Deck 5: Elections in Texas

Question 1

Which of the following is true?

A) Women were granted the right to vote in the 1876 Texas Constitution.
B) The poll tax restricted the participation of poor people in the general election.
C) One does not have to be a resident of the state to vote in Texas.
D) Latinos vote at higher rates than African Americans do.
E) Texas voter turnout is among the highest in the United States.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following is the purpose of special elections?

A) to choose which candidates will run in the general election
B) to fill vacancies in elected offices
C) to allow voters to vote directly on public policy
D) to choose which candidates will run in the primary elections
E) to elect judges to the Texas Supreme Court

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Independent candidates are rarely on the Texas ballot because

A) the fee to appear on the ballot is prohibitive.
B) the signature/petition requirements are often too stringent.
C) independent candidates are usually minorities, and they are discriminated against when applications are filed.
D) independent candidates usually end up aligning themselves with one of the major parties.
E) independent candidates are usually not serious about winning or competing in elections.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

What is the purpose of a primary election?

A) to select a party's candidate for the general election
B) to select a party's delegates for the state convention
C) to select precinct chairs throughout the state
D) to select the party's delegates for the precinct convention
E) to elect candidates directly to office

Question 5

A(n) ______ occurs when the winner of a primary election fails to win an absolute majority of the votes cast.

A) post-primary election
B) runoff election
C) majoritarian election
D) recall election
E) open primary

Question 6

Kinky Friedman and Carole Keeton Strayhorn ran for governor as ______ in 2006.

A) Republicans
B) Democrats
C) Tea Party candidates
D) Reform Party candidates
E) Independents

Question 7

Which statement concerning women's suffrage is correct?

A) Women were given the right to vote in the original Constitution of 1876.
B) The Texas Constitution was amended in 1899 to permit women to vote.
C) Women were permitted to vote in all elections in Texas with the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
D) Women were given full suffrage rights in Texas in 1932.
E) Texas was the last state to allow women to vote.

Question 8

The first Tuesday following the first Monday in November of even-numbered years is the day for which election?

A) primary election
B) runoff primary election
C) general election
D) runoff for the general election
E) gubernatorial election

Question 9

Runoff primaries are generally held

A) the day after the party primary.
B) the second Tuesday in August.
C) the second Tuesday in April.
D) thirty days before the general election.
E) thirty days after the party primary.

Question 10

Which of the following is not a type of election found in Texas?

A) general
B) primary
C) distinguished
D) special
E) municipal

Question 11

Texas was the first state in the South to

A) impose a poll tax.
B) ratify the women's suffrage amendment.
C) elect a black governor.
D) elect a Latino governor.
E) join the Confederacy.

Question 12

General elections are held

A) in odd-numbered years.
B) in even-numbered years.
C) each November.
D) every four years, in line with the presidential election.
E) when called for by the legislature.

Question 13

Major statewide officials are elected in nonpresidential election years because

A) federal law requires it.
B) state law requires it.
C) such a system increases voter turnout.
D) such a system prevents popular presidential candidates from influencing state elections.
E) such a system saves the state several million dollars.

Question 14

Officially, Texas has a

A) joint primary.
B) extended primary.
C) open primary.
D) closed primary.
E) jungle primary.

Question 15

In Texas, special elections are held for all of the following reasons EXCEPT to:

A) give approval to borrow money.
B) ratify amendments to the Texas Constitution.
C) fill vacancies in office.
D) allow government agencies to undertake long-term debt.
E) impeach a corrupt politician.

Question 16

The ______ election decides who is elected to an office.

A) primary
B) open
C) general
D) final
E) closed

Question 17

Women were given the right to vote in the United States with the passage of the

A) Voting Rights Act of 1965.
B) Fifteenth Amendment.
C) Nineteenth Amendment.
D) U.S. Supreme Court decision Newberry v. United States.
E) Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Question 18

In Texas, primary elections are usually held in

A) March.
B) April.
C) May.
D) August.
E) November.

Question 19

A ______ was a tax charged to voters as a prerequisite for registration.

A) registration tax
B) voter tax
C) registration fee
D) poll tax
E) ballot fee

Question 20

Which of the following was NOT regularly used in Texas as a method of disenfranchising many minorities before the 1960s?

