Deck 18: The Texas Legislature

Question 1

If you are a member of the Texas House of Representatives and wish to become the next Speaker,how would you go about getting elected to that position?

A)Seek the nomination of your party for the Speakership at the start of a new legislative session.
B)Run for the office of Speaker of the Texas House in an at-large, statewide election in order to be directly elected by the people of Texas to the Speakership.
C)Work diligently for reelection every two years, since the Speakership goes to the most senior member of the Texas House.
D)Campaign among the membership of the Texas House to persuade members of the House to elect you to the Speakership at the start of a new regular session.
E)Seek the appointment to that position from the governor, who is responsible for selecting the Speaker of the Texas House.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The Texas legislature ignores the proposed biennial state budget submitted to it by the governor in favor of the budget prepared by the

A)Legislative Budget Board.
B)the State Board of Control.
C)the Texas Budget Authority.
D)lieutenant governor.
E)Comptroller of Public Accounts.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The first legislature of the State of Texas convened

A)immediately after Texas declared independence from Mexico.
B)immediately after Texas joined the United States.
C)at the start of the Civil War.
D)during Reconstruction.
E)following the adoption of the Texas Constitution of 1876.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

A bill that has been given final approval on the third reading in the chamber where the bill originated is considered to be

A)approved for transmission to the governor for signature or veto.
B)an engrossed bill.
C)germane.
D)an enrolled bill.
E)a local bill.

Question 5

African Americans played an integral role in the political and legislative process in Texas during Reconstruction.

Question 6

"Ghost voting" refers to the practice in which

A)former members of the legislature are, on occasion, allowed to vote on measures significant to the district they once represented.
B)legislation is passed without a recorded vote.
C)a member will vote on behalf of an absent colleague using the colleague's unique electronic voting device.
D)votes are falsified and entered into the record by legislative leaders who are attempting to pass a particular measure by any means possible.
E)a vote of "present" is considered either a "yes" or "no" vote depending on what outcome the presiding office desires.

Question 7

The Texas legislature typically meets in regular session

A)once a year for 140 days.
B)twice a year for 70 days each time.
C)once every two years for 140 days.
D)once every three years for 210 days.
E)continuously every year.

Question 8

If a state representative is "carrying water," he or she is obliged to support a local bill for another member because that member supported your local bill previously.

Question 9

The president of the Senate is the

A)President pro tempore.
B)Speaker.
C)Majority Leader.
D)Minority Leader.
E)Lieutenant Governor.

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT a job of the legislative staff?

A)Provide constituent services
B)Provide administrative support
C)Assist in drafting legislation
D)Negotiate with lobbyists
E)Formally introduce bills in the House in the absence of a representative

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT a means in which the governor influences the legislative process?

A)Issuing an emergency declaration for a legislator's bill
B)Using his/her veto power over legislation
C)Calling the legislature into special session
D) Personally and formally introducing a bill in the legislature
E)Setting the agenda for a special session

Question 12

A trend in the Texas legislature is toward

A)more power in the hands of the liberal members.
B)increased partisan rancor and partisan structural organization.
C)a decrease in the power of the Speaker over committees.
D)a decrease in the role of party caucuses.
E)higher annual salaries for members.

Question 13

Who is allowed to call a special session of the legislature?

A)The governor
B)The Speaker
C)The lieutenant governor
D)The majority leaders of the two chambers
E)The governor in concert with the Speaker and lieutenant governor

Question 14

The weighty,detailed work of the legislature-such as hearings,testimony,deliberation,and marking up proposed legislation-is done

A)on the floor.
B)by the House of Representatives.
C)in the lobby.
D)in committees.
E)in the Senate.

Question 15

.Texas is no longer subject to the preclearance requirements of the Voting Rights Act.

Question 16

Since 1876,there have been 181 seats in the legislature-31 seats in the Senate and 150 seats in the House of Representatives.

Question 17

Which of the following is a joint legislative committee that provides legal advice,bill drafting,program evaluation,and other services to members of the Texas legislature?

