GOVT 2306 FINAL – Flashcards
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According to 2010 census, the population of Texas is approximately
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25 Million
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Among the 50 States, Texas currently ranks ______ in population.
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Second
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The process that involves conflict by groups seeking to influence public policy is referred to as
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Politics
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"A pubic institution that is authorized to allocate values in society" defines
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government
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When the Texas legislature increase the tax on cigarettes, it is implementing.
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public policy
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the "value, attitudes, traditions, habits, and general behavioral patterns that develop over time and shape the politics of a particular region," is reffered to as political culture
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political culture
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The approximate land area of Texas, in square miles is
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267,000
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Which of the following land-based industries have been influential in the development of Texas?
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cotton, cattle, oil, and timber
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Approximately what precent of Texans currently live in metropolitan areas?
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85%
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Which group of the population in Texas is growing most rapidly?
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Hispanic/Latino
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Texas Education Agency reports that apprximately ___ of the states 250,000 teachers quit per year
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one-fifth
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Texas has the __ largest number of African Americans in the nation after New York and California
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third
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The Asian American population of Texas is _____
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primarily immigrants, having come from Southeast Asia
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The process of mixing chemicals with sand and water and jecting them into the ground to force out oil and gas from shale below is referred to as ____
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Fracking
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Person who enters the US in vioulation of federal immigration laws are referred to as ___
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undocumented immigrants
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The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) uis currently under the Department of ___
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Homeland Security
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Which of the following is currently responsible for federal oversight of immmigration issues?
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Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
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Which of the following created in 1957 for purposes of state mandated water planning?
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Texas Water Development Board
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Texas faces water challenges due to which of the following factors?
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increased population, urbanization, and fracking
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The Environmental Protection Agency has required that
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plants in Texas upgrade their equipment to reduce toxic emissions
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Education in Texas confronts shortages of ____________to instruct at elementary and secondary schools
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certified personnel
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Texas ranks ________ in addressing poverty and social problems.
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near the bottom of the fifty states
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The two sources for the powers of the Texas government to govern are the
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Texas Constituion and Texas's membership in the federal Union
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A system of government in which power is divided between a general government and associted regional governments is a(n)
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federal system
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Understanding the difference between state government and federal government involves
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understanding that state constitutions are subject to the US Constituion
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the Tenth Amendment to the US Constitution
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reserves to the state those powers not delegated to the federal government
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The national supremacy clause is found in which article of the US constituion
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Article VI
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According to the national supremacy clause,
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federal laws enacted under the U.S. Constituion take precedence over state law
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Powers specifically stated in the US constituion are refreed to as ____
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delegated powers
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The "necessary and proper" clause found in Article I, section 8 of the US constituion is an example of which of the following?
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Implied powers
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The regulation of commerce among the several states by the US congress is an example of a(n)
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delegated powers
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Congress has expanded the scope of the national government through its grant of
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Implied powers
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The tend in federal-state relations since the 1980s can best described as the
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federal govrnment transferring more responsibility to the states but recuding funding
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In which of the following ways can the federal government influence state policymaking?
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Offer federal grants-in-aid
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During the twentieth century the federal government extended its jurisdiction into areas traftionally within the realm of state and local governments principally through
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broad interpretation of the interstate commerce clause
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The decline in natonal control over state government is referred to as
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devolution
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How many amendments to the Texas Constitution were adopted between 1876 and 2014?
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484
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The Texas Constituion has needed hundreds of amendments due to
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its specificity and detail
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According to the text, Texas has had _____ constitutions.
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seven
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A good description of the 1876 Texas Constitution would be that it is
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lengthy, confusing, and badly written
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Amendments to the Texas constitution are proposed by the
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Texas Legislature
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Proposed amendments to the state constituion are ratified by
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Texas voters
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Voter turnout for amendments
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is typically low
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in Texas v. White (1869) the US Supreme Court found that _______
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The US Constitution does not provide for states to leave the Union
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In Texas, local government come in different forms, which include
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special districts, counties, and cities
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Approximately how many incorporated municipalities are there in Texas?
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1,200
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Which of the following views of local government powers dictrates that local government should only have those powers expressly granted by the state?
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Dillion's Rule
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Approximately ____ % of Texans resides in cities.
