Who, among the following elected officials, is NOT a member of the Legislative Redistricting Board?
Subject: Education   / General Education
Question
1
Marks: 1
Who is the current Commissioner of Agriculture for the State of Texas?
Choose one answer.
a. Susan Combs
b. Hank Gilbert
c. Jim Hightower
d. Todd Staples
e. Earl Butz
Question2
Marks: 1
Who, among the following elected officials, is NOT a member of the Legislative Redistricting Board?
Choose one answer.
a. Governor of Texas
b. Lieutenant Governor of Texas
c. Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
d. Attorney General of Texas
e. Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
Question3
Marks: 1
Legislators in Texas are
Choose one answer.
a. subject to term limitation by the Texas Constitution of 1876.
b. all elected in at-large elections.
c. elected in single-member districts in the House of Representatives and in at-large elections in the Texas Senate.
d. all elected in single-member districts.
e. appointed by the governor.
Question4
Marks: 1
Which of the following in NOT a type of committee in the Texas legislature?
Choose one answer.
a. Conference committee
b. Standing committee
c. Irregular committee
d. Special committee
e. Joint committee
Question5
Marks: 1
Greg Abbott is the
Choose one answer.
a. Texas Attorney General.
b. Comptroller of Public Accounts.
c. Lieutenant Governor of Texas.
d. Texas Commissioner of Agriculture.
e. Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.
Question6
Marks: 1
Regarding the structural powers of the Governor of Texas, how do they compare with the powers of other state governors?
Choose one answer.
a. The official powers of the Governor of Texas are among the strongest in the nation.
b. The official powers of the Governor of Texas are among the weakest in the nation.
c. They are somewhat above average in comparison with the other governors’ powers.
d. The official powers of the Governor or Texas are about average in comparison with other governors.
Question7
Marks: 1
How many members are there on the State Board of Education?
Choose one answer.
a. 15
b. three
c. six
d. nine
e. 12
Question8
Marks: 1
Which of the following is true concerning regular sessions of the Texas Legislature?
Choose one answer.
a. The Legislature meets in regular session starting in January for 160 days every odd-numbered year.
b. The Legislature meets in regular session starting in January every year, adjourning at the end of the year in early December.
c. The Legislature meets in regular session every year, holding 140-day sessions in odd-numbered years and 160-day sessions in even-numbered years.
d. The Legislature meets in regular session for 260 days every other year.
e. The Legislature meets in regular session starting in January for 140 days every odd-numbered year.
Question9
Marks: 1
Which of the following officials enforces the state’s weights and measures laws?
Choose one answer.
a. Texas Agriculture Commissioner
b. Governor of Texas
c. Texas Secretary of State
d. Comptroller of Public Accounts
e. Texas Land Commissioner
Question10
Marks: 1
The Texas Legislature cannot pass a state budget which creates a budget deficit. This is required by
Choose one answer.
a. the U.S. Congress.
b. the United State Constitution.
c. the Texas Constitution.
d. a resolution passed by the Texas Legislature in 1980.
e. the Texas Supreme Court in a constitutional ruling in the early part of the 1950s.
Question11
Marks: 1
Which of the following officials may the Governor normally appoint?
Choose one answer.
a. the Lieutenant Governor
b. the Texas Secretary of State
c. the Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court
d. a member of the Railroad Commission
e. the Texas Attorney General
Question12
Marks: 1
In Texas, the more than ____ agencies have substantial independence from the governor, which means that each agency has more latitude and independence than federal agencies in deciding what was meant by the legislature and in applying the law to unforeseen circumstances.
Choose one answer.
a. 200
b. 10
c. 100
d. 900
e. 50
Question13
Marks: 1
A committee created whenever a bill is passed in different versions by the House and Senate is called a
Choose one answer.
a. special committee.
b. combined committee.
c. joint committee.
d. standing committee
e. conference committee.
Question14
Marks: 1
Which branch is the central policymaking institution of state government?
