Comparative State Government Exam Questions
Course Introduction
Comparative State Government examines the structures, functions, and processes of government at the sub-national level, with a primary focus on states within federal systems such as the United States, India, and Australia. The course explores key themes including the distribution of powers between national and state governments, variations in legislative, executive, and judicial institutions, and the influence of political culture and socioeconomic factors on state policy-making. Through the comparative analysis of different state governments, students gain an understanding of issues such as intergovernmental relations, electoral systems, fiscal federalism, policy innovation, and the dynamics of political parties at the state level.
Recommended Textbook
Governing Texas 1st Edition by Anthony Champagne
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13 Chapters
842 Verified Questions
842 Flashcards
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Chapter 1: The Political Culture, People, and Economy of Texas
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55 Verified Questions
55 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8298
Sample Questions
Q1) People of Hispanic origin make up over 30 percent of the population of Texas today.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) Oil production remains the primary driving force of exports from the Texas economy.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q3) Historically, the economy of Fort Worth has been associated with what industry?
A) oil
B) cattle
C) computer technology
D) shipping
E) cotton
Answer: B
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Page 3
Chapter 2: Texas and the Nation
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70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) In South Dakota v. Dole (1987), the Supreme Court
A) prohibited the federal government from granting highway funds to the states.
B) allowed Congress broad leeway to place conditions upon federal grants to the states.
C) overturned unfunded mandates.
D) established twenty-one as the minimum age to purchase alcohol.
E) overturned Roe v. Wade.
Answer: B
Q2) Since obtaining statehood, the one area in which Texans have most consistently supported the federal government is in matters of
A) national defense.
B) civil rights.
C) economic regulation.
D) environmental regulation.
E) income redistribution.
Answer: A
Q3) Unfunded mandates infringe upon state sovereignty.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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Page 4
Chapter 3: The Texas Constitution
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56 Verified Questions
56 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Texas Constitution creates two top appellate courts, one for civil cases and one for criminal cases.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) The Texas Constitution makes no requirements for the establishment and upkeep of a public school system.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q3) The domination of Texas politics by Republicans after the Civil War ended
A) in an armed standoff in the capital between the Republican governor and the Democratic legislature in 1872.
B) with the victory of the Populist Party in 1892.
C) in 1888, with violent riots by farmers in Houston, Dallas, and Austin.
D) through a peaceful transfer of power in 1900.
E) with the Democrats' victory in the 1892 elections.
Answer: A
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Chapter 4: Political Parties in Texas
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70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The _____________ is a meeting held by a political party following its precinct conventions for the purpose of electing delegates to its state convention.
A) city convention
B) regional convention
C) county convention
D) special district convention
E) suburban convention
Q2) Providing a label that helps voters identify those seeking office is an important function of
A) the state.
B) political parties.
C) interest groups.
D) the media.
E) the governor.
Q3) The last Democratic governor of Texas was Ann Richards.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Describe the structure of political parties and elections in Texas. What are the different levels of party organization?
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Chapter 5: Elections in Texas
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70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Reapportionment involves the determination of how district lines will be drawn in each state for the state legislature and Congress.
A)True
B)False
Q2) When are elections for state offices held?
A) during presidential election years
B) during odd-numbered, nonpresidential election years
C) during even-numbered, nonpresidential election years
D) every year
E) every six months
Q3) List and describe the different types of elections in Texas.
Q4) ______ is the traditional start of the general election campaign in Texas.
A) Independence Day
B) Memorial Day
C) Labor Day
D) Halloween
E) Thanksgiving
Q5) List and discuss the reasons why campaigns in Texas are so expensive.
Q6) Explain why it is difficult to be elected as an independent candidate in Texas.
Q7) Discuss how political parties organize elections and the electorate in Texas.
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Chapter 6: Interest Groups and Lobbying
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52 Verified Questions
52 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is not a common way for interest groups to gain access to politicians and policy makers?
A) hiring former politicians as lobbyists
B) spending money on entertaining politicians
C) building support on an issue with constituents
D) forming PACs that allow members to bundle large contributions to candidates
E) running for office themselves
Q2) To avoid conflicts of interest, all lobbyists in Texas are required to represent only a single client.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Individuals are most likely to successfully lobby government when they
A) are not challenged by powerful, organized interest groups.
B) form their own political action committee.
C) seek pardons or clemency.
D) limit their requests to personal issues.
E) write letters to legislators.
Q4) Spending on issue advocacy ads by PACs need not be reported by a candidate.
A)True
B)False
Page 8
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Chapter 7: The Texas Legislature
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53 Verified Questions
53 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) In 2004 and 2005, three special sessions were called in the Texas legislature to deal with
A) tax codes.
B) deregulation of the pharmaceutical industry.
