Texas Goverment Final – Flashcards
Unlock all answers in this set
Unlock answersquestion
On average, what percentage of state and local government revenue across the country comes from state and local sources?
answer
75 percent
question
Which of the following is the measure of the wealth of a state or its ability to raise revenues relative to all other states?
answer
tax capacity
question
Which of the following is a consumer tax?
answer
motor vehicle sales tax,sales tax,tobacco tax
question
A sales tax, especially when food and medicine are subject to the tax, can be described as what type of tax?
answer
regressive
question
What are the two primary sources of revenue for local government in Texas?
answer
local sales tax and property taxes
question
The greatest source of nontax revenue in Texas comes from
answer
fees, fines, and penalties
question
How are school districts funding their increased share of the cost of local education?
answer
higher local property tax
question
In recent years, most of the growth in state expenditures in Texas has been driven by
answer
population increases
question
Which of the following steps in the policy-making cycle occurs first?
answer
agenda setting
question
State governments regulate all of the following, EXCEPT
answer
army troops to patrol the border
question
Compared to other states, Texas's per capita welfare spending is
answer
NOT just above average
question
The result of tuition "deregulation" in 2003 was
answer
a near doubling of tuition rates between 2003 and 2011.
question
The ________ was established by the Texas Constitution of 1876 to support the University of Texas and Texas A&M University systems.
answer
Permanent University Fund
question
Which of the following ended affirmative action practices at the University of Texas law school?
answer
The Hopewood Decision
question
In 2003 the U.S. Supreme Court found that antisodomy laws were unconstitutional in the case of
answer
Lawrence v. Texas
question
What rationale did some legislators use when they opposed Governor Rick Perry's executive order requiring all Texas schoolgirls to be vaccinated against the human papillomavirus?
answer
the young women would become more promiscuous.
question
Based on the 1981 U.S. Supreme Court decision in ________, all states are required to provide K-12 education for undocumented immigrants and their children.
answer
Plyer v. Doe
question
Which of the following steps in the policy-making cycle occurs last?
answer
Policy Evaluation
question
When the incarceration rate is adjusted for the violent crime rate, Texas's "residuals" rank
answer
is above the national average
question
In lieu of purchasing workers' compensation insurance, employers in Texas
answer
don't have to do anything, unless an injured employee files a civil law suit.
question
How do Texans sign up for the Affordable Care Act?
answer
through the federally run exchange
question
Prior to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the percentage of Texans who did not have health insurance
answer
was about average in comparison to other states.
question
Who pays the largest part of the cost of K-12 education in Texas?
answer
local districts
question
An individual who is an active voter but avoids the combat and controversy of partisan campaigns is which type of political activist?
answer
communalist
question
John is upset that the power company is planning to build several wind turbines on the property next to his home. He writes letters to his elected representative and the local newspaper, voicing his displeasure with the project. According to Verba and Nie, what type of political participation is John demonstrating?
answer
parochial participant
question
How does Texas compare to the rest of the country in terms of percentage of eligible voters who actually vote?
answer
below average
question
What is the impact of Texas political culture on political participation?
answer
it discourages political participation
question
The Supreme Court's 1944 Smith v. Allwright decision
answer
outlawed white primaries
question
Texas has a _____________________ primary system
answer
semi-open
question
Most of the money used in political campaigns comes from
answer
PAC
question
Today the regulation of campaign finances in Texas is limited to the requirement that all candidates and PACs file reports with the
answer
Texas State Ethics Committee
question
________ is the basic tenants spelled out that guides the party.
answer
party ideology***
question
Today in Texas, what are the two main factions in the Republican Party?
answer
social conservatives and business values conservatives
question
What is the lowest level of the permanent party organization in Texas?
answer
precinct chair
question
The state party chair is selected by
answer
the state convention
question
What is the most important function of the precinct convention?
answer
selection of delegates to the county convention
question
Which of the following is an example of a private sector professional association?
answer
Texas Medical Association
question
Attempts to discuss topics of interest with a member of the legislature in an ambush-style meeting in the public hallways outside a legislative chamber is the original form of what's still known as
answer
lobbying
question
Trying to influence the outcome of elections is known as
answer
electioneering
question
Which category of PAC spent the most money in the 2012 Texas election
answer
ideological/single issue
question
What is the most important tool for interest groups seeking to influence election outcomes?
answer
Money
question
Inviting public officials to address organizational meetings is one technique to raise a group's image in the eyes of the organization.
answer
a group image of the eyes of the officials
question
According to Chapter 305 of the current Government Code, an individual "who crosses either a compensation or expenditure threshold" while engaged in lobbying efforts
answer
must register as a lobbyist with the Texas Ethics Commission.
question
When are PACs prohibited from making contributions to members of the Texas state legislature?
answer
the period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the regular session
question
The situation of individuals receiving the benefits of collective action without contributing is known as
answer
the "free-rider" problem
question
Having a large number of interest groups representing a particular interest, rather than a small number,
answer
indicates that many people have similar concerns, thus raising the group's status.
question
When the relationship between a state agency and an interest group becomes very close, it is referred to as
answer
capture
question
The process in which policy is created through the combined efforts of interest groups, a state agency, and a legislative committee is called
answer
the "Iron Triangle."