Choose one answer.
a. the Texas Supreme Court
b. the Joint Committee on Public Policy of the Texas House of Representatives
c. the Texas legislature
d. the plural executive
e. the Central Policy Commission of Texas
Question15
Marks: 1
In the senate, the membership of committees is determined
Choose one answer.
a. by appointment by the lieutenant governor.
b. by seniority.
c. by the lieutenant governor and a vote of the full Senate.
d. agreement among the members meeting as a committee of the whole in a conference committee.
e. the Committee Assignment Committee.
Question16
Marks: 1
Respond to the following statement: “The state income tax in Texas is set at 6.25% of a person’s annual income.”
Choose one answer.
a. False–there is no state income tax.
b. False–The income tax is set at 2% of a person’s annual income. When added to the federal income tax requirement, a Texas citizen pays 8.25% of her income in income taxes.
c. True
d. False–the state income tax is based on the biennial income of a Texas citizen.
Question17
Marks: 1
Probably the most contentious issue facing the State Board of Education is its periodic review of
Choose one answer.
a. teacher salaries.
b. textbook adoptions.
c. University Interscholastic League literary competition rules.
d. state budget requests.
e. state football programs.
Question18
Marks: 1
Governors elected after Reconstruction until the late 1970s were all
Choose one answer.
a. conservative-to-moderate Democrats.
b. conservative to ultra-conservative Republicans.
c. former lieutenant governors.
d. members of the Tea Party of Texas.
e. liberal Democrats.
Question19
Marks: 1
Susan Combs is currently the
Choose one answer.
a. Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
b. Texas Commissioner of Agriculture
c. Comptroller of Public Accounts
d. Lieutenant Governor of Texas
e. Texas Attorney General
Question20
Marks: 1
Which of the following statements accurately describes the Texas Legislature?
Choose one answer.
a. The Texas House has 150 members elected for two-year terms while the Texas Senate has 31 members elected for six-year terms
b. The Texas House has 31 members elected for four-year terms while the Texas Senate has 150 members elected for two-year terms
c. The Texas House has 435 members elected for 2-year terms and the Texas Senate has 100 members elected for 6-year terms
d. The Texas House has 150 members elected for two-year terms while the Texas Senate has 31 members elected for four-year terms
e. The Texas Legislature is a unicameral legislative body made up of 100 members.
Question21
Marks: 1
What is the purpose served by an interim committee of the Texas Legislature?
Choose one answer.
a. to meet and study issues in the period between regular legislative sessions
b. to iron out differences between different versions of legislation passed by the House and the Senate
c. to assign bills to calendars for scheduling on the House floor
d. to consider overrides of gubernatorial vetoes
e. to draft a state budget for consideration be the full legislature
Question22
Marks: 1
Which of the following has as its primary responsibly oil and gas regulation in Texas?
Choose one answer.
a. Texas Department of Energy
b. Texas Agriculture Commissioner
c. Texas Railroad Commission
d. Public Utility Commission
e. Texas Department of Petroleum Development
Question23
Marks: 1
The Texas Constitution requires that an estimate be made of state revenues for the upcoming biennial budget period and given to the legislature for its biennial session so that it can prepare a balanced budget? What state official is responsible for the preparation of this estimate and its reporting to the legislature?
Choose one answer.
a. treasurer
b. comptroller
c. governor
d. president and chief executive officer of the Legislative Budget Board
e. attorney general
Question24
Marks: 1
The governor of Texas is considered to have military powers because he is commander-in-chief of
Choose one answer.
a. the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M University.
b. all U.S. military troops which are stationed in Texas at a given time.
c. the Austin Chapter of the American Legion.
d. the Texas National Guard.
e. the Fort Hood military installation in Central Texas.
Question25
Marks: 1
Currently, the Texas Legislature is
Choose one answer.
a. meeting in special session.
b. not in session.
c. meeting in regular session.
d. meeting as a Committee of the Whole to revise the Texas Constitution of 1876.
Question26
Marks: 1
Removal powers of the governor over appointees to state boards and commissions are
Choose one answer.
a. similar to that of an employer in the private sector–he may fire any member of a state board or commission except when that firing is considered racially motivated or retaliatory.
b. denied to the governor. Once the governor appoints someone to a state board or commission that person cannot be removed from office except by impeachment.
c. limited to only those members of state boards and commissions from previous administrations.
d. limited to only those specifically appointed by the governor, with approval of the Senate (two-thirds vote).
e. unlimited. As chief executive officer of the state, he has the power to appoint and dismiss any member of the state executive branch or its agencies and commissions.