A) the white primary
B) early registration
C) poll taxes
D) the Jaybird primary
E) the requirement of a federal citizenship test

Question 21

The most important federal law involved in the expansion of the franchise in Texas was

A) the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
B) the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment.
C) the One-Person, One-Vote Act of 1972.
D) the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
E) the Motor Voter Act of 1993.

Question 22

The most recent renewals to the Voting Rights Act require

A) special voting booths reserved specifically for minority voters.
B) polling places to stay open until midnight for shift workers.
C) polling places to open on Saturdays for people who work.
D) bilingual ballots in areas where over 5 percent of citizens speak a language other than English.
E) Internet voting for people who cannot make it to the polls.

Question 23

In Texas, ______ is/are responsible for redistricting.

A) the governor
B) the legislature
C) the courts
D) county courts at law
E) precinct captains

Question 24

The poll tax was made illegal in federal elections with the passage of the

A) Voting Rights Act of 1965.
B) Nineteenth Amendment.
C) Twenty-fourth Amendment.
D) Civil Rights Act of 1964.
E) Fifteenth Amendment.

Question 25

In which of the following elections is voter turnout the highest?

A) presidential elections
B) gubernatorial general elections
C) off-year congressional elections
D) runoff elections
E) primary elections

Question 26

Early voting increases the polling period from twelve hours to

A) two weeks.
B) two days.
C) four weeks.
D) thirty days.
E) sixty days.

Question 27

The two most important factors that determine whether someone votes are

A) age and income level.
B) income level and education.
C) education and ethnicity.
D) ethnicity and age.
E) age and education.

Question 28

In Texas, the most oppressive restriction on the franchise was

A) the white primary.
B) the poll tax.
C) early registration.
D) literacy tests.
E) property ownership requirements.

Question 29

In Texas, the ______ Party usually experiences higher voter turnout than the ______ Party does.

A) Republican; Democratic
B) Democratic; Republican
C) Reform; Democratic
D) Reform; Republican
E) Independent; Democratic

Question 30

The process of ______ involves recalculating how many congressional districts each state will receive based on the state's population.

A) redistricting
B) reapportionment
C) preclearance
D) census taking
E) polarization

Question 31

Early voting in Texas has been shown to produce

A) a modest increase in voter turnout.
B) a significant increase in voter turnout.
C) a modest drop in voter turnout.
D) a drastic drop in voter turnout.
E) no discernible change in voter turnout.

Question 32

Which of the following statements is not a possible explanation for why Texas currently has low voter turnout?

A) Texas has so many elections that voters are often overwhelmed with elections and candidates.
B) The Texas political culture has been one in which elites have discouraged voting.
C) The average age of Texans is younger than the national average, and younger voters are less likely to vote.
D) The residency requirement for new voters is six months.
E) Texas has weak political parties.

Question 33

Which of the following is NOT a requirement to vote in Texas?

A) U.S. citizenship
B) being at least eighteen years of age
C) being a resident of Texas for at least one year
D) being a resident of the county for thirty days
E) property ownership

Question 34

What is the significance of the Supreme Court case Smith v. Allwright?

A) The Court declared the use of literacy tests a violation of the equal protection clause.
B) The case compelled Texas to integrate Hispanic students into "whites only" public schools.
C) It announced that in primary elections states could not restrict voters on account of race.
D) It restricted the use of closed primaries.
E) The Court declared the use of poll taxes a violation of the equal protection clause.

Question 35

Redistricting in Texas occurs

A) every ten years.
B) every four years.
C) after every general election.
D) after a new governor is elected.
E) after each legislative session.

Question 36

According to political scientist Daniel Elazar, Texas's political culture is traditionalist and

A) individualistic.
B) moralistic.
C) socialistic.
D) communal.
E) innovative.

Question 37

Highly partisan legislation passed in 2011 now requires Texans to

A) vote in only one party primary.
B) provide photo identification when voting.
C) register sixty days before the general election.
D) pass an English language competency test before voting.
E) show their birth certificates before voting.

Question 38

Approximately what percentage of the state's voting-age population is registered to vote?