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80
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A typical percentage of voters turnout in a Texas muncipal election is ___
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10 % or less
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The minimum population requirement in Texas for becoming a city is ___
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201
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In Texas, a community with a population of less than 5,000 may become a(n) ___
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general-law city
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In Texas, a city with a population over 5,000 may be incorporated as a _____
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home-rule city
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A city charter does all of the following, except ____
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establish state law
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A city law is referred to as a city
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ordinance
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The form of government that influences the daily lives of citizens the most is ______
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municipal government
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In House, a strong mayor-council city, ________ appoints the chief of polic and possesses veto power over ordinary majorities in the city council
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the mayor
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strong mayour council form of government has ______ characteristics
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council members elected by single member districts, a mayor elected at-large within the city, and a mayjor with power to veto council actions
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In Texas home-rule cities, which form of municipal structure prevails?
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The council-manager form
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Which of the following is not a characteristics of council-manager form of government?
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A mayor with power to veto council actions
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Cities must redistrict every _____ years.
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10
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The two largest tax sources for Texas municipalities are _____
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sales tax and property tax
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Adopting the county's budget and setting the property tax rate is the duty of the county
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commissioners court
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Which Supreme Court case applied the "one-peso, one-vote"principle to county precincts?
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Avery v. Midland County (1968)
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Which county officials has both adminstrative and judicial responsibilities?
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County judge
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Who has responsibility for keeping the peace in each county?
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County sheriff
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__________ is appointed
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County auditor
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School districts in Texas must operate under the guidelines of
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the federal government, TEA, and relevant state law
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The segment of Texas higher education that receives support from property taxes is the ____
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junior and community colleges
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An organization that consist of individuals interested in controlling government by winning elections is referred to as a(n)
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political party
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In Texas, the two leading political parties are the ___
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Democratic and Republican
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A general election is held in ______
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November of even-numbered years
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Primary elections in Texas are usually held
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In March of even-numbered years
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The lowest level of the temporary party organization in Texas are the
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precinct conventions
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Which of the following would be performed at a party's precinct convention?
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Nomination of delegates to the county convention
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Which of the following tasks is performed every two years at the state party convention?
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Adoption of a party platform
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The number of electoral voters each state receives is equal to the
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number of seats each state has in Congress
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Which policy would a conservative most likely support?
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Reduction of elimination of the graduated income tax
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Concerning the "left-right" political divided in Texas, which term would most likely describe a politicians that is generally opposed to government-managed or government-subsidized programs?
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Conservative
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Since the 1930s, the terms ____ have meant more to many Texas voters than the names of political parties
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Liberal and conservative
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A history of the Texas political party system has tended toward
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Texas being a one-party state
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During the period of Reconstruction that has followed the Civil War (1865-1873) the _______ Party controlled Texas Politics
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Republican
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After Reconstructon, which political party dominated in Texas more than 100 years?
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Democratic
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Between 1900 and 1950, the main political conflict in Texas was between
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Liberal and conservative Democrats
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Who was the first woman to represent Texas in the US Senate?
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Kay Bailey Hutchison
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Which Texas governor elected in 1994 was successful as the Republican party's candidate for President in 2000?
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George W. Bush
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In the 2002 general elections, Republicans
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won all statewide races
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The first Texas candidate to receive more than 4 million votes was
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Kay Bailey Hutchison
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In the closest presidential election of modern times, Governor Bush deferated Democratic nominee Al Gore by ____ in 2000.
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four electoral votes (271 to 267)
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In the 2010 Texas gubernatorial race, Kay Bailey Hutchison was deferated most likely due to her
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being portrayed as "Washington insider."
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Which of the following geographic areas is a Democratic stronghold in Texas?
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El Paso Area
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Which geographic area of Texas is a Republican stronghold?
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Texas Pandhandle and Texas South Plains
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A political party that is note one of the two major parties is referred to as a
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third party
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Candidates who run for office with no party affiliation are referred to as
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Independents
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Which of the following is the most important communication tool during a campaign?
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Television ads
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According to studies, negative commercials
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draw voter preference away from the candidate being attacked
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Organization created to collect and distribute contributions to political campaigns are referred to as
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political action commitees
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the Campaign Reform Act of 2002
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It applies to candidates running for seats in the Texas legislature
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Which of the following does not describe Texas campaign finance regulations for state offices?
