GOVT-2306 Exam 2 Practice Test – Flashcards
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Which of the following is a deterrent to higher voter turnout in Texas?
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Large number of elections, long length of the ballot, and lower income and education levels in Texas.
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A political party's ultimate aim is to
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nominate candidates in the primary or convention and get them elected.
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Throughout their campaigns, Texas Democratic candidates tend to mobilize all of the following groups except
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business interests.
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A type of ballot used in a general election where all of the candidates from each party are listed in parallel columns is called
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party-column ballot.
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Which of the following is not a demographic variable that affects turnout at the polls?
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Residency.
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To win a Texas primary election, a candidate must receive
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50 percent plus one of the votes.
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A method of selecting the nominees from a political party where party members elect the candidates who represent them in the general election is known as
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direct primary.
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A closed primary allows only those individuals who _______ to participate.
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are party members
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What type of primary allows a voter to choose on election day which primary they will participate?
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Open primary.
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Turnout in American general elections is _______ in comparison to other industrialized democracies of the world.
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significantly lower
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Which of the following is not a function of political parties?
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Nominate and elect their members to local public offices.
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Which of the following is not a distinct characteristic of American political parties?
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Idealism.
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What is the lowest level of party organization?
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Precinct.
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_______ is the exercise of power in parties by state and local party organizations rather than by national party institutions.
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Decentralization.
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Which of the following statements is not true of liberals?
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They possess a more pessimistic view of human nature than conservatives.
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In recent presidential elections, Texas has
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consistently supported the Republican nominee.
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The transition from one dominant political party in the state to another is known as
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realignment.
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Minor political parties in the state prefer the office-block ballot because it
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makes straight-ticket voting for the major parties more difficult.
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The formal issue positions of a political party is a
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party platform.
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Which of the following is a way interest groups can be classified?
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Economic, non-economic, and mixed interest.
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Direct contact between an interest group representative and an officer of government is an example of
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lobbying.
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When a special interest is seeking a change in policy that affects the balance of power in the political, social, or economic system, there will be
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much greater participation and conflict.
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Texas does not have term limits for which office?
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Governor, State House of Representative, and State senator.
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The most important goal of political parties is to
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gain control of government through popular elections.
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Which individuals are legally disqualified from voting?
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Individuals who have been legally declared mentally incompetent.
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Which is not an interest group activity?
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Nominating candidates for office.
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As a lobbyist you would rather have the support of
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the presiding officers of the legislator.
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Business and agriculture interest groups are interested in all of the following except
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encouraging government regulations.
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Interest groups will seek to build a positive public image by which of the following means?
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Hiring public relations firms, demonstrating good citizenship, and print and broadcast advertisements.
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The primary goal of interest groups is to
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influence all branches of government at all levels.
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The white primary, which was the practice of excluding African Americans from Democratic Party primary elections in Texas, was found unconstitutional as a result of which court case?
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Smith v. Allwright
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Political parties are vital to democracy in that they provide a link between
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people and government.
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Since political parties are pragmatic, they will not do which of the following?
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Develop a campaign strategy that is narrowly focused.
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All of the following are examples of local governments in Texas except
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town.
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_______ are creatures of the state and have only as much power as the Texas Constitution and Texas legislature grant them.
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Counties / Special districts / School districts
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To win the general election, a candidate must win with _______ of the votes.
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a plurality
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The relationship between states and local governments follows from the fact that states have a _______ system of government.
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unitary
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Texas cities are classified as either
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general-law or home-rule
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Which is not a legal voting qualification in Texas?
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Being a nonresident of the state.
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To become a home-rule city in Texas, a city must have a population of at least _______ residents.
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5,000
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Voters who wish to repel an existing ordinance can petition the council to hold a(n)
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referendum election.
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All of the following statements about county government are true except
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Texas counties, like cities, have home-rule provisions.
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An individual must be registered at least _______ days prior to the election to be eligible to vote in Texas.
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30
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A _______ is held when one of the two top contenders of a second primary did not receive a majority of the votes.
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runoff primary
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Which of the following statements about a general-law city is correct?
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It is an incorporated community with a population of 5,000 or less.
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Which of the following is not a role of political party?
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To lobby legislators on the behalf of the party's membership.
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In presidential election years, which of the following offices is not on the Texas ballot?
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The Texas Governor.
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All special elections in the state
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are nonpartisan elections.
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In Texas, the governor and the lieutenant governor are generally elected
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on even-numbered non-presidential years.
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In Texas, _______ are used to fill vacancies in office, to give approval to borrow money, or to ratify amendments to the Texas Constitution
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special elections
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A Primary election is an election in which political parties
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choose their candidates for the general election.
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Voter turnout in Texas is highest in which type of election?
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Presidential elections.
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Texas has the _______ largest Hispanic population in the U.S.
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second
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A _______ is a unit of local government that performs a single service in a limited geographic area
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special district
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There are _______ counties in the state of Texas
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254
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Politics at the city level often revolves around issues of
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basic government services, such as police and fire protection.
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The temporary campaign organization of the party includes all of the following except the _______ convention.
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regional
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The most important factors that explain whether someone votes are
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education and income.
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A _______ is held if no candidate receives an absolute majority of the primary vote
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run-off primary.
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Interest groups participate in the political process by engaging in all of the following activities except
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running candidates under the interest groups' names.
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Interest groups form to
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influence government to adopt policies favored by the group's membership.
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In 1964, the Twenty-fourth Amendment was added to the U.S. Constitution to ban
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Poll Taxes.
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In Texas, a person interested in running for public office must
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be a United States citizen, be at least 18 years old on the first day of the term to be filled, and have lived in the state continuously.
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All of the following are examples of valence issues except
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abortion
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_______ support government action to regulate the economy, protect human rights and achieve equality for all.
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Liberals
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_______ don't support welfare, health care aid, or employment compensation.
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Conservatives
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_______ is a phenomenon that occurs when a group grows large enough to change the political balance in the electorate.
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Tipping
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_______ issues on which the public is divided.
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Position
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The _______ amendment gave all male citizens the right to vote.
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15th
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Women couldn't vote until 1920 when the _______ was ratified.
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19th
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After reconstruction, Texas became a one party _______ state for 100 years.
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Democratic
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A _______ is an election rule in which the candidate with the most votes wins regardless of whether it is a majority.
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general election
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_______ is the transition from one dominant party system to another.
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Realignment
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_______ is a person's attachment to one political party or the other.
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Partisan identification
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_______ are an election which permits voters to remove an elected official before the official's term expires.
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Recall elections
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_______ are sometimes called "hidden governments."
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Special districts
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