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Q:
The Speaker of the House of Representatives is selected in which manner?
A. by the voters of the state of Texas in a state-wide election
B. by a majority of the members of the House
C. by the majority party caucus in the House
D. by appointment of the Governor
Q:
The Lieutenant Governor of the State of Texas is selected by which method
A. by a majority of the members of the Texas Senate
B. by the majority party in the Texas Senate
C. by the voters of the State of Texas in a state-wide election
D. appointment by the Governor
Q:
Which of the following statements concerning the powers of the Lt. Governor is correct?
A. the constitutional powers of the Lt. Governor are extremely limited
B. the constitutional powers of the Lt. Governor include appointing the committees of the Senate and designating the chairs of the committees
C. the constitutional powers of the Governor allow him/her to vote on any bill pending before the Senate
D. the constitutional powers of the Lt. Governor give him the right to recognize speakers and organize the calendar of the Senate
Q:
Members of the Texas legislature are limited in the number of terms that they may serve to
A. two terms (four years in the House, eight years in the Senate)
B. no more than ten years of cumulative service in either chamber
C. no more than twenty years of cumulative service in either chamber
D. there are no term limits in Texas
Q:
Which of the following occupational groups are least likely to be represented in the Texas Legislature?
A. lawyers
B. farmers
C. self-employed businessman
D. factory worker
Q:
Which of the following is not a requirement to be a member of the Texas Senate?
A. U S Citizen
B. at least 25 years of age
C. a qualified voter of Texas for at least five years prior to their election
D. all of the above are true
Q:
Which of the following is a not a requirement for members of the Texas House of Representatives?
A. U S Citizen
B. at least 21 years of age
C. a resident of the State of Texas for at least two years prior to election
D. all of the above are true statements
Q:
In order to be eligible to draw a legislative retirement, a member must fulfill all except which of the following requirements?
A. have at least 12 years combined service in the House or Senate
B. be at least 50 years of age
C. have served as a committee chairperson
D. have contributed to the Legislative Retirement System
Q:
The annual salary of member of the Texas Legislature is established by:
A. a majority vote of the membership of the Texas Legislature
B. a provision in the Texas Constitution
C. the presiding officers of each house
D. the Texas Ethics Commission
Q:
Concerning the pay (salary) of members of the Texas Legislature:
A. It is better than the average for other large urban states
B. It is totally based on the number of days the Legislature meets
C. Members will receive a per diem allowance, along with a $600/month salary
D. It has not been changed since the Constitution was written in 1876
Q:
If the Legislature fails to redistrict the state after the census, which of the following is required by the Texas Constitution?
A. The federal courts will automatically step in and redistrict the state
B. The state Supreme Court convenes to automatically redistrict the state
C. A Legislative Redistricting Board will be created to redistrict the Legislature
D. Nothing until the next session of the Legislature convenes
Q:
Gerrymandering is a term used to describe
A. the practice of legislative delay by debating bills to death
B. the practice of drawing the lines of legislative districts to achieve a predetermined result
C. a process by which the governor reviews legislative redistricting plans
D. the meetings of the Legislative Redistricting Board
Q:
The type of representational system which is currently used for the election of members to the Texas House of Representatives is:
A. multi-member, at-large, by-place districts
B. single-member districts
C. multi-member, proportional representation districts
D. combination: multi-member districts in urban counties, single-member districts for the rest
Q:
Which of the following legal principles must be followed in redistricting legislative districts?
A. the population of the districts must be as equal as is possible
B. the district lines must be redrawn after each census to reflect the election returns
C. districts may not be gerrymandered to assist one political party's efforts to win election
D. districts may not be changed except with court permission
Q:
Special legislative sessions of the Texas Legislature are limited to
A. 140 days every two years
B. 140 days every year
C. 2 days every 140 years
D. 30 days when called by the Governor
Q:
Which is not true of special sessions of the Texas Legislature?
A. it can only be called by the Governor
B. it is limited to a maximum of 30 days
C. it can only be called in odd numbered years
D. it can only consider items that have been submitted by the Governor
Q:
The Texas Constitution set limits on regular legislative sessions of the Texas Legislature to
A. 140 days every two years
B. 140 days on an annual basis
C. sessions every two years with no limit as to length
D. 30 days when called by the Governor
Q:
Which of the following states has a unicameral legislative body?
A. Texas
B. California
C. Nebraska
D. New York
Q:
The Texas Legislature differs from other large urban states in which way?
A. Texas uses a bicameral legislature
B. The Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives is elected by the membership of the House
C. Members receive a salary and daily expense allowance
D. Texas restricts the length of regular sessions and holds the sessions every other year
Q:
Among the suggested reforms of the Texas legislature is a higher salary for members.