Question27
Marks: 1
Who among the following was NEVER a governor of Texas?
Choose one answer.
a. Ann Richards
b. E.J. Davis
c. Miriam Ferguson
d. George H.W. Bush
e. George W. Bush
Question28
Marks: 1
Upon receiving a bill passed by the legislature, the governor has _____ in which to sign a bill, veto it, or allow it to become law without a signature.
Choose one answer.
a. three days
b. until one week after the end of the legislative session
c. 140 days
d. 10 days
e. three weeks
Question29
Marks: 1
While the Texas Governor has some appointment powers over the executive branch,
Choose one answer.
a. he has complete authority to appoint judges for life terms to all the courts of the state judicial branch at any time at all levels throughout the state of Texas.
b. he had complete power over the length of service of those appointments, holding the power to independently dismiss any of his appointments at any time without any consultation by or approval from the Texas Legislature.
c. has significant power to make committee assignments for members of the Texas Legislature.
d. he has ultimate authority in times of crisis over all the military personnel and bases of the United States quartered in Texas including the power to make field promotions of officers and commanders.
e. he lacks any significant independent removal power over his appointments.
Question30
Marks: 1
The Texas Legislature is a creation of
Choose one answer.
a. the annexation agreement between the United States and the Republic of Texas.
b. the Constitutional Convention of 1787.
c. the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Lopez v. Texas.
d. Article I of the United States Constitution.
e. the Texas Constitution of 1876.
Question31
Marks: 1
A bill may be formally introduced by
Choose one answer.
a. any member of the legislature in the member’s own chamber.
b. any member of the Texas legislature or a member of the Texas delegation to the U.S. Congress.
c. the Speaker or the Lieutenant Governor only.
d. any member of the legislature or the governor.
e. any current or former member of the legislature.
Question32
Marks: 1
Who was the lieutenant governor of Texas to succeed Governor George W. Bush when Bush resigned as governor to become president of the United States?
Choose one answer.
a. Bill Ratliff
b. William “Bill” Hobby
c. Rick Perry
d. Ted Cruz
e. David Dewhurst
Question33
Marks: 1
How many members are there on the Texas Railroad Commission?
Choose one answer.
a. 12
b. nine
c. three
d. 15
e. six
Question34
Marks: 1
Which of the following statements is true about the term of office for the governor of Texas?
Choose one answer.
a. The governor is elected by a vote of the Texas Senate every two years at the start of the session of the Texas Legislature in January of odd numbered years
b. The governor serves an elected four year term but is limited by constitutional amendment to serving no more than ten years (two full elected terms and up to two additional years if first assuming the office due to the death, resignation, or impeachment and conviction of the preceding governor
c. The term of office for governor of Texas is four years and the Texas Constitution sets no limit on the number of terms a governor may serve
d. The governor serves a two-year term of office and there is no limit set by the Texas Constitution as to how many terms he or she may serve
e. Governors may serve no more than four two-year terms consecutively
Question35
Marks: 1
David Dewhurst is the
Choose one answer.
a. Texas Secretary of State
b. Comptroller of Public Accounts
c. Texas Land Commissioner
d. Lieutenant Governor of Texas
e. Governor of Texas
Question36
Marks: 1
Texas legislative district lines are usually redrawn once every
Choose one answer.
a. ten years.
b. two years.
c. year.
d. five years.
e. time the Speaker of the House and the Lieutenant Governor decide it is necessary and prudent to do so.
Question37
Marks: 1
In total, how many states in the U.S. (including Texas) have NO personal income tax?
Choose one answer.
a. seven
b. None; all states, including Texas, tax the personal income of residence of their states
c. two
d. 31
e. 15
Question38
Marks: 1
The state official in charge of supervising the Permanent University Fund is the
Choose one answer.
a. Executive Director of the Texas Education Agency.
b. Chairman of the Higher Education Coordinating Board.
c. Land Commissioner.
d. Comptroller of Public Accounts.
e. Attorney General.
