Deck 7: The Texas Legislature

Question 1

In 2004 and 2005, three special sessions were called in the Texas legislature to deal with

A) tax codes.
B) deregulation of the pharmaceutical industry.
C) school finance.
D) criminal law reform.
E) budget crises.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

One of the most notable effects of bicameralism in the Texas legislature is that it

A) speeds up the process of legislation by dividing the labors between two separate institutions.
B) works to the benefit of the more densely populated urban areas.
C) allows for sparsely populated rural counties to receive more of a voice in the legislature.
D) permits more opportunities to kill or significantly modify a bill.
E) allows more bipartisan support for most bills.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

A bill in the Texas legislature that would allow a county to establish a new community college would be classified as a

A) general bill.
B) special bill.
C) local bill.
D) concurrent resolution.
E) simple resolution.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

If the legislature grants a particular corporation an exception from a state law, it is called

A) logrolling.
B) a special bill.
C) a private resolution.
D) a filibuster.
E) a general bill.

Question 5

For how long does the Texas legislature meet?

A) The legislature meets all year, with breaks for holidays and campaigning.
B) The regular session is nine months every year.
C) The legislature meets for nine months biennially.
D) The regular legislative session lasts 140 days every two years.
E) The legislature meets for six months every year.

Question 6

Revenue bills must start in the

A) Senate.
B) House of Representatives.
C) Comptroller of Public Accounts.
D) Governor's Office.
E) Appropriations Committee.

Question 7

Which of the following statements about simple resolutions is correct?

A) They do not require the signature of the governor.
B) They can only concern the internal rules of the Texas legislature.
C) They are limited to matters of concern for no more than two House districts.
D) They can only be initiated by either the Speaker or the lieutenant governor.
E) They are only used to honor the outstanding achievements of Texas residents.

Question 8

What is the main difference between a bill and a resolution?

A) A resolution is just another name for a bill.
B) A resolution deals only with issues affecting local government, while a bill deals with the entire state.
C) All bills require the signature of the governor, but no resolution does.
D) Unlike a bill, a resolution, if passed, lacks the force of a public law.
E) A resolution must be passed unanimously; a bill needs only a majority.

Question 9

In Texas, what kinds of issues provoke intense partisan battles?

A) social
B) economic
C) education
D) government regulation
E) environmental

Question 10

Which of the following statements about special sessions of the Texas legislature is true?

A) Special sessions are a rare occurrence, called on average once a decade.
B) Special sessions were common in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries but have been rare during the past 50 years.
C) Special sessions are common, held an average of once a year since 1876.
D) Special sessions occur often, on average four times a year.
E) Special sessions can be called only once a year.

Question 11

Texas senators serve ________-year terms and House members serve ________-year terms.

A) two; four
B) four; six
C) four; two
D) six; four
E) two; two

Question 12

The agenda for special sessions in the Texas legislature is set by the

A) lieutenant governor and the Texas Speaker of the House.
B) governor.
C) Texas Supreme Court.
D) chair of the joint committee on special sessions.
E) governor, with approval from the lieutenant governor.

Question 13

The typical Texas legislator is most likely to be a

A) white woman with a professional degree.
B) white, affluent businessman.
C) working-class Hispanic woman.
D) middle-class African American lawyer.
E) white, working-class male.

Question 14

What is the function of the "local and consent" calendar?

A) It marks the date by which legislators must vote on specific bills.
B) It is the calendar for all private bills sponsored by members of the legislature.
C) It is reserved for uncontroversial bills that are not expected to have major opposition.
D) It describes the voting schedule for those bills that require approval by both the legislature and local communities.
E) It is the calendar for bills that only deal with the procedural rules of the legislature.

Question 15

The Texas legislature takes office in January

A) biennially.
B) on even-numbered years.
C) every year.
D) on odd-number years.
E) every two years.

Question 16

The requirements for holding office in the Texas legislature

A) are minimal, in keeping with the idea that office-holding should be open to most citizens.
B) are stricter than those in the federal legislature, reflecting the belief that only the most qualified Texans deserve to serve.
C) require one to be a citizen of Texas but not necessarily a citizen of the United States.
D) are the same as in the U.S. Constitution.
E) require one to be a citizen of both Texas and the United States for at least 10 years prior to running for office.

Question 17

Which is the most important bill that applies to all people and property throughout the state?

A) general bill
B) local bill
C) simple resolution
D) special bill
E) concurrent resolution

Question 18

In the Texas legislature, the House has ________ members and the Senate has ________ members.

A) 435; 100
B) 100; 25
C) 150; 31
D) 31; 150
E) 100; 50

Question 19

Which of the following statements about the Texas legislature is INCORRECT?

A) The House and the Senate can physically force members to attend legislative sessions.
B) The legislature decides the amount of money to be appropriated for every executive agency over a two-year period.
C) Only the Senate has the constitutional authority to launch investigations into problems concerning the state.
D) Only the House has the power to impeach members of the executive and judicial branches of government.
E) Only the Senate has the power to try officials on impeachment charges.

