Government and Society in Texas Final Exam
Course Introduction
This course explores the structure, functions, and processes of government in Texas, emphasizing the relationship between governmental institutions and Texas society. Students will examine the Texas Constitution, political culture, and the roles of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The course also analyzes issues such as public policy, civil rights, electoral systems, and local governance, with attention to how demographic changes and socio-economic factors shape political participation and public decision-making in the state.
Recommended Textbook
Government and Politics in the Lone Star State 8th Edition by L. Tucker Gibson
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13 Chapters
1040 Verified Questions
1040 Flashcards
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Page 2
Chapter 1: The social and economic milieu of texas politics
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80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) How did Mirabeau B.Lamar, president of the Republic of Texas, differ from his predecessor Sam Houston in his feelings toward the Native Americans?
A) He felt they should be honored and praised for their bravery.
B) He felt they should have their lands returned to them.
C) He felt they should be expelled, defeated, or exterminated.
D) He felt they should be supported in their wars against Mexico.
E) He felt they should be offered peace and friendship.
Answer: C
Q2) The Texas mythology includes the Texas Rangers, but the cowboy plays only a small role.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q3) Texas exported $281 billion in goods and services in 2011.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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Chapter 2: The texas constitution
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79 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The purpose of statutory law
A) is to expand upon general provisions laid out in a constitution through legislative laws.
B) is to require voter approval on amendments to a constitution.
C) is to lay the basic principles of a constitution to later be expanded upon.
D) is to allow the executive of a state to issue laws without legislative approval.
E) is to specifically replace unconstitutional laws with constitutional amendments.
Answer: A
Q2) Only four of the delegates who produced the current Texas constitution were native Texans.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q3) Santa Anna upheld the national constitution of 1824.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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Page 4
Chapter 3: Intergovernmental relationships
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80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The three fundamental systems for structuring government are
A) national, international, and transnational.
B) confederation, federalism, and unitary.
C) local, state, and national.
D) local, regional, and global.
E) democracy, autocracy, and oligarchy.
Answer: B
Q2) There is no such thing as
A) the sovereignty of state government in Texas.
B) local governments as administrative subdivisions of the state.
C) the sovereignty of local government in Texas.
D) the sovereignty of the federal government in Texas.
E) horizontal federalism between states.
Answer: C
Q3) To anyone living on the border, the economic independence of the United States from Mexico is evident every day.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Interest groups and political power in texas
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80 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The National Rifle Association is an example of a
A) gun control group.
B) multi-issue group.
C) gun rights group.
D) dual-issue group.
E) single-issue group.
Q2) Successful lobbying starts with the election of officeholders sympathetic to a group's viewpoint on crucial issues.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Define lobbying and give the primary objectives of those who engage in lobbying.
Q4) Most of the ________ interest groups in Austin are concerned primarily with protecting consumers and the environment from big business.
A) business
B) public
C) private
D) charitable
E) professional
Q5) Briefly explain the difference between pluralist and elitist views of power.
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Chapter 5: The mass media in texas politics
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80 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) How have growing media conglomerates changed the face of Texas based mass media? In what ways has the quality of news outlets changed as a result?
Q2) The least consistent readers and viewers of government and political news are the business community and the political leaders who actively influence and work on policy formation.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Most Texas voters get to know a candidate through A) televised images.
B) print media.
C) radio spots.
D) personal contact.
E) Internet images.
Q4) The Public Information Act requires a governmental body to post advance notices of all its meetings to the public.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Explain the open meetings and public information laws.Explain how these laws help the media do their jobs.
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Chapter 6: The party system in
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Sample Questions
Q1) According to the text, state party systems are not connected to the national party system.
A)True
B)False
Q2) After Lyndon B.Johnson was elected vice president, a special election had to be called in 1961 to select a senator to fill his seat.In this special election, the final winner out of seventy-one candidates was
A) Bill Clements, a Republican.
B) William Blakely, a Democrat.
C) John Tower, a Republican.
D) Ann Richards, a Democrat
E) Kay Bailey Hutchison, a Republican.
Q3) Texas elites were able to maintain their control through a number of practices, including
A) legislation designed to increase the number of voters.
B) constitutional restrictions.
C) grassroots politics.
D) encouraging voting by minorities.
E) making it illegal for minorities to vote.
Q4) Define political parties.How do they differ from interest groups?
Page 8
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Chapter 7: Elections, campaigns, and political behavior
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Sample Questions
Q1) During the Vietnam War, many people believed that individuals who were required to comply with the draft and risk death should no longer be denied the right to vote.This movement culminated with the
A) Twenty-seventh Amendment.
B) Twenty-fourth Amendment.
C) Twenty-first Amendment.
D) Twenty-sixth Amendment.
E) Twenty-second Amendment.
Q2) Define racial gerrymandering and at-large elections.How does each continue to reduce the political power of minority groups in Texas?