Question39
Marks: 1
The base sales tax rate for the State of Texas is
Choose one answer.
a. tied directly to the federal treasury bills rate.
b. 6.25%.
c. 7.25%.
d. 8.25%.
Question40
Marks: 1
Before an appointment by the governor to an executive branch board or agency becomes effective, the governor’s nominee must first be reviewed and approved by
Choose one answer.
a. a vote of the Texas House.
b. a vote of the Texas Senate.
c. a vote of the full legislature.
d. a joint conference committee made up of Texas Senators and Representatives.
e. the judicial branch of Texas government, in the form of the Texas Supreme Court, in its oversight function of the executive and legislative branches of government.
Question41
Marks: 1
The Lieutenant Governor is most analogous to what officer in the federal government?
Choose one answer.
a. Secretary of State
b. Vice President
c. President
d. Speaker of the U.S. House
e. Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate
Question42
Marks: 1
The impeachment process in Texas ends with the trial and verdict on the articles of impeachment conducted and arrived at by the
Choose one answer.
a. Texas House of Representatives.
b. Attorney General of Texas sitting as the head of a court made up of members of the Texas Supreme Court and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
c. governor’s cabinet and the Governor of Texas.
d. Texas Senate.
e. Supreme Court of Texas with the Chief Justice of Texas sitting as the chief judge over the proceedings.
Question43
Marks: 1
A committee which has members from both the House and the Senate to serve a unique, particular function is called a
Choose one answer.
a. standing committee.
b. special committee.
c. joint committee.
d. combined committee.
e. conference committee.
Question44
Marks: 1
Most of the legislative work of the Texas Legislature is conducted
Choose one answer.
a. by the governor.
b. in the House of Representatives.
c. in legislative committees.
d. during special sessions of the legislature.
e. on the floor of the Texas House.
Question45
Marks: 1
Who calls special legislative sessions in Texas?
Choose one answer.
a. Either the Speaker or Lieutenant Governor may call a special session
b. Only the Governor may call a special session
c. The Governor may call a special session, but only with the approval of the Legislature by a majority vote of both houses
d. The Texas Secretary of State calls special sessions with the approval of the Lieutenant Government and Speaker of the House
e. The Legislature calls itself into special session by a 2/3rds vote of both houses
Question46
Marks: 1
The Attorney General of Texas is LEAST involved in which of the following activities?
Choose one answer.
a. acting as the constitutional lawyer for agencies, boards, and commissions of the state of Texas.
b. defending the state against lawsuits
c. initiating lawsuits against parents delinquent on child support payments
d. prosecuting individuals accused of serious crimes
e. issuing legal opinions interpreting state laws before issues relating to the laws are adjudicated by the courts
Question47
Marks: 1
In order to become a Texas State Senator, one must be at least ___ years old to be elected and a resident of Texas for __ years preceding the election.
Choose one answer.
a. 26/five
b. 35/six
c. 19/two
d. 24/one
e. 42/seven
Question48
Marks: 1
The Texas Secretary of State is
Choose one answer.
a. Geoffrey Connor.
b. Roger Williams.
c. John Steen.
d. Esperanza “Hope” Andrade.
e. also, by law, the Lieutenant Governor of the State.
Question49
Marks: 1
The first Republican to be elected governor in Texas following the Reconstruction administration of Gov. E.J. Davis was
Choose one answer.
a. Preston Smith.
b. Bill Clements.
c. James Ferguson.
d. George W. Bush.
e. Rick Perry.
Question50
Marks: 1
The U.S. Supreme Court decided a case in its 2013 regarding affirmative action in higher education that modified but did not overturn its prior 2003 decision in Grutter v. Michigan. That case was
Choose one answer.
a. Brown v. Board of Education.
b. Hopwood v. Texas.
c. Fisher v. The University of Texas.
d. Ruiz v. Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
e. Marbury v. Madison.
The Veterans’ Land Board provides low interest property loans to Texas veterans. This board is supervised by the
Choose one answer.
a. Chairman of the Texas Veterans Administration.
b. Commissioner of the Veterans’ Land Board of Texas.
c. Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office.
d. Comptroller of Public Accounts.
e. Lieutenant Governor.
