Texas Political Institutions
Final Test Solutions
Course Introduction
This course provides an in-depth examination of the political institutions that define the state of Texas, including the Texas Constitution, legislative, executive, and judicial branches, and the unique structure of local governments. Students will explore the development and evolution of these institutions, assess their roles in shaping public policy, and analyze how historical, cultural, and economic factors influence the functioning of government in Texas. The course also emphasizes the dynamic relationship between state and federal authorities, the impact of political parties, interest groups, and the role of citizens in the Texas political process.
Recommended Textbook
Texas Politics Today 2015 2016 Edition 17th Edition by William Earl Maxwell
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12 Chapters
790 Verified Questions
790 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/1709
Page 2
Chapter 1: Texas Culture and Diversity
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60 Verified Questions
60 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/33950
Sample Questions
Q1) How long after reconstruction did it take for African-American candidates to win elected office in the Texas legislature?
A)5 years
B)10 years
C)50 years
D)20 years
Answer: D
Q2) Which court case validated the exclusion of African Americans from the Texas Democratic primary?
A)Nixon v.Herndon
B)Govey v.Townsend
C)NAACP v.Carson
D)Smith v.Allwright
Answer: A
Q3) More Texans support ___________ than ____________.
A)pro-choice rights,the death penalty
B)cutting education funding,closing an adult prison
C)legalizing marijuana,immigration overhaul
D)the death penalty,a pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens
Answer: D
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Chapter 2: Texas in the Federal System
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70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Under Article 1,the U.S.Constitution gives the national government all of the following expressed powers except
A)conduct foreign policy.
B)regulate intrastate commerce.
C)raise and support an army.
D)borrow money.
Answer: B
Q2) A categorical grant has which of the following characteristics?
A)It is designated for specific purposes.
B)It may require matching funds.
C)The grant use has restrictive conditions.
D)All of these choices are true.
Answer: D
Q3) None of the following gambling games are allowed in Texas gambling establishments except
A)craps.
B)roulette.
C)blackjack.
D)poker.
Answer: D
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Chapter 3: The Texas Constitution in Perspective
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60 Verified Questions
60 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which state agency is permitted to recommend salary increases for legislators?
A)Legislative Budget Board
B)Texas Audit Board
C)Texas Ethics Commission
D)Sunset Advisory Board
Answer: C
Q2) The constitution of the Republic of Texas adopted some provisions from Spanish-Mexican law,including
A)homestead protections.
B)protection for a wife's property rights.
C)concept of community property.
D)all of these choices are true.
Answer: D
Q3) Which of the following is true about the Texas Constitution's amendment process?
A)Proposals by the voters
B)Proposal by the majority vote of the legislature
C)Ratification after approval by the governor
D)Ratification by the majority of voters
Answer: D
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Voting and Elections
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65 Verified Questions
65 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Texas does not have term limits for which office?
A)Governor
B)State House of Representative
C)State senator
D)All of these choices are true.
Q2) The primary enforcement of regulations of state campaign laws is the responsibility of the
A)secretary of state.
B)governor.
C)political parties.
D)Texas Ethics Commission.
Q3) To win a Texas primary election,a candidate must receive
A)a plurality of the popular votes.
B)the most votes.
C)50 percent plus one of the votes.
D)two-thirds of the vote.
Q4) Identify and discuss legal constraints that have been used to prevent certain individuals from participating in the political process.How have these barriers been removed?
Q5) Describe the key changes in law that have expanded voting rights over the years.
Page 6
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Chapter 5: Political Parties
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67 Verified Questions
67 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Since 1998,the GOP achieved their most impressive gains
A)by reelecting Governor George Bush.
B)with Republicans sweeping every statewide office.
C)by succeeding in the redistricting of Texas' congressional delegation in 2004.
D)All of these choices are true.
Q2) If contending party factions in a precinct are evenly divided,a walkout is possible if one side or the other looses a key vote and claims that a grave injustice was done.Such a group will conduct its own convention called a A)rump convention.
B)conservative caucus.
C)moderate-progressive caucus.
D)recall convention.
Q3) Explain what is meant by realignment and dealignment.Do you agree that Texas is experiencing both? Why or why not?
Q4) James Madison criticized political parties in which Federalist Paper?
A)Federalist Paper 53
B)Federalist Paper 47
C)Federalist Paper 10
D)Federalist Paper 36
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Chapter 6: Interest Groups
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68 Verified Questions
68 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) ___________ is the promotion of a particular public policy position.
A)Lobbying
B)Advocacy
C)Hiring
D)Interest group
Q2) Which of the following is not classified as a noneconomic interest group?
A)Patriotic
B)Recreation
C)Public interest
D)Religious
Q3) Interest groups pursuing social equality and economic goals are classified as what type of group?