A)Legislative Budget Board
B)Calendars Committee
C)Legislative Council
D)Office of the Lieutenant Governor
E)House Bill Analysis Office

Question 18

Texas senators have six-year terms of office and members of the Texas House have two-year terms.

Question 19

The annual salary of a member of the Texas legislature is

A)$7,200.
B)$30,336.
C)$79,500.
D)$95,291.
E)$150,000.

Question 20

Interim committees meet

A)during the regular session to focus on pending legislation.
B)during special sessions only.
C)to focus on rules and administrative procedures in the Texas Senate.
D)between sessions of the legislature.
E)to plan a state budget and submit it to the governor.

Question 21

What is the purpose of the Legislative Redistricting Board?

A)To redraw legislative districts if the legislature fails to do so
B)To redraw legislative districts immediately before the Census
C)To advise the governor on redistricting
D)To reapportion congressional districts in Texas
E)To prevent the legislature from gerrymandering legislative districts

Question 22

Because the Texas legislature over the past few decades has met so often in special session,the National Conference of State Legislatures now considers Texas to be a(n)

A)annual legislature.
B)citizen legislature.
C)biennial legislature.
D)bicameral legislature.
E)hybrid legislature.

Question 23

What function is served by the U.S.Voting Rights Act?

A)Promoting efficient national voting procedures
B)Establishing a uniform national voting system
C)Enforcing the federal oversight responsibility of elections in the state
D)Protecting civil rights
E)Enhancing the power of the majority party in control of Congress at a given time

Question 24

Individual representatives in the Texas legislature did not have offices or staff members until the 1960s.

Question 25

While Texas governors possess strong control over the executive branch,they wield much weaker tools of influence over the legislative process.

Question 26

If a legislature is in a state that has a history of electoral discrimination against minority groups,what would that state be required to do before proceeding with redistricting plans?

A)Preclear its redistricting plans with the U.S. Supreme Court under the terms of the U.S. Voting Rights Act.
B)Preclear its redistricting plans with its own legislative redistricting board under guidelines established by the U.S. Supreme Court.
C)Submit its preliminary redistricting plans to the U.S. Nonpartisan Redistricting Commission.
D)Submit its redistricting plans to its state supreme court.
E)Submit its redistricting plans to the National Conference of State Legislatures to determine that no gerrymander is involved in the redistricting plans.

Question 27

Texas operates with a two-year budget.

Question 28

What was the legislature called during the Republic of Texas?

A)The Texas Legislature
B)The Texas Parliament
C)The Texas Congress
D)The Texas Assembly
E)The Texas Caucus

Question 29

Which of the following is NOT a feature of the Texas legislature?

A)Meets biennially
B)Regular sessions last 140 days.
C)Sessions start in January of even-numbered years.
D)Special sessions of up to 30 days may be called by the governor.
E)Other than calendar restraints, there is no limit to the number of special sessions that may be called in a year.

Question 30

If a member of the Texas House of Representatives or Texas Senate goes into active military service,he or she may

A)vote absentee via the Internet on pending legislation that has reached a floor vote.
B)appoint a temporary replacement legislator.
C)is considered to have resigned her or his seat and a special election is called to fill the vacancy.
D)designate a fellow legislator in the chamber in which she or he serves, to act and vote in her or his place during the session.
E)cast votes in the Texas legislature remotely through a highly secure electronic system.

Question 31

Representatives and Senators are elected to what terms,respectively?

A)1 and 3 years
B)2 and 4 years
C)2 and 6 years
D)4 and 6 years
E)2 years for both

Question 32

Which of the following statements accurately describes the Texas legislature?

A)The Texas House has 31 members elected for four-year terms while the Texas Senate has 150 members elected for two-year terms.
B)The Texas House has 150 members elected for two-year terms while the Texas Senate has 31 members elected for six-year terms.
C)The Texas House has 150 members elected for two-year terms while the Texas Senate has 31 members elected for four-year terms.
D)The Texas House has 435 members elected for 2-year terms and the Texas Senate has 100 members elected for 6-year terms.
E)The Texas Legislature is a unicameral legislative body.

