2306 Government Final (Chapters 7-10) – Flashcards
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According to a recent survey, which of the following types of political participation is most common?
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worked with others to solve community problem
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According to a recent survey, which of the following types of political participation is least common?
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sent a letter to the editor of a local publication
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An individual who is an active voter but avoids the combat and controversy of partisan campaign is which type of political activist? (page 188)
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communalist
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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?
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parochial participant
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Which of these measures for voter turnout consistently shows the lower figures?
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percentage of VAP who voted
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How does Texas compare to the rest of the country in terms of percentage of eligible voters who actually vote?
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below average
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What is the impact of Texas political culture on political participation?
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it discourages political participation
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The state of Texas's history of restricting access to voting is very much in keeping with its
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traditionalistic political culture
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The annual registration system for Texas voters...
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...was replaced by a permanent registration system
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Which of the following helps increase voter turnout in an election?
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(all of the above) party competition, closeness of the election, party competition in a district
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Which of the following elections would typically have a higher voter turnout?
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general election
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The texas constitution allows cities and school boards to cancel elections if
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all the races are uncontested
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which of the following is a rational reason for why some people choose not to vote?
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satisfaction with the status quo
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In a recent survey of Texas adults, approximately_________ of respondents reported encouraging other to vote for a particular candidate
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half
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with the growth of the internet, what has become one of the easiest ways to participate in politics?
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making financial contributions
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CHAPTER 8- ELECTIONS AND CAMPAIGNS IN TEXAS
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*****************
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How often does Texas hold general elections?
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every two years
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In what year did Texans vote for governor?
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2006
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Typically voter turnout for special elections is highest when those elections are held in
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November
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in 2014, Texas voters elected
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all the members of the Texas House of Representatives and half the members of the Texas Senate
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The style of ballot form in which candidates are listed by office with party affiliation listed by their name is known as (most often used with computer ballots)
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office block format
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Ballot eligibility requirements are set by
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the states
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to qualify for minority-party status, a party must have won at least______ percent of the votes in a race for statewide office in the last general election
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5
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How many third parties have there been in Texas in the last 50 years?
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4
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Advocates say the _________encourages party identification and loyalty
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closed primary system
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Imagine you are a diehard member of party A, but wanted the less popular candidate from party B to be party A's general election opponent. What type of primary election system would allow you to vote for the less popular candidate in party B during the primaries without changing parties?
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open primary system
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In Texas, when is a runoff primary required?
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when no candidate receives a majority of votes
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Can a Texas voter who voted in the primary election of one party vote in the runoff primary of the other party?
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no
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If you wanted to run for statewide office in Texas you could pay a filing fee of __________ or submit a petition with ____________ signatures
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$4,000 & 45,000
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Who oversees the administration of elections to ensure that the rules are followed?
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secretary of state
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By Texas law, special elections may be held in all of the following months except
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November
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What is the most common special election in Texas?
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city council elections
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Which of the following allowed the federal government to oversee the operation of elections at the state level until a Supreme Court ruling in 2013?
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The Voting Rights Act
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Texas is required to use a bilingual ballot for all elections in counties that contain more than______ percent of spanish speakng residents
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20
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What voting practice was developed with the U.S armed services in mind?
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absentee voting
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Today, elections are dominated by issues of what type?
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social
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Why has the Catholic vote in Texas migrated from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party?
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social issues
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In the early twentieth century, candidates in Texas running for statewide office could have extremely inconsistent messages depending where they were campaigning in the state. Why?
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lack of a statewide press
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Which of the following is NOT among the types of short political commercials?
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the feel bad spot
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Today the regulation of campaign finances in Texas is limited to the requirement that all candidates and PACS file reports with the
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Texas State Ethics Commission
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CHAPTER 9
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________ is the basic belief system that guides the party
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party ideology
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When was the last time a Democratic presidential candidate won Texas' electoral votes?
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Jimmy Carter in 1976
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During the time of the Republic of Texas, which individual advocated for annexation and peaceful relations with the Native American tribes of Texas?
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Sam Houston
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When was the first period of one-party Republican politics in Texas?
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Reconstruction
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One- party Democratic dominance occurred from Reconstruction until the
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1960s
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What is the proper time sequence of the following three political movement/ parties, from earliest to latest?
