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Texas Politics 2015 2016 13Th Edition Newell Test Bank Full Chapter PDF
Texas Politics 2015 2016 13Th Edition Newell Test Bank Full Chapter PDF
1. When the Texas legislature passes legislation that delegates public programs to nonpublic service providers, what is the
legislature doing?
a. privatizing
b. publicizing
c. socializing
d. nationalizing
e. localizing
ANSWER: a
REFERENCES: 143
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.6 - LO6
2. The Texas legislature has biennial sessions, which means it meets once every _____.
a. two years
b. year
c. three years
d. six months
e. four years
ANSWER: a
REFERENCES: 143-144
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.1 - LO1
TXPO.NEWE.16.6.2 - LO2
3. What name is given to the unifying philosophy that holds laws together?
a. policy
b. publication
c. execution
d. reapportionment
e. casework
ANSWER: a
REFERENCES: 144
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.1 - LO1
6. When a legislator agrees to help a constituent who is facing a problem, what type of favor is the constituent taking part
in?
a. casework
b. oversight
c. making law
d. impeachment
e. logrolling
ANSWER: a
REFERENCES: 144
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.1 - LO1
8. The designation of geographic areas that are nearly equal in population for the purpose of electing legislators is known
as _____.
a. redistricting
b. privatization
c. publication
d. casework
e. bicameralization
ANSWER: a
REFERENCES: 145
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.1 - LO1
11. Members of the Texas Senate serve _____-year staggered terms, while members of the Texas House of
Representatives serve _____-year terms.
a. two; four
b. four; two
c. six; two
d. six; four
e. eight; four
ANSWER: b
REFERENCES: 145
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.2 - LO2
13. Regular legislative sessions in Texas, which take place every other year, last for how many days?
a. 70
b. 140
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Name: Class: Date:
14. Special sessions of the Texas legislature called by the governor are limited to a maximum of _____ days.
a. 10
b. 30
c. 50
d. 60
e. 90
ANSWER: b
REFERENCES: 146
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.2 - LO2
15. If both the legislature and the Legislative Redistricting Board fail to complete the reapportionment and redistricting
task, the matter is resolved by the _____.
a. governor
b. state Supreme Court
c. federal courts
d. comptroller of public accounts
e. Legislative Budget Board
ANSWER: c
REFERENCES: 147
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.2 - LO2
16. The process of drawing boundaries of electoral districts in such a way that one party or faction has an advantage over
another is called _____.
a. reapportionment
b. redistricting
c. filibustering
d. gerrymandering
e. logrolling
ANSWER: d
REFERENCES: 147
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.2 - LO2
17. Which statement concerning party organization in the Texas legislature is not correct?
a. The liberalism or conservatism of a legislator is often more important than the party label.
b. Both Democrats and Republicans chair standing committees in the legislature.
c. The presiding officers of the legislature generally deemphasize partisanship.
18. Since 1975, legislative salaries in Texas have been _____ per year.
a. $200
b. $2,500
c. $7,200
d. $15,600
e. $35,500
ANSWER: c
REFERENCES: 152
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.2 - LO2
19. The current salary for legislators in Texas was established by _____.
a. the governor
b. the legislature
c. the Texas Supreme Court
d. a constitutional amendment
e. the Legislative Budget Board
ANSWER: d
REFERENCES: 152
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.2 - LO2
20. Which state has increased the salaries of its legislators at least once in the last thirty years?
a. Texas
b. Alabama
c. New Hampshire
d. Vermont
e. all of these
ANSWER: d
REFERENCES: 152
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.2 - LO2
21. Members of the Texas Senate must be at least _____ years of age, whereas members of the Texas House must be at
least _____ years of age.
