Deck 7: The Governor

Question 1

Who was the only Republican governor in Texas history until the election of Bill Clements in 1978?

A)E. J. Davis
B)Clayton Williams
C)Ann Richards
D)Bill White
E)George W. Bush

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Ann Richards was the second woman to be elected governor in Texas history.Who was the first?​

A)Miriam (​Ma) Ferguson
B)​Sheila Jackson Lee
C)​Hillary Clinton
D)​Kay Bailey Hutchison
E)​Carole Keeton Strayhorn

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The Texas Constitution provides for fringe benefits for the governor, including _____.

A)​official mansion
B)​travel budget
C)​car
D)use of state-owned aircraft
​
E)all of these

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of these is not one of the personal characteristics shared by most Texas governors?

A)politically liberal
B)wealthy
C)Protestant
D)involved in civic affairs
E)male

Question 5

Who was the longest-serving governor in Texas history?

A)Ann Richards
B)John Connally
C)Mark White
D)Bill Clements
E)Rick Perry

Question 6

Which governor of Texas could most accurately be described as a populist,particularly in regard to staffing the governor's office?

A)Rick Perry
B)Bill Clements
C)Mark White
D)Ann Richards
E)George W. Bush

Question 7

​As of 2006,the staff in the Texas governor's office,compared with governors' offices in other states,is _____.

A)​among the largest, more than any other state besides Florida
B)among the largest, more than any other state besides California
C)​somewhere near the average number of staff members compared to all other states
D)​among the smallest, fewer than any other state besides Vermont
E)among the smallest, fewer than any other state besides Louisiana

Question 8

Which governor was often labeled the "thorny rose of Texas"?

A)Miriam "Ma" Ferguson
B)Dolph Briscoe
C)Ann Richards
D)George Bush
E)Rick Perry

Question 9

Which of these governors was an attorney?

A)Bill Clements
B)Mark White
C)Ann Richards
D)George Bush
E)Rick Perry

Question 10

As of 2009,the annual salary of the Texas governor was set at _____.

A)$91,000
B)$150,000
C)$292,225
D)$334,456
E)$410,700

Question 11

The Texas Constitution lists which of these as grounds for impeachment?​

A)malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance
B)​misconduct, incompetence, or failure to perform
C)conviction of high crimes and misdemeanors
D)​lying under oath
E)none of these

Question 12

In 1990,which of these mayarguably have beenthe biggest factor in the election of Ann Richards as Texas governor over Clayton Williams?

A)Richards's pledge toward a bipartisan approach to office and strict ideological conservatism
B)Richards's support of the Republican agenda in Texas and "compassionate conservatism"
C)Richards's support of the Republican agenda in Texas and strict ideological conservatism
D)Williams's off-color remarks directed toward women and ordinary taxpayers
E)Williams's pledge to support the Democratic agenda in Texas, and strict ideological liberalism

Question 13

The Governor must be at least _____ years old to be elected.

A)21
B)25
C)30
D)35
E)40

Question 14

Elections for Texas governor are held​ every _____.

A)​even-numbered year
B)even-numbered year when there is no presidential election
C)odd-numbered year
D)odd-numbered year when there is no presidential election
E)three years

Question 15

Since 1974,the length of the Texas governor's term has been set at _____ years.

A)three
B)four
C)five
D)six
E)eight

Question 16

Which governor was the only one ever removed through impeachment proceedings?

A)Bill Clements
B)Mark White
C)Miriam B. Ferguson
D)Jim Ferguson
E)John Connally

Question 17

What is the constitutional limit on the number of terms a governor may serve in Texas?

A)one
B)two
C)three
D)four
E)none; there is no limit

Question 18

In impeachment proceedings,the _____ must first impeach and then the _____ acts as a trial court.

A)Senate; House of Representatives
B)House of Representatives; Senate
C)House of Representatives; Supreme Court
D)Senate; Court of Criminal Appeals
E)​Supreme Court; Court of Criminal Appeals

Question 19

Which individual would not be eligible to serve as governor of Texas?

A)​a 40-year-old woman born and raised in New Mexico who moved to Texas last year
B)​a 50-year-old man born and raised in New York who moved to Texas in 1990
C)​a 35-year-old woman who was born and lived her entire life in Fort Worth, Texas
D)​a 70-year-old man born in Maine who lived in Houston since he was 10
E)​none of these, as all of them would be eligible

Question 20

When the governor of Texas dies,resigns,or is removed from office by impeachment and conviction,the _____ becomes governor.

A)lieutenant governor
B)speaker of the House
C)attorney general
D)secretary of state
E)adjutant general

Question 21

Who was the first non-Anglo to ever be elected Texas governor?​

A)Mark Clements
B)Tony Sanchez
C)​Ann Richards
D)​Ron Kirk
E)​none of these

Question 22

​Which of these plays a dominant role in preparing a budget for the state legislature to consider?