Q3) In 1965, the U.S.Congress passed the Voting Rights Act, which made it possible for African Americans to vote.
A)True
B)False
Q4) List the factors identified in the political socialization process, and explain how these factors could affect an individual's decision to participate in the process.What generalizations can be deduced concerning political participation among Texans?
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Chapter 8: The texas legislature
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Sample Questions
Q1) Equality in redistricting finally arrived in Texas as a result of state court intervention in 1975.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Institutionalization is illustrated by the decreased tenure of the legislative membership, changing career and leadership patterns, a lower workload, and the emergence of partisan divisions.
A)True
B)False
Q3) A bill can be considered by the full chamber after it wins committee approval on the
A) consent of the other chamber.
B) second reading.
C) consent of the standing committee.
D) third reading.
E) consent of the presiding officer.
Q4) Most legislators are honest, hard-working individuals.
A)True
B)False
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Page 10
Chapter 9: The texas executive
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Sample Questions
Q1) Bill Clements was one of only ________ Texas governors to have two nonconsecutive administrations.
A) two
B) three
C) four
D) five
E) six
Q2) What effect has the increasing cost of campaigns had on the gubernatorial election?
A) It has allowed more qualified candidates to seek the governorship, as they know how to raise funds.
B) It has led to more candidates to seek matching funds from the state to cover the costs of campaigning.
C) It has prevented many good potential candidates from running because of the burden of raising funds.
D) It has led to wealthier candidates to donate a portion of their funds to less wealthy candidates.
E) It has allowed for a greater number of candidates to seek the office because of its increasing importance.
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Chapter 10: The bureaucracy and policy implementation
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Sample Questions
Q1) Why do so many people express a great deal of ambivalence, if not hostility, toward bureaucracies and those who are employed by government?
Q2) How can the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) work to limit mismanagement and inefficiency of a state agency?
A) Coordinating with the legislature, the LBB can cut or threaten to reduce the budget of an agency to force compliance.
B) The LBB can replace an agency head that is incapable of carrying out a program and appoint a replacement.
C) Coordinating with the governor, the LBB can overrule the bureaucracy and reverse or rescind an agency's action.
D) Through a performance review, the LBB can determine ways to increase efficiency and cut costs in an agency.
E) The LBB through administrative reorganization can transfer responsibility for a program between agencies.
Q3) Politics has been eliminated in the hiring and promotion of public employees.
A)True B)False
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Chapter 11: The judicial system in texas
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Sample Questions
Q1) Ruby Sondock of Houston was the first woman to serve on the Texas Supreme Court.
A)True
B)False
Q2) ________ is considered the most serious crime in Texas.
A) Capital murder
B) Murder one
C) First-degree murder
D) Capital rape
E) Capital manslaughter
Q3) Despite overlapping jurisdictions, a district court judge would first hear a(n) ________ because of original jurisdiction.
A) divorce, slander, or election dispute case
B) civil action case with damages between $200 and $10,000
C) misdemeanor case with fines greater than $500
D) municipal ordinance criminal case
E) appeal from a municipal court of record
Q4) Describe the jury system in Texas.Include the types of juries, their duties, and requirements for eligibility.
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Chapter 12: Local government in texas: cities, towns, counties, and special districts
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Sample Questions
Q1) Why is the strong mayor form of government found in only one major city in Texas?
A) Multiple mayors were embroiled in scandals in the 1970s leading to a move away from this system.
B) This form of government only came about recently in the 1990s.
C) Cities have been moving away from this and towards more fragmented forms of government.
D) It is a difficult system of government to devise a charter for.
E) Texas has a tradition of decentralized government that didn't allow this system to take root.
Q2) A notable feature of city elections in Texas is the use of
A) single-member districts.
B) multimember districts.
C) the all-city system.
D) party labels.
E) the at-large system.
Q3) What are five of the solutions given in the text for the problems of local governments in Texas? Which one would you support? Why?
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Page 14
Chapter 13: Contemporary public policy issues in texas
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Sample Questions
Q1) Why did Texas pass a constitutional amendment to legalize state lottery ticket sales in 1991?
A) In 1990, Texans overwhelmingly voted by referendum do legalize such sales.
B) The U.S. Supreme Court had deemed that restrictions on such sales was unconstitutional.
C) It was an attempt to compensate for revenue lost due to a variety of causes.
D) A major source of revenue, casinos, had threatened to leave the state if sales weren't legalized.
E) It was intended to create an immediate budget surplus that was needed to fund several projects.
Q2) ____________ would be considered a dedicated fund.
A) A fund that has money set aside to it through a constitutional requirement
B) A program that must be funded annually and can be done from any number of sources
C) A fund that can be used at any time for any purpose by the state government
D) A program that can receive additional funding from charitable donations
E) A fund which receives its money through aid provided by the federal government
Q3) Briefly define dedicated funds and give at least two arguments for and against them.
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