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There are no disclosure requirements by candidates
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As a percentage, Texas's Latino population is
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more than half of the state's total population
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The Lation community showed its political strength strength in May of 2010 by
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having 28,000 protesters in Dallas opposing the Arizona immigration law
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What percentage of Texas's African American citizens say that they are Democrats?
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80%
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For most Texans there principal political activity consist of
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voting in elections
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African American voters were disqualified from voting as a result of
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literacy test, poll taxes, and grandfather clauses
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Manipulating legislative district lines to favor a political party or group is referred to as
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gerrymandering
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In Texas, the responsibility of redistricting rest with the
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state legislature
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Compared to the rest of the county, voter turnout in Texas is
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lower than the national average
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Low voter turnout in Texas is attributed to all of the following except
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the repeal of laws that expanded suffrage
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In order to be qualified to vote in Texas, one must meet all of the following qualification except be
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a two-year resident of the state
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voting process in Texas is
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Texas uses permanent voter registration system, eligible voters may register by mail, and Texas mails a voters registration card to voters
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Preparing the official ballot for general elections is done by the county
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clerk or elections administrator
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A primary system in which voters must pre-register their party affiliation is referred to as a(n)
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closed primary
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Primaries have been possible in Texas since the Terrell Election Law of
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1905
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Texas primary elections are, by law, classified as
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closed primaries, where voters declare party membership by voting in the party's primary
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The practice of many Texans of voting in the Democratic primary and then voting Republican at the general election is called
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crossover voting
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Under current law, the first primary election in Texas is held on the
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first Tuesday in March of even-numbered years
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The date of general elections in Texas is the
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Tuesday following the first Monday in November of even-numbered years
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The number of senators in Texas Legislature is
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31
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The Texas House of Representatives consists of ___ members.
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150
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The terms of office for members of the Texas legislature are
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Senate, four years; House of Representative, two year; no term-limit
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Regular sessions of the Texas legislature meet for
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140 days, in odd-numbered years
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Redistricting may be politically difficult for a legislator primarily because it may
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take away previous voter support
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To enact a law applying to the city of Temple, the Texas legislature would pass a
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local bill
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A bill submitted to the senate at the same time as in the house is referred to as a
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companion bill
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On its first reading in the House of Rep a bill is then
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referred to the appropriate committee
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An organization that works with government officials for the purpose of influencing public policy is referred to as a(n)
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interest group
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Interest groups try to influence public policy by
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lobbying government officials regardless of party affiliation
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Which of the following would NOT be a goal of an interest group
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getting it members elected to public office
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Any organization is considered an interest group when it
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seeks influence a governmental policy decision
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which occupational group is least likely to have a large representation in an interest group?
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Receptionist
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Which of the following techniques do interest groups use to influence policy decisions?
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lobbying, campaign financing, providing favors and gifts
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In recent years, registered lobbyists in Texas have
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Increased to over 1,800
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Ethics laws prohibit a candidate or official from receiving a contribution inside
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the Texas state capitol building
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In the House and Senate, ills are most likely to be debated and perhaps amended
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On the second reading
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A representative seeking help in drafting a bill would probably turn to the
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Texas Legislative Council
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The governor of Texas is constitutionally allowed to serve
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unlimited terms
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The governor of Texas may be removed from office through a precedure known as
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impeachment
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Unlike the President, the Texas governor may influence state spending by use of their
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line-item veto
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When the governor promises not to deny funding for legislator's pet project, in exchange for support of a governor's bill, it is referred to as
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pork-barrel politics
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The strongest legislative power of the governor is his
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veto authority
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Through 2005, which governor had vetoed the largest number of bills?
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Rick Perry
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Which of the following officials primarily serves legislative functions?
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Lieutenant Governor
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Rendering opinions on law and serving as the state's representative in civil cases is the
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Texas Attorney General
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Promiting consistency in accounting across state agencies is the job of the Texas
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Comptroller of Public Accounts
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The state official for elections and voter registration is the
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Secretary of State
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Fragmentation of the Texas executive branch into independent agencies was done by various legislatures to
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Avoid the issue of power becoming too centralized
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How many state agencies in Texas are substantially independent from the governor?