Question52
Marks: 1
Police powers are attributed to the Texas governor since he has the authority to appoint members of
Choose one answer.
a. Texas Rangers.
b. the director of the Texas Bureau of Investigation.
c. Criminal Science Institute (CSI) of Texas.
d. the board of the Department of Public Safety.
e. state investigatory grand jury.
Question53
Marks: 1
The only Texas governor to be impeached by the Texas House and convicted of the impeachment charges in the Texas Senate was
Choose one answer.
a. E.J. Davis.
b. Miriam Ferguson.
c. George W. Bush.
d. James Ferguson.
e. William Clements.
Question54
Marks: 1
The principal responsibility of the Texas Secretary of State is
Choose one answer.
a. to negotiate treaties for Texas with foreign governments.
b. to regulate electric and telephone rates in Texas.
c. to act as the chief election officer for the State of Texas.
d. to collect taxes for the State of Texas.
e. to act as the head of the president of the Senate when the Texas legislature is in session.
Question55
Marks: 1
Which of the following offices was created by the Texas Legislature rather than the Texas Constitution?
Choose one answer.
a. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
b. Secretary of State.
c. Commissioner of Agriculture.
d. Lieutenant Governor.
e. Attorney General.
Question56
Marks: 1
The vice president of the United States is, according to the U.S. Constitution, the president of the U.S. Senate; however, according to the rules of the U.S. Senate he has little authority over that body. The real head of the U.S. Senate is the Senate Majority Leader. Who is the President of the Texas Senate and the real leader of the Texas Senate?
Choose one answer.
a. the lieutenant governor is the president of the Texas Senate and is, under the rules of the Texas Senate, the real leader of the Texas Senate
b. the vice president of Texas is the president of the Texas Senate, however, the real leader of the Texas Senate is the Senate majority leader
c. the lieutenant governor of Texas is the president of the Texas Senate, however, the real leader of the Texas Senate is the leader of the majority party in the Texas Senate
d. the speaker of the Texas House also acts as the president of the Texas Senate and is its actual leader
e. the lieutenant governor of Texas is the president of the Texas Senate but the real leader of the Texas Senate is the Senate majority leader of the Texas Senate
Question57
Marks: 1
How long is a special session of the Texas Legislature?
Choose one answer.
a. as long as required to complete the agenda of the governor.
b. no more than two weeks
c. up to 140 days
d. no more than one year
e. up to 30 days
Question58
Marks: 1
Child support enforcement and collection for the State of Texas is the responsibility of
Choose one answer.
a. the Attorney General of Texas.
b. the Comptroller of Public Accounts.
c. the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
d. the Governor of Texas.
e. the Lieutenant Governor of Texas.
Question59
Marks: 1
Texas has had two woman governors in its history–Ann Richards and
Choose one answer.
a. Sonia Sotomayor.
b. Carol Keeton Strayhorn.
c. Kay Bailey Hutchinson.
d. Miriam Ferguson.
e. Susan Combs.
Question60
Marks: 1
There are how many members in the Texas House of Representatives?
Choose one answer.
a. 32
b. 150
c. 31
d. it varies from session to session depending on the state’s population
e. 435
Question61
Marks: 1
Members of the Texas Public Utilities Commission are
Choose one answer.
a. appointed to their positions by the Governor of Texas (with the approval of the Texas Senate).
b. ex officio officeholder, serving in their PUC positions as a part of their duties as Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House, and Comptroller of Public Accounts.
c. appointed to their positions by a vote of the Texas Legislature.
d. elected to their positions by a direct, statewide vote of the people of Texas.
e. are appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Energy and have full authority over the production of and development of all energy resources within the state of Texas.
Question62
Marks: 1
This process of redrawing the boundaries of legislative and congressional districts by the state legislature is called
Choose one answer.
a. district resolution.
b. district development.
c. redistricting.
d. congressional reapportionment.
e. redlining.
Question63
Marks: 1
In order to be a member of the Texas House of Representatives, one must be at least ___ years old to be elected and a resident of Texas for _____ years prior to the election.
Choose one answer.
a. 26/five
b. 42/ten
c. 35/five
d. 21/two
e. 18/one
Question64
Marks: 1
How can the Texas Legislature override a legislative veto by the Governor?