Question 33

Redistricting-the process of redrawing the boundaries of legislative and House congressional districts-occurs every ten years in the Texas legislature following the report from Washington of the

A)National Conference of State Legislatures.
B)U)S. Census.
C)Electoral College.
D)Presidential Commission on Redistricting and Reapportionment.
E)Joint Congressional Committee on Legislative Districts.

Question 34

How often must the Texas district lines be redrawn?

A)whenever the need arises based upon the determination of the Legislative Redistricting Board
B)once a year
C)once every 5 years
D)once every 10 years
E)once every 15 years

Question 35

Which of the following statements accurately describes the Texas legislature?

A)Members of the Texas House are elected from single-member districts; members of the Texas Senate are elected at-large in state-wide elections
B)Legislators, both members of the House and the Senate, are elected from single-member districts
C)Members of the Texas House are elected at-large in state-wide elections; members of the Texas Senate are elected from single-member districts
D)Member of the Texas Senate are limited to serving a maximum of two four-year terms of office
E)Members of the Texas House are limited to serving a maximum of four two-year terms of office

Question 36

The Texas House cannot consider any bill unless it has been presented to the public in a formal committee meeting where citizens can testify in favor or against they bill.

Question 37

A constitutional amendment was submitted to the voters in 2007 which required a recorded vote on final passage of a bill which supporters argued would make government more transparent.Voters approved the amendment.

Question 38

During the Constitutional Convention of 1845,there was an effort to strip the right to vote from whom?

A)Anglos
B)Hispanics
C)African Americans
D)Native Americans
E)Immigrants

Question 39

The Texas legislature is

A)bicameral.
B)unicameral.
C)non-partisan.
D)parliamentary.
E)full-time and meets annually.

Question 40

The Texas legislature

A)currently does not have any Hispanic members.
B)overrepresented African Americans during the years of Democratic dominance.
C)prohibits service by Native Americans unless they give up their tribal affiliations.
D)has been dominated by Anglos.
E)fairly closely represents Texas in terms of socio-demographic characteristics.

Question 41

In the Texas House of Representatives,how are members of committees and committee chairs assigned?

A)Entirely at the discretion of the Speaker.
B)Strictly according to seniority.
C)Through a process that includes seniority and appointment by the Speaker
D)Nominations are made by the Speaker and the full house votes among those nominated
E)By the majority leader of the House.

Question 42

If a vacancy occurs during the term of office of the lieutenant governor,how is a new lieutenant governor selected?

A)A special state-wide election is called to fill the remaining term of the former lieutenant governor
B)The Senate elects one of its members to the position of lieutenant governor to serve the balance of the vacant term
C)The governor appoints a new lieutenant governor, with the approval of a vote of the full legislature
D)The president pro tempore of the Texas Senate takes over the vacated position for the remainder of the term of office
E)The Legislative Redistricting Board appoints a new lieutenant governor, with the approval of a vote of the full legislature

Question 43

Which of the following steps is NOT required for a bill to pass and be sent to the governor?

A)Be reported out of its assigned committee
B)Be read on three separate days in the House
C)Be read on three separate days in the Senate
D)Pass both chambers in exactly the same form
E)Obtain the approval of the Lieutenant Governor

Question 44

Which of the following is NOT an example of a substantive committee from the 2009 session of the Texas legislature?

A)Pensions, Investments, and Financial Services
B)Public Safety
C)Education
D)Technology, Economic Development, and Workforce
E)House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming

Question 45

Which of the following has only recently become a factor in the development of coalitions in the Texas Senate?

A)Loyalty
B)Personal relationships
C)Partisanship
D)Leadership
E)The Speaker's race

Question 46

Which kind of resolution expresses the will of both chambers without carrying the force of law?

A)Housekeeping
B)Concurrent
C)Simple
D)Joint
E)Ad Hoc

Question 47

Why are Texas legislators unlikely to limit their own terms?

A)Because the Texas Constitution of 1876 explicitly forbids it
B)Because many legislators would like to stay in office for a long time
C)Because of the high salary paid members of the legislature
D)Because most legislators in Texas are Democrats, and the Democratic Party traditional opposes term limits
E)Because an amendment to the state constitution would be required to establish legislative term limits, and Texas legislators are loath to amendment the state constitution.

