Texas Politics
Exam Answer Key
Course Introduction
Texas Politics examines the governmental structures, political processes, and unique cultural aspects that shape the political landscape of Texas. The course explores the Texas Constitution, the roles and functions of state and local governments, and the impact of political parties, interest groups, and the media. Special attention is given to key policy areas such as education, criminal justice, and immigration, as well as the historical context and contemporary issues influencing Texass political identity. Students will analyze the dynamics of voter behavior, electoral systems, and the interaction between Texas and federal political institutions.
Recommended Textbook
The State of Texas Government Politics and Policy 2nd Edition by Sherri Mora
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12 Chapters
547 Verified Questions
547 Flashcards
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Introduction to Texas History and Politics
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50 Verified Questions
50 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) John believes that government's primary purpose is to defend the country and build roads.Additionally,he believes in low pay and term limits for political offices.John is demonstrating the beliefs of which political subculture?
A) traditionalistic
B) individualistic
C) moralistic
D) neoconservative
Answer: B
Q2) Approximately how long did one-party Democratic rule last in Texas?
A) 10 years
B) 50 years
C) 100 years
D) 150 years
Answer: C
Q3) Which tribe primarily settled in the eastern part of what we now call Texas?
A) Caddo
B) Creole
C) Comanche
D) Kiowa
Answer: A
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Chapter 2: The Texas State Constitution and the American Federal System
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Sample Questions
Q1) The notion that all individuals possess inalienable rights and willingly submit to government to protect those rights is embodied in
A) the traditionalistic subculture.
B) social contract theory.
C) the individualistic subculture.
D) popular sovereignty.
Answer: B
Q2) Between 1975 and 2013,the Texas legislature proposed 299 amendments for voter approval,and of these,voters accepted ________ percent.
A) 44
B) 65
C) 73
D) 85
Answer: D
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Page 4
Chapter 3: The Texas Legislature
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Sample Questions
Q1) In 2014 the percentage of women in the Texas legislature was about __ percent.
A) 14
B) 22
C) 37
D) 47
Answer: B
Q2) Which state does not pay its legislators a salary except for a per diem expense based on federal policy?
A) New Hampshire
B) New Mexico
C) Texas
D) Oklahoma
Answer: B
Q3) What is the annual limit on special legislative sessions in the state of Texas?
A) 2
B) 5
C) 9
D) None of these answers is correct.
Answer: D
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Page 5
Chapter 4: The Executive Department and the Office of the
Governor of Texas
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47 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) In states without a lieutenant governor,who is usually next in succession to the governor's office?
A) the leader of the state senate
B) the vice governor
C) the leader of the state house of representatives
D) the chief justice of the state supreme court
Q2) Why is it very difficult to hold a specific person in Texas government responsible for anything?
A) The state constitution shields all government employees from responsibility for public actions and policies.
B) Government is fragmented and policy responsibility is divided.
C) The media in Texas do a very poor job at investigating wrongdoing in government.
D) Most officials usually cite the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution and refuse to say anything that could incriminate them.
Q3) Define senatorial courtesy.How can senatorial courtesy be viewed in both a negative light and a positive light?
Q4) What are the key duties of the Texas secretary of state? Why is it an important position?
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Chapter 5: The Court System in Texas
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Sample Questions
Q1) How are supreme court judges selected in Texas?
A) the Missouri system
B) retention election
C) partisan election
D) gubernatorial appointment
Q2) Which method of judicial selection leads to the highest degree of judicial responsiveness?
A) election by legislature
B) merit/Missouri method
C) nonpartisan election
D) appointment by governor
Q3) Free or reduced-fee legal representation is known as
A) public defense.
B) pro bono.
C) the Texas Bar Association's Lawyers Giving Back program.
D) the Texas indigent client program.
Q4) What factors often hinder the selection of the best possible judges in Texas? How could the judicial selection process be reformed to mitigate these factors?
Q5) Which Texas courts can hear appeals,and what types of appeals do they hear?
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Chapter 6: Local Governments in Texas
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Sample Questions
Q1) All of the following are at-large election systems EXCEPT
A) at-large by place.
B) at-large by place with residence wards required.
C) at-large no place.
D) at-large multiple places.
Q2) How are independent school districts governed and operated?
Q3) Who is responsible for overseeing the collecting and disbursing county funds?
A) county tax assessor
B) county clerk
C) county treasurer
D) county auditor
Q4) Define extraterritorial jurisdiction and discuss how cities in Texas grow larger and gain territory.
Q5) The primary source of revenue for counties is
A) sales tax.
B) property tax.
C) income tax.
D) state block grants.
Q6) Compare,contrast,and analyze these four types of election systems: at-large,single-member district,cumulative,and preferential voting.