A) 40 percent
B) 55 percent
C) 60 percent
D) 70 percent
E) 80 percent

Question 39

The Motor Voter Act of 1993

A) allows states to offer voters "drive-thru" voting booths.
B) allows citizens to register to vote while applying for a driver's license.
C) restricts one's right to vote because of unpaid traffic tickets.
D) was declared unconstitutional by the Texas Supreme Court.
E) only allows citizens with a valid Texas driver's license to register to vote.

Question 40

The procedure by which certain states, such as Texas, are required to obtain approval every time they make changes to districts is called

A) redistricting.
B) reapportionment.
C) preclearance.
D) external validation.
E) judicial review.

Question 41

Campaigns attempt to reach voters through all of the following EXCEPT

A) print and electronic media.
B) door-to-door campaigning.
C) involvement in high-profile litigation.
D) telephone solicitation.
E) mailed campaign fliers and information.

Question 42

Texans tend to vote less than the national average.

Question 43

One reason for low levels of voter turnout in Texas is because of low levels of educational attainment in the state.

Question 44

The Motor Voter law requires all voters to have a driver's license.

Question 45

It is relatively easy for an independent candidate to get on the Texas ballot.

Question 46

Preclearance is required by

A) the Texas Constitution.
B) the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
C) the U.S. Constitution.
D) the U.S. Supreme Court, as in the case of Smith v. Allwright.
E) the Texas legislature.

Question 47

The most costly item for most political campaigns is

A) travel.
B) security.
C) fund-raising.
D) media advertising.
E) food.

Question 48

When are elections for state offices held?

A) during presidential election years
B) during odd-numbered, nonpresidential election years
C) during even-numbered, nonpresidential election years
D) every year
E) every six months

Question 49

Poll taxes, such as those used in Texas, disenfranchised poor voters.

Question 50

Primary elections in Texas are generally held in March.

Question 51

The Republican Party was the dominant force in Texas politics throughout most of the twentieth century.

Question 52

The Texas Constitution and election laws call the Texas primary system an open primary.

Question 53

In Texas elections, the ______ play(s) the largest role in running campaigns.

A) national party
B) state party
C) candidates
D) media
E) local party

Question 54

______ was the first Republican to hold the office of Texas governor since the end of Reconstruction.

A) Anne Richards
B) George W. Bush
C) Rick Perry
D) William R. Clements
E) Kay Bailey Hutchison

Question 55

All of the following are modern-day tactics for preventing certain groups from voting EXCEPT

A) the presence of broken or malfunctioning voting machines.
B) voter intimidation.
C) reducing the number of polling places in certain areas.
D) canceling an election at the last minute.
E) providing misleading information to voters.

Question 56

General elections for all national, state, and local offices must be held in November.

Question 57

______ is the traditional start of the general election campaign in Texas.

A) Independence Day
B) Memorial Day
C) Labor Day
D) Halloween
E) Thanksgiving

Question 58

One effect of the high cost of campaigns in Texas is that

A) parties become more important in organizing and funding candidates.
B) candidates are often very wealthy individuals willing to use their own money in campaigns.
C) sometimes there is no one willing to run for major statewide office.
D) candidates increasingly turn to illegal sources of funds.
E) candidates drop out of high-profile races when the money dries up.

Question 59

To register to vote in Texas, a person must have been a resident of Texas for at least thirty days.

Question 60

Name recognition often gives ______ a distinct advantage in Texas elections.

A) Republicans
B) Democrats
C) incumbents
D) wealthy challengers
E) women

Question 61

Reapportionment involves recalculating how many congressional districts each state will receive based on the state's population.

Question 62

List and discuss the reasons why campaigns in Texas are so expensive.

Question 63

Anglo Texans have voter turnout levels that are higher than Latino turnout levels.

Question 64

Discuss and explain at least four reasons why Texas voter turnout is so low. What can be done to increase voter participation?

Question 65

Reapportionment involves the determination of how district lines will be drawn in each state for the state legislature and Congress.

Question 66

Discuss how political parties organize elections and the electorate in Texas.

Question 67

List and describe the different types of elections in Texas.

Question 68

Republicans have won every statewide election in Texas since 1994.

Question 69

Explain why it is difficult to be elected as an independent candidate in Texas.

Question 70

Texas instituted early voting in order to expand participation.