Question 48

What does the expression "That dog won't hunt" mean in Texas politics?

A)An individual lacks a credible proposal or argument
B)A lack of faith in a person's convictions
C)An individual's lack of political power
D)That something is a "non-issue"
E)Disappointment in the ethical behavior of a politician

Question 49

In 2008,what was the turnover rate for the Texas House?

A)15 percent
B)40 percent
C)59 percent
D)98 percent
E)100 percent

Question 50

Which party's officeholders are most ethnically diverse?

A)Republican
B)Democratic
C)Libertarian
D)Populist
E)Independent

Question 51

The vice president serves as president of the U.S.Senate,but this role is mostly ceremonial.The de facto head of the U.S.Senate is the Senate majority leader.In Texas,the __________ serves as the president of the Senate,and the __________ is the real leader of the Texas Senate.

A)vice president of Texas; Senate majority leader
B)lieutenant governor; Senate majority leader
C)lieutenant governor; lieutenant governor
D)vice president of Texas; lieutenant governor
E)Senate majority leader; Speaker of the Texas House

Question 52

What can be inferred from redistricting of Texas's House congressional districts in the 2003 Texas legislative session?

A)Redistricting efforts by the courts are usually ineffective.
B)Gerrymandering is a fact of life in redistricting .
C)Enacting fair and balanced district lines is a goal of the legislature, no matter which political
Party is in the majority.
D)Redistricting by the courts is always fair.
E)Involvement in redistricting by state and federal courts is quite rare.

Question 53

Drawing legislative district lines to diminish or enhance the power of one political party or of one racial or ethnic group is known as

A)redistricting.
B)redlining.
C)gerrymandering.
D)reapportionment.
E)logrolling.

Question 54

Which of the following is most significantly underrepresented in the Texas legislature?

A)Lawyers
B)Urbanites
C)Rural residents
D)Women
E)Millionaires

Question 55

If the Texas Senate passes a bill requiring all motorcycle drivers and passengers in Texas to wear a helmet,and the Texas House passes a similar bill requiring all motorcycle drivers and passengers 18 years-of-age and younger to wear a helmet,what happens to the proposed motorcycle helmet legislation?

A)The two bills are sent separately to the governor for approval or veto.
B)Both bills are returned to their respective substantive committees of origin for revision and resubmission to the floor of both chambers.
C)The two bills are sent to a conference committee to prepare a common version of the bill, which will be subsequently reported back to both chambers.
D)Because the two bills differ, the legislation is dead, and both chambers must begin the process again.
E)The two bills are sent to an interim committee for analysis and revision, and a compromise bill is submitted to both chambers during the next legislative session.

Question 56

Which of the following best describes the Speaker's race?

A)Each legislator votes on the candidate for Speaker who is nominated by that person's party.
B)A statewide election in which citizens select the leader of the Texas Senate
C)Legislators vote for a Speaker from a list of five candidates compiled by the governor.
D)Potential Speakers collect signed pledges from Senators (and even Senate candidates)before the vote is actually held.
E)The member of the majority party with the greatest seniority becomes Speaker.

Question 57

What was the Sharpstown scandal?

A)An election scandal involving intimidation by the police
B)A sex scandal involving the lieutenant governor
C)A fistfight that broke out on the Senate floor involving moderate and conservative Republicans
D)A tax scandal involving the Speaker's failure to pay taxes on rental income for a property he owned in the Bahamas
E)A ethics scandal involving the use of taxpayer funds for electoral purposes

Question 58

Which religious denomination has the highest membership in the Texas legislature?

A)Catholic
B)Baptist
C)Methodist
D)Episcopal
E)Pentecostal

Question 59

As a state legislator,to avoid taking a stand on legislation which would adversely affect you regardless of whether you vote for or against the bill,what action might you strongly consider?

A)Logrolling
B)Gutting
C)Backscratching
D)Taking a walk
E)Gerrymandering

Question 60

In the Texas Senate,members of committees and committee chairs are assigned

A)by the lieutenant governor.
B)according to seniority.
C)by the lieutenant governor and according to a weak seniority system.
D)by a vote of the full Senate.
E)by the majority leader of the Senate.

