State and Local Government Final Test Solutions
Course Introduction
This course provides an in-depth exploration of state and local governments within the United States, examining their structures, functions, and significance in the federal system. Students will analyze the roles and powers of governors, legislatures, courts, and agencies, as well as the impact of policies and laws at the state and local levels. The course covers topics such as intergovernmental relations, budgeting, elections, public administration, and the unique challenges facing municipalities, counties, and special districts. Emphasis is placed on understanding how state and local governments affect citizens lives and contribute to policymaking, community development, and the broader political system.
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) Sustained population growth in Texas has A) resulted in massive deforestation on the Texas-Mexico border. B) led to increasing clogging of roads and highways in urban and suburban areas. C) led to the rapid construction of nuclear power plants to alleviate energy needs. D) resulted in increasing numbers of Democrats being elected to the state legislature. E) led to a steep economic decline as the state is ill prepared to manage it.
Answer: B
Q2) In the early nineteenth century, there were at least twenty-three different Native-American groups residing in Texas.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q3) The South Texas Border Region has been hurt by NAFTA. A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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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) The actions in the late 1860s transformed the constitutional tradition of Texas into one of resentment and distrust toward government.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) The Constitution of 1876 established the ________ branches of government.
A) judicial, executive, and bureaucratic
B) bureaucratic, executive, judicial, and legislative
C) executive, and judicial
D) judicial, executive, and legislative
E) judicial, legislative, and bureaucratic
Answer: D
Q3) After the disastrous defeat at the Alamo, the Texas army, under the command of Sam Houston, fought for a year to defeat Santa Anna's army.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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Chapter 3: Intergovernmental relationships
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80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8057
Sample Questions
Q1) Texans, unlike most American citizens, are subject to the authority of an array of governments.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) Groups disquieted by NAFTA policies include
A) U.S. labor unions, U.S. manufacturers, and Mexican Human Rights advocates.
B) U.S. economists, Mexican labor unions, and U.S. manufacturers.
C) European manufacturers, Mexican labor unions, and U.S. economists.
D) Texas residents, European economists, and Mexican drug enforcers.
E) Texas legislators, Mexican drug enforcers, and U.S. trucking interests.
Answer: A
Q3) President Carter, a former governor of Georgia, attempted
A) to expand the federal government's role to assist local governments.
B) to reduce federal assistance role to local governments.
C) to redirect funds to counties with new policy initiatives.
D) little planning and consultation with local officials.
E) to limit project funding to local governments.
Answer: A
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Page 5
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) How did the Texas Supreme Court's ruling in Edgewood v.Kirby, which MALDEF fought, lead to major legislative changes?
A) Hispanic educators had to be proportionally represented in schools.
B) Public school aid had to be more equitably distributed between rich and poor districts.
C) A moratorium was placed on all new school construction for ten years.
D) Teachers who taught English with an accent could no longer be banned from teaching English.
E) Control over education policy was transferred from legislators to district school boards.
Q2) Currently, Texas has about ________ union members.
A) 120,000
B) 275.000
C) 360,000
D) 400,000
E) 530,000
Q3) Discuss at least three key elements of elitist theories.Explain how they influence the political system.How did Robert Michaels argue that elitism was inevitable?
Q4) 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 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8059
Sample Questions
Q1) With the proliferation of news sources in recent years, is there any indication that today's voters are better informed and more attentive to politics and current events than past voters? Explain.
Q2) ________ is an example of a "feel good" advertisement spot put out by a campaign.
A) Charging an opponent with a weakness
B) Paralleling the differences between two candidates
C) Portraying the candidate in the best possible light
D) Attacking a candidates family and associations
E) Exaggerating an opponent's stance on an issue
Q3) Legislators and public officials are very closemouthed so it is difficult for the Capitol press corps to get information for stories.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The media played only a minimal role in the 2002 governor's race.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Briefly describe the media's influence over the ethical conduct of public officials.How do journalistic ethics vary among different types of media?
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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) Under Franklin D.Roosevelt, government became a buffer against A) economic downturns.
B) political expansion.
C) government expansion.
D) party expansion.
E) social unrest.
Q2) The tea party, which became a driving force in Texas politics following the election of President Barack Obama, is a
A) political party.
B) political movement.
C) fringe party.
D) special interest group.
E) social movement.
Q3) Both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party use the same methods to select candidates to their respective national convention.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Define political parties.How do they differ from interest groups?
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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) How does Texas differ from the federal government with regards to campaign contributions?
A) Unlike the federal government, Texas does not require campaign donors who live in the state to reveal their name and information.