A)​members of the Legislative Budget Board
B)​the governor
C)​the comptroller
D)​the attorney general
E)people in allthe positions in the plural executive

Question 23

Which of these is not an appointed position?​

A)​secretary of state
B)commissioner of insurance
C)commissioner of education
D)​commissioner of health and human services
E)​commissioner of agriculture

Question 24

What is the governor allowed to do without a recommendation from the state Board of Pardons and Paroles?​

A)​grant a full pardon
B)offer a commutation
C)​give a conditional pardon
D)grant parole
E)​none of these

Question 25

​Who is able to propose a Texas state budget?

A)​only the governor
B)​only members who serve on the Legislative Budget Board
C)​only the state comptroller
D)​the governor and members who serve on the Legislative Budget Board
E)the governor and the state comptroller

Question 26

The governor has a major effect on state policy through his or her _____.

A)domination of the budget process
B)appointment of the attorney general
C)ability to control the courts
D)power to make approximately 3,000 appointments to boards and commissions
E)dominance of the Texas Senate when it is in session

Question 27

Address and quo warranto proceedings are both methods of _____.

A)evading limits on the governor's power to make appointments
B)removing an official from office
C)promoting the representation of minorities on state boards and commissions
D)preparing the executive budget
E)preparing for prosecution of those charged with capital crimes

Question 28

When the Texas governor calls for a special session of the legislature,the agenda for the session is set by the _____.

A)legislature
B)governor
C)lieutenant governor
D)speaker of the House
E)Supreme Court

Question 29

Assume that the governor in 2010 appointed someone to head the state's Public Utilities Commission,a six-year term lasting until 2016.If a different personwere elected governor in 2014,what would be the fate of the head of this commission?

A)​The newly elected governor would call for a special election to determine whether thehead of the commission could remain in this position.
B)​The newly elected governor would immediately replace the head of the commissionwith someone else.
C)​The head of the commission would most likely continue to serving in that position until 2016.
D)​The head of the commission would most likely resign.
E)​None of these would happen.

Question 30

​Senatorial courtesy refers to _____.

A)​the respectful manner with which state senators normally treat each other
B)​the tradition whereby individual state senators have an unofficial veto over any appointee of the governor who resides in their districts
C)​the legislative custom whereby the House usually accepts amendments added by the Senate to legislation that initially passed the House
D)​the tradition where a majority of state senators can reject a judicial nomination of the governor
E)​the tradition where a majority of state House members can reject a judicial nomination of the governor

Question 31

Assume that a convicted murderer who has beensentenced to death has asked the Texas governor to postpone his eventual execution.If this inmate has not previously made this request at least thirty days before,which of these would the governor need to legally grant this postponement?

A)​recommendation from the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles
B)​approval of the Texas Senate
C)​majority vote from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
D)approval from the Texas House of Representatives
E)​none of these

Question 32

​Which of these is not considered a formal power of the governor?

A)​chief of party
B)​chief intergovernmental diplomat
C)​chief of state
D)​chief executive
E)​chief legislator

Question 33

Under which governor did the state legislature significantly increase the governor'sformal powers?

A)​Rick Perry
B)​George W. Bush
C)​Ann Richards
D)​Bill Clements
E)​Mark White

Question 34

Exercising the message power and the session power are among the Texas governor's responsibilities in his or her role as _____.

A)chief executive
B)chief legislator
C)chief of state
D)chief intergovernmental diplomat
E)leader of the people

Question 35

Gubernatorial appointments in Texas must be confirmed by the state's _____.

A)Supreme Court
B)Senate
C)House of Representatives
D)secretary of state
E)attorney general

Question 36

Which of these officials is appointed by the governor in Texas?

A)lieutenant governor
B)attorney general
C)railroad commissioner
D)agriculture commissioner
E)secretary of state

Question 37

The Texas governor's veto power is absolute when _____.

A)the bill being vetoed is produced during a special (called) session
B)the bill being vetoed is an itemized appropriations bill
C)the veto occurs within ten days of the time the bill is sent to the governor
D)the legislature adjourns prior to the exercise of the veto
E)it is accompanied by an attorney general's opinion declaring the law unconstitutional

Question 38

Which of these is not considered a formal legislative power of the governor?​

A)message power
B)​session power
C)​veto power
D)​budgetary power
E)​none of these, as all of them are formal legislative powers

Question 39

By law,the governor must submit a biennial budget message to the state legislature within five days after that body convenes in regular session.This budget is prepared by the _____.

A)Legislative Budget Board
B)Texas Legislative Council
C)Budget, Planning and Policy Division
D)Economic Development and Tourism Office
E)General Land Office

Question 40

How is the plural executivebest described?

