State and Local Government Test Bank
Course Introduction
This course offers an in-depth exploration of the structures, functions, and processes of state and local governments within the United States. Emphasizing the diversity and complexity of governance below the federal level, students examine the distribution of powers, intergovernmental relations, public policy making, local agencies, finance, metropolitan challenges, and the impact of politics and citizen participation. Through case studies and comparative analysis, the course encourages critical thinking about how state and local governments address issues such as education, welfare, public safety, and infrastructure, and their evolving roles in the federal system.
Recommended Textbook
Practicing Texas Politics 15th Edition by Lyle Brown
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834 Verified Questions
834 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/312
Page 2
Chapter 1: The Environment of Texas Politics
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72 Verified Questions
72 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/5141
Sample Questions
Q1) The development of which industry transformed Texas from a predominantly agricultural culture into an industrial society?
A) Cotton
B) Cattle
C) Steel
D) Oil
Answer: D
Q2) In the 1980s and 1990s, population shifts in Texas
A) were much different than the national pattern.
B) indicated movement from rural to urban areas.
C) showed movement from suburbs to cities.
D) revealed movement primarily toward areas dependent on oil and agriculture.
Answer: B
Q3) As a result of the Immigration Control and Financial Responsibility Act of 1996
A) employers are no longer penalized for hiring illegal immigrants.
B) there has been an increase in border patrol officers.
C) illegal immigration is no longer a problem for Texas.
D) smuggling of immigrants ceased.
Answer: B
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Page 3
Chapter 2: Federalism and the Texas Constitution
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82 Verified Questions
82 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Governor Rick Perry, in opposing federal stimulus funds from the Obama Administration hinted at
A) withdrawing from the Confederacy.
B) having Texas secede from the Union.
C) joining the Daughters of the Republic of Texas.
D) the possibility of opposing Obama for president.
Answer: B
Q2) Separation of powers
A) is not found in the Texas Constitution.
B) means a bicameral legislature.
C) places the lawmaking, law-enforcing, and law-adjudicating powers in separate branches of government.
D) has been rejected by American constitutional theory.
Answer: C
Q3) The principal historic event shaping the 1866 Texas Constitution was
A) joining the southern Confederacy.
B) reinstatement into the Union after the Civil War.
C) re-seeking full independence.
D) division of the state.
Answer: B
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Chapter 3: Local Governments
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76 Verified Questions
76 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The form of government that influences the daily lives of citizens the most is
A) Texas government.
B) county government.
C) municipal government.
D) special districts.
Answer: C
Q2) School districts in Texas must operate under the guidelines of
A) the federal government.
B) the Texas Education Agency.
C) relevant state law.
D) All of the above are true.
Answer: D
Q3) When a piece of real property (land and its improvements) is transferred, who records the deed of transfer?
A) Commissioner of the General Land Office
B) County auditor
C) County clerk
D) County tax assessor-collector
Answer: C
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Political Parties
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74 Verified Questions
74 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Resolutions adopted at the precinct convention will be submitted first to the A) national convention.
B) city-wide convention.
C) county or district convention.
D) state convention.
Q2) The American political party system consists of
A) national, county, city, and state levels.
B) national, state, county, and precinct levels.
C) county, state, local, and national levels.
D) national, precinct, county, and city levels.
Q3) Highly populated areas of the state that hold district conventions include
A) Maverick, Kendall, and Bexar County.
B) Harris, Zapata, and Wilson counties.
C) Lavaca, Harris, and Travis counties.
D) Bexar, Harris, and Dallas counties.
Q4) Which of the following would be performed at a party's precinct convention?
A) Nomination of delegates to the county convention
B) Selection of the presidential nominee
C) Adoption of the party platform
D) Election of the state executive committee
Page 6
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Chapter 5: Campaigns and Elections
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72 Verified Questions
72 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Some of the key factors that affect voter turnout include education, gender,
A) credit history, and available credit.
B) sexual orientation, hair and eye color.
C) regular income, age, and ethnicity.
D) voter status and party affiliation.
Q2) Which of the following is the most likely reason that Raza Unida did not continue to be politically effective?
A) Third parties are not legally allowed to participate in Texas politics.
B) The Texas Democratic Party has adopted issues appealing to Hispanic voters.
C) The Republican Party has pushed all other parties out of existence.
D) The Hispanic population in Texas has declined since the 1970s.
Q3) What percentage of Texas's African American citizens say that they are Democrats?
A) 20 percent
B) 45 percent
C) 80 percent
D) 95 percent
Q4) Explain how considerations of race and ethnicity factor into elections in Texas. Are traditional minorities adequately represented in the voting population? What steps have been taken to address this issue?
