Political Science
Final Test Solutions
Course Introduction
Political Science explores the theory and practice of government, politics, and policy at local, national, and international levels. The course examines the structures and functions of political institutions, the behavior of individuals and groups in the political system, and the processes through which public policies are formulated and implemented. Students analyze the impact of historical and contemporary events on political systems, learn about ideologies, comparative politics, and international relations, and develop critical thinking and analytical skills necessary for understanding the complexities of governance and civic engagement in a globalized world.
Recommended Textbook
Governing Texas 1st Edition by Anthony Champagne
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13 Chapters
842 Verified Questions
842 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/463
Page 2
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) Technological change in Texas is best evidenced by the
A) Civil War's positive effect on the Texas economy.
B) boom-and-bust cycle of the oil industry.
C) development of a high-tech industry after a slump in oil prices.
D) continued reliance on ranching.
E) continued reliance on oil production.
Answer: C
Q2) On average, Texans are younger than the rest of the United States.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q3) Which of the following has traditionally dominated the political culture of Texas?
A) labor unions
B) business interests
C) environmentalist groups
D) the Catholic Church
E) lawyers
Answer: B
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Chapter 2: Texas and the Nation
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70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8299
Sample Questions
Q1) When Phil Gramm, a lifelong Democrat, switched to the Republican Party and easily won reelection, it signaled
A) an increasing ideological division between Republicans and Democrats.
B) the seniority system in Congress.
C) consequences of economic regulation.
D) the end of the Democratic Party in Texas.
E) the growing division between the two factions in the Democratic Party.
Answer: A
Q2) The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of minimum wage laws in
A) United States v. Lopez.
B) Gonzales v. Raich.
C) Printz v. United States.
D) South Dakota v. Dole.
E) West Coast Hotel Company v. Parrish.
Answer: E
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
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8300
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 majority of delegates to the Convention of 1836 that drafted the constitution for a newly independent Republic of Texas were from A) Texas.
B) slave-owning southern states.
C) New England and New York.
D) Mexico.
E) Spain.
Answer: B
Q3) The Texas Constitution is
A) a tightly argued, brief document of general principles.
B) a long, complex, and detailed document.
C) difficult to amend, compared to the U.S. Constitution.
D) an economic treatise disguised as a blueprint for government.
E) based on the fundamental principle of liberal progressivism.
Answer: B
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Chapter 4: Political Parties in Texas
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70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8301
Sample Questions
Q1) Most of Texas's African American population is concentrated in all of the following areas EXCEPT
A) suburban Dallas and Houston.
B) East Texas.
C) inner-city Houston.
D) inner-city Dallas.
E) inner-city San Antonio.
Q2) Which of the following is not true?
A) Democrats are winning most local races in large urban areas like Dallas and Harris County.
B) Republicans are winning most local races in suburban areas like Collin County.
C) It is difficult for an independent to win a local election in any area of Texas.
D) The Republican Party is losing ground at the state level.
E) The Democratic Party has basically been shut out of state-level elections.
Q3) African Americans have the largest percentage share of voters in Texas.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 5: Elections in Texas
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70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8302
Sample Questions
Q1) Officially, Texas has a
A) joint primary.
B) extended primary.
C) open primary.
D) closed primary.
E) jungle primary.
Q2) The most recent renewals to the Voting Rights Act require
A) special voting booths reserved specifically for minority voters.
B) polling places to stay open until midnight for shift workers.
C) polling places to open on Saturdays for people who work.
D) bilingual ballots in areas where over 5 percent of citizens speak a language other than English.
E) Internet voting for people who cannot make it to the polls.
Q3) General elections are held
A) in odd-numbered years.
B) in even-numbered years.
C) each November.
D) every four years, in line with the presidential election.
E) when called for by the legislature.
Q4) Explain why it is difficult to be elected as an independent candidate in Texas.
Page 7
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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) It is vital for lobbyists to gain access to politicians and policy makers. Describe some of the ways in which interest groups and their representatives gain access in Texas politics. What are some of the potential abuses of this process?
Q2) Texas trial lawyers frequently ally with
A) the gas and oil industry.
B) pharmaceutical companies.
C) consumer interest groups.
D) public employee unions.
E) environmental groups.
Q3) Interest groups representing labor organizations dominate Texas politics.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Which of the following is not a typical threat to an incumbent running for reelection? A) scandal
B) the greater fund-raising opportunities of challengers
C) redistricting
D) controversial voting record
E) a well-funded challenger
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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) Members of the Texas House of Representatives are permitted to speak on the House floor for as long as they wish.
A)True
B)False
Q2) What is the main difference between a bill and a resolution?
A) A resolution is just another name for a bill.
