Political Science
Mock Exam
Course Introduction
Political Science is the systematic study of government, political institutions, public policies, and political behavior. This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts, theories, and frameworks used to analyze political systems, both domestic and international. Key topics include the structure and functioning of governments, the role of political actors and interest groups, electoral systems, political ideologies, and international relations. Through critical examination of historical and contemporary case studies, students develop analytical skills to understand power dynamics, policy-making processes, civic engagement, and the impact of politics on society.
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
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/454
Page 2
Chapter 1: The social and economic milieu of texas politics
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80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8055
Sample Questions
Q1) Older Anglo farmers, dairy men, and loggers living in ________ may garner more political clout as a result of the aging population of Texas, even though their own population is dwindling.
A) Atascosa County
B) the Metroplex
C) the South Texas Border Region
D) the Upper East Texas Region
E) suburban Houston
Answer: D
Q2) In the early 1980s, about ________ of the economy of Texas was reliant upon energy-related industries.
A) 12 percent
B) 21 percent
C) 23 percent
D) 27 percent
E) 31 percent
Answer: D
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Chapter 2: The texas constitution
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79 Verified Questions
79 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8056
Sample Questions
Q1) When Texas joined the Confederate States of America, its new constitution did NOT
A) forbid the freeing of slaves.
B) require pledged support to the Confederacy.
C) allow clergy to run for and hold office.
D) establish Jim Crow laws protecting slavery.
E) adhere to a confederation governmental system.
Answer: C
Q2) A constitution reflects the way society structures conflict through its A) institutional arrangements.
B) comparative perspective.
C) important rituals.
D) consensus agreements.
E) parliamentary procedures.
Answer: A
Q3) Governor Dolph Briscoe suggested that the existing constitution had served the state well and would continue to be adequate for the future.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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Page 4
Chapter 3: Intergovernmental relationships
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80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8057
Sample Questions
Q1) In addition to calling for the consolidation of categorical grants, President Nixon proposed replacing these programs with revenue sharing
A) to make the states more responsible for federal policy.
B) to take state income tax money and put it into a shared pot.
C) to allow recipients to use the money as they saw fit.
D) to make sure income tax money was split evenly.
E) to divide up funds with other state governments.
Answer: C
Q2) Population growth in Texas has always been affected by migration from other states and foreign countries.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q3) The Motor Voter Act of 1993 discouraged people from voting because it made it mandatory to have a driver's license to vote.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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Chapter 4: Interest groups and political power in texas
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80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8058
Sample Questions
Q1) Why was legislation passed in 1991 to limit lobbyist expenditures on entertaining legislators?
A) It resulted from repeated news accounts of extravagant and questionable lobby spending.
B) A public referendum in 1990 called for the end of such activities by lobbyists.
C) Earlier in the year the governor was treated to a lobbyist paid $4 million party to the dismay of many.
D) Such activities were found to be unconstitutional and represented a threat to democracy.
E) It was sought by a coalition of interest groups to limit others.
Q2) In the past, men become members of interest groups more often than women.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The United Farm Workers Union has been a weak advocate of better conditions for workers.
A)True B)False
Q4) Explain how interest groups differ from other groupings within the social system.
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6
Chapter 5: The mass media in texas politics
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80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8059
Sample Questions
Q1) Some scholars and media experts believe one of the major contributions of the media to politics is
A) agenda setting.
B) information processing.
C) policy clarification.
D) sound bites.
E) information distribution.
Q2) The media played only a minimal role in the 2002 governor's race.
A)True
B)False
Q3) During any legislative session in Texas, numerous attempts are usually made to A) strengthen the existing open meetings and open records laws.
B) prevent any changes to the existing open meetings and open records laws.
C) weaken the existing open meetings and open records laws.
D) ignore open meeting and open records laws.
E) to make sure that all public records are accessible by the public.
Q4) Newspapers can more thoroughly explain a pending issue, its history, and possible options for its resolution than can the electronic media.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 6: The party system in
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80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8060
Sample Questions
Q1) Public policy is the result of groups organizing around issues and keeping pressure on
A) interest groups.
B) elected officials.
C) party leaders.
D) business leaders.
E) the governor.
Q2) Party conventions are about
A) politics, the selection of candidates, and the running of campaigns.
B) the selection of candidates, control of the party apparatus, and the running of campaigns.
C) control of the party apparatus, the running of campaigns, and politics.
D) the selection of candidates, the running of campaigns, and politics.
E) politics, the selection of candidates, and control of the party apparatus.
Q3) The difference between an interest group and a political party is that
A) an interest group exists to run the day-to-day business of government.
B) a political party seeks to enlist and nominate candidates.
C) a political party is only interested in certain issues.
D) an interest group seeks to enlist and nominate candidates.
E) a political party lobbies governmental officeholders.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 8
Chapter 7: Elections, campaigns, and political behavior
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80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8061
Sample Questions
Q1) Briefly describe the political gains made over the past thirty years by minorities and women in Texas.
Q2) What is the primary purpose of a campaign in dividing voters by segmenting the population?
A) It allows a campaign to take full advantage of gerrymandering in finding supporters.