Page 8
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Chapter 7: Voting and Political Participation in Texas
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Sample Questions
Q1) Discuss Texas's legacy of restricted ballot access.Does Texas continue to restrict the ballot today? Defend your position.
Q2) How did Texas act throughout its history to restrict the voting rights of poor people and minorities? How were these practices finally ended?
Q3) Which of the following is a rational reason for why some people choose not to vote?
A) satisfaction with the status quo
B) the so-called paradox of voting
C) "good citizen" syndrome
D) All of these answers are correct.
Q4) If the post office in Texas is unable to deliver a voter registration card,it will be returned to the voter registrar,and
A) it will be sent to the polling station on election day for the voter to pick up.
B) the voter registrar will attempt to find a forwarding address and re-send the card if one is found.
C) the county sheriff will be notified to investigate possible voter fraud.
D) the voter will need to re-register in order to vote in future elections.
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Page 9
Chapter 8: Elections and Campaigns in Texas
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Sample Questions
Q1) The style of ballot form in which candidates are listed by office with party affiliation listed by their name is known as the
A) party line format.
B) party column format.
C) straight party ticket.
D) office block format.
Q2) What is the Citizens United decision and how has it impacted the financing of political campaigns?
Q3) Discuss the runoff primary.Why does it exist? What are its benefits and its drawbacks?
Q4) What is the most common special election in Texas?
A) city council elections
B) amendments to the constitution
C) single contest elections
D) mayoral elections in November
Q5) By Texas law,special elections may be held in all of the following months EXCEPT
A) January.
B) May.
C) August.
D) November.
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Chapter 9: Political Parties in Texas
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Sample Questions
Q1) The total number of congressmen and senators that represent Texas at the federal level is ________.
A) 31
B) 36
C) 38
D) 181
Q2) Labor-intensive politics historically included all of the following EXCEPT
A) broadcast advertising.
B) selecting candidates.
C) organizing campaigns.
D) printing election ballots.
Q3) Texas Republicans captured their second seat in the U.S.Senate with the election of ________ in 1992.
A) Ann Richards
B) Clayton Williams
C) Kay Bailey Hutchison
D) George W. Bush
Q4) First discuss labor-intensive politics.Then examine the rise of capital-intensive politics and why it has weakened political parties.
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Chapter 10: Interest Groups and Lobbying in Texas
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Sample Questions
Q1) Inviting public officials to address organizational meetings is one technique to raise A) a group's image in the eyes of the organization.
B) a group's image in the eyes of these officials.
C) the organization's image in the eyes of the community.
D) a community's image of a public official.
Q2) When the relationship between a state agency and an interest group becomes very close,it is referred to as
A) entrapment.
B) "strange bedfellows."
C) capture.
D) the "Iron Triangle."
Q3) Which of the following is one of the five types of lobbyist?
A) contract
B) in-house
C) governmental
D) All of these answers are correct.
Q4) Discuss the strength and role of private-sector and public-sector unions in Texas.What accounts for the relative strength or weakness of such unions?
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Chapter 11: Public Policy in Texas
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Sample Questions
Q1) In what ways is regulatory policy in Texas friendly to business? Does this mean it is also unfriendly to labor? Explain.
Q2) Which of the following is a step in the policy-making cycle?
A) policy identification
B) policy setting
C) agenda formulation
D) policy evaluation
Q3) What rationale did some legislators use when they opposed Governor Rick Perry's executive order requiring all Texas schoolgirls to be vaccinated against the human papillomavirus?
A) The young women would become more promiscuous.
B) The vaccine was an unneeded financial burden on the state.
C) The young women would become stigmatized.
D) The vaccine was as yet unproven in clinical trials.
Q4) The result of tuition "deregulation" in 2003 was
A) minimal, as tuition rates changed little.
B) a near doubling of tuition rates between 2003 and 2011.
C) a benefit for students, as tuition rates declined.
D) just a slight rise in tuition rates.
Q5) How are school districts financed in Texas? Why is this funding controversial?
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Chapter 12: Financing State Government
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Sample Questions
Q1) What is meant by income-elastic taxes?
A) taxes that change quickly relative to economic conditions
B) taxes that can easily stretch to meet funding shortfalls
C) taxes that change slowly relative to economic conditions
D) taxes that have been given a special "elastic" designation as part of the budget "fix"
Q2) Define income-elastic taxes.Discuss how Texas's tax base affects the state's tax revenues.
Q3) ________ refers to the items that are subject to taxation.
A) Estates
B) The tax base
C) Taxation without representation
D) Real property
Q4) In Texas,citizens can be excluded from all of the following for nonpayment,EXCEPT for A) water.
B) education.
C) sewer.
D) electricity.
Q5) What are collective benefits? Why do governments provide them?
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