Political Science
Pre-Test Questions
Course Introduction
Political Science is the systematic study of government, political processes, public policies, and political behavior. This course introduces students to key concepts, theories, and institutions that shape politics at local, national, and international levels. Through comparative analysis, critical discussions, and examination of contemporary issues, students will explore topics such as democracy, authoritarianism, political ideologies, public administration, policy-making, international relations, and the role of citizens in political systems. The course aims to develop analytical skills and a deep understanding of political phenomena, preparing students to engage thoughtfully with the complexities of power and governance.
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) Dallas is located in the Basin and Range Province.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) NAFTA has created a free-trade market throughout North and Central America.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q3) Which city in Texas currently has the largest population?
A) San Antonio
B) Dallas
C) Houston
D) El Paso
E) Austin
Answer: C
Q4) Houston is located in the Gulf Coastal Plains region.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Page 3
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Chapter 2: Texas and the Nation
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70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Though it was controversial at the time, President Wilson was able to pass legislation creating the Federal Reserve System with the help of an influential representative from Texas named
A) George W. Bush.
B) Sam Rayburn.
C) John Cornyn.
D) John Nance Garner.
E) Sam Houston.
Answer: D
Q2) In which case did the Supreme Court uphold Congress's use of the interstate commerce clause and overturn a California law allowing the cultivation of medical marijuana?
A) United States v. Lopez
B) Gonzales v. Raich
C) Printz v. United States
D) South Dakota v. Dole
E) Wickard v. Filburn
Answer: B
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Chapter 3: The Texas Constitution
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56 Verified Questions
56 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Sam Houston was the major author of the current Texas Constitution.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) The system of distributing powers between states and a central government is called
A) federalism.
B) separation of powers.
C) constitutionalism.
D) filtration.
E) checks and balances.
Answer: A
Q3) Texas became an independent republic in ______ and became part of the United States in ______.
A) 1827; 1861
B) 1827; 1869
C) 1836; 1845
D) 1845; 1876
E) 1844; 1845
Answer: C
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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 last Democratic president that carried the state of Texas was
A) Franklin Roosevelt in 1932.
B) John F. Kennedy in 1960.
C) Jimmy Carter in 1976.
D) Bill Clinton in 1992.
E) A Democratic president has never carried the state of Texas.
Q2) All of the following are principles generally supported by the Tea Party movement EXCEPT
A) low taxes.
B) term limits.
C) increased immigration.
D) balanced budgets.
E) low government spending.
Q3) The pattern, beginning in the 1950s, of Texans voting for a Republican president but sticking with conservative Democrats for state offices is called
A) Yellow Dog democracy.
B) presidential Republicanism.
C) the white primary.
D) the Eisenhower syndrome.
E) the Republicrat movement.
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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) The procedure by which certain states, such as Texas, are required to obtain approval every time they make changes to districts is called
A) redistricting.
B) reapportionment.
C) preclearance.
D) external validation.
E) judicial review.
Q2) The first Tuesday following the first Monday in November of even-numbered years is the day for which election?
A) primary election
B) runoff primary election
C) general election
D) runoff for the general election
E) gubernatorial election
Q3) Reapportionment involves the determination of how district lines will be drawn in each state for the state legislature and Congress.
A)True
B)False
Q4) 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) As in the U.S. Congress, most campaign contributions in Texas go to A) incumbents.
B) supporters of business interests.
C) Republicans.
D) political parties.
E) Democrats.
Q2) When individuals or interest groups take out ads concerning a campaign issue but do not tie them directly to any particular candidate, it is called
A) soft-money spending.
B) bundling.
C) issue advocacy.
D) direct advocacy.
E) hard-money spending.
Q3) 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.
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Page 8
Chapter 7: The Texas Legislature
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53 Verified Questions
53 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) In Texas, who can write a bill?
A) only a member of the legislature
B) the legislature or someone officially authorized by the legislature
C) any government official
D) anyone at all
E) only the legislature and/or governor
Q2) 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
Q3) Unlike the U.S. Senate, the Texas Senate does not permit filibusters.
A)True
B)False
Q4) For how long does the Texas legislature meet?
A) The legislature meets all year, with breaks for holidays and campaigning.
B) The regular session is nine months every year.
C) The legislature meets for nine months biennially.
D) The regular legislative session lasts 140 days every two years.
E) The legislature meets for six months every year.
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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) 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.
Q2) The governor of Texas has
A) strong formal powers granted by the Texas constitution.
B) few formal powers, so the office is one of the weakest chief executives in the United States.
C) the power to appoint all of the other officials in the executive branch.
D) the power to appoint all state judges.
E) an average amount of power compared to governors of other states.
Q3) George W. Bush was the first Republican governor of Texas since Reconstruction.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Describe the most important formal powers of the Texas governor under the state constitution. How do these powers reflect a commitment to the principle of checks and balances?
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Chapter 9: The Texas Judiciary
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77 Verified Questions
77 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Like the U.S. Supreme Court, the Texas Supreme Court has nine justices, including one chief justice.
A)True
B)False
Q2) What percentage of the state judges nationwide are white?
A) 65 percent
B) 71 percent
C) 83 percent
D) 87 percent
E) 92 percent
Q3) Approximately ______ of Texas appellate judges are women.
A) 15 percent
B) 20 percent
C) 40 percent
D) 53 percent
E) 67 percent
Q4) Texas justices of the peace do not have to be lawyers.
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) Which of the following makes the decision to grant parole?
A) a judge
B) a district attorney
C) the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles
D) the Texas Board of Prison Release
E) a defending attorney
Q2) In the past twenty years, the costs of prison construction and maintenance have risen from approximately ______ to approximately ______.
A) $147 million; $3 billion
B) $147 million; $900 million
C) $1 billion; $5 billion
D) $609 million; $1.5 billion
E) $609 million; $2.8 billion
Q3) A felony is a serious criminal offense, punishable by a prison sentence or fine.
A)True
B)False
Q4) 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.
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Chapter 11: Public Finance in Texas
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74 Verified Questions
74 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Federal expenditures play an important role in the Texas state budget.
A)True
B)False
Q2) 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.
Q3) Texas maintains a balanced budget because the state Constitution requires it.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Prior to 2003, tuition rates for public colleges and universities in Texas tended to be
A) slightly above the national average.
B) slightly below the national average.
C) about even with the national average.
D) much higher than the national average, because Texas has no state income tax.
E) low compared to other states.
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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) The poverty index is not adjusted for inflation; therefore, it is impossible to balance the state budget as mandated by the state constitution.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The law of capture works in support of conservation efforts.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The "law of capture" as it pertains to water policy in Texas essentially means that
A) the state owns the water rights because it is sovereign over Texas residents.
B) the federal government has the right to capture water in Texas because of the supremacy clause in the federal Constitution.
C) that the first person to "capture" the water by pumping it out of the ground owns it.
D) that the state can capture and tax any business that uses state water without reporting usage statistics to the state water board.
E) only water "captured" in surface retaining ponds can be owned.
Q4) Explain the impact that A Nation at Risk 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) What is the main difference between a special district and a county?
A) A special district provides only one specific service within a geographic region.
B) A county is formed in terms of population density, while a special district is created geographically.
C) Special districts are controlled by incorporated cities, unlike county government.
D) Special districts are created by municipalities, while counties are created by the state.
E) There are no major differences.
Q2) Special districts have often been called the hidden government. What are special districts? What are some of the services they provide? How are special districts created, governed, and funded?
Q3) Each county in Texas is required by the state constitution to have approximately the same number of residents.
A)True
B)False
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