question
Most court cases in Texas deal with
answer
controversies between individuals
question
JP courts in Texas can do all the following EXCEPT
answer
hear traffic ticket appeals
question
What are the two kinds of county courts?
answer
constitutional county and county courts at law
question
In Texas, criminal appeals involving the death penalty are heard by
answer
In Texas, criminal appeals involving the death penalty are heard by
question
How are judges selected in Texas
answer
partisan elections
question
In Texas, jury selection is accomplished using
answer
both registered voters and licensed drivers
question
The office of Lt. Governor is different from the office of the Vice President in that
answer
when governors leave their states, Lt. Governors become acting governors, the Vice-President does not become acting President when the President leaves the US.
question
Which office functions as chief fiscal and revenue forecasting official and is responsible for investing state funds?
answer
Texas Comptroller
question
Which office is responsible for administering state-owned land?
answer
General Land Office
question
The Texas Railroad Commission's primary function is to
answer
regulate the oil and gas industry
question
The chief record keeper and election official for the state of Texas is
answer
Secretary of State
question
Each week, the _________________________ is published and contains all notices of rules, meetings, executive orders and opinions of the Attorney General
answer
Texas Register
question
The Texas Legislature can override the governor's general veto with a _________ vote in each house
answer
2/3
question
The Sunset Advisory Commission
answer
reviews most state agencies every 12 years
question
How long and how frequently does the Texas Legislature meet?
answer
140 days, every other year
question
To be eligible to run for the Texas House you must
answer
be a registered voter
question
To be eligible to run for Texas Senate you must
answer
be at least 26 years old
question
Redistricting is
answer
redrawing electoral district boundaries following the US Census
question
Fundamentally, the US Supreme Court decisions in Baker v Carr and Reynolds v Sims were based on the principle of
answer
one person, one vote
question
What is the first formal act of the Texas House of Representatives at the beginning of a legislative session?
answer
electing a speaker
question
Assume both the Texas House and Senate have passed omnibus transportation bills. The bills are almost identical with slight differences. How will these differences be reconciled prior to the bill being sent to the Governor for consideration?
answer
conference committee
question
The permanent committees in the Texas Legislature are referred to as
answer
standing committee
question
Who submits a recommended budget to the Texas Legislature for consideration
answer
The Legislative Budget Board
question
What are the two different calendars for minor bills in the Texas House?
answer
local and consent
question
The House Insurance Committee is hearing testimony from the Texas Department of Insurance about the effectiveness of a recent procedural change in the implementation of a law passed by the Legislature last session. What legislative function is the Committee demonstrating?
answer
oversight
question
During the "Progressive Era" of American politics, political dominance of the state of Texas was generally contested between which of the following?
answer
the Democratic party and other third parties
question
Which of the following is true of African-American demographics in Texas?
answer
The African-American population has remained fairly constant since the 1960s and tends to be concentrated in just three metropolitan areas
question
Most Texans' political ideology can be described as a mix of which of the following?
answer
lassical liberalism, social conservatism and populism
question
The first area settled by the Tejanos was
answer
The rio Grande Valley
question
Which of the following industries dominated the land-based economy of post Reconstruction Texas and is/are still important today?
answer
oil, cotton, cattle
question
Today, what economic sector dominates the Texas economy, employing about 76% of the private sector workforce
answer
service
question
A belief that the government is a positive instrument for change and a means for promoting the general welfare of all citizens defines which political subculture?
answer
moralistic
question
Which political subculture would have naturally embraced the institution of slavery?
answer
traditionalistic
question
Under the Texas Constitution, the power to tax resides with
answer
the legislature
question
Article VI of the U. S. Constitution contains the [___________] clause establishing the U.S. Constitution as the superior document and that no federal or state law may exist that contradicts it.
answer
supremacy
question
Texas' current constitution was approved by voters in
answer
1876
question
The Spanish constitutions contributed what key element to the political culture of Texas?
answer
property rights for women
question
Why does the Texas Constitution create a fragmented executive branch
answer
limit the power of the government
question
Why might the partisan election of judges by cause for concern?
answer
Judicial decisions may be politicized
question
The system that provides for the sharing of powers between the national government and the state governments is known as
answer
federalism
question
Which of the following is an exclusive power of the national government?
answer
regulate interstate commerce
question
The most common form of local government in the US is the
answer
special district
question
San Antonio wants to expand and add new territory to the city and broaden its tax base. This is accomplished by
answer
annexation
question
If you randomly selected a city in Texas, what form of government would you likely find?
answer
council manager
question
Under the council-manager form of government, how is the city administrator selected?
answer
city council appointment
question
In which type of city government do voters elect people directly to oversee city departments?
answer
commission
question
Who is responsible for maintaining property records and issuing marriage licenses?
answer
county clerk
question
Who is responsible for collecting revenue for the state and the county?
answer
county tax assessor
question
Which of the following is a weakness of the council-manager form of city council
answer
a resourceful city manager can manipulate information and influence city council decisions
question
County governments were designed to meet the needs of and provides services to a(n) ____________________ population
answer
rural
