Texas Government–best one – Flashcards
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In which case did the Supreme Court overturn a ban on unlimited independent expenditures made by corporations, unions, and nonprofit organizations in federal elections?
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Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission (2010)
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Are there disclosure requirements on candidates given by the campaign finance regulations for state offices?
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Yes
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As a percentage, Texas' Latino population is...
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More than half of the state's total population
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The Raza Unida Party was founded by several Latino leaders including...
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Jose Angel Guiterrez
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What is most likely the reason that the Raza Unida did not continue to be politically effective?
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The Texas Democratic Party has adopted issues appealing to Hispanic voters
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The Latino community showed its political 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' African American citizens say that they are Democrats?
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80%
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For most Texans, their principal political activity consists of...
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Voting in elections
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The ability of almost all citizens 18 years of age and older to vote is referred to as...
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Universal suffrage
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Literacy tests were implemented to ensure that...
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Minorities could not vote
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Which amendments to the United States Constitution were intended to prevent denial of the right to vote for African Americans?
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Fourteenth and Fifteenth
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In the United States Supreme Court case of Guinn vs. United States (1915), the court ruled that
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The grandfather clause was illegal
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Which United States amendment prevents states from requiring payment of a poll tax as a condition for voting?
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24th amendment
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A device used in Texas to prevent many lower-income persons and blacks from voting during much of the twentieth century was the
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Poll Tax
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During the first half of the twentieth century, large numbers of African American voters were disqualified from voting as a result of...
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Literacy tests, poll taxes and grandfather clauses.
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Texas employed what methods at one time or another during the twentieth century to deny the vote to large groups of people?
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Literacy tests, poll taxes and white primaries
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The case of Smith vs. Allwright overturned the
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White only primary election in Texas
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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 which case did the Supreme court disallow racial gerrymandering?
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Shaw vs. Reno (1993)
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The case of Shaw vs. Reno (1993) prohibited
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Racial gerrymandering to favor ethnic minorities
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In Texas, the responsibility of redistricting lies with the
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State legislature
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A political district from which two or more representatives are elected is
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Called an at-large majority district
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The Voting Rights Act of 1965 and its subsequent amendments were aimed primarily at increasing political participation among...
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Ethnic minorities
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The amendment of the United States Constitution that prohibited the states from denying the vote due to race was the...
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Fifteenth amendment
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Amendments to the federal constitution which broadened the franchise were....
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the fifteenth, nineteenth and twenty sixth amendments
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The primary purpose of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 was to...
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require states to make voter registration available at welfare and driver licensing offices
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The purpose of the 'motor-voter' law was to...
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Expand the voting registration policy
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Compared to the rest of the country, 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...
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Voter fatigue from too many elections, negative campaigning by candidates and lack of information about candidates
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Of the various socioeconomic factors that influence voter turnout, which is considered the strongest?
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Education
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Some of the key factors that affect voter turnout include education, gender and
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regular income, age and ethnicity
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In order to be qualified to vote in Texas, one must meet qualifications. What is not one of these qualification?
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Resident of the state for two years (the qualification says 30 days)
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A Texas citizen's status as a registered voter is suspended if he...
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Changes his permanent address to another county and fails to notify the voting registrar within three years of loses his eligibility to vote in some other way
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What is not one of the aspects of the Texas voting process?
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Voters must pay an annual poll tax
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Early or absentee voting in Texas for general elections begins how many days prior to the actual date of the election?
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17 days
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The color of the voter registration certificates is determined by the...
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Texas Secretary of State
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Under what circumstances is a registered voter allowed to vote early voting in Texas?
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Being out of the county on election day
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The basic geographic area for conducting national, state, district and county elections is called the...
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voting precinct
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Voting precincts in the 254 Texas counties are drawn by...
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The county commissioner's courts
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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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In Texas, the decision of which type of voting system will be used in a county is made by the...
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County Commissioners Court
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A major requirement of the Voting Rights Act of 1975 is that ballots must be
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bilingual
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An election in which party members choose a candidate to run for office in a general election is a...
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primary election
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What best describes the purpose of a primary election?
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Nominating candidates to run for office
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In order to obtain a primary nomination in Texas, a candidate must receive what part of the popular vote?
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An absolute majority
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A primary system in which voters must preregister their party affiliation is referred to as...
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a 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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Arranging for voting places, preparing election materials, and canvassing the vote in the Dallas County Republican primary of 2004 was handled by...
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Dallas County Republican executive committee
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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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Political parties in Texas are required to conduct primaries if...
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they received 20% or more of the votes in the most recent gubernatorial election
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The cost of primary elections in Texas is paid for by...
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Filing fees charged to candidates, subsidized by state funds
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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 size of the vote necessary for a candidate to win a general election is
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plurality
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The term 'midterm election' refers to those
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General elections held in non-presidential election years
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The size of the vote necessary to win a special election in Texas is a
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simple majority
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A vacancy in what office position is not filled by a special election?
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Texas governor or lieutenant governor
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An organization that works with government officials for the purpose of influencing public policy is referred to as
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An interest group
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Interest groups try to influence public policy by
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Lobbying government officials regardless of political affiliation
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An organization of individuals with similar views that tries to influence government to respond favorable to its views is called
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An interest group
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The principal purpose of political party activity is to
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Gain control of government by winning elections and thus achieve party goals
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What is not a goal of an interest group?