Choose one answer.
a. by a vote of a conference committee
b. by a 2/3rds vote of members present from both houses
c. by a simple majority vote of members present from both houses
d. by a majority vote of the Texas Senate alone in the exercise of its advise and consent power
e. the Texas Constitution forbids the Legislature to override a gubernatorial veto
Question65
Marks: 1
The Comptroller of Public Accounts is
Choose one answer.
a. responsible for administering the Texas Veterans’ Land Board.
b. responsible for collecting overdue child support payments for Texans.
c. issuing corporation charters and monitoring public corporations in the State of Texas.
d. the chief election officer of the State of Texas.
e. the chief tax collector for the State of Texas.
Question66
Marks: 1
The governor’s State of the State address is
Choose one answer.
a. called for by the Texas Constitution and is given before a joint session of the Texas Legislature following the start of the regular session.
b. is no longer given in person by the governor in the form of a speech delivered before the legislature but instead is a printed message sent to both legislative bodies and posted at the front entrance to each chamber.
c. an informal tradition initiated by Gov. E. J. Davis during Reconstruction and is an official state holiday.
d. given by the governor every year at the start of the Texas legislative session in January.
e. an important aspect of the governor’s “bully pulpit” because it is broadcast live on network television during prime-time to the people of Texas.
Question67
Marks: 1
Which of the following is solely and completely responsible for regulating railroad freight and railroad passenger service in the state of Texas?
Choose one answer.
a. Texas Railroad Commission
b. No commission or agency or department in Texas government has this power
c. General Land Commission
d. Texas Agriculture Commissioner
e. Texas Secretary of State
Question68
Marks: 1
The Lieutenant Governor is elected every four years by
Choose one answer.
a. the voters of the State of Texas.
b. the members of the Texas Senate.
c. the caucus of the majority party at the start of a new legislative session.
d. a vote of the full legislature.
e. a single-member district election in Travis County, home county for the Texas Legislature (in Austin).
Question69
Marks: 1
How is the Speaker of the Texas House chosen?
Choose one answer.
a. The Speaker is elected statewide
b. The Speaker is appointed by the Governor and is approved by the Senate in its advice and consent powers
c. The Speaker is a state representative elected by the full House to serve as speaker
d. The Secretary of State serves ex officio as Speaker of the Texas House
e. The Lieutenant Governor acts, as part of his constitutional duties, as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.
Question70
Marks: 1
In what type of committee is the bulk of the work in the legislature done?
Choose one answer.
a. Joint committee
b. Special committee
c. Standing committee
d. Combined committee
e. Conference committee
Question71
Marks: 1
The only unicameral legislature in the United States is
Choose one answer.
a. is found in Nebraska.
b. now gone, abandoned when the State of Texas moved to a bicameral organization in the 1970s.
c. is in Texas.
d. the U.S. Congress.
e. now banned by the U.S. Constitution.
Question72
Marks: 1
Jerry Patterson is the current
Choose one answer.
a. Texas Secretary of State.
b. Lieutenant Governor of Texas.
c. Comptroller of Public Accounts
d. Texas Land Commissioner.
e. Governor of Texas.
Question73
Marks: 1
Spending bills (i.e., appropriation bills) in Texas must originate
Choose one answer.
a. with the governor.
b. in the Texas House.
c. with the Comptroller of Public Accounts.
d. in the Texas Senate.
e. in the Legislative Budget Board
Question74
Marks: 1
What type of bill applies only to one unit of local government (example: the Legislature creates a new county-court-at-law for Harris County)?
Choose one answer.
a. general bill
b. private bill
c. a resolution
d. a special bill
e. a true bill
Question75
Marks: 1
How is the Lieutenant Governor of Texas normally chosen?