B) Unlike the federal government, Texas allows donations received for state and local races to be tax deductible and written off at the end of the year.
C) Unlike the federal government, Texas has rules limiting the amount of time prior to an election in which a candidate can raise money.
D) Unlike the federal government, Texas places no limits on the amount of money a person or PAC can contribute to most political candidates.
E) Unlike the federal government, Texas places no limits on how much a candidate can raise and spend for an election.
Q2) Political socialization is the process through which people learn to behave politically. A)True B)False
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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) In 2009, Democrats regained some of their lost seats in the House and assisted moderate Republicans in ousting autocratic Speaker Tom Craddick.
A)True
B)False
Q2) When a bill leaves the second chamber after its third reading, it
A) goes to the governor automatically no matter how many changes have been made.
B) goes to the governor if it is in the identical form passed by the first chamber.
C) is automatically sent to a conference committee for more tweaking.
D) is automatically sent to a select committee to pick the most important parts of the bill.
E) is automatically sent to the Calendars Committee to schedule a debate.
Q3) The state budget is the most important bill enacted by the legislature because it indicates how much money there is to spend during the session.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Why did Democratic legislators leave Texas in 2003 while the legislature was in session? Do you believe this was a fair tactic? Defend your answer.
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Chapter 9: The texas executive
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80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8063
Sample Questions
Q1) Administrative responsibilities are fragmented among more than ________ state boards and commissions.
A) 100
B) 150
C) 200
D) 250
E) 300
Q2) Texas retains ownership, including mineral rights, to approximately 22 million acres of land, which are managed by the
A) Railroad Commission.
B) commissioner of agriculture.
C) secretary of the treasury.
D) commissioner of the General Land Office.
E) commissioner of the Mineral Rights Office.
Q3) What are the appointive powers of the governor? Is the office of the Texas governor weak or strong because of its appointive powers?
Q4) Why are the comptroller of public accounts and the lieutenant governor so important to the budgetary process? What strengths do they have over the governor?
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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) What is sunset legislation and how does it work? How does the revolving door impact the bureaucracy? Should it be stopped through tighter regulations?
Q2) How did the 2010 whistleblower case involving Anne Mitchell and Vickilyn Galle demonstrate the huge obstacles facing whistle-blowers?
A) Mitchell and Galle were forced to defend their accusations at their own expense.
B) Prior to winning their case, Mitchell and Galle faced retaliation by local officials for their efforts.
C) Mitchell and Galle were forced to resign from their job until the situation was resolved because of state law.
D) After winning, Mitchell and Galle were countersued by those who lost their jobs as a result of their actions.
E) Mitchell and Galle received numerous threats from state officials urging them to stand down.
Q3) What is the bureaucracy and how does it serve the people of Texas? What are the characteristic of the bureaucracy?
Q4) How would you describe the personnel system in Texas? Defend your answer.
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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) The state judiciary has traditionally had more influence than the federal courts in shaping public policy.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Most municipal courts and all justice of the peace courts are
A) courts of record.
B) not courts of record.
C) courts with appellate jurisdiction.
D) courts with felony jurisdiction.
E) courts with probate jurisdiction.
Q3) Cases reach the Texas Supreme Court primarily on A) petitions for review.
B) writs of mandamus.
C) petitions for acceptance.
D) writs of certiorari.
E) de novo writs.
Q4) How do federal courts have a major effect on Texas government policies and criminal justice?
Q5) Briefly outline the structure of the Texas judicial system.Where are there overlapping jurisdictions?
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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) Almost every Texas city elects its council in elections.
A) primary
B) nonpolitical
C) special
D) nonpartisan
E) partisan
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) The independent school district, currently the basic organizational structure for private education, had its origins in the Constitution of 1876.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Explain the differences between at-large elections and elections conducted by single-member districts.Explain why one is preferred over the other.What are the positives and drawbacks of both?
Page 14
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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) Elected officials have been actively involved in addressing automobile pollution problems in major Texas cities.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Explain how the Texas constitutional requirement for a balanced budget shapes the budgetary process.
Would you recommend any changes in the process? If so, what changes would you make and why? If not, why not?
Q3) The most controversial provisions in the 1984 education reform law were
A) a literacy test for teachers and the "no pass, no play" rule.
B) a requirement that students pass a basic skills test before graduating.
C) limited class sizes and free pre-kindergarten classes for disadvantaged four year olds.
D) a new three-track system that placed students in college prep, technical, or remedial classes.
E) tutorials for failing students and limited class sizes in high schools only.
Q4) Has public education in Texas improved in the last two decades? Detail in what ways progress has been made.
Q5) In what way was tuition deregulation in Texas regressive?
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