Texas Legislative Process
Practice Questions
Course Introduction
This course provides a comprehensive exploration of the Texas legislative process, examining the structure, functions, and procedures of the Texas Legislature. Students will analyze how public policy is crafted at the state level, from bill introduction and committee action to floor debate, amendment, and final passage. The course covers the role of legislators, the influence of interest groups, the governors powers, and the impact of political parties. Emphasis is placed on understanding the unique characteristics of the Texas legislative session, the constitutional framework, and recent legislative developments, equipping students with a nuanced understanding of lawmaking in Texas.
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
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Chapter 1: The social and economic milieu of texas politics
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Upper East Texas Region includes Tyler, the "City of Roses."
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) What public policy issue is illustrated by the funding divide between non-minority and minority school districts and discussions concerning social service recipients?
A) employment discrimination
B) voting rights
C) the racial divide
D) education
E) housing discrimination
Answer: C
Q3) Because the government impacts on our lives daily,
A) it should be allowed to operate with minimal influence by the citizenry.
B) it should only be viewed with suspicion by the citizenry.
C) only the most qualified people should be allowed to run it.
D) we should all take interest in it as we all have a stake in it.
E) the only way to influence it is to vote in every election.
Answer: D
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Page 3
Chapter 2: The texas constitution
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Sample Questions
Q1) The first Texas constitution was adopted in A) 1824.
B) 1827.
C) 1836.
D) 1861.
E) 1869.
Answer: B
Q2) 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
Q3) By 2011, Texas had adopted 474 amendments to its current constitution.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q4) A constitution reflects the way a society structures conflict with other states.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Page 4
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Chapter 3: Intergovernmental relationships
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Sample Questions
Q1) What effect has the Supreme Court case Marbury v.Madison had on the U.S.political system?
A) This case asserted the sovereignty of state governments when faced by encroachment from the federal government.
B) It revealed that the Supreme Court is ill-suited to arbitrate disputes between state and federal authority.
C) It upheld the supremacy clause of the Constitution and prevented the states from taxing national, a principle that remains to today.
D) This case was pivotal in outlining the concurrent powers of the states and the national government and codifying them.
E) The ruling reached in this case is considered an unwritten amendment to the Constitution, and it has never been challenged in court since.
Answer: C
Q2) If a person commits a crime in Texas, they cannot escape trial by fleeing Texas. A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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Chapter 4: Interest groups and political power in texas
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Sample Questions
Q1) What role did conservative religious groups have in the mid-1990s on the Texas Republican Party?
A) Their strong influence led to the conservative takeover of leadership positions in the party.
B) Their aggressiveness led to a deep fracturing of the party in 1994.
C) Their influence within the party declined following several major scandals.
D) The party was unified for the first time since the 1950s through the effort of religious conservatives.
E) Upon obtaining control of the party, the Republicans lost the governorship.
Q2) During the 1970s, political power was spread out to minorities, Republicans, and liberal Democrats more evenly through the utilization of ________, which eroded the strength of conservative Democrats.
A) multimember districts
B) at-large elections
C) single-member districts
D) proportional representation
E) bi-member districts
Q3) Explain how interest groups differ from other groupings within the social system.
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Chapter 5: The mass media in texas politics
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Sample Questions
Q1) People such as late CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite believe that declining objectivity in television coverage of political campaigns and an increasing number of ads
A) are destroying Americans' interest in politics and turning more people cynical. B) have allowed political campaigns to become more interactive with the people. C) are allowing Americans to gain more insight into candidates on a wide range of issues.
D) are a threat to democracy and should be rectified immediately through fair press legislation.
E) have served to increase the caliber of those who seek elected office.
Q2) In the 2002 governor's race, Tony Sanchez spent ________ of his own money.
A) $33 million
B) $46 million
C) $59 million
D) $75 million
E) $98 million
Q3) 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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Sample Questions
Q1) What has been the effect of political transformation on the party system in Texas since the 1980s?
A) There has been a significant increase in the electoral functions by political parties.
B) While parties have continued to grow stronger, interest groups have decreased in number and importance.
C) The practice of ticket splitting by voters has declined considerable in favor of voting down the line.
D) Parties have declined organizationally while increasing numbers of people are becoming independents.
E) Parties have grown steadily more unified and more partisan while vastly increasing their membership.
Q2) The 254 commissioner's courts in Texas create the voting precincts.In 2010, there were about
A) 1,810 precincts.
B) 2,540 precincts.
C) 5,500 precincts.
D) 7,350 precincts.
E) 8,150 precincts.
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Chapter 7: Elections, campaigns, and political behavior
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Sample Questions
Q1) Family, school, and church are all agents of
A) educational socialization.
B) moral education.
C) political indoctrination.
D) political socialization.
E) doctrinal socialization.
Q2) Political socialization is the process through which people learn to behave politically.
A)True
B)False
Q3) What brought about the legislature's adoption of the poll tax in 1904?
A) The increasing influence of the KKK in the legislature sought to diminish the power of minorities.