A)Noneconomic groups
B)Liberal groups
C)Mixed or hybrid organizations
D)Conservative groups
Q4) What changes would your propose to the state government to prevent co-optation in the future? Would the courts,legislature,or bureaucracy be the most effective institution to tackle this problem? Why?
Q5) Describe the function and influence of PACs on policy process in Texas.
Page 8
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Chapter 7: The Legislature: Organization and Structure
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67 Verified Questions
67 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Because of a history of discrimination,Texas was one of nine states required to receive preclearance of any changes to their voting laws from the
A)Department of Justice.
B)Texas Attorney Generals Office.
C)Governor of Texas.
D)Texas Supreme Texas.
Q2) "Pairing" involves
A)placing a first-year officeholder with an incumbent in the same elective district to strengthen a party's stronghold in the legislature.
B)placing officeholders of opposing parties together in the same elective district to encourage bipartisanship.
C)placing two incumbent officeholders in the same elective district through redistricting.
D)placing the "right kinds" of incumbents together in the same elective district to represent powerful special interests.
Q3) Discuss the purple legislation of 2013.What were the reasons for the alliances formed in the Texas legislature during that session?
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Chapter 8: The Executive
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65 Verified Questions
65 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Texas Department of Agriculture is responsible for
A)administration of all agricultural purchase agreements.
B)administration of the Texas food bank program.
C)enforcement of laws for consumer and labor protection,as well as the other laws related to the agribusiness industry.
D)coordination of pesticide management policies and programs for the Department of Agriculture and several other state agencies.
Q2) A system that allows the chief executive to appoint and remove top-level administrators,thereby giving the chief executive more control over the administration is called
A)cabinet system.
B)oversight board.
C)ombudsman.
D)auditing board.
Q3) Which term best describes the executive branch?
A)Fragile
B)Fragmented
C)Centralized
D)Diversified
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Page 10
Chapter 9: The Judiciary
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66 Verified Questions
66 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Contrast the methods for the selection of judges in Texas with those used in the United States.Which methods support the most equitable system of justice and why?
Q2) How many members serve in the grand juries in Texas?
A)20
B)12
C)10
D)6
Q3) Which is not an example of a civil suit?
A)Divorce case
B)Breach-of-contract case
C)Arson
D)A challenge to utility rates
Q4) The justice of the peace is elected for a ___-year term.
A)four
B)six
C)two
D)five
Q5) How do campaign contributions impact the Texas judicial system? Give specific examples.
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Chapter 10: Law and Due Process
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67 Verified Questions
67 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which case made the exclusionary rule applicable to the states?
A)Miranda v.Arizona
B)Gideon v.Wainwright
C)Weeks v.United States
D)Mapp v.Ohio
Q2) What kind of insurance plan allows the insured person to collect from the individual's own insurance company regardless of who is at fault in a vehicular accident?
A)Liability insurance
B)Punitive damages
C)No-fault insurance
D)Libel
Q3) Overly aggressive police officers extracting confessions from an individual is a violation of which constitutional amendment?
A)Fourth Amendment
B)Fifth Amendment
C)Sixth Amendment
D)Eighth Amendment
Q4) What is tort? What are the drawbacks and benefits to tort reform?
Q5) Discuss the relationship between race,gender,and crime.Offer specific examples.
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Chapter 11: Local Government
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69 Verified Questions
69 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/33960
Sample Questions
Q1) The powers of the city manager come from
A)a city charter.
B)passage of fundamental law.
C)federal statutes.
D)the state constitution.
Q2) Run away population growth is increasing service demands on your city government.What forms of taxation are available to your city to raise revenue to meet service demands?
Q3) Which is not a reason why reformers recommend a short ballot with fewer elected county officials?
A)They argue it would simplify structure with a single-county executive,which would allow voter to hold one high-profile officer accountable.
B)They contend that a chief county executive could coordinate county programs.
C)They would be able to engage in long-range planning and eliminate duplication among various county offices.
D)They fear that concentrating too much power in a single chief executive invites abuse and threatens personal liberty.
Q4) What are user fees,and why have they become increasingly popular?
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13
Chapter 12: Public Policy in Texas
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66 Verified Questions
66 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/33961
Sample Questions
Q1) At the beginning of each legislative session,the _________ reports to the legislature the total amount of revenues expected from current taxes and other sources.
A)secretary of state
B)comptroller of public accounts
C)state clerk
D)state auditor
Q2) Trading votes among legislators,especially to fund local projects to benefit their constituents,is called A)pork barreling.
B)earmarking.
C)raiding.
D)logrolling.
Q3) The State Board of Education does all of the following except A)making routine managerial decisions.
B)establishing guidelines for operating public schools.
C)requiring cost accounting and financial reports from local districts.
D)setting curriculum standards.
Q4) Explain the concept of ability to pay and why it is important for understanding taxation.
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