A)​as highly fragmented
B)​as highly concentrated
C)​as all appointed by the governor
D)​as all appointed by the lieutenant governor
E)​as highly divided between the governor's appointees and the lieutenant governor's appointees

Question 41

Discuss the informal roles that the governor of Texas is expected to play.Since these roles are not constitutionally mandated,discuss how they came about.Explain the value of these roles to the governor in the exercise of power.

Question 42

What is the structure of the Texas governorship like? Be sure to discuss how the governor is selected; the governor's term of office,tenure,compensation,and staffing privileges; and the impeachment process.How does the Texas governorship compare with the governorship of other states? Explain.

Question 43

​Which of these informal roles does the governor serve as the symbolic head of his or her political party in Texas?

A)​chief of party
B)leader ofthe people
C)​chief intergovernmental diplomat
D)chief of state
E)​commander in chief

Question 44

In comparison with governors from other states,how might Texas's governor run the state alongside a plural executive?

Question 45

​Which state governor was known for using a more combative approach among both Republicans and Democrats?

A)​Rick Perry
B)​George W. Bush
C)​Ann Richards
D)​Bill Clements
E)​Mark White

Question 46

The power of the governor in Texas to delete individual items from an appropriations bill without having to veto it in its entirety is known as the _____.

A)veto
B)item veto
C)pocket veto
D)post-adjournment veto
E)executive order

Question 47

Discuss the major factors that limit the Texas governor's ability to function effectively as chief executive.Despite these limits,governors can be effective in supervising the executive branch.Explain how.

Question 48

The Texas Constitution provides that its governoris the chief intergovernmental diplomat,which means that the governor is the state's representative in all dealings with_____.​

A)​the national government
B)other states
C)all cities and counties in Texas
D)the national government, other states, and all cities and counties in Texas
E)​the national government and other states

Question 49

What role does the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles play in the governor's power with regard to acts of clemency?

Question 50

Based on the lessons that can be drawn from the text's biographical sketches of recent governors,describe an "ideal" Texas governor.In your response,address what prior experiences would be advantageous and what personality characteristics and leadership style seem best suited for gubernatorial success.

Question 51

​In comparison with governors from other states,Texas's governor ranks _____.

A)​as one of the strongest state governors in the United States
B)​as one of the weakest state governors in the United States
C)a little bit above average in strength among the nation's governors
D)a little below average in strengthamong the nation's governors
E)around the middle in terms of strength compared to other state governors

Question 52

Why is it so hard for the Texas legislature to override the governor's veto?​

Question 53

The power to declare martial law in the state is one of the Texas governor's powers as _____.

A)chief executive
B)chief legislator
C)commander in chief
D)chief of state
E)chief intergovernmental diplomat

Question 54

Using the media or public appearances to gain support for programs and visiting disaster victims are aspects of the governor's role as _____.

A)chief executive
B)commander in chief/top cop
C)chief intergovernmental diplomat
D)chief of party
E)leader of the people

Question 55

Discuss the nature of the plural executive in Texas.How does the plural executive affect and/or limit the governor's ability to govern? Explain your answer.

Question 56

​Which of these is considered a reason that opposes an expansion of the governor's powers?

A)​The governor already has a lot of personal power based on the margin of electoral victory and personal persuasion, so additional power is not necessary.
B)Because there is often no clear executive authority from the governor, bureaucrats have too much discretion to act on their own.
C)​The governor needs to be able to control all boards and commissions soon after his or her election to implement more favorable policies.
D)​The legislature's power is too strong, and a stronger governor would help counteract that.
E)​There are too many elected officials in Texas, creating confusion among the public.

Question 57

Broadly speaking and based on Beyle's ranking of institutional power,how does Texas's governor rank compared to other state governors?

Question 58

How did Rick Perry's governorship,particularly when he was interacting with the state legislature,differ from that of George W.Bush?

Question 59

Which of these is considered a reason that supports an expansion of the governor's powers?​

A)​The governor would have more meaningful budget authority.
B)​The governor's veto power is not as absolute as it should be.
C)​Dispersion of power is a good way to keep one person from gaining too much control.
D)​The governor would be able to appoint more people to serve on the state executive board.
E)​The personal power of the governor is not strong enough.

Question 60

Generally speaking,​most people are _____ of the limitations of the governor's powers,and thus look to _____.

A)unaware;the governor to successfully solve the state's problems
B)aware;the governor to fail at solving the state's problems
C)aware; the state's lieutenant governor instead
D)aware; the state's attorney general instead
E)​aware;the cities and local communities instead

Question 61

​Cross-Chapter Essay Question (Chapters 2 and 7): How does the Texas Constitution's use of the plural executive limit the powers of the Texas governor?

Question 62

​Cross-Chapter Essay Question (Chapters 6 and 7): ​How does the legislature act as an impediment to the governor's goals?