a. 21; 18
b. 23; 18
c. 23; 21
d. 26; 21
e. 30; 21
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Name: Class: Date:
24. The median age of members in both chambers of the Texas legislature is between _____ and _____.
a. 50; 59
b. 40; 49
c. 30; 39
d. 20; 29
e. 60; 69
ANSWER: a
REFERENCES: 155
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.3 - LO3
25. Slightly over half of all Texas legislators hold more than one college degree in which area?
a. law or business
b. medicine
c. social work
d. history
e. the social sciences
ANSWER: a
REFERENCES: 155
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.3 - LO3
Cengage Learning Testing, Powered by Cognero Page 6
Name: Class: Date:
27. Which of these is considered to be a "right" group that Texas legislators tend to be members of?
a. civic associations
b. business groups
c. professional associations
d. social clubs
e. all of these
ANSWER: e
REFERENCES: 155
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.3 - LO3
28. The media in Texas tend to endorse candidates who are oriented toward _____.
a. business
b. labor unions
c. social justice
d. the environment
e. lawsuits
ANSWER: a
REFERENCES: 155-156
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.3 - LO3
29. Appointing a committee member based on seniority refers to the practice of choosing the legislator who _____.
a. is the oldest
b. has served on the most committees
c. has served the most terms in the legislature
d. is the most distinguished
e. has the most money
ANSWER: c
REFERENCES: 156
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.4 - LO4
30. Which factor contributes to the high turnover that characterizes the Texas legislature?
a. running for higher office
34. The procedural powers of the presiding officers of the Texas legislature include all of these except the power to _____.
a. call special sessions of the legislature
b. recognize legislators wishing to speak
c. determine the timetable for debate
d. refer bills to committees
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Name: Class: Date:
35. The speaker of the Texas House of Representatives is chosen by the _____.
a. electorate
b. governor
c. attorney general
d. lieutenant governor
e. members of the House
ANSWER: e
REFERENCES: 159
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.4 - LO4
36. Which speaker was elected by a bipartisan coalition to preside over the Texas House in 2009?
a. Pete Laney
b. Billy Clayton
c. David Dewhurst
d. Joe Straus
e. Tom Craddick
ANSWER: d
REFERENCES: 159
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.4 - LO4
37. If a bill has been introduced in the Texas legislature and the House passes one version while the Senate passes a
slightly different version, what becomes of the legislation?
a. The bill goes to the conference committee to be rewritten.
b. Both versions of the bill goes to the governor, who decides which version to sign.
c. The bill goes to the Calendars Committee to be rewritten.
d. Both versions go to the lieutenant governor, who decides which version to send to the governor.
e. Both versions go to the speaker of the House, who decides which version to send to the governor.
ANSWER: a
REFERENCES: 160-161
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.5 - LO5
38. Which body was created in 1949 to provide research and technical services to Texas legislators?
a. Legislative Budget Board
b. Legislative Budget Office
c. Legislative Audit Committee
d. Texas Legislative Council
e. Texas Education Board
ANSWER: d
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Name: Class: Date:
39. Which type of legislation may not originate in the Texas Senate?
a. education bills
b. revenue bills
c. local bills
d. welfare bills
e. constitutional amendments
ANSWER: b
REFERENCES: 167
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.5 - LO5
41. Filibusters in the Texas Senate are most effective at what point during the legislative session?
a. at the end of the legislative session
b. at the beginning of the legislative session
c. somewhere near the middle of the legislative session
d. after the end of the legislative session
e. before the start of the legislative session
ANSWER: a
REFERENCES: 170
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.5 - LO5
44. Appropriations bills passed by the Texas legislature always take effect _____.
a. immediately
b. thirty days after the legislative session ends
c. ninety days after the legislative session ends
d. on January 1
e. on September 1
ANSWER: e
REFERENCES: 173
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.5 - LO5
45. Historically, the Texas legislature has been dominated by which of these?
a. rural, conservative Democrats
b. urban, liberal Democrats
c. rural, conservative Republicans
d. urban, liberal Republicans
e. none of these; there has been no obvious dominance
ANSWER: a
REFERENCES: 174
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.6 - LO6
46. Which of these is not an indirect power the Texas governor enjoys?
a. The governor can appoint many of his supporters into various state boards and commissions.
b. The governor can present messages to the state legislature and give recommendations on legislation.
c. The governor can serve as a liaison between Texas and other states as well as between Texas and the federal
government.
d. The governor can cast tie-breaking votes in the event of a tie in either the state House or the state Senate.
e. None of these answers are correct, as the governor enjoys all of these indirect powers.