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Around 200
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The mission of the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission is to
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recommend the merging, abolition, or continuation of state agencies
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State agencies are occasionally reorganized, merged, or abolished under a process called
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sunset review
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"Red Tape" contributes to the image of most bureaucracies as
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inefficient
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The largest single employers in Texas is
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the state of Texas
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Decisions by local school boards and superintendents are primarily shaped by
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state rules
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One of the most contentious issues facing the State Board of Education in recent years has been
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review of textbooks
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The Texas Commissioner of Education gets into office as a result of an appointment by the
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Texas governor, with confirmation by the Texas senate
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The Texas Education Agency is headed by the
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commissioner of education
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The two "flagship" state universities in Texas are
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The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University -College Station
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The Health and Human Services Commission in Texas administers are the following except
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Social Security Benefits
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The Lone Star Card is used by a recipient of public assistance
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to obtain food items in a grocery store
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The state-federal program that provides direct cash payments to poor children and their familes is
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TANF
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The purpose of the payroll tax collected by the Texas Workfore Commission is to
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provide unemployment compensation
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Probably the most important duty of the Texas Railroad Commission from the standpoint of the rest of
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regulation the production of oil and natural gas
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Electric providers in Texas are regulated by the
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Public Utilities Commission
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Elimination of government restrictions and allowing free market forces to prevail is called
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deregulation
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The ability of the Public Utilities Commission to regulate communication in Texas is somewhat
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policies of the national government
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The Texas Dept of Transportation (TXDOT) has constructed and maintains more than __________ miles of road and highways
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80,000
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Tourism is the ________ largest industry in the Lone State State
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Third
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The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
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enforces state and some federal air and water quality standards
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Because of its growing population, industry, and irrigation-based agriculture, Texas faces serious shortage of
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Water
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Texas leads the nation in which renewable energy source?
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Wind
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Under the "rule of capture," underground water is controlled by
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individual landowners
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Which scientific development has shown that some persons sentenced to death actually did not commit the crime?
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DNA Testing
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Disputes concerning business contracts, divorce, family matters and personal injury involve
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Civil law
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The term misdemeanor refers to a
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crime less serious than a felony
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A court that has specific authority to decide a particular type of case has
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exclusive jurisdiction
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A party to a civil case who was dissatisfied with the outcome in the trial court could next proceed to a court with
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appellate jurisdiction
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Justices of the peace in Texas have jurisdiction over all the following, except
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divorces
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The term court of record means that the
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transcript of court proceeding is made by a stenographer
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The type of case appealed directly to the Texas Court of Ciminal Appeals is that of a
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capital felony conviction with imposed death sentence
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Which of the following courts lack criminal jurisdiction?
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Texas Supreme Court
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In Texas, nearly all judges are chosen by a
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partisan election
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A Citizen who believes an attorney has behaved unethically while representing him or her should file a complaint with the
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Commission on Judicial Conduct
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The State Bar of Texas performs all the following functions
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provide continuing legal education, discipline, suspended or disbar attorney, and promte high standards of ethical conduct
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Grand Juries in Texas are composed of __ members
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twelve
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Indictment are prepared in grand jury proceeding if at least _____ members decided that there is enough evidence to warrant a trail
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Nine
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The process by which attorneys question potential jurors is called
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voir dire
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The term plaintiff refers to the person who
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initiates a civil suit
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The minimum sentence for a capital felony is
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life without parole
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Another name for the state's Economic Stabilization Fund is the
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"rainy day" fund
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Taxes that are a greater burden on lower incomes and less so on higher incomes are known as
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regressive taxes
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Taxes that rely more heavily on revenues from higher incomes are known as
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progressive taxes
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Which group of Texans pay the most in taxes proportional to their income?
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Poorest 20 %
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The "pay-as-you-go" system means that the Texas Legislater must
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not pass a deficit budget
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Sin Taxes
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alcohol, mixed drinks, and tobacco
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In Texas, projected revenue levels are provided to the governor and legislature by the
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State Comptroller of Public Account
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Under the Robin Hood Plan, Chapter 41 school is a identified as a
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Wealthy school required to help support a poor school
