Deck 5: The California Legislature

Question 1

What are the two main jobs of a legislator?

A) monitoring California's borders and fund-raising
B) representing the district and making policy
C) giving speeches and attending political party functions
D) vetoing bills and pardoning citizens convicted of crimes

Answer 1

B

Question 2

A public opinion poll from July 2018 found that ________ percent of Californians approved of the job that the legislature was doing.

A) 12
B) 30
C) 50
D) 70

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The committee system in the state legislature allows for

A) specialization and attention to detail on the part of legislators.
B) less input by lobbyists.
C) greater input by third-party leaders.
D) greater public scrutiny of the legislature's working habits.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

What type of items may pass in California's legislature?

A) executive orders, border disputes, and city ordinances
B) county measures, laws, and city ordinances
C) laws, constitutional amendments, and resolutions
D) foreign treaties, resolutions, and constitutional amendments

Question 5

What type of legislature does California have?

A) unicameral
B) bicameral
C) parliamentary
D) authoritarian

Question 6

What are two of the key roles of the legislative analyst's office?

A) overriding the governor's veto and investigating pardons
B) analyzing budget proposals and the fiscal impact of ballot propositions
C) auditing the plural executive and the governor's travel budget
D) overseeing property tax collection and gas tax revenues

Question 7

Both houses of the California legislature are apportioned on the basis of

A) tax revenue.
B) court orders.
C) population.
D) gerrymandered districts.

Question 8

Without staff, the legislature cannot effectively do its job. Staff members are crucial in both

A) taxing and appointment functions.
B) oversight and judicial nomination functions.
C) policy-making and representative functions.
D) public outreach and polling functions.

Question 9

The Speaker of the Assembly appoints

A) one judge to the appeals court.
B) important executives in the state bureaucracy.
C) the minority leader.
D) the majority floor leader.

Question 10

The California legislature is modeled on the

A) U.S. Congress.
B) Virginia House of Burgesses.
C) British Parliament.
D) Articles of Confederation.

Question 11

The large size of each district in California means that campaigns

A) take too long.
B) are expensive.
C) are easy for third parties to win.
D) cannot utilize the internet.

Question 12

State Senate districts

A) have roughly 2 million voters.
B) represent roughly twice as many people as Assembly districts.
C) are reapportioned every five years.
D) have more voters in rural districts than in urban districts.

Question 13

Passed in 2010, Proposition 14 created a major change in California elections by instituting

A) a line-item veto for the governor.
B) more gerrymandered districts.
C) a blanket or top-two primary.
D) the direct election of Supreme Court judges.

Question 14

Since California elections are winner-take-all elections, they have the impact of

A) excluding minorities from public office.
B) excluding third parties from holding seats in the state legislature.
C) reducing the cost of running for office.
D) increasing the number of women officeholders.

Question 15

The leader of the California Assembly is called the

A) majority leader.
B) speaker.
C) majority pro tem.
D) governor.

Question 16

Legislators

A) may represent more than one district.
B) most often are defeated for reelection.
C) ignore local interests and look out for the good of the state.
D) need to focus on the interests of their constituents.

Question 17

Redistricting in California is done following

A) each national census.
B) each governor's race.
C) prior to each statewide election.
D) an order issued by the Superior Court.

Question 18

Making sure that legislation is implemented by the bureaucracy in the manner intended by the legislature is called

A) legislature practice.
B) constituent service.
C) oversight.
D) representation.

Question 19

In California, the powers of the Speaker of the Assembly are

A) more extensive than those of the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
B) extremely limited.
C) constantly being redefined by the California Supreme Court.
D) expanded by executive orders.

Question 20

Gerrymandering refers to

A) a procedure that is used by California legislators to stop a vote on a bill.
B) drawing district lines in a way that is equal for only two political parties.
C) drawing district lines in a way that favors one political party over another.
D) the recruitment of lobbyists in order to raise campaign funds.

Question 21

What are some of the negative aspects of term limits in the California legislature?

Question 22

One factor that gets the public's attention in terms of California legislators is their

A) salaries.
B) spacious offices.
C) large staffs.
D) involvement in scandals.

Question 23

What functions does the California legislature perform? Is there any one function it is not performing in an acceptable way? Explain your answer.

Question 24

What kinds of committees operate in the California legislature? What functions do they perform and how do they assist legislators?

Question 25

Bills in the state legislature can be introduced only by

A) the governor.
B) interest groups.
C) political action committees.
D) legislators.

Question 26

Why have Californians typically distrusted the California legislature? Has the distrust lessened, and if so, what has led to the turnaround?

Question 27

What factors make the California legislature weaker in comparison to Congress?

A) the Speaker of the House, presidential recess appointments, and congressional staffers
B) logrolling, the vice president of the United States, and filibusters
C) term limits, low media coverage, and the line-item veto
D) oversight, gerrymandering, and court decisions

Question 28

Proposition 28, passed in 2012,

A) ended term limits in the Assembly and Senate.
B) combined the Assembly and Senate into one house.
C) reduced term limits in the legislature from 14 to 12 years.
D) imposed term limits on Superior Court judges.

Question 29

Describe and discuss the two types of representation in the legislature, as identified by political scientists.

Question 30

The process by which members of the legislature exchange or trade votes is called

A) constituent service.
B) the oversight function.
C) logrolling.
D) filibustering.