Deck 7: The Governor and the Executive Branch

Question 1

Miriam "Ma" Ferguson, the first female governor in Texas history, served two non-consecutive terms:

A) 1903-05 and 1911-13
B) 1917-19 and 1925-27
C) 1925-27 and 1933-35
D) 1941-43 and 1947-49

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The term of the governor was lengthened from two years to four in:

A) 1952
B) 1960
C) 1968
D) 1974

Answer 2

D

Question 3

How old does one have to be to serve as governor of Texas?

A) 25
B) 30
C) 35
D) 40

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Most gubernatorial appointees to agencies, boards, and commissions serve terms of:

A) 2 years
B) 4 years
C) 5 years
D) 6 years

Question 5

Which Democrat did Dan Patrick defeat in 2018 to remain Lt. Gov.?

A) Ann Richards
B) Tony Sanchez
C) Mike Collier
D) Ted Poe

Question 6

How many employees are there in the Attorney General's office?

A) 4,100
B) 3,200
C) 1,200
D) 600

Question 7

Which of the following is not a statewide elected office in Texas?

A) Comptroller
B) Attorney General
C) Land Commissioner
D) Secretary of State

Question 8

Members of the Texas State Board of Education are elected to four-year terms. How many members are there?

A) 15
B) 25
C) 35
D) 50

Question 9

Which recent governor gave the most state government appointments to Hispanics?

A) Ann Richards
B) George W. Bush
C) Rick Perry
D) Greg Abbott

Question 10

What year did George W. Bush resign as governor of Texas to run for the presidency?

A) 1998
B) 1999
C) 2000
D) 2001

Question 11

What was the name of W. Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel's campaign band?

A) Hillbilly Boys
B) Pappy's Fiddlers
C) Texas Troubadours
D) Texas Fiddlers

Question 12

What is the salary of the Texas governor?

A) $132,500
B) $153,750
C) $203,000
D) $251,600

Question 13

Greg Abbott won his first full four-year term as governor in:

A) 2008
B) 2010
C) 2012
D) 2014

Question 14

How many terms may a Texas governor serve?

A) 1 six-year term
B) 2 four-year terms
C) 4 two-year terms
D) No limit

Question 15

How many appointments does the governor make to Texas' agencies, boards, and commissions over a four-year term?

A) 2,500
B) 3,500
C) 4,000
D) 4,500

Question 16

The Texas governor's greatest budgetary power is:

A) budget message
B) line-item veto
C) conference committee
D) executive supremacy

Question 17

Of the 2,096 vetoes cast by Texas governors since 1876, how many have been overridden by the legislature?

A) none
B) 5
C) 26
D) 73

Question 18

How many employees work for Texas county and municipal governments in Texas?

A) 340,000
B) 450,000
C) 510,000
D) 743,000

Question 19

Who is the current Comptroller of Public Accounts in Texas?

A) Carole Strayhorn
B) Glenn Hegar
C) Ted Poe
D) Lee O'Daniel

Question 20

Who is the current Land Commissioner in Texas?

A) George P. Bush
B) John Sharp
C) Ted Poe
D) Lee O'Daniel

Question 21

Which of the following has never been Agriculture Commissioner in Texas?

A) Rick Perry
B) Sid Miller
C) David Dewhurst
D) Todd Staples

Question 22

Who is the Commissioner of Health and Human Services in Texas?

A) Mike Geeslin
B) Cecile Young
C) Hope Andrade
D) Jerry Patterson

Question 23

When was the Texas Railroad Commission founded?

A) 1845
B) 1876
C) 1891
D) 1907

Question 24

How many agencies, boards, and commissions are there in Texas state government?

A) 65
B) 125
C) 225
D) 275

Question 25

Which recent Texas governor vetoed the most bills?

A) Bill Clements
B) Ann Richards
C) George W. Bush
D) Rick Perry
Instructor Test Bank

Question 26

Does the governor of Texas have more power or less power than most other governors over the preparation, consideration, and enactment of the state budget?
Do the governor's current budgetary powers seem appropriate or not?

Question 27

Texas state government has a plural executive system. In addition to the governor, the lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller, agriculture commissioner, and land commissioner are elected independently and run their own departments and agencies. Is this diffuse authority a good thing or a bad thing and why?

Question 28

Does the Constitution of 1876 still serve Texas well or should we consider serious reform of the executive branch of state government? If so, what reforms seem most pressing and what benefits might be expected from these reforms?

Question 29

Which statewide elected offices in Texas has Greg Abbott held?

Question 30

Describe the governor's appointment power. How many appointments does he make and who else, if anyone, is involved?

Question 31

Why does the Lt. Gov. receive a salary of just $7,200 a year plus a daily per diem?

Question 32

Describe the influence that the Comptroller derives from his responsibility to issue a "revenue estimate" at the beginning of each legislative session.

Question 33

What role does the veto play in the governor's interaction with the legislature?

Question 34

Texas imposes a three term limit on its governors.

Question 35

Rick Perry switched from Democrat to Republican in 1989.

Question 36

One has to be a natural born citizen of the U.S. to be governor of Texas.

Question 37

The Texas governor does not have an independent clemency or pardon power.

Question 38

Rolando Pablos is the current Texas Secretary of State.

Question 39

Governor Jim Hogg named his daughter _______, claiming not to have foreseen the laughable results.

Question 40

_______was the longest serving governor in Texas history.

Question 41

There have been_______ female governors in Texas history.

Question 42

The current Texas Attorney General is _______

Question 43

The legendary_______ was Comptroller from 1975 to 1990.

Question 44

________was the first Republican governor in modern Texas history.