Pols 2312 Exam 1 – Flashcards
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In the Texas Revolution section of chapter 1, which of the following is not one of the divisive issues during the revolution and Texas Independence?
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the Anglo settlers where not initially unite in their desire in the fight against Mexico
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Which of these events followed closely after the formation of the Republic of Texas?
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Sam Houston was elected president
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Texas' statehood to the United States
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was not made official in 1846
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Texas secession from the United States
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was formally established in 1861
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Reconstruction in Texas met the demands of Radical Republicans in Congress
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through the Texas Constitution of 1869
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Which of the following was not an influence "Redeemer" following the end of the Reconstruction of Texas
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Governor of Edmund J Davis
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Which was not an area of change in Texas's era of reform?
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slavery
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In the author's description of the Great Depression and the New Deal, which of the following did not occur?
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the booming oil industry spare the Texas economy from the effects of the Great Depression
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In the section Transitions to the Twenty first century, the authors write, " Texas spent the rest of the Twentith century in transition." Which of the following is noted in the section of transition?
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the growth of women's political rights and participation
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Which of the following political cultures types is most rarely found in Texas?
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moralism
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Texas history can be most understood as
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a long string of traditions that often bring conflict between old ways and new ways
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The question whether the United States should annex Texas was influenced and delayed by
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the issues of slavery
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all of the following of major transitions in Texas politics except
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the rise to prominence of cowboys in Texas government in the latter half of the 19th century
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The rise of Grange and the redeemers is important because
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it lead to the writing of the constitution that is still used in Texas today
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The reform movement in Texas became occupied with the prohibition of alcohol consumption because
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Texas lacked the large corporations and big political machines that energized he movement in the North
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Texas reduced its reliance on most forms of taxation in the first part of the 20th century because
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the rapid influx of funds from the rapidly growing oil industry
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Texas has a history of of electing "colorful" governors such as "Pa" Ferguson and "Pappy O'Daniel" because
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the size of the state makes it difficult to create political organizations and give an advantage to those that stand out
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The weakening influence of Civil War alliances in Texas has led to the growing power of the Republican Party because
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Conservatives have been willing to abandon the Democratic party.
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Traditionalistic political culture is characterized by
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the belief that government has limited role related to the preservation of the social order
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Today the idenity of what it means to be a Texan has become unclear because of
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the increasing irrelevance of the elements of that identity to the lives of Texans.
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Compared to national average Texas
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has larger economy
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In the past, Hispanics have been __________ in political conflict in Texas, and in the future they are likely to be __________.
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losers; winners
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The decision of the Texas state Board of Education concerning how to identify the heroes of the Alamo illustrates
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the tendency to undervalue the contributions of hispanics to Texas History
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Texas struggles to meet its current challenges , in part , because its government is
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outdated
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When introducing the chapter on the Texas Constitution, the authors describe the majority of Texans as
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wanting a fiscally restrained and unobtrusive government
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Where the US constitution is ________ and ________; the Texas constitution is _____ and _______
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brief and flexible; long and detailed
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In creating a federal system, the founders of the US constitution were agreeing to
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a compromise between the confederacy and unitary form of government.
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Where _____ federalism addresses the distribution of power between the national government and the state government,______ federalism addresses the distribution of power at the state government level
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vertical; horizontal
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All of the following are true concerning the legislativate branch of government in the current Texas constitution except
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the members of the legislature set their own salaries.
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All members of the Texas judiciary are
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elected
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the Texas constitution is criticized for
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containing too many specific policy restrictions
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According to your text, the winners under current constitutional rules tend to be
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big business interests
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A mechanism that allows voters to gather signature on a petition in order to place statutes or constitutional amendments on a ballot is
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an initiative
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The US Constitution restricts government power through the application of all the following except
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detailed policy provisions.
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According to your text, the ______ and the ______ generate opposing view of the division of powers between the federal and state governments
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supremacy clause of the US Constitution; Tenth amendment to the US constitution
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Federalism has always generated a great deal of controversy because
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the actual distribution of powers is not clear in the US Constitution
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According to the text, the most prominent feature of the current Texas constitution is
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distrust in government
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A major consequence of the Texas constitutional provisions for a short biennial legislature with low salaries
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the legislature is dominated by people who work for or own businesses that do business with the state or are regulated by the state
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the authors of the text conclude that the Texas Constitution is
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badly outdated and should be replaced
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The states generally prefer that the federal government provide them money in the form of block grant because they
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provide the most flexibility in how the money may be used
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According to the US Constitution
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the federal Constitution supersedes all other state laws and constitutions.