Question 61

Which of the following is NOT an issue that has been subject to reform measures undertaken to address perceived problems with the Texas legislature?

A)Campaign finance
B)Concentration of power in the hands of the Speaker
C)Voting procedure in the Texas legislature
D)Ghost voting
E)Abuse of the veto override power

Question 62

The joint committee responsible for drafting bills,conducting interim policy studies,producing committee schedules,and managing the legislature's computer systems is the

A)Legislative Council.
B)General Service Committee.
C)Research Council.
D)Bill Analysis Office.
E)Committee on Subsequent Measures.

Question 63

Texas senators are typically elected for six-year terms.

Question 64

Senators and representatives have no limits to the number of terms they may serve.

Question 65

The Texas Constitution requires

A)ghost voting in the Texas legislature.
B)recorded votes on final passage in the Texas legislature.
C)that legislators use a fingerprint verification voting mechanism.
D)that lobbyists refrain from lobbying on behalf of legislation currently under consideration in the legislature.
E)that members of the legislature refrain from voting in elections for which they are candidates or otherwise appear on the ballot.

Question 66

Texas legislators are among the highest paid in the nation.

Question 67

A budget submitted to the legislature by the ________ is generally ignored in favor of the budget submitted by the ________.

A)comptroller; state treasurer
B)state treasurer; governor
C)governor; Legislative Budget Board
D)lieutenant governor; governor
E)State Board of Control; General Services Administration

Question 68

The requirement that two-thirds of the members of a chamber must be present in order to conduct legislative business on the floor is known as which of the following?

A)Majority
B)Quorum
C)Enrollment
D)Plurality
E)Calling the question

Question 69

An enrolled bill is a bill that has been

A)rejected by the governor.
B)approved by the Senate and the House of Representatives.
C)rejected by the Senate and the House of Representatives.
D)approved by the House of Representatives, but rejected by the Senate.
E)approved by the Senate, but rejected by the House of Representatives

Question 70

What kind of bill is an approved measure sent to the governor for signing?

A)Engrossed
B)Enrolled
C)Enabled
D)Enterprising
E)Enlisted

Question 71

How many special sessions may the governor call the legislature into during an interim?

A)one
B)four
C)21
D)24
E)Unlimited

Question 72

The Texas House of Representatives has the sole responsibility for the introduction of legislation to raise revenue.

Question 73

Since legislators do not have the resources or time personally to do all the work necessary to conceive,develop,track,and pass legislation,they rely heavily for information and assistance on

A)precedent.
B)staff.
C)journalists.
D)town-hall meetings with constituents.
E)Congress.

Question 74

In 1991,the Texas Legislature passed an ethics bill restricting lobbyists' expenditures,tightening reporting requirements,and establishing the

A)Texas Ethics Commission.
B)Legislative Budged Board.
C)Legislative Counsel.
D)Office of the Texas Secretary of State.
E)Texas Register.

Question 75

Which of the following is NOT one of the ways in which the governor wields power in the legislature?

A)Exerts leverage for or against an agenda
B)Emergency declaration for bills
C)Adding bills to a call for a special session
D)Signing bills into law or vetoing bills
E)Acting as president of the Senate

Question 76

African Americans have never been an integral part of the Texas political process.

Question 77

In order to become a law,how many readings must a bill have in each chamber?

A)One
B)Two
C)Three
D)Four
E)Every day for one work week

Question 78

A formal document that proposes a law and is submitted to the legislature by one of its members is called a

A)bill.
B)statute.
C)resolution.
D)amendment.
E)enactment.

Question 79

The __________ prohibits the Texas Legislature from having a budget deficit.

A)U)S. Constitution
B)Texas Constitution
C)U)S. Congress
D)binding resolution passed by the Texas Legislature in 1980
E)recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court

Question 80

The most effective lobbyists in Texas are usually

A)labor lobbyists.
B)business lobbyists.
C)environmental lobbyists.
D)public interest lobbyists.
E)minority interest lobbyists.