Deck 6: The Texas Legislature

Question 1

Regular sessions of the Texas legislature are limited to 140 calendar days.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Political party affiliation and party organization have grown in importance as Texas briefly became a two-party state and as Texas moved toward becoming a one-party Republican-dominated state.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The two houses of the Texas legislature have approximately equal power,but the Senate has more prestige and is considered the upper house.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Seniority is more important for members of the U.S.Congress than it is for members of the Texas legislature.

Question 5

In 1964,in Baker v.Carr,the Supreme Court set forth its first guidelines about conditions that would necessitate redrawing congressional district lines.

Question 6

Compared to legislators in other large states,Texas legislators are well paid.

Question 7

Redistricting is a highly technical issue that rarely involves partisan differences.

Question 8

When legislators attempt to reflect the views of their constituents in legislative debates and votes,they are said to be exercising the constituent function.

Question 9

Members of the Texas House must be at least twenty-six years old,qualified voters,legal residents of the state for five years,and residents of the district from which they are elected for one year.

Question 10

Every state in the United States has a bicameral legislature.

Question 11

Texas legislators tend to be over 65 years old and not well educated.

Question 12

When the Texas legislature is unable to accomplish redistricting,the Texas Supreme Court assumes the responsibility to do so.

Question 13

The speaker of the Texas House of Representatives can reward supporters by giving them key committee assignments and by helping them campaign for re-election.

Question 14

Lawyers hold almost one-third of the seats in the Texas legislature.

Question 15

The Texas legislature is responsible for its own redistricting as well as for that of the Texas congressional delegation.

Question 16

In the Texas legislature,members of the minority party are never appointed to chair committees or subcommittees.

Question 17

The lieutenant governor appoints all committee members and committee chairpersons and vice chairpersons in the Senate.

Question 18

Both ethnic minorities and women are considerably underrepresented in the Texas legislature.

Question 19

In Texas,either the governor or the legislature may call a special legislative session.

Question 20

The 1964 case of Reynolds v.Sims mandated that the membership of both houses of the legislature be based on population.

Question 21

The presiding officers of the Texas House and Senate basically control the flow of legislation.

Question 22

The Texas Senate has ____ members.

A) 25
B) 31
C) 50
D) 117
E) 150

Question 23

When the House and the Senate pass different versions of the same bill,the governor decides which one to sign

Question 24

A body that is empowered to create or amend a constitution is described as having a ____ function.

A) political
B) representative
C) judicial
D) constituent
E) electoral

Question 25

The positions of president pro tempore of the Senate and speaker pro tempore of the House rival the positions of lieutenant governor and speaker in importance.

Question 26

Texas legislators have more than adequate staff allowances,so that they do not have to rely on information provided by outside groups.

Question 27

The lieutenant governor and speaker are joint chairs of the Legislative Budget Board,the Texas Legislative Council,and the Legislative Audit Committee.

Question 28

The Texas House of Representatives has ____ members.

A) 50
B) 100
C) 131
D) 150
E) 435

Question 29

Strict lobbying laws insulate the average legislator from the influence of special interests.

Question 30

Only members of the Texas House of Representatives can "tag" a bill.

Question 31

The most obvious function of the legislature is to

A) administer government programs.
B) make public policy through the passage of legislation.
C) supervise judges.
D) nominate candidates for national office.
E) settle election disputes.

Question 32

Filibusters are allowed in both the House and Senate.

Question 33

Since 1975,legislative salaries in Texas have been ____ per year.

A) $200
B) $2,500
C) $7,200
D) $15,600
E) $35,500

Question 34

The process of drawing boundaries of electoral districts in such a way that one party or faction has an advantage over another is called

A) reapportionment.
B) redistricting.
C) filibustering.
D) gerrymandering.
E) log-rolling.

Question 35

In spite of being the smaller chamber,the Senate has more standing committees than the House.

Question 36

Annual sessions of the legislature would allow legislators to engage in more long-range planning of public policy than is now possible.

Question 37

Special sessions of the Texas legislature called by the governor are limited to a maximum of ____ days.

A) 10
B) 30
C) 50
D) 60
E) 90

Question 38

If both the legislature and the Legislative Redistricting Board fail to complete the reapportionment and redistricting task,the matter is resolved by the

A) governor.
B) state supreme court.
C) federal courts.
D) the comptroller of public accounts.
E) the Legislative Budget Board.

Question 39

Which of the following statements concerning party organization in the Texas legislature is incorrect?

A) The liberalism or conservatism of a legislator is often more important than the party label.
B) Both Democrats and Republicans chair standing committees in the legislature.
C) The presiding officers of the legislature generally de-emphasize partisanship.
D) The Senate is generally a more partisan chamber than the House.
E) Party divisions are much less important in the Texas legislature than in the U.S. Congress.

Question 40

Members of the Texas Senate serve ____-year staggered terms while members of the Texas House of Representatives serve ____-year terms.