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All of the following descriptions of power under federalism are correct except
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the power to coin money as a concurrent power
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The defense of marriage act involved the federal issue of
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whether Congress can release the states from their obligation to honor same-sex preformed in other states
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All of the follow statements are true concerning the annexation of Texas by the US except
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Texas retained the right to secede from the Union when it was annexed
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All of Texas' s constitutions have tended to reflect Texas's
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opposition to strong government
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the current Texas constitution creates a governor who
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is very weak
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The Texas Constitution
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defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman
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All the following statements concerning provisions of the Texas and Connecticut constitutins regarding religious liberty are true except
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both constitutions prohibit religious tests to hold office
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Popular sovereignty manifests itself in Texas in the following way
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election of citizens to state offices
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All of these are examples of unfunded mandates except
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food stamps program
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This constitution marked the era in which Texas was an independent republic
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1836
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This constitution prohibited the emancipation of the slaves by either state legislature or individual slave owners.
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1861
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All of these offices are part of the plural executive except
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speaker of the House
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The election of judges open the judicial system up to the influence of special interests through
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the governor's appointment powers
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Low legislative pay my have the following impact on the state legislature
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prevent the election of low income resident to the House or Senate
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Referendums involve statues placed on the ballot by the
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citizens
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Initiatives and referendums are two ways to
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amend the state constitution
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Concurrent powers include all of the following except
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infrastructure construction
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In what year was the Texas state constitution amended to guarantee equality regardless of "sex, race,color, creed or national origin?"
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1972
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When discussing "the basics" of local government, the authors focus on an important concept: that all local governments exist as an arm of the state government. Which of the following sources is most related to this basic idea of local government?
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Dillon's rule
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Which of the following statements inaccurately describes the history and function of county government
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The Texas county system rooted in the French system used in the Louisiana territory
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Which of the following is a characteristic of county governments in Texas?
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All counties use a patronage system when hiring employees to assist county officials
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Property taxes play what role in county and state income?
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They permit the state to avoid the use of income taxes
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Where home rule cities ______, general law cities ______.
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make up around 30 percent of cities in Texas ; make up around 70 percent of cities in Texas
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Which of the following forms of government is the most commonly found in Texas?
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Council- manager
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Which of the following is not a type of city election found in Texas?
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Multi-member district
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In which type of city election do voters cast the same number of votes as number of seats on the council
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cumulative voting
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Which of the following is an example of a major political issue being dealt with by city governments?
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zoning and planning policies
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Dillon's Rule describes a principle that assumes ______ to be a creature of _______.
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local government; state government
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The concept that the national government sets up policy guidelines and then expects the state government to pay for the programs is known as
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administrative federalism
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The governing body for Texas counties is the
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commissioners court
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Elections in which candidates' names and party affiliations appear on the ballot are called
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partisan election
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which of the following accurately describe a merit or civil service system
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Government jobs are based on qualifications and formal training
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justices of the peace and constables serve as judicial officers for what kind of cases?
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minor criminal cases
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Which of the following describes city charters correctly?
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charters can allow cities to provide functions even if contrary to state law
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machine politics refers to
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local party bosses who use the merit system for jobs and benefits
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Which of the following is not a service provided by municipal utility districts?
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health care
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All local governments are _________ the state government.
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dominated by
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According to the authors, property tax is a burden on
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retirees
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the cost of local government is ultimately passed on to
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citizens
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A special government that provides water and sew services is called
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municipal utilities district
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Special election voter turnout for municipal utility districts is often
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low
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Special districts are useful because
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the can coordinate across multiple jurisdictions
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the board of trustees for an independent school district may do all of the following except
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raise property taxes without voter approval
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What is the purpose of counties
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carry out the function outlined by the state legislature
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municipal bonds are used to
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raise money for the city
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annexation is a tool for
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economic development
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laws that restrict what one may do with their property are called
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zoning laws
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privatization is the process in which
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a government sells off services to be operated by a private company
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this official maintains county records
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county clerk
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The Texas executive branch is called a plural executive because
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the governor shares power with several other officials who are elected separately
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All of the following help to define federalism except
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checks and balances contained in the U.S Constitution
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The constitution of 1869 provided for the creation of
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taxes on roads and bridges
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