Deck 8: The Texas Executive Branch

Question 1

Governor Rick Perry exerted control over the state government in a way that no other governor has EXCEPT he

A) has appointed every member of the boards and commissions that run Texas government.
B) uses his veto power to punish political opponents in the legislature.
C) successfully pushed a pro-business agenda.
D) successfully pushed for tort reform, raised taxes, and business-friendly regulations.
E) claims to have led Texas to weather the Great Recession better than other states.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Prior to ________, Texas governors were elected to two-year terms, with most being elected to a maximum of two consecutive two-year terms. Since then the governor may be elected to unlimited four-year terms.

A) 1972
B) 1973
C) 1974
D) 1975
E) 1976

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Who was the first Republican governor of Texas since Reconstruction, and when was he
Or she elected?

A) Allan Shivers in 1948
B) William Clements in 1978
C) Ann Richards in 1990
D) George W. Bush in 1994
E) Rick Perry in 2000

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following is the best example of the Texas governor's military powers?

A) The governor can declare martial law during a natural disaster.
B) The governor can use federal troops stationed in camps within Texas.
C) The governor receives a National Guard pension when he or she retires.
D) The governor automatically possesses the rank of general in the U.S. Armed Forces.
E) The governor can call in federal troops to assist the state if he or she deems it necessary.

Question 5

In Texas, if a sitting governor is unable to hold office due to impeachment and conviction, resignation, