Texas Government Review – Flashcards

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The single most important account in the Texas treasury is the:
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General Revenue Fund
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A progressive tax is placed upon:
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income
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The largest share of public land revenue in Texas derives from:
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oil lease fees and royalties
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The most important single tax in Texas is the:
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general sales tax
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The largest portion of revenue for the State of Texas comes from:
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federal funds in the form of grants
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The most significant agency in budget preparation is the:
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Legislative Budget Board
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Texas transportation policy has resulted in:
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the construction of highways for use by automobiles, trucks, and buses
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An excise tax levied on a natural resource taken from the earth is a:
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severance tax
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A bond whose repayment is guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the state is a:
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general obligation bond
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Most taxes in Texas are collected by the:
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comptroller of public accounts
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A court that is said to have specific authority to decide a particular type of case has:
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exclusive jurisdiction
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The injured party in a civil trial is the:
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plaintiff
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We know that innocent people have been convicted of crimes they did not commit because of an improved:
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technology system
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Official misconduct is a misdemeanor offense. Such cases are tried in:
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district court
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Which scientific development has found that some persons convicted of murder and sentenced to death actually did not commit the crime?
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DNA Testing
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The term "court of record" means that:
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a transcript of court proceedings is made by a stenographer
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The court that is responsible for formulating the rules of civil procedure is:
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the Texas Supreme Court
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Which of the following is NOT a Texas constitutional guarantee regarding jury rights of persons in Texas?
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Jury verdicts in all cases must be unanimous
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It is common for adults convicted for the first time of nonviolent misdemeanors and lesser felonies to:
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be placed under community supervision
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A vacancy on a district court bench is filled by:
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gubernatorial appointment, with Senate confirmation
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The Commissioner of Education gets into office as a result of:
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appointment by the governor with confirmation by the Texas senate
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The ability of the Public Utilities Commission to regulate communication in Texas is somewhat limited by:
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the policies of the national government
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What is the purpose of the payroll tax collected by the Texas Workforce Commission?
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to provide unemployment compensation
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Red tape contributes to the image of bureaucracies as:
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inefficient
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The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board:
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approves all new degree programs in state colleges and universities
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The state agency charged with ensuring a supply of safe drinking water for colonias (predominantly Hispanic settlements along the Rio Grande) is the:
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Texas Water Development Board
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A system that hires friends and supporters without regard for competency and expertise is called a:
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patronage system
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Decisions by local school boards and superintendents are primarily shaped:
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by state rules
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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 problem of power becoming centralized
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Which of the following is NOT performed by the Texas Education Agency?
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It creates attendance zones for all public elementary and secondary schools in Texas
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The governor's removal power:
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is limited to removing the governor's own agency board appointees with two-thirds Senate consent
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Several of Texas' political traditions and institutions stem from the state's experiences after the Civil War,:
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and an era which gave blacks civil rights called Reconstruction
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The Texas governor who was constitutionally removed from office was:
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James E. Ferguson
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The governor in Texas, under the state constitution, is allowed to serve:
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unlimited terms
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A Texas governor who lacks constitutional authority must rely on:
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all of the above
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Who in state government is the collector of revenue?
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the comptroller of public accounts
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The Texas plural executive:
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is largely independent of gubernatorial control
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The penalty for conviction on being impeached is:
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removal from office and disqualification from holding public office in Texas
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If a member of the Texas Transportation Commission has a question concerning the legal responsibilities of his or her office, whom would he or she consult for advice?
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the attorney general
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When the governor consults with a senator from an appointee's home district to obtain support for a nomination, the governor is respecting the tradition of:
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senatorial courtesy
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Elections under single-member districts increase the probability that:
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more black and Hispanic candidates will be elected
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When the two chambers pass a bill with a different language in each version,:
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the bill will go to a conference committee
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The essence of representative government is:
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entrusting the enactment of laws to popularly elected legislative assemblies
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The size of the chambers in the Texas Legislature is:
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150 in the House of Representatives and 31 in the Senate
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Regular sessions of the Texas Legislature occur:
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biennially in odd-numbered years for no more than 140 days
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Voters elect a new House of Representatives:
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in every even-numbered year
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Filibustering:
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is most effective when undertaken at the end of a session
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Turnover in the Texas legislature is most likely to be high in an:
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election immediately after redistricting
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The principle agent in making public policy in Texas is the:
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legislature
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Legislative redistricting for both houses in Texas occurs in:
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the first odd-numbered year in a decade
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Which US amendment prevents states from requiring payment of a poll tax as a condition for voting?
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the 24th
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Texas' Latino population is:
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more than half the state's total population when added to the black population
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The principle means of political participation for most Texans is:
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voting
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Turnout in Texas primary elections:
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is declining in percentage terms
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The case of Smith v. Allwright (1944) held that:
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any party rule prohibiting blacks from membership in the party and participation in its primary election was unconstitutional because primary elections were a substantive part of the political process
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The National Voter Registration Act of 1933:
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required states to make voter registration available at welfare and driver-licensing offices
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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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The single variable that appears to be the best socioeconomic predictor of likelihood of an individual to vote is:
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years of formal schooling
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The practice of many Texans of voting in the Democratic primary and then voting Republican at the general election is:
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called crossover voting
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The size of the vote necessary for a candidate to win a general election is a:
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plurality
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Precinct chairs are selected by:
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the party primary election
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Returns from the party primaries for statewide office are canvassed by the:
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state party executive committee
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The Reform Party:
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was largely the outgrowth of support for Ross Perot
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Liberals would support which of the following policies?
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equal pay for equal work laws regarding women
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After Reconstruction and until the 1960s, Texas was dominated by:
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the Democratic Party
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Because of the political culture in Texas, conservatism is:
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strong in both parties in Texas
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Which one of the following geographic areas is a Democratic stronghold in Texas?
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El Paso
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Precinct conventions in Texas are usually:
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lightly or sparsely attended
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Straight-ticket voting is popular among those who:
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are most loyal to their party
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The Libertarian Party:
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fielded no candidates for statewide office in 2004
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The triangular relationship described in the text includes:
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legislators, bureaucrats, and lobbyists
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An organization becomes an interest group when it:
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seeks to influence a governmental policy decision
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The details of political contributions and expenditures that a candidate must file with the Texas Ethics Commission must be filed:
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between two and seven times each year
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A major benefit of interest groups to office holders is that they:
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provide information and expertise
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Political parties lack the ability to resist interest groups because they are:
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all of the above
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Common Cause of Texas is an example of a:
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public interest group
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The major objective of an interest group is to:
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advance its own interests
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A major result of grassroots activity by interest groups is that:
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it creates the appearance of public support for the group's program
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In electioneering, an interest group would be unlikely to:
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participate actively and publicly in the primary campaign
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The term "grassroots" refers to activity that:
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begins locally and spreads to broader areas
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Most general-law cities are:
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very small in population
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In most counties, who receives and pays out county funds?
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county treasurer
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The forms of municipal government characterized by a dispersed administrative structure are:
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commission and weak mayor-council
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Under the Texas Constitution, counties:
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are administrative arms of the state
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The term "intergovernmental relations" is another name for:
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federalism
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Elected county officials:
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have political party identification
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Revenue sources for cities include all of the following EXCEPT:
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income tax
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A city law is referred to as a city:
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ordinance
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Who has the responsibility for keeping the peace in each county?
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county sheriff
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The sheriff and county judge:
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are state officials paid and selected locally
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State governments retain substantial authority over:
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the operation of schools, the conduct of elections, and the enforcement of criminal laws
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The Texas Grange:
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advocated "retrenchment and reform"--a weak and cheap government
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Constitutional amendments are voted on in elections called by:
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the legislature
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Voter turnout for amendments:
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is always low
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A system of government in which power is divided between a general government and associated regional governments is a:
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federal system
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The governor's role in the constitutional amendment process:
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is limited to the ability to use personal influence to sway the outcome
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The Texas Bill of Rights:
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contains a provision guaranteeing equal rights to women--something not found in the federal Constitution
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The Texas Constitution is lengthy and detailed primarily because:
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too much policy is spelled out in the constitution
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The US Constitution forbids states from denying anyone equal protection under:
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the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution
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Under the national supremacy clause of the US Constitution:
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federal laws and treaties enacted under the US Constitution take precedence over state constitutions and laws
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Moralistic culture:
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both b and c
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Population shifts in Texas:
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match the national pattern with shifts from rural to urban and from large cities to suburbs
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"A community's habits, attitudes, and patterns of behavior regarding government" is defined as its:
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political culture
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Which international agreement probably has the most direct and immediate impact on Texas?
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NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)
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Maquiladoras
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are manufacturing operations where supply and distribution facilities are on the Texas side and assembly is on the Mexican side of the national boundary
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One of the fastest growing economic sectors in Texas today is
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the service industry
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The African American population of Texas:
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resides mainly in urban counties of North Central, Northeast, and Southeast Texas
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The Asian American population of Texas is:
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primarily immigrant, having come from Southeast Asia
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The population groups, which together comprise almost 95% of the Texas population, are:
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Hispanics, African Americans, and Anglos
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Elazar insists that traditionalistic influences of the Old South:
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still linger, and many Texans have inherited southern racist attitutdes
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