Question 20

Constituency services provided by Texas representatives may include all of the following EXCEPT

A) giving a speech to a local civic group.
B) providing legal services in court.
C) attempting to influence decisions of government agencies.
D) writing a letter of recommendation for a constituent.
E) legislative activity.

Question 21

Legislative districts in the Texas House and Senate are

A) based on proportional representation.
B) single-member districts.
C) multiple-member districts.
D) redistricted every four years.
E) redistricted every six years.

Question 22

In the Texas House of Representatives, who has the power to allow members to speak in floor debates?

A) the Speaker of the House
B) the leader of the party of which the representative is a member
C) the lieutenant governor
D) no one; House members do not need official permission to speak in floor debates.
E) the governor

Question 23

As in the U.S. Congress, what is the purpose of a conference committee in the Texas legislature?

A) It is a committee in which members of both houses meet informally with the governor's representatives to set the agenda for an upcoming session.
B) It is a committee designed to make differing House and Senate versions of the same bill identical.
C) It is the committee that establishes the rules for floor debate in the House.
D) It is another name for a standing committee.
E) It is used by each political party to develop its legislative strategy before each session.

Question 24

Unlike other states, in Texas ________ can introduce a bill in the Texas legislature.

A) anyone
B) only a member of the legislature
C) any governmental official
D) only the lieutenant governor and Speaker of the House
E) a lobbyist

Question 25

Which of the following statements about partisanship in the Texas legislature is correct?

A) Partisan rivalries have been high throughout the history of the Texas legislature.
B) Historically, partisanship has been rather low, but in recent years the legislature has moved into a more partisan era.
C) The legislature was divided by partisan bickering before the 1980s, but the conflict has decreased steadily since then.
D) The Texas Constitution was amended in 1986 to forbid partisanship from interfering with the legislative process.
E) Typically, with Democrats as the majority party, partisanship has been much higher than with Republicans in control.

Question 26

In Texas, the governor's State of the State address is an example of the ________ power.

A) special session
B) veto
C) message
D) impeachment
E) media

Question 27

For a bill that starts in the House the steps are

A) introduction, referral, consideration by standing committee, floor action, action by a conference committee and approval by both houses, and action by the governor.
B) introduction, floor action, referral, consideration by standing committee, action by a conference committee and approval by both houses, and action by the governor.
C) introduction, action by full committee, referral, consideration by standing committee, floor action, and action by governor.
D) introduction, referral, action by conference committee and approval by both houses, and action by the governor.
E) introduction, referral, approval by both house, floor action, consideration by conference committee, and action by governor.

Question 28

Which of the following is NOT a nonlegislative power of the Texas legislature?

A) the power of impeachment
B) the power to investigate financial mismanagement in a state agency
C) the power to formally count the election returns in the governor's race
D) the power to overturn state supreme court decisions with a two-thirds majority
E) the power to supervise the behavior of executive branch agencies

Question 29

How is the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives chosen?

A) The Speaker is elected in a statewide election.
B) The Speaker is the most senior representative in the House.
C) The Speaker is the most senior representative from the majority party.
D) The Speaker is elected by members of the House.
E) The Speaker is appointed directly by the majority party in the House.

Question 30

When the governor strikes out specific spending provisions in large appropriations bills it is called

A) pigeonholing.
B) the pocket veto.
C) the line-item veto.
D) the post-adjournment veto.
E) an expenditure veto.

Question 31

In Texas, why is a governor's post-adjournment veto so powerful?

A) It cannot be overturned by the legislature.
B) It can be overturned only by a two-thirds majority of both houses.
C) It allows the governor to veto parts of a bill but not all of it.
D) It allows the governor to get maximum media coverage.
E) It can only be overturned by a unanimous vote in both houses.

Question 32

Rules of the legislature require that the bill be read

A) on two separate occasions.
B) on three separate occasions.
C) by the bill writer, the legislative member, and the lieutenant governor or Speaker of the House.
D) by the bill writer, the legislative member, and the committee chairman.
E) only at the initial filing.

Question 33

There are certain rules that apply to the filibuster in the Texas Senate that are quite different from those in the U.S. Senate. Which of the following is NOT one of those rules?

A) There is no eating or drinking during a filibuster.
B) Senators must stand at their desks and may not lean, sit, or use their desks or chairs in any way.
C) Remarks must be confined to the issue under consideration.
D) One must speak in an audible voice.
E) There is one seven-minute bathroom break.

Question 34

In the Texas legislature, the referral of a bill to a standing committee in the House and the Senate is the job of the

A) governor.
B) secretary of state.
C) Speaker of the House and lieutenant governor.
D) sergeant of the House and Senate.
E) chair of the committee to which the bill is being referred.

Question 35

Which of the following is NOT a legislative power of the Texas governor?

A) calling special sessions
B) signing or vetoing bills
C) setting an agenda in the State of the State address
D) removing, for suitable cause, the Speaker or lieutenant governor
E) visiting with legislators to obtain their votes on a bill

Question 36

Which two political leaders in Texas are the most powerful figures in the state?