B) The Republican Party sought to limit the numbers of those who could have a say in the party.
C) A new source of revenue was required to fund roadwork programs in the state.
D) The increasing influence of the Populist movements and the threat it posed to the Democrats.
E) The cost of elections had skyrocketed and this was a way to effectively to pay for them.
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Chapter 8: The texas legislature
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Sample Questions
Q1) In the context of political science, the development of a legislative body into a formally structured system with stable membership, complex rules, expanded internal operations, and the delineation of staff functions is known as A) politicalization.
B) democratization.
C) institutionalization.
D) socialization.
E) structurization.
Q2) The powers of the House presiding officer includes
A) appointing a president pro tempore.
B) naming chairs and vice chairs in the Senate.
C) appointing all members of Senate procedural committees.
D) selecting the lieutenant governor.
E) vetoing bills voted on by the House.
Q3) The legislative process is designed to institutionalize
A) conflict.
B) duels.
C) relationships.
D) change.
E) statutes.
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Chapter 9: The texas executive
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Sample Questions
Q1) Governor Perry increased his support among conservative Republican voters in preparation for his 2006 reelection race by
A) passing a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.
B) increasing funding for schools by cutting several welfare services.
C) passing new strict rules on the construction of new abortion clinics.
D) eliminating the state capital gains tax.
E) requiring schoolgirls to be vaccinated against a virus linked to cervical cancer.
Q2) Describe the powers of the governor, including an explanation of the major responsibilities of each.Why is the governor of Texas considered to have some of the strongest veto powers in the country?
Q3) One of the governor's informal resources is the ability to
A) mobilize the Texas National Guard.
B) communicate to the public through the mass media.
C) call and set the agenda for special legislative sessions.
D) proclaim acts of executive clemency for convicted criminals.
E) make recommendations on the budget.
Q4) Why does Texas have a weak governor? Outline the structure of the plural executive.Explain the strengths and challenges of this structure.
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Page 11
Chapter 10: The bureaucracy and policy implementation
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Sample Questions
Q1) What has caused governments to worry about the future of the bureaucracy?
A) "Bureaucracy bashing" has convinced many young people that a career in public service is undesirable and so fewer people will seek it as a career.
B) Many colleges and universities have eliminated public administration as a major, limiting the number of people who can acquire this degree, which is necessary for public service.
C) The majority of those employed by the bureaucracy are young with little experience in public administration, and this is having a negative effect on productivity.
D) Since many states are planning on removing special benefits that public employees currently receive such as tax breaks, it is feared there will be a mass retirement of current employees.
E) Private companies are increasingly assuming the functions of government typically handled by the bureaucracy, causing the state to lose influence.
Q2) Explain why public employees are reluctant to "blow the whistle" on the actions of the agencies for which they work.Are protections for whistle-blowing a good thing? Defend your answer.
Q3) 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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Sample Questions
Q1) Over time, the U.S.Supreme Court has applied the Bill of Rights to the states by way of the ________ clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment.
A) principles of equal protection and due process
B) principle of equal protection and rule of law
C) principle of due process and presumption of innocence
D) principle of due process and rule of law
E) principles of equal protection and presumption of innocence
Q2) The Texas judiciary, particularly in urban areas, has become overloaded by A) civil cases.
B) criminal cases.
C) both civil and criminal cases equally.
D) cases tried de novo.
E) appellate cases.
Q3) A plea bargain results when the defendant negotiates
A) a reduction in his sentence with his defense attorneys.
B) directly with the judge in the case.
C) a reduction in his sentence with the prosecutors.
D) a reduction in his sentence with the Texas Supreme Court.
E) a reduction in his sentence with the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
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Page 13
Chapter 12: Local government in texas: cities, towns, counties, and special districts
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Sample Questions
Q1) Annexation and extraterritorial jurisdiction allow cities to
A) expand their jurisdiction into smaller towns to control development in those areas.
B) expand their boundaries into unincorporated areas to control development.
C) expand their boundaries into unincorporated areas to form a green belt around the city.
D) contract their boundaries so they no longer have to provide services to the affected areas.
E) contract their boundaries around smaller towns so that the towns have room to grow.
Q2) The structure of Texas county government has held back the efforts of counties to respond to a growing need for public service.
A) small
B) rural
C) urban
D) all
E) large
Q3) Define special districts, including an explanation for their proliferation in Texas.In what ways have their creation been positive and negative?
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Page 14
Chapter 13: Contemporary public policy issues in texas
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Sample Questions
Q1) According to some experts, state bond interest can the cost of a construction project.
A) double
B) cut in half
C) triple
D) cut off a third of E) quadruple
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) In 2003, the U.S.Supreme Court, in a ruling in a Michigan case, upheld the Hopwood decision by holding that universities can't use affirmative action in admissions policies.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Briefly define dedicated funds and give at least two arguments for and against them.
Q5) How would you evaluate the success of education reform after Edgewood v.Kirby?
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