Choose one answer.
a. The Lieutenant Governor is a member of the House selected by the Texas House to serve as Lieutenant Governor
b. The Lieutenant Governor is a member of the Texas Senate elected by the full Senate to serve as Lieutenant Governor
c. The Lieutenant Governor is elected every four years by the Texas delegates to the Elector College at their electoral meeting held every four years held prior to voting for the presidential selection.
d. The Lieutenant Governor is appointed by the Governor and is approved by the Senate in its advice and consent power
e. The Lieutenant Governor is elected statewide directly by the citizens of Texas
Question76
Marks: 1
The impeachment process for a high Texas state official begins with articles of impeachment (the charges, or official allegations) being brought by the
Choose one answer.
a. Texas House of Representatives.
b. Supreme Court of Texas.
c. Attorney General of Texas.
d. Texas Senate.
e. Governor of Texas.
Question77
Marks: 1
Fragmentation of the state executive into so many largely independent agencies was an intentional move by the framers to the Texas Constitution and later legislatures to avoid
Choose one answer.
a. a diffusion of power.
b. centralized power.
c. confusion.
d. violating the U.S. Constitution.
e. the spread of socialism.
Question78
Marks: 1
With regard to the creation and adoption of the biennial budget for the State of Texas, the Governor of Texas
Choose one answer.
a. has tremendous influence over the preparation, creation and adoption of the budget of the state each biennial session.
b. has little official power and influence over the creation and final adoption of the biennial state budget during the regular legislative session.
c. has sole constitutional power in the state to develop and set the state biennial budget; he then sends the completed budget to the legislature for implementation and distribution based upon his (the governor’s) specific and strict directions
d. greatly influences the creation and adoption of the budget for the state through the Government Office of Management and Budget.
e. influences the creation and adoption of the state’s biennial budget through his selection and appointment of the Texas Secretary of the Treasury.
Question79
Marks: 1
The next regular session of the Texas Legislature will meet next year starting in January.
Answer:
True False
Question80
Marks: 1
The Governor may use the line-item veto on which of the following bills?
Choose one answer.
a. the governor no longer has the line-item veto power–the Texas line-item veto was declared illegal by a federal court ruling
b. a bill to appropriate money to operate state prisons
c. a bill to raise the minimum drinking age
d. a bill to increase criminal penalties on drug possession
e. a bill declaring the Southern Baptist religion the official state religion of Texas
Question81
Marks: 1
Bills rarely reach the floor of the Senate for a vote without the approval of
Choose one answer.
a. Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.
b. Speaker of the House.
c. Governor.
d. Senate minority leader.
e. the Lieutenant Governor.
Question82
Marks: 1
Texas’s biggest employers are
Choose one answer.
a. in the medical field.
b. governments.
c. in the insurance industry.
d. farmers and ranchers.
e. oil and gas companies.
Question83
Marks: 1
The state agency which regulates telephone and electric rates in Texas is called
Choose one answer.
a. the Public Utility Commission.
b. the Texas Railroad Commission.
c. the Sunset Advisory Board.
d. Texas State Board of Insurance.
e. the Legislative Budget Board.
Question84
Marks: 1
Joe Straus is the
Choose one answer.
a. Lieutenant Governor of Texas.
b. Texas Attorney General.
c. Texas Commissioner of Agriculture.
d. Comptroller of Public Accounts.
e. Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.
Question85
Marks: 1
Which of the following government entities does NOT rely on or operate primarily from property taxes?
Choose one answer.
a. County government
b. State government
c. Community college districts
d. Independent school districts
e. Municipal government
Question86
Marks: 1
The structural weakening of the office of the governor and the creation of the plural executive in Texas was NOT the result of which of the following?
Choose one answer.
a. The desire of the founding fathers of Texas to closely copy the structure and operation of the executive branch of the federal government in Washington
b. The Constitution of 1876
c. The reaction of Texans to the governorship of E.J. Davis
d. The reaction of Texans to Reconstruction
Question87
Marks: 1
The predominant occupation for members of today’s Texas legislature are
Choose one answer.
a. law and business.
b. business and finance.
c. education.
education and sales.
d. pharmacy and real estate.
e. medicine and insurance.
Question88
Marks: 1
The governor of Texas may grant executive clemency.
Answer:
True False
Question89
Marks: 1
Texas has a biennial budget because
Choose one answer.
a. the governor has a two year term of office.
b. the Texas Legislature meets once every two years.
c. the Texas Constitution requires that the state legislature pass a balanced budget.
d. the U.S. Constitution in Article I and II requires it.
e. the Texas Legislature is a bicameral body.