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

Question 41

Which Speaker was elected to preside over the Texas House in 2009,elected by a bipartisan coalition?

A) Pete Laney
B) Billy Clayton
C) David Dewhurst
D) Joe Straus
E) Tom Craddick

Question 42

The presiding officer of the Texas House of Representatives is the

A) Governor.
B) Lieutenant Governor.
C) Speaker.
D) Attorney General.
E) longest serving member of the majority party in the chamber.

Question 43

Which of the following types of legislation may not originate in the Texas Senate?

A) Education bills
B) Revenue bills
C) Local bills
D) Welfare bills
E) Constitutional amendments

Question 44

Chairpersons of committees in the Texas legislature are selected by

A) the governor.
B) the presiding officers.
C) committee members.
D) the full House and Senate.
E) the seniority system, with the longest serving committee member being the chair.

Question 45

Members of the Texas Senate must be at least ____ years of age whereas members of the Texas House must be at least ____ years of age.

A) 21; 18
B) 23; 18
C) 23; 21
D) 26; 21
E) 30; 21

Question 46

The presiding officer of the Texas Senate is the

A) Governor.
B) Lieutenant Governor.
C) Speaker.
D) Attorney General.
E) Comptroller of Public Accounts.

Question 47

Compare and contrast the concepts of reapportionment and redistricting.Describe the process by which redistricting is carried out in Texas,including the role of the Legislative Redistricting Board.Explain how the handling of redistricting by the 2001and 2003 legislative sessions illustrates the political nature of redistricting.

Question 48

The procedural powers of the presiding officers of the Texas legislature include all but which one of the following powers?

A) The power to call special sessions of the legislature
B) The power to recognize legislators wishing to speak
C) The power to determine the timetable for debate
D) The power to refer bills to committees
E) The power to appoint legislators to committees and to appoint committee chairpersons

Question 49

Appropriations bills passed by the Texas legislature always take effect

A) immediately.
B) thirty days after the legislative session ends.
C) ninety days after the legislative session ends.
D) on January 1.
E) on September 1.

Question 50

Discuss three of the following formal functions of the Texas legislature: law-making,redistricting,the constituent/amendment function,the judicial function,the administrative function,and the investigatory function.Explain which of them is most central to the legislative role.

Question 51

Which of the following factors causes the high turnover that characterizes the Texas legislature?

A) Running for higher office
B) Retirement
C) Taking a job in the private sector
D) Reapportionment/redistricting
E) All of the above

Question 52

The speaker of the Texas House of Representatives is chosen by the

A) electorate.
B) Governor.
C) Attorney General.
D) Lieutenant Governor.
E) members of the House.

Question 53

Which one of the following bodies was created in 1949 to provide research and technical services to Texas legislators?

A) The Legislative Budget Board
B) The Legislative Budget Office
C) The Legislative Audit Committee
D) The Texas Legislative Council
E) The Texas Education Board

Question 54

The governor's item veto applies only to

A) education bills.
B) revenue bills.
C) appropriations bills.
D) welfare bills.
E) constitutional amendments.

Question 55

Appointing a committee member based on seniority refers to the practice of choosing the legislator who

A) is the oldest.
B) has served on the most committees.
C) has served the most terms in the legislature.
D) is the most distinguished.
E) has the most money.

Question 56

The governor's veto power is almost absolute because

A) the legislature often adjourns before the governor has had time to act on a bill.
B) the Texas constitution makes the governor very strong.
C) the legislature has no procedure to override the governor's veto.
D) checks and balances are nonexistent.
E) the presiding officers of the legislature have little power.

Question 57

Which of the following groups are underrepresented in the Texas legislature?

A) Attorneys
B) Farmers and ranchers
C) Women
D) White males
E) Businesspersons

Question 58

When a bill is pigeonholed by a committee,it is

A) given the highest priority.
B) placed on the calendar.
C) given a special rule by the rules committee.
D) put on the bottom of a committee's agenda never to be seen again.
E) earmarked to receive favorable consideration from the appropriations committee.

Question 59

The typical Texas legislator is

A) college-educated.
B) a white male.
C) married.
D) a member of several civic organizations.
E) all of the above.

Question 60

The current salary for legislators in Texas was established by

A) the governor.
B) the legislature.
C) the Texas Supreme Court.
D) a constitutional amendment.
E) the Legislative Budget Board.

Question 61

Describe how are the presiding officers of the Texas legislature are selected.Explain why the selection of presiding officers might be more important in Texas than it is in other states.Elaborate on the powers these officers have with regard to the organization of the legislature.

Question 62

Explain how the emergence of a two-party system in the state had affected the organization of the Texas legislature.Discuss how the selection of Joe Straus as Speaker in 2009 represented a desire to return to the nonpartisan traditions of the Texas House.

Question 63

Describe the committee system in the Texas legislature.Explain the responsibilities of the various types of committees.Explain the essential role played by committees in the legislative process.