ANSWER: d
REFERENCES: 175-176
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.6 - LO6
47. If the Texas legislature were to have annual legislative sessions, which of these would not be likely to occur?
a. Legislators would have more time to familiarize themselves with legislation.
48. Which of these would likely be a problem if the number of legislators in the Texas House were reduced?
a. Texas's physical size would require that legislators represent larger geographic areas.
b. As the population and geographic size of districts continued to grow, citizens would increasingly lose contact
with their representatives.
c. People would protest such a change, as it would go against years of Texas tradition.
d. Citizens would object, as they prefer to represented by someone from a small enough geographic and
population area to understand the needs of the people of the district.
e. All of these would likely be problems.
ANSWER: e
REFERENCES: 178
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.6 - LO6
49. A proposal has been made to increase Texas's legislative salary to make it closer to the averages of states that pay their
legislators the most, which is about _____ per year.
a. $18,000
b. $38,000
c. $58,000
d. $78,000
e. $98,000
ANSWER: a
REFERENCES: 178-179
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.2 - LO2
TXPO.NEWE.16.6.6 - LO6
50. To properly assess the Texas legislature in action, which question should be asked?
a. Did the legislature deal with major issues facing the state or mainly with trivial issues?
b. Did the appropriations bill reflect genuine statewide concerns or only the interests of the large lobbies?
c. Was the effect of current legislation on future social, economic, and physical resources considered, or did the
legislature live for today?
d. Were basic tests of democracy, representation, transparency, and fairness met?
e. All of these questions should be asked.
ANSWER: e
REFERENCES: 179
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.6 - LO6
52. What effect did the 1964 U.S. Supreme Court cases Baker v. Carr and Reynolds v. Sims have on the issue of
legislative redistricting?
ANSWER: Students' answers will vary.
REFERENCES: 147
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.2 - LO2
53. What are per-diem allowances? How might such allowances help Texas legislators overcome the low salaries they
make annually?
55. What effect does a filibuster have on a proposed bill in the Texas Senate?
ANSWER: Students' answers will vary.
REFERENCES: 170
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.5 - LO5
Essay
56. Compare and contrast the concepts of reapportionment and redistricting. Describe the process by which redistricting is
carried out in Texas, including the role of the Legislative Redistricting Board. Explain how the handling of redistricting
by the 2001and 2003 legislative sessions illustrates the political nature of redistricting.
ANSWER: Students’ answers will vary.
REFERENCES: 144-151
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.1 - LO1
TXPO.NEWE.16.6.2 - LO2
57. Describe some of the characteristics typically seen in citizens elected into the Texas legislature. How are
these different from the formal qualifications necessary to become a member of the Texas legislature? How are these
personal characteristics different from the Texas population as a whole?
ANSWER: Students' answers will vary.
REFERENCES: 153-156
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.3 - LO3
59. Describe the committee system in the Texas legislature. Explain the responsibilities of the various types of
committees. Explain the essential role played by committees in the legislative process.
ANSWER: Students’ answers will vary.
REFERENCES: 160-162, 168-169
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.4 - LO4
TXPO.NEWE.16.6.5 - LO5
60. There has been increasing interest in changing the structure of the Texas legislature given its limitations in performing
its intended functions. Write an essay that discusses the suggested reforms. How likely is it that these reforms will be
enacted? Explain your answer.
61. Cross-Chapter Essay Question (Chapters 2 and 6): How does the Texas Constitution limit the legislative branch in
Texas?
ANSWER: Students' answers will vary.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.2.4 - LO4
TXPO.NEWE.16.2.5 - LO5
TXPO.NEWE.16.6.2 - LO2
62. Cross-Chapter Essay Question (Chapters 6 and 7): In what ways does the governor limit the powers of the
legislature?
ANSWER: Students' answers will vary.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TXPO.NEWE.16.6.2 - LO2
TXPO.NEWE.16.6.5 - LO5
TXPO.NEWE.16.7.1 - LO1
TXPO.NEWE.16.7.5 - LO5