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Greenback party, Populist Party, Progressive movement
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In the 1952 and 1956 presidential elections, many Yellow Dog Democrats broke with tradition and voted for
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Dwight D. Eisenhower
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Who was the first Republican elected to statewide office in Texas since the 1870s?
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John Tower
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Whose election as governor in 1978 marked the real beginning of two-party politics in Texas?
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Bill Clements
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Texas Republicans captured their second seat in the U.S. Senate with the election of_________ in 1992
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Kay Bailey Hutchison
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in 2014, the losing Democratic nominee for governor of Texas was
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Wendy Davis
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Today in Texas, what are the two main factions in the Republican Party?
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business value conservative and social value conservatives
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In Texas, the Tea Party is most closely aligned with the
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Republican Party
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In 1996 , Governor George W. Bush was reelected with_________ percent of registered voters voting for him
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18
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Labor-intensive politics historically included all of the following except?
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printing election ballots
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the newest element of capital-intensive politics is the use of_________ to communicate directly with likely voters
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the internet
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The Pendleton Act of 1883 established a class of federal government positions that would be filled as a result of
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competitive examinations
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To maintain ballot status in Texas, a third party must garner at least ______ percent of the vote in a statewide election
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5
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Which third party emphasizes the importance of small government and personal responsibility?
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Libertarian Party
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Which third party emphasizes the importance of social justice and ecological sustainability?
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Green Party
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the Texas Election Code has its most profound impact on political party activity in what area(s)?
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conduct of primary elections
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What is the lowest level of the permanent party organization in Texas?
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precinct chair (A Precinct Chair is the local representative of the Democratic Party and its candidates at the neighborhood, grass-roots level in each voting precinct. Each of Dallas County's 775 voting precincts can have its own Precinct Chair (though many have few or even no voters, and are covered by their neighbors)
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In Texas the Democratic state executive committee consists of ____ members, equally divided between men and women
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62
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The state party chair is selected by
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the state convention
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What is the most important function of the precinct convention?
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selection of delegates to the county convention
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How long after the precinct convention is the county convention held?
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2 weeks
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The Texas presidential preference primary is held in what month?
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March
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compared to primary system, the caucus (A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a specific political party or movement) system requires more
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local organization
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CHAPTER 10
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***************
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Who is best known for arguing that "factions" would play an important role in American Politics?
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James Madison
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What is the primary difference between a membership organization and nonmembership organization?
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Broad-based citizen support
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Peak business associations are interests groups that represent
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Statewide business interests
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The largest professional group in Texas is the
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Texas state teachers association
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In which of the following regions of the country are you most likely to find a right-to-work state?
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South
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Mothers against drunk driving (MADD), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the AARP, and moveOn.org are all examples of what interest group type?
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Public interest
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Imagine you own a small company and you form an interest group to lobby your elected representatives. What category of interest group organization would you're fall under?
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Nonmembership organization
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Which of the following is a SLIG?
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Texas Municipal League
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Which of the following is one of the five types of lobbyists?
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Governmental
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Trying to influence the outcome of elections is known as
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Electioneering
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What is the total amount of PAC money spent in Texas in the 2012 election cycle?
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$126 million
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What is the most important tool for interest groups seeking to influence election outcomes?
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Money
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The process of electioneering begins with
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Candidate recruitment
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The goal of_____ is to create a favorable public image for the group
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Public relations activities
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According to chapter 305 of the current government code, an individual "who crosses either a compensation or expenditure threshold " while engaged in lobbying efforts
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Must register as a lobbyist with the Texas Ethics Commission
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When are Pacs prohibited from making contributions to members of the Texas State Legislature?
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The period beginning 30 days after the regular session
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The situation of individuals receiving the benefits of collective action without contributing is known as
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The "free-rider problem"
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Having a large number of interest groups representing a particular interest, rather than a small number
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Will probably make them less powerful
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As an interest group, what is the Texas Municipal League's strength?
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Organization
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Commercial shrimp fishermen are more than likely limited in influence because of a lack of
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Geographic distribution
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All of the following contribute to legislative professionalism EXCEPT
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Limited sessions
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When the relationship between a state agency and an interest group becomes very close, it is referred to as
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Capture