B) It allows a campaign to target its messages to small well-defined populations.
C) It allows a candidate to speak and interact with a greater percentage of the population.
D) It allows a campaign to eliminate competitors through targeted messages.
E) It allows a candidate to develop a general message that can be utilized across the district.
Q3) As a campaign proceeds, benchmark surveys are used to determine attitudes, perceptions, and support for the candidate.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Define racial gerrymandering and at-large elections.How does each continue to reduce the political power of minority groups in Texas?
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Chapter 8: The texas legislature
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80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8062
Sample Questions
Q1) Equality in redistricting finally arrived in Texas as a result of state court intervention in 1975.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The Texas House was humiliated in 1991 when a dead lawmaker was recorded as answering the daily roll call and voting on several recorded votes.
A)True
B)False
Q3) As a result of ________, equity in redistricting was extended to Texas under the idea that state legislative districts had to be apportioned on the "one person, one vote" principle.
A) Baker v. Carr
B) Davis v. Federal Election Committee
C) Reynolds v. Sims
D) Ray v. Blair
E) Kilgarlin v. Martin
Q4) List and briefly explain some of the more serious ethical issues facing the Texas legislators and the efforts that have been made to enact and implement ethics reform.
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Page 10
Chapter 9: The texas executive
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80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8063
Sample Questions
Q1) What are the appointive powers of the governor? Is the office of the Texas governor weak or strong because of its appointive powers?
Q2) Only two of the more than 200 state boards and commissions have elected members.Which boards or commissions have elected members?
A) the Railroad Commission and the State Board of Education
B) the Pardons and Paroles Board and the State Board of Education
C) the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Railroad Commission
D) the State Board of Education and the State Treasurer's Commission
E) the State Treasurer's Commission and the Railroad Commission
Q3) What was the negative view of Bill Clements when he left office in 1991?
A) He had seriously degraded the state of education in Texas by vetoing numerous education bills.
B) He was an ideologue who fought for the appointments of numerous conservative judges.
C) He was an obstructionist who would rather fight the Democrats than provide leadership.
D) His actions had delayed the Republican takeover of the Senate by a decade.
E) He had overseen the slowest period of economic growth in the history of Texas.
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Page 11
Chapter 10: The bureaucracy and policy implementation
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81 Verified Questions
81 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8064
Sample Questions
Q1) ________ would be considered political patronage.
A) An agency chair hiring a consultant based on her excellent former work in the private sector
B) A state representative hiring a campaign contributor to a job he knows nothing about
C) A state commissioner delegating hiring duties to a human resources administrator
D) An agency chair hiring his brother to oversee a new program because he is family
E) A commissioner hiring an employee to a position based on her years of government experience
Q2) In most cases the Sunset Commission will propose that an agency be terminated or consolidated with another agency.
A)True
B)False
Q3) What is the bureaucracy and how does it serve the people of Texas? What are the characteristic of the bureaucracy?
Q4) Why has the merit employment system had an inconsistent history in Texas state government? Give examples.
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Page 12
Chapter 11: The judicial system in texas
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80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8065
Sample Questions
Q1) Most judges in Texas are
A) appellate court justices.
B) justices of the peace.
C) county court justices.
D) district court justices.
E) municipal court justices.
Q2) Under both the U.S.and Texas Constitutions, a person charged with a crime is presumed
A) guilty until proven innocent by an appointed attorney.
B) innocent until the state can prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt to a judge or jury.
C) innocent until the state can prove reasonable guilt to a judge or jury.
D) guilty until the defendant convinces a jury of innocence beyond a shadow of doubt.
E) innocent until the federal government can prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Q3) Ruby Sondock of Houston was the first woman to serve on the Texas Supreme Court.
A)True
B)False
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13
Chapter 12: Local government in texas: cities, towns, counties, and special districts
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80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8066
Sample Questions
Q1) The name "commissioners court" is somewhat confusing because it has no judicial functions.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The type of election used in most cities has historically benefited
A) lower social and economic groups.
B) minorities and women.
C) higher social and economic groups.
D) no specific group.
E) middle income groups.
Q3) Describe some of the inherent inequities of an independent school district system.Name some of the reforms that have been tried to mitigate these problems.Have they been effective?
Q4) School districts are governed by school
A) commissions.
B) boards.
C) governance groups.
D) superintendents.
E) agencies.
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Chapter 13: Contemporary public policy issues in texas
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80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8067
Sample Questions
Q1) In early 1997, Attorney General Dan Morales interpreted the Hopwood ruling as prohibiting all Texas universities from using race or ethnicity as a preferential factor in
A) all admissions decisions.
B) undergraduate admissions.
C) housing.
D) promotions.
E) grading systems.
Q2) In 2011, the Texas Water Development Board found that Texas has more than enough water to meet the needs of its people and industry for the next decade.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Education costs
A) take up the largest percentage of state expenditures.
B) are roughly equal to those of law enforcement and prisons.
C) are directly correlated to classroom sizes.
D) have been used to justify cuts in health and human services.
E) are inversely correlated to business and economic development.
Q4) In what way was tuition deregulation in Texas regressive?
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