Q:
Among the suggested reforms of the Texas legislature are annual sessions.
Q:
Among the suggested reforms of the Texas legislature is increasing the number of standing committees.
Q:
Vetoes by the governor are seldom over-ridden by the legislature.
Q:
The main sources of information for members of the legislature are the lobbyists, the state bureaucrats, and the staff agencies of the legislature.
Q:
In the Texas Senate, bills are taken up on the floor as they come out of committee.
Q:
Bills are referred to committee in both chambers by the parliamentarian.
Q:
A conference committee is composed of five members from each chamber appointed by the presiding officers of those chambers.
Q:
What are the three types of elections conducted in Texas? What is the difference between primary elections and general elections? Who is responsible for the conduct of each?
Q:
How are most political campaigns in Texas financed? What is the result of this? What Texas laws impact upon political campaigns in Texas?
Q:
Howe does voter turnout in Texas compare with that of the nation as a whole? Which groups tend to vote more heavily? How does the differential turnout affect the Texas political system?
Q:
What is the current process for registering to vote in Texas? How have actions by the federal government removed barriers to voting in Texas?
Q:
How important is voting?
Q:
What is the role of an election campaign in an ideal democracy? How closely do campaigns in Texas adhere to this ideal?
Q:
According to the authors, concerning elections and campaigns in Texas
A. the low voter turnout raises questions about the legitimacy of the process in Texas
B. the disparity of turnout between racial and ethnic groups skews public policy in the direction of the most wealthy
C. the impact of unlimited campaign money raises the question of whether the wealthy elites control the policy process in Texas
D. each of the above are raised as questions by the authors
Q:
In order to vote early in an election, a person must
A. swear that they will be out of town or have religious reasons for not voting on Election Day
B. pay an extra fee at the county clerks office
C. present themselves at the early voting station and vote with no reason being necessary
D. file an affidavit that they are under a physicians care and cannot vote on Election Day
Q:
All vacancies in legislative positions, either in Congress or the state legislature, are filled by
A. appointment by the governor of Texas until the next election
B. a special election called by the governor
C. appointment by the political party that last won that position
D. the office remains vacant until the next election
Q:
Most candidates gain a place on a general election ballot by
A. being nominated by a major political party
B. securing a place on the ballot by petition as an independent candidate
C. paying a filing fee
D. being nominated by a party convention
Q:
A closed primary is one in which
A. any registered voter may vote
B. only persons who are registered as party members may vote
C. only candidates who are endorsed by the party executive committee may participate
D. only persons who have been registered to vote for a year or more may vote
Q:
Primary elections in Texas must be used by:
A. any party which received 20 percent or more of the vote for its candidate for governor in the last election
B. any party that has won a major political office at the state-wide level
C. any party that runs a candidate for President
D. any party that runs a candidate for Governor
Q:
A political ad which attacks a candidates opponent or suggests the other candidate supports programs which are not in the public interest is known as a
A. negative ad
B. warm fuzzies ad
C. personality ad
D. positive issues ad
Q:
Which of the following is not an effect of negative campaigning on democracy?
A. elections are decided on the basis of inaccurate or irrelevant charges
B. serious discussions on public policy issues are not held due to the mud-slinging
C. it discourages many potential candidates from seeking public office
D. it increases voter turnout
Q:
As a result of the 1991 Texas Ethics Law, contributions to political races in Texas are limited in what way?
A. there are specific limits to the amount of money that can be contributed to local races at the county level or below
B. there are specific limits on the amount of money that can be contributed to district races
C. there are specific limits on the amount of money that can be contributed to state-wide races
D. the law did not impose any limits on the amount of money that could be contributed
Q:
The Texas Campaign Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1973 requires that every candidate for public office in Texas and every political campaign committee must
A. appoint a treasurer before accepting donations
B. report the names of contributors who give more than $100 for out-of-state committee who give more than $500 to a candidate
C. file detailed financial report reporting all contributions and expenditures over $50
D. all of the above
Q:
The 1903 Terrell Election Law was important because it
A. forbade donations to elections
B. forbade corporate donations to candidates for public office in Texas
C. encouraged donations to campaigns by the public
D. encouraged donations to campaigns by corporations
Q:
Political campaigns for public offices in the Texas are funded by
A. the public through a check-off provision on the state income tax
B. donations made by voters when they register to vote
C. contributions to candidates and parties made largely by wealthy donors who represent special interests
D. dues paid to political parties for the privilege of voting in the primaries
Q:
The most important reason that candidates need money in modern campaign is
A. the cost of professional campaign consultants
B. the cost of hiring campaign staffers
C. the cost of the filing fees to run for office
D. the cost of buying media advertising, especially television
Q:
The act of volunteering to work in a campaign is valuable to the participant because
A. volunteers learn how much work a political campaign can be
B. volunteers learn tolerance for other points of view
C. volunteers learn that winning or losing does not always mean total success or failure
D. all of the above are true
Q:
The _______ is the period of time in which candidates seek to persuade potential voters to support them
A. election
B. campaign
C. run-off election
D. primary
Q:
The failure to vote by Afro Americans and Hispanic voters tends to affect _________ candidates by reducing the vote that they otherwise would have received.