B) A resolution deals only with issues affecting local government, while a bill deals with the entire state.
C) All bills require the signature of the governor, but no resolution does.
D) Unlike a bill, a resolution, if passed, lacks the force of a public law.
E) A resolution must be passed unanimously; a bill needs only a majority.
Q3) 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.
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9
Chapter 8: The Texas Executive Branch
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55 Verified Questions
55 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8305
Sample Questions
Q1) What is the basic structure of the Texas bureaucracy? What are some of the problems of accountability in the bureaucracy, and what have been some of the solutions to these problems? What is the function of the Sunset Advisory Commission?
Q2) Almost one-half of the attorney general's employees are involved in what government task?
A) enforcing civil rights laws
B) investigating complaints about local police behavior
C) collecting child-support payments
D) defending state laws in federal court
E) providing advisory opinions to state agencies
Q3) George W. Bush was the first Republican governor of Texas since Reconstruction.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Setting local telephone and electric rates is the responsibility of the
A) Public Utilities Commission.
B) comptroller of public accounts.
C) attorney general.
D) federal Department of Energy.
E) utility companies; there is no state regulation of these.
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Chapter 9: The Texas Judiciary
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77 Verified Questions
77 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8306
Sample Questions
Q1) What types of cases does the Texas Supreme Court hear?
A) civil appeals
B) appeals on civil and criminal cases
C) both trial and appeals in tort-law cases
D) final appeals on all civil and death penalty cases
E) any cases it chooses to hear
Q2) Why is it difficult for voters to learn about judicial candidates in Texas?
A) Judicial candidates, by law, are prevented from actively campaigning for office.
B) Most judicial candidates fill their campaign literature with arcane legal analysis.
C) Voters are called upon to vote for too many different judicial races in a single election.
D) Most voters never go to court, so they have little knowledge upon which to base their decisions.
E) Judicial candidates do very little campaigning.
Q3) Texas law restricts the number of judicial races during any single election cycle to no more than six.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 10: Crime and Corrections Policy
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69 Verified Questions
69 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The average prison time served by those that have been exonerated was ______ years.
A) eight
B) thirteen
C) nineteen
D) twenty-four
E) thirty-one
Q2) The integrity of the Texas judicial system has been called into question many times. Explain what events have caused these questions. Then discuss the outcome of the situations and what the state of Texas is doing to combat future accusations.
Q3) The highest fine an individual can receive upon criminal sentencing is ___________.
A) $5,000
B) $10,000
C) $20,000
D) $50,000
E) $100,000
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Page 12
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) ______ monitors state agencies to ensure that they comply with the state budget.
A) The LBB
B) The LBB, in conjunction with the State Auditor's Office,
C) The conference committee
D) The comptroller
E) The state legislature
Q2) The process of drafting a bill is referred to as
A) enrollment.
B) introduction.
C) markup.
D) referral.
E) filibustering.
Q3) The funds generated by the Permanent School Fund are distributed to school districts across the state
A) based solely on financial need.
B) based on attendance rates.
C) as mandated by the Texas Constitution of 1876.
D) at the discretion of the governor.
E) based on the tax rate for school districts.
Q4) Explain the impact of the Great Recession on the budget of Texas.
Page 13
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Chapter 12: Public Policy in Texas
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82 Verified Questions
82 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8309
Sample Questions
Q1) The 1983 report by the National Commission on Education had no effect on Texas because of its existing excellent system of public education.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The primary purpose of TANF was to
A) reduce the number of children in poverty.
B) reduce illegitimacy rates among all affected groups.
C) provide large benefits across the board to lift welfare recipients out of poverty.
D) make families self-sufficient by ending the cycle of dependency on government benefits.
E) coerce the states to be held more accountable for the distribution of the block-grant funding from the federal government.
Q3) Explain some of the potential or current consequences of the Affordable Health Care Act and health care policy in Texas.
Q4) Discuss the controversy surrounding the issue of welfare dependency.
Q5) Explain some of the legal aspects of water policy in Texas, including the law of capture and important court decisions.
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Chapter 13: Local Government in Texas
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59 Verified Questions
59 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8310
Sample Questions
Q1) What type of government is called hidden government because people often do not know it exists?
A) county government
B) special districts
C) city government
D) state government
E) councils of government
Q2) San Antonio and Dallas both have council-manager forms of government.
A)True
B)False
Q3) School boards can do all of the following \(\bold{EXCEPT}\)
A) adopt a budget for the district.
B) draft standardized evaluation exams.
C) select textbooks for classroom use.
D) hire principals and faculty.
E) set overall policy for the school district.
Q4) Special districts are funded through sales taxes.
A)True
B)False
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