C) school finance.
D) criminal law reform.
E) budget crises.
Q2) If the Texas legislature fails to redistrict, the task of redistricting then falls to the federal district courts.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Unlike the U.S. Senate, the Texas Senate does not permit filibusters.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Legislative districts in the Texas House and Senate are
A) based on proportional representation.
B) single-member districts.
C) multiple-member districts.
D) redistricted every four years.
E) redistricted every six years.
Page 9
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Chapter 8: The Texas Executive Branch
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55 Verified Questions
55 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following statements concerning the Texas Department of Insurance is incorrect?
A) It is a single-member commission.
B) The department's commissioner is appointed for a two-year term.
C) The department makes sure that all Texans are covered by health insurance.
D) It regulates the insurance market in Texas.
E) The current department has been in effect since 1993.
Q2) In Texas, which officer in the plural executive is not elected by voters?
A) the secretary of state
B) the attorney general
C) the comptroller
D) the lieutenant governor
E) the commissioner of agriculture
Q3) In Texas, the plural executive is held accountable through all of the following EXCEPT
A) the budgetary process.
B) Sunset review.
C) the impeachment process.
D) elections.
E) appointment by the governor.
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Page 10
Chapter 9: The Texas Judiciary
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77 Verified Questions
77 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Approximately ______ of Texas appellate judges are women.
A) 15 percent
B) 20 percent
C) 40 percent
D) 53 percent
E) 67 percent
Q2) Which of the following is not a part of the "appoint-elect-retain" concept to judicial elections?
A) The governor appoints a judge.
B) The state senate confirms with two-thirds approval of the members.
C) The governor-appointed nominee does not assume office until confirmed by the senate.
D) The nominee goes through a vetting process to confirm his or her ability to fill the position.
E) The judge runs in a contested nonpartisan election and subsequent retention elections.
Q3) In 1996, the voters of Texas chose to adopt the merit selection of judges.
A)True
B)False
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Page 11
Chapter 10: Crime and Corrections Policy
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69 Verified Questions
69 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following groups of crimes are considered second-degree felonies?
A) aggravated sexual assault, robbery, bribery, and stalking
B) robbery, stalking, aggravated assault on a public servant, and violation of a protective order
C) manslaughter, bigamy, capital murder, and forgery of a check
D) bigamy, sexual assault, arson, and manslaughter
E) speeding and reckless driving
Q2) In a situation in which the defendant may have committed his or her first offense, the judge is more likely to issue a punishment of ______.
A) probation
B) community service
C) temporary jail time
D) a reduction in sentence
E) absolution of crime
Q3) A felony is a serious criminal offense, punishable by a prison sentence or fine.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Plea bargains are not often used in Texas criminal trials.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 11: Public Finance in Texas
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74 Verified Questions
74 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8308
Sample Questions
Q1) To address the budget shortfall in the 2012-2013 budget, the most common tactic used by the legislature was
A) raising tax rates.
B) borrowing from the federal government.
C) spending cuts.
D) a newly implemented income tax.
E) a brand new source of revenue derived from underground fracking.
Q2) The Permanent School Fund (PSF) was created in
A)1854.
B)1932.
C)1996.
D)2001.
E)2010.
Q3) Texas maintains a balanced budget because the state Constitution requires it.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The single most important source of revenue for state government in Texas is the property tax.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 12: Public Policy in Texas
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82 Verified Questions
82 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Under the Gilmer-Aikin Laws
A) the State Board of Education was established and became the policy-making body for public education in Texas.
B) the State Board of Education was abolished for being redundant and in competition with the federal Department of Education.
C) the Religious Antidiscrimination Act was repealed.
D) the State Board of Education members were elected statewide on partisan ballots.
E) Texas instituted an income tax to fund public education.
Q2) Since its creation, Medicaid has
A) grown large and complex, serving a variety of special interest groups.
B) remained unchanged and true to its original intent.
C) been substantially downsized due to the general financial challenges facing the United States.
D) been absorbed by the Social Security Administration in a cost-cutting move.
E) The program was eliminated in 1996.
Q3) Explain the impact that A Nation at Risk had upon education policy in Texas.
Q4) Explain the impact that Brown v. Board of Education had upon education policy in Texas.
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Page 14
Chapter 13: Local Government in Texas
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59 Verified Questions
59 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Special districts are the most common form of government in Texas.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Since 1954, there have been no home-rule chartered cities in Texas.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Which of the following cities currently has a city government with a strong mayor-council form of government?
A) Dallas
B) San Antonio
C) Austin
D) Houston
E) Galveston
Q4) All of the following are functions of county government except
A) law enforcement.
B) bridge and road construction.
C) flood control.
D) record keeping.
E) county tax rates.
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