A. Republicans
B. conservative Democrats
C. liberal Democrats
D. Libertarians
Q:
Under Texas law, in order to register to vote, one must meet all of the following requirements except:
A. be a U.S. citizen
B. be at least 18 years of age by Election Day
C. be able to speak and write English
D. be a legal resident of Texas
Q:
The Texas legislature created an "honest" voter registration system in 1991 as a result of
A. victories by liberals in the elections of 1990
B. a growing sense that increasing the opportunities to vote was the right thing for the state to do
C. adoption of the Voting Rights Act by the U.S. Congress
D. adoption of the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
Q:
The White primary, poll tax, and lengthy residency requirements were devices designed to
A. insure that only qualified voters were allowed to vote
B. limit the opportunities for voting for Afro Americans, Mexican Americans, and poor Whites
C. eliminate voter fraud
D. encourage a large turnout in elections
Q:
The principle reason that individuals vote in elections is that
A. they believe that their vote will be the deciding vote
B. they understand that their voting will reduce the cynicism and distrust of the system
C. they understand that a large turnout will reduce the chances of the election being stolen
D. they believe that voting is their civic duty
Q:
Based on an analysis of the 2002 campaign for the office of governor, the authors describe a political system that is
A. an ideal democratic system
B. a system that is very close to being an ideal democratic system
C. a system that is very close to being a "bad democracy"
D. a totally corrupt political system
Q:
In a bad democracy, election campaigns are contests in which
A. candidates engage in personal attacks and deceptive advertising
B. the media pays close attention to polling results as a major thrust of their coverage
C. candidates pay more attention to the needs of the special interest groups that finance their campaigns than issues
D. all of the above are true
Q:
In an ideal democracy, election campaigns are contests which are:
A. conducted by rival candidates to gain the people's support
B. candidates debate public policy
C. candidates cast their ballots based on basis of an evaluation of the issues debated
D. all of the above are true
Q:
A registered voter must have a reason and swear that they meet the conditions of the law in order to vote early.
Q:
The governor and other state-wide elected officials are selected at the same time as the President.
Q:
Although technically Texas has a closed primary system, in reality voters may participate in any party primary so long as they have not participated in the deliberations of another political party.
Q:
Negative campaigning tends to increase voter turnout.
Q:
The Texas Ethics Commission has proven to be an effective enforcer of the Texas Campaign Finance laws.
Q:
Texas law strictly limits how much money can be contributed to candidates for state office.
Q:
Under Texas law, corporations may directly contribute to election campaigns.
Q:
Most of the money given to candidates comes from wealthy donors who represent some special interest.
Q:
Unlike the United States, many other democracies fund the campaigns to avoid the influence that wealth can have on the elections.
Q:
The act of volunteering to work in election campaigns is not only useful to the candidates; it is of great importance to the volunteers and the democratic process.
Q:
If minority voters voted at the same percentage as Anglo voters, Democrats would win more elections.
Q:
Anglo voters tend to vote in greater percentages than minority citizens, especially Hispanic and Afro American voters.
Q:
Voter turnout in Texas generally is greater than that of the national average.
Q:
Requirements to register to vote in Texas include age of 18 or above, residence in the state for 30 days, and U.S. citizenship.
Q:
Under current Texas law, one must register to vote between October 1 and January 31.
Q:
Wide-spread voter registration in Texas was the result of federal intervention which outlawed practices which limited the voting of minorities.
Q:
One of the advantages of large-scale voting is that it makes rigging an election more difficult.
Q:
In democratic theory, it is the existence of a constitution which makes a government legitimate.
Q:
Voting is frequently determined by emotion, custom, and habit.
Q:
From the standpoint of the individual voter, there may be no logic in voting, since public elections are almost never won by the margin of a single vote.
Q:
In a good democracy, voters cast their ballots on the basis of open discussion of important issues and their policy preferences.
Q:
How does one become an independent candidate for political office in Texas? What has been the fate of recent independent candidates for state-wide office?
Q:
What are the three major party factions in Texas? What are the problems each faces?
Q:
Outline the structure of the permanent political party committees in Texas? How are the officers of these committees selected?