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Chapter 6: The Politics of Interest Groups
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70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which organization would most likely mount a vigorous campaign to oppose a reduction in the staffing levels of the Texas Rehabilitation Commission?
A) Christian Coalition
B) Texas Public Employees Association
C) County Judges and Commissioners Association
D) Texas Alcohol and Narcotics Education
Q2) An interest group technique that is unethical would be
A) making campaign contributions.
B) utilizing bribery.
C) conducting lobbying.
D) taking clients to lunch.
Q3) Most political interest groups represent
A) organized blue-collar labor.
B) professional and managerial occupations.
C) minimum-wage employees.
D) fixed-income retirees.
Q4) Compare and contrast centralized and decentralized structures of interest groups. Which, if either, seems to work best? Is there any special reason why an interest group would choose one over the other?
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Chapter 7: The Legislature
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84 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The principal agent in making public policy in Texas is the
A) governor of Texas.
B) state bureaucracy.
C) state legislature.
D) state judiciary.
Q2) Which of the following statements is true regarding the Texas legislature?
A) It does not recognize the party affiliation of its members.
B) It has no party organization-not even informal caucuses.
C) It is dominated by the Democratic Party, with no Republican influence.
D) It has Democratic and Republican caucuses that are increasingly important.
Q3) Describe the formal qualifications of members of the Texas legislature. Explain why actual members of the legislature fail to represent a representative cross-section of Texas society.
Q4) In Texas, the second thirty days of the legislative session are mainly reserved for
A) any non-legislative duties.
B) introduction of new legislation.
C) action on concurrent resolutions.
D) standing committee action on bills.
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9
Chapter 8: The Executive
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75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Describe the constitutional qualifications for the office of governor of Texas. What other (non-constitutional) qualifications should a person possess to attain the office?
Q2) The governor of Texas, in his role as "commander-in-chief" may use forces of the Texas National Guard and State Guard to do all the following, except A) provide for martial law.
B) deploy military forces overseas.
C) help with federal border security.
D) assist in state disaster relief operations.
Q3) The governor of Texas is constitutionally allowed to serve
A) 2, four-year terms.
B) unlimited terms.
C) 1, four-year term.
D) 3, two-year terms.
Q4) Who in Texas government is the receiver and custodian of the state's revenue?
A) Comptroller of public accounts
B) State auditor's office
C) Secretary of state
D) Commissioner of the General Land Office
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10
Chapter 9: Public Policy and Administration
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77 Verified Questions
77 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) How many state agencies in Texas are substantially independent from the governor?
A) 50
B) 110
C) Around 200
D) More than 300
Q2) Which statement concerning charter schools is not correct?
A) Limits were placed on their creation in 2001.
B) They receive total funding from the legislature.
C) They draw students from across school district boundaries.
D) They are an alternative where public schools have not performed well.
Q3) In your judgment, which is in the best interest of the state: to compel unemployed on state assistance to obtain a public service job and provide child care for their children, or subsidize the care for their children? Would your answer vary depending on whether or not you were a taxpayer?
Q4) The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
A) enforces state and some federal air and water quality standards.
B) regulates timber cutting in East Texas forests.
C) imposes automotive emissions limits in urban areas.
D) lost its oversight authority of toxic waste dumping in 1997.
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Chapter 10: Laws, Courts, and Justice
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78 Verified Questions
78 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) When a case can be heard by only one court, that court is said to have
A) absolute jurisdiction.
B) ultimate jurisdiction.
C) exclusive jurisdiction.
D) final jurisdiction.
Q2) Which one of the following courts is not mentioned in the Texas Constitution?
A) Municipal courts
B) Justice of the peace courts
C) County courts
D) District courts
Q3) A juvenile who is arrested in Texas is most likely to be
A) incarcerated by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.
B) simply counseled and then released.
C) placed in a county juvenile detention facility.
D) certified to stand trial as an adult.
Q4) Review the history of capital punishment in Texas. There are two sides to the capital punishment debate: Those in favor and those against capital punishment. What are the arguments put forth by each side in support of their position?
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Page 12
Chapter 11: Finance and Fiscal Policy
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74 Verified Questions
74 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Texas relies heavily on non-tax revenues to meet its fiscal obligations. Identify and describe these non-tax sources of revenue. Which of these non-tax revenues could Texas least afford to lose, and why?
Q2) Which state program in Texas does not receive substantial federal funding?
A) Public education
B) Highways
C) Teacher retirement
D) Public assistance
Q3) Which of the following classes of corporations has the least business tax burden?
A) Oil companies
B) Banking companies
C) Insurance companies
D) Public utility companies
Q4) Describe in detail the procedure for developing and approving a state budget in Texas. Include the roles played by those involved from both the executive and legislative branches.
Q5) Describe the history of highway funding in Texas. Identify problems associated with the current system and possible solutions.
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