A) the governor and the lieutenant governor
B) the governor and the comptroller of public accounts
C) the comptroller of public accounts and the lieutenant governor
D) the lieutenant governor and the Speaker of the House of Representatives
E) the governor and the Speaker of the House of Representatives

Question 37

In addition to the legislators and the governor, there are others involved in the lawmaking process during both regular and special sessions. Which one official has direct involvement in the legislative process, while other players are involved indirectly?

A) the comptroller of public accounts
B) the media
C) the court
D) the lobbyist
E) the public

Question 38

In the Texas legislature, when a committee chair "pigeonholes" a bill, what happens?

A) The bill is set aside before it is ever discussed in committee.
B) The bill is referred to a special session.
C) The chair vetoes a bill after it has already received an affirmative committee vote.
D) The chair refers a bill to only one subcommittee, rather than two or more.
E) The bill is immediately sent to the floor without a committee vote.

Question 39

In Texas, who can write a bill?

A) only a member of the legislature
B) the legislature or someone officially authorized by the legislature
C) any government official
D) anyone at all
E) only the legislature and/or governor

Question 40

Why is the comptroller of public accounts so important to the legislature?

A) The comptroller is responsible for setting the salary and compensation packages for legislators.
B) The comptroller informs the legislature how much money it has to spend on the budget.
C) The comptroller investigates suspected illegal campaign contributions.
D) Whoever is comptroller is also the Speaker of the House.
E) The comptroller has to certify the budget for every agency before the budget can be passed.

Question 41

In Texas, both the lieutenant governor and the Speaker of the House are elected in statewide elections.

Question 42

In the Texas legislature, if the filibustering senator is successfully called on three points of order, a simple majority of the Senate may vote to prevent the senator from continuing his or her remarks.

Question 43

The governor of Texas has the authority to exercise a line-item veto.

Question 44

The Texas legislature meets in regular session once every two years.

Question 45

The typical Texas legislator is a white, upper-class, male Protestant.

Question 46

Who has responsibility for redistricting the Texas delegation to the U.S. Congress?

A) the Texas legislature
B) the governor
C) the governor, along with the Texas Senate
D) the U.S. Congress
E) the Texas Supreme Court

Question 47

The Texas Constitution forbids the legislature to borrow money to conduct the daily operations of government.

Question 48

For a bill to be passed into law by the Texas legislature only one house must pass the bill by 50 plus one.

Question 49

What unconventional action did the Texas legislature take in 2003?

A) It redistricted a second time in a single decade.
B) It extended its regular session by two months.
C) It operated without electing a House Speaker.
D) It did not overturn a single gubernatorial veto.
E) It did not pass a single bill.

Question 50

Anyone can write a bill, but only members of the legislature can introduce a bill.

Question 51

The Texas House of Representatives is responsible for both impeaching government officials and holding the trials after impeachment.

Question 52

Special sessions last 30 days and there is a limit to the number of special sessions a governor can call.

Question 53

What is the importance of the Supreme Court case Reynolds v. Sims?

A) It declared the Voting Rights Act of 1965 constitutional.
B) It declared poll taxes unconstitutional.
C) It declared the constitutional principle of "one person, one vote."
D) It declared that preclearance was an unconstitutional abridgement of state power.
E) It declared racial gerrymandering to be unconstitutional.

Question 54

Revenue bills must begin in the House of Representatives.

Question 55

Like the U.S. president, the governor of Texas can kill a bill by refusing to sign it.

Question 56

The Texas Constitution permits the election to the Texas legislature of persons who are not U.S. citizens but who have been legal residents of Texas for at least 10 years.

Question 57

The lieutenant governor is also a member of the Texas House of Representatives.

Question 58

The Legislative Redistricting Board has the authority to draw new districts if

A) appointed to do so by the governor after a special redistricting session.
B) the legislature fails to redistrict in the first regular session.
C) ordered to do so by the state supreme court or a federal district court.
D) a majority in both the House and the Senate vote to allow it.
E) appointed to do so by the governor and lieutenant governor.

Question 59

Conference committees are designed to make Texas House and Senate bills identical to each other.

Question 60

Unlike the U.S. Senate, the Texas Senate does not permit filibusters.

Question 61

Describe how a bill becomes a state law. Consider the following questions: Who writes bills? What are the rules for debate on the floor? What are some of the powers of the governor throughout this process?

Question 62

If the Texas legislature fails to redistrict, the task of redistricting then falls to the federal district courts.

Question 63

The secretary of state in Texas is responsible for redrawing legislative districts every 10 years.

Question 64

Members of the Texas House of Representatives are permitted to speak on the House floor for as long as they wish.

Question 65

What are the different responsibilities and powers of the Texas legislature? What powers does the Texas Constitution grant? What are some of the informal powers individual representatives may wield?

Question 66

Describe the structure and organization of the Texas legislature. Consider the following questions: What are some of the effects of bicameralism? What are committees, and what are their roles? When is the Texas legislature in regular session?

Question 67

Does the increase in partisanship put the minority party at a bigger disadvantage when it comes to influencing legislation? Do the Texas legislature's presiding officers have too much power?