question

One reason why Hispanics have yet to wield a significant impact on state politics is

answer

low voter turnout.

question

Which of the following statements about voters is incorrect?

answer

The younger an individual is, the more likely that individual is to vote.

question

General elections in Texas are held on the

answer

Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even-numbered years.

question

Smith v. Allwright banned

answer

the use of white primaries.

question

Which of the following is a deterrent to higher voter turnout in Texas?

answer

Large number of elections, long length of the ballot, and lower income and education levels in Texas.

question

A political party's ultimate aim is to

answer

nominate candidates in the primary or convention and get them elected.

question

Throughout their campaigns, Texas Democratic candidates tend to mobilize all of the following groups except

answer

business interests.

question

A type of ballot used in a general election where all of the candidates from each party are listed in parallel columns is called

answer

party-column ballot.

question

Which of the following is not a demographic variable that affects turnout at the polls?

answer

Residency.

question

To win a Texas primary election, a candidate must receive

answer

50 percent plus one of the votes.

question

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

answer

direct primary.

question

A closed primary allows only those individuals who _______ to participate.

answer

are party members

question

What type of primary allows a voter to choose on election day which primary they will participate?

answer

Open primary.

question

Turnout in American general elections is _______ in comparison to other industrialized democracies of the world.

answer

significantly lower

question

Which of the following is not a function of political parties?

answer

Nominate and elect their members to local public offices.

question

Which of the following is not a distinct characteristic of American political parties?

answer

Idealism.

question

What is the lowest level of party organization?

answer

Precinct.

question

_______ is the exercise of power in parties by state and local party organizations rather than by national party institutions.

answer

Decentralization.

question

Which of the following statements is not true of liberals?

answer

They possess a more pessimistic view of human nature than conservatives.

question

In recent presidential elections, Texas has

answer

consistently supported the Republican nominee.

question

The transition from one dominant political party in the state to another is known as

answer

realignment.

question

Minor political parties in the state prefer the office-block ballot because it

answer

makes straight-ticket voting for the major parties more difficult.

question

The formal issue positions of a political party is a

answer

party platform.

question

Which of the following is a way interest groups can be classified?

answer

Economic, non-economic, and mixed interest.

question

Direct contact between an interest group representative and an officer of government is an example of

answer

lobbying.

question

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

answer

much greater participation and conflict.

question

Texas does not have term limits for which office?

answer

Governor, State House of Representative, and State senator.

question

The most important goal of political parties is to

answer

gain control of government through popular elections.

question

Which individuals are legally disqualified from voting?

answer

Individuals who have been legally declared mentally incompetent.

question

Which is not an interest group activity?

answer

Nominating candidates for office.

question

As a lobbyist you would rather have the support of

answer

the presiding officers of the legislator.

question

Business and agriculture interest groups are interested in all of the following except

answer

encouraging government regulations.

question

Interest groups will seek to build a positive public image by which of the following means?

answer

Hiring public relations firms, demonstrating good citizenship, and print and broadcast advertisements.

question

The primary goal of interest groups is to

answer

influence all branches of government at all levels.

question

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?

answer

Smith v. Allwright

question

Political parties are vital to democracy in that they provide a link between

answer

people and government.

question

Since political parties are pragmatic, they will not do which of the following?

answer

Develop a campaign strategy that is narrowly focused.

question

All of the following are examples of local governments in Texas except

answer

town.

question

_______ are creatures of the state and have only as much power as the Texas Constitution and Texas legislature grant them.

answer

Counties / Special districts / School districts

question

To win the general election, a candidate must win with _______ of the votes.

answer

a plurality

question

The relationship between states and local governments follows from the fact that states have a _______ system of government.

answer

unitary

question

Texas cities are classified as either

answer

general-law or home-rule

question

Which is not a legal voting qualification in Texas?

answer

Being a nonresident of the state.

question

To become a home-rule city in Texas, a city must have a population of at least _______ residents.

answer

5,000

question

Voters who wish to repel an existing ordinance can petition the council to hold a(n)

answer

referendum election.

question

All of the following statements about county government are true except

answer

Texas counties, like cities, have home-rule provisions.

question

An individual must be registered at least _______ days prior to the election to be eligible to vote in Texas.

answer

30

question

A _______ is held when one of the two top contenders of a second primary did not receive a majority of the votes.

answer

runoff primary

question

Which of the following statements about a general-law city is correct?

answer

It is an incorporated community with a population of 5,000 or less.

question

Which of the following is not a role of political party?

answer

To lobby legislators on the behalf of the party's membership.

question

In presidential election years, which of the following offices is not on the Texas ballot?

answer

The Texas Governor.

question

All special elections in the state

answer

are nonpartisan elections.

question

In Texas, the governor and the lieutenant governor are generally elected

answer

on even-numbered non-presidential years.

question

In Texas, _______ are used to fill vacancies in office, to give approval to borrow money, or to ratify amendments to the Texas Constitution

answer

special elections

question

A Primary election is an election in which political parties

answer

choose their candidates for the general election.

question

Voter turnout in Texas is highest in which type of election?

answer

Presidential elections.

question

Texas has the _______ largest Hispanic population in the U.S.

answer

second

question

A _______ is a unit of local government that performs a single service in a limited geographic area

answer

special district

question

There are _______ counties in the state of Texas

answer

254

question

Politics at the city level often revolves around issues of

answer

basic government services, such as police and fire protection.

question

The temporary campaign organization of the party includes all of the following except the _______ convention.

answer

regional

question

The most important factors that explain whether someone votes are

answer

education and income.

question

A _______ is held if no candidate receives an absolute majority of the primary vote

answer

run-off primary.

question

Interest groups participate in the political process by engaging in all of the following activities except

answer

running candidates under the interest groups' names.

question

Interest groups form to

answer

influence government to adopt policies favored by the group's membership.

question

In 1964, the Twenty-fourth Amendment was added to the U.S. Constitution to ban

answer

Poll Taxes.

question

In Texas, a person interested in running for public office must

answer

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.

question

All of the following are examples of valence issues except

answer

abortion

question

_______ support government action to regulate the economy, protect human rights and achieve equality for all.

answer

Liberals

question

_______ don't support welfare, health care aid, or employment compensation.

answer

Conservatives

question

_______ is a phenomenon that occurs when a group grows large enough to change the political balance in the electorate.

answer

Tipping

question

_______ issues on which the public is divided.

answer

Position

question

The _______ amendment gave all male citizens the right to vote.

answer

15th

question

Women couldn't vote until 1920 when the _______ was ratified.

answer

19th

question

After reconstruction, Texas became a one party _______ state for 100 years.

answer

Democratic

question

A _______ is an election rule in which the candidate with the most votes wins regardless of whether it is a majority.

answer

general election

question

_______ is the transition from one dominant party system to another.

answer

Realignment

question

_______ is a person's attachment to one political party or the other.

answer

Partisan identification

question

_______ are an election which permits voters to remove an elected official before the official's term expires.

answer

Recall elections

question

_______ are sometimes called "hidden governments."

answer

Special districts

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