the Texas constitution
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One
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Which of the following statements about voter initiative is accurate?
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Initiative requires the collection of a certain number of signatures within a set time.
Texas does not have the initiative.
The initiative process allows voters to propose changes to the state constitution.
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Voter turnout for constitutional amendments in Texas tends to be low because
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Most amendments face little opposition.
Amendments are placed on ballots in odd-numbered years, when there are no state-wide elections.
The subject matter of most amendments are not of interest to most voters.
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In a ___ system of government power is divided between a weal national government and strong, independently sovereign regional governments.
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Confederal
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Like most state constitutions, the Texas Constitution
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Does not meet the qualifications of an "ideal constitution."
Is lengthy and detailed.
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In a federal system of government, power is
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Shared between national and state governments
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Which phrase best describes the ideal constitution?
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Broad and Flexible
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Separation of powers provides
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A check on the actions of government.
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How does the U.S. Constitution create a federal system?
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Distributes power between the national and state governments
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Article ___, Section ___, grants Congress the right to tax and spend to promote general welfare.
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One; Eight
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In McCulloch v. Maryland, the Supreme Court provided a broad interpretation of the ___ Clause, giving Congress the authority to pass laws that it deemed appropriate so long as they are consistent with the letter and spirit of the Constitution.
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Necessary and Proper
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Funds allocated to the states by Congress that can only be used for a specific purposes are known as ___ grants.
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Categorical
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Which statement is true regarding the freedoms identified in state constitutions and the U.S. Constitution?
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Many state constitutions provide more freedoms than the national constitution
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Most state constitutional amendments are
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Proposed by the state legislatures and approved by voters
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Article 3 of the Texas Constitution refers to the ___ branch.
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Legislative
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Which of the following are among the delegated and reserved powers of the states?
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Protect property rights.
Regulate banks and credit.
Conduct local, state, and national elections.
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The Interstate Commerce Clause is an article in the U.S. Constitution that gives ___ the exclusive power to regulate commerce between the states.
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Congress
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What does the supremacy clause do?
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It makes the U.S. Constitution the supreme law of the land
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Article 5 of the Texas Constitution
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Outlines the qualifications for judges in Texas.
Describes the judicial branch.
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During most of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a system called ___ federalism operated in the U.S., under which the national government exercised powers delegated to it by the Constitution and the state governments provided basic services to citizens.
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Dual
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Fear of what led to the plural executive system that is used in Texas today?
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Strong executive authority
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Which of the following was part of the state constitution of Coahuila y Tejas in 1827?
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A unicameral legislature.
A state religion.
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What stands in the way of broad changes to the Texas Constitution?
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The conservative nature of Texas politics.
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The current Texas constitution
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Is compatible with the political climate of the state.
Is in line with voter's desires for decentralization.
Supports the idea of limited government.
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Under President Nixon, state governments were given more discretion in program administration and revenue sharing. The federal--state relationship during this time is referred to as
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New federalism
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How do most constitutions governing American states compare to the federal Constitution?
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They are longer with greater detail.
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Which of the following correctly identify an article o the Texas Constitution and the general topic it addresses?
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Article 6: Suffrage
Article 17: Amending the constitution
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Under Article 4 of the Texas Constitution the executive branch consists of the
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Commissioner of the general land office.
Lieutenant governor.
Comptroller of public accounts.
Governor.
Attorney general.
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The 1845 statehood constitution provided for
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Limited Executive authority.
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Which of the following identify general criticisms that can be made of the Texas Constitution?
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Unclear organization.
Overly long.
Archaic language.
Constant change.
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All state constitutions contain articles relating to
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Taxation and finance.
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In what year did the current Texas Constitution become effective?
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1876
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Which of the following is true of the 1861 constitution?
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It prohibited the emancipation of slaves.
It was essentially the same as the 1845 constitution.
It contained a provision to secede from the Union.
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The 1824 constitution was ___ in concept.
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Federalist
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Advocates of gay marriage argue that section 2 of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which states that no state must accept another state's definition of marriage, violates the ___ of the constitution.
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Full Faith and Credit Clause
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Ballot wording in constitution amendment elections is
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Often intentionally noninstructive and misleading.
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Which statement best characterizes amendments to state constitutions?
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State constitutions are amended much more often than the U.S. Constitution because of the detailed nature of state constitutions.
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The level of detail in the Texas Constitution is problematic because it
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Contributes to the necessity of constant change to the constitution.
Makes the constitution too inflexible.
Contributes to the unwieldy length of the document.
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What characteristics of the political culture in Texas are reflected in the current constitution of the state?
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Distrust of government.
Conservatism.
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The Republic of Texas Constitution of 1836 was
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A composite of the U.S. Constitution and the constitutions of several southern states.
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The constitution of 1876
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Reflected the traditionalistic/individualistic political culture of the state.
Restricted the powers of the legislature.
Reestablished many statewide and local elected offices.
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Which of the following describe(s) Article 2 of the Texas Constitution?
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More explicitly refers to the separate checks on the branches of government than does the U.S. Constitution.
Discusses the separation of powers in Texas government.
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Which clause in Article 4 of the U.S. Constitution means, generally, that a state cannot treat its citizens differently than citizens of other states?
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Privileges and Immunities
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Political culture
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Drives institutions.
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Which phrase best describes a constitutional convention as used in most states?
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An assembly of citizens who may propose general revisions to the state constitution.
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Which part of the U.S. Constitution delegates or reserves some powers to the state governments or the people?
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Tenth Amendment
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Why did the framers of the U.S. Constitution separate powers and provide for a system of checks and balances?
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They were afraid of concentrating power in the hands of a single person.
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Initiative-generated amendments are
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Less likely to succeed than those proposed by state legislatures.
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In a plural executive system, power is
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Divided among several statewide elected officials.
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Which of the following statements best summarizes voters' responses to the constitutional amendment process in Texas?
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Voters approve far more proposed amendments than they reject, thanks to intense efforts by interest groups.
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Which of the following is true of the Constitutions that have governed the region that became Texas?
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For each major historical transition, a new constitution was drafted.
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Which of the following best describes social contract theory?
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The idea that individuals have inalienable rights and willingly submit to government to protect these rights.
