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66 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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1) The Texas Legislature meets how often and for how long?
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c) Every other year for 140 days
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2) How many members are in the Texas House of Representatives?
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c) 150
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3) How long is the term of office for Texas Representatives?
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b) 2 years
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4) How many members are in the Texas Senate?
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a) 31
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5) How long is the term of office for Texas Senators?
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b) 4 years
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6) The Texas legislature is ‘bicameral’, like the US congress, meaning what?
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b) Two houses or chambers
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7) Most of the work of the legislature is done and most of the proposed bills are killed?
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c) In committee
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8) Texas elects representatives from ‘single member, winner takes all’ geographical areas called?
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b) Districts
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9) How often are lines of these election areas (in # 8 above) normally redrawn?
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d) Every 10 years
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10) Who is the presiding officer of the Texas House of Representatives?
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b) Speaker of the house
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11) Who is the presiding officer of the Texas Senate?
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c) Lt. Governor
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12) Presiding officers in the Texas legislature are very powerful; what are among their powers?
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a) Appoint committee chairmen
b) Assign members to committees c) Schedule bills for the floor discussion |
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13) Who selects the presiding officer of the House of Representatives?
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d) Members of House of Representatives
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14) How do campaign costs for elections in Texas compare with other states?
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c) Generally much more in Texas
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15) Drawing election district lines so as to create an advantage for some group is called?
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b) Gerrymandering
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16) Most state legislators in Texas are lawyers because legislators write most bills themselves?
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c) Many are lawyers but they do not write most bills
^^staff or special interest groups write them |
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17) Who selects the members of the Legislative Budget Board?
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c) Presiding officers of legislature
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18) Who selects the President of the Texas Senate?
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a) We the people
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19) Which of the following accurately describes the Texas Legislature?
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a) Amateur
b) Inefficient d) Part-time e) Ineffective |
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20) Are Texas legislators very well paid relative to other state legislators?
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b) False
^^they get $7,200 annually |
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21) Who re-draws the lines or ‘reapportions’ election districts every 10 years?
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b) Legislature
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22) Which political party currently has ‘the majority’ in the Texas legislature?
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b) Republicans
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23) Formal qualifications to become an elected official in Texas are numerous and stringent?
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False
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24) The Texas Governor has a powerful voice in the bi-annual budget process?
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a) True
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25) The Texas Governor and ‘the bureaucracy’ form what branch of the government?
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b) The executive
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26) How large (how many people) is the Texas bureaucracy?
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c) About 1.3 million
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27) Does the Texas Governor have strong formal powers compared with other states?
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False
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28) Which are among the governor’s ‘formal powers’?
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a) Call legislature into special session
b) Legislative powers c) Executive powers d) Line item veto e) Appoint bureaucracy agency chiefs |
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29) What is the primary job of the Governor and executive branch of Texas Government?
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a) Implement laws passed by legislature
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30) In Texas (and the US), the name given to executive branch civil servants, offices, tasks and principles in the ‘formal, sustained administration of public policy’ is?
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b) The bureaucracy
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31) The name given to the particular form of executive branch we have in Texas is?
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c) Plural executive
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32) Texas Governor, like the US President, is restricted to two terms in office?
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b) False
^^unlimited terms in office |
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33) The Texas Bureaucracy makes rules which have the force of law, called?
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a) Administrative laws
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34) Which of the following are normally considered part of ‘iron triangles’?
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a) Legislators
b) Special interest groups d) Bureaucracy agencies |
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35) How are most of the people in the Texas bureaucracy selected for their jobs?
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d) Hired through ‘merit system’ as ‘civil servants”
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36) Which are generally considered part of the Texas bureaucracy?
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a) School teachers
b) Police c) Department of transportation d) Tax collectors / administrators |
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37) The Texas bureaucracy, by constitutional law, is ‘neutral and fair’; therefore, special interest groups do not have much influence on the Texas bureaucracy?
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b) False
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'Powers of persuasion’ are often among the Governor’s most powerful tools?
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a) True
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39) The US has a parallel system or courts, but most legal procedures take place at what level?
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b) State and local
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40) Which of the following is generally true of most judges in Texas and the US?
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a) Wealthy
b) Male d) Anglo e) Educated |
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41) The jurisdiction for a court to hear evidence for the first time in a trial and decide guilt is?
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c) Original jurisdiction
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42) Legal cases involving physical behavior or violation of the law are?
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b) Criminal cases
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43) Legal cases involving private parties and obligatory responsibilities are?
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c) Civil cases
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44) Courts have the responsibility to blend two concepts of justice in our system; what are they?
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a) Protecting society from criminals
e) Protect accused from government |
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45) Protecting the rights of individuals from government as guaranteed in the Constitution is called?
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c) Due process of law
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46) Which are considered purposes of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ)?
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a) Punishment
b) Isolation c) Rehabilitation d) Deterrence |
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47) The TDCJ is relatively small in comparison to most other states?
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b) False
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48) Texans are relatively lenient (easy) on crime and criminals?
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b) False
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49) The US Supreme Court is the supreme law in Texas, ever over the Texas Constitution?
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a) True
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50) Which of the following describes the typical profile of criminals in Texas?
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a) Young
b) Under educated c) Minority e) Lower income |
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51) Which of the following describes the typical profile of victims in Texas?
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a) Young
b) Under educated c) Minority e) Lower income |
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52) The Texas judicial court system is generally considered to be streamlined, efficient & effective?
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b) False
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53) About how many court cases are handled at the federal level (vs. state and local)?
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a) About 10%
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54) How are most judges selected in Texas?
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a) Elected by the people
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55) The law established in 1912 to allow populations of over 5,000 to ‘incorporate’ and make many of their own rules is called?
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c) Home rule
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56) Most Texas cities and towns have a mayor and city council form of government; many now also have a professional administrator called?
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c) City manager
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57) The county is the cornerstone of rural government in Texas; how many counties are there?
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c) 254
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58) Which of the following are types of ‘local government’?
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a) Municipality
b) Town/city c) Special interest |
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59) Most Texas counties today are considered ‘urban’ based on large populations?
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b) False
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60) The most numerous of the types of local government in Texas are?
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b) Special districts
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*61) Today, most people in Texas live in cities/towns, rather than in rural areas?
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b) False
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62) The ‘rural cornerstone’ or government is Texas is? (I’m not sure about this one)
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a) Towns and cities
b) County governments |
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63) How many large cities (over 5000 in population) do we have in Texas?
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d) A little over 300
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64) Most Texans have always lived in towns and cities, not rural areas?
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b) False
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65) Which of these are responsible for the type of government we have in Texas?
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a) Civil War
b) Reconstruction c) Governor EJ Davis d) Conservative ideology e) Political culture |
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66) Texas judges are appointed for life, just like the US federal judges?
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b) False
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