Question90
Marks: 1
Regular formal review and subsequent legislative affirmation to determine that if a state agency or program is to continue is known as
Choose one answer.
a. sunshine legislation.
b. administrative oversight and review.
c. sunset review.
d. redistricting.
e. senatorial courtesy.
Question91
Marks: 1
If a vacancy occurs during the term of office of the lieutenant governor (such as death, resignation, or succession to the governorship), how is a new lieutenant governor selected?
Choose one answer.
a. the president of the Senate moves into the position of Lieutenant for the remainder of the Lieutenant Governor’s term of office
b. the governor appoints a new lieutenant governor, with the approval of a vote of the full legislature
c. by a called special state-wide election to fill the remaining term of the former lieutenant governor
d. the Senate elects one of its members to the position of lieutenant governor to serve the balance of the vacant term
e. the president pro tempore of the Texas Senate takes over the vacated position for the remainder of the term of office
Question92
Marks: 1
The Governor of Texas is empowered by the Texas Constitution of 1876 to appoint
Choose one answer.
a. the Lieutenant Governor of Texas to office.
b. the Texas Agricultural Commissioner to office.
c. the Texas Attorney General to office.
d. the Texas Secretary of State to office.
e. the three members of the Texas Railroad Commission to office.
Question93
Marks: 1
There are three members of the Texas Railroad Commission. All three are
Choose one answer.
a. elected in single-member district elections from three separate sections of the state by the people of Texas with the approval of the vote of both chambers of the legislature.
b. required by law to serve only one six-year term in office.
c. required by the Texas Constitution of 1876 to have worked for at least a ten-year period in the railroad industry in Texas.
d. elected to their positions by the people of Texas.
e. appointed to their positions by the Governor of Texas (with the approval of the Texas Senate).
Question94
Marks: 1
Although the Governor prepares a budget to submit to the Texas Legislature at the beginning of a session, the members of the Legislature typically ignore the budget proposed by the Governor in favor of a budget drafted by the
Choose one answer.
a. Legislative Budget Board.
b. State Treasurer.
c. Comptroller.
d. State Commission on Budgetary Development and Analysis.
e. Congressional Budget Office.
Question95
Marks: 1
The judicial power of the governor consists of his ability
Choose one answer.
a. appoint all judges and justices to all the courts on all levels in the State of Texas.
b. appoint judges and justices to state courts when there is a vacancy on a court due to a death, resignation, or removal of the judge or justice.
c. to order the death penalty be imposed following the conviction of a defendant for capital murder.
d. to reduce prison overcrowding by executive order.
e. review and reverse decisions of lower courts when the decisions are appealed directly to his office.
Question96
Marks: 1
Redistricting–the process of redrawing the boundaries of legislative and congressional districts–generally occurs every ten years in the Texas legislature following the
Choose one answer.
a. results of the most recent election of the U.S. House of Representatives and of the Texas House of Representatives.
b. presidential elections.
c. directives issued by the Senate Committee on Redistricting and the Census.
d. report from Congress on reapportionment based on the national census.
e. report of the Interstate Redistricting Commission.
Question97
Marks: 1
Rick Perry is currently the
Choose one answer.
a. Lieutenant Governor of Texas.
b. Governor of Texas.
c. Texas Agricultural Commissioner.
d. Comptroller of Public Accounts.
e. Texas Secretary of State.
Question98
Marks: 1
The chief legal officer of the State of Texas is the
Choose one answer.
a. Attorney General.
b. Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court.
c. Legal Counsel to the Governor of Texas.
d. Comptroller.
e. Secretary of State.
Question99
Marks: 1
The largest area of tax revenue for State of Texas comes from
Choose one answer.
a. ad valorem taxes.
b. severance taxes.
c. property taxes.
d. sales taxes.
e. income taxes.
Question100
Marks: 1
As a result of the Texas Constitution of 1876, Texas has a
Choose one answer.
a. nonpartisan unicameral system of government.
b. cabinet system in operation in the executive branch of government.
c. plural executive system operating the executive branch of government.
d. bicameral executive system of government.
e. unitary executive system of government.