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Getting it's members elected to public office
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An interest group has as its primary objective the...
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influencing of government to respond to the group's objectives
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Any organization is considered an interest group when it
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Seeks to influence a governmental policy decision
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In the case of NAACP vs. Alabama (1958), the Supreme Court...
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Recognized the right of association as part of the First Amendment
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Which Constitutional right is the foundation of the right to form and participate in interest groups?
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Right of association
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The primary objective of an interest group is to promote
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The particular interests of its own members
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Our federal system of government encourages interest groups to
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Be more inclined to form coalitions with other groups
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The United States achieves a decentralized governing structure through
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Federalism and separation of powers
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The decentralized structure of Texas policies and governance_____ the ability of interest groups to influence public policy
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Increases
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Texas is among a group of states that has strong____ and weak _____.
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Strong interest groups and weak political parties.
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What occupational group is least likely to have large representation in an interest group: lawyers, accountants, physicians, receptionists?
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Receptionists
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What is not true about interest group leadership?
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Most interest group members can afford to devote time to interest group activities
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Most political interest groups represent
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Professional and managerial occupations
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The Texas Association of Business and Chambers of Commerce is an example of
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An umbrella organization
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Which of the following goals would a business organization be least likely to pursue?
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Increased safety and environmental standards
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Who would be most supportive of the Texas right to work law?
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Labor groups
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Which of the following interest groups would be an example of a professional group in Texas?
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Texas Trial Lawyers Association
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Which of the following would a government employee interest group be least likely to pursue: Higher wages, better retirement, increased health care, decreased levels of government spending?
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Decreased levels of government spending
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An example of a professional organization is the
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Texas Health Care association
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In 1999, Texas became the first state to allow
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Doctors to collectively bargain with health maintenance organizations
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Among state government employee interest groups, which is the largest?
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Texas Public Employees Association
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Which organization would most likely mount a vigorous campaign to oppose a reduction in the staffing levels of the Texas Rehab Commission?
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Texas Public Employees Association
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Ethnic minorities have found that their most successful political strategy has been to...
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Organize into political interest groups
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A social interest group would not be involved in an issue concerning...
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Highway Funding
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Social interest groups exist to address which of the following issues: Race, Gender, Religion, All?
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All of the Above
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What would the Christian Coalition most likely not oppose?
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Abolishing religious invocations prior to legislative sessions
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Common Cause of Texas is an example of
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A public interest group
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Which of the following techniques do interest groups use to influence policy decisions: lobbying, campaign financing, providing favors and gifts, All?
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All of the above
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The definition of a lobbyist is an individual who
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Attempts to influence the decision-making of lawmakers
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What activities are interest groups most involved in?
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Electioneering
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An individual seeking a favorable decision from government is most likely to succeed if he or she
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Works with a group having similar goals
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In recent years, registered lobbyists in Texas have
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Increased to over 1800
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Studies of lobbying in Texas indicate that the most commonly employed strategy of influencing legislation is...
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Providing the legislator with relevant information
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A major benefit of interest groups to political officeholders is...
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they provide information and expertise
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The political term grassroots refers to activity that
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Begins locally and spreaders to broader areas
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A major result of grassroots activity by interest groups is that is
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Creates the appearance of public support for the group's program
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Actively campaigning in support of candidates to office by an interest group is called
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electioneering
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In electioneering, an interest group would be unlikely to...
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allow favored candidates to speak
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Typically, in order to get people to the polls, what is employed?
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Mail-outs, telephone calls, door to door solicitation, and transportation to the polls
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The device by which a corporation may contribute money to a political candidate is
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Through a political action committee
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In Texas, corporations and labor unions may provide campaign contributions...
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through Political Action Committees
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What is true about campaign finances for a candidate running for a seat in the Texas legislature?
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There is no limit on how much a PAC may contribute directly to a campaign
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Following the Sharpstown Bank scandal, the Texas legislature...
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Prohibited speaker candidates from giving anything of value to supporters in the House
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An interest group technique that is unethical would be..
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utilizing bribery
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Which Texas House speaker was not the subject of an inquiry about potentially improper practices with regard to interest groups?
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Pete Laney
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Texas Law prohibits a speaker candidate from giving money to...
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fellow house members
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The details of political contributions and expenditures of candidates must be filed with the Texas Ethics commission....
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Between 2 and 7 times each year
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The Texas Ethics Act of 1991 prohibited
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Lobbyists from spending more than $500 in entertainment expenses per legislator
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Ethics laws prohibit a candidate or official from receiving a contribution inside...
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the Texas capitol building
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In response to big spending by lobbyists, Texas voters in 1991 approved a constitutional amendment to create the eight member...
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Texas Ethics Commission
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Members of the Texas Ethics commission are selected by
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Texas Governor
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Texas state law requires all of the following except: Limits on campaign contributions, disclosure requirements for lawmakers and lobbyists, prohibition of honorarium, disclosure of any gift over $250?
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Limits on campaign contributions
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Political races are most likely to be altered at the last minute as a result of
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last minute contributions from interest groups
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An interest group with substantial financial resources, sizable membership, unity and a competent leader...
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should have success in getting its policy preferences honored
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An interest group would be in a good position to achieve its goals if...
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It was well represented within government
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The system of politics in Texas can be described as one with
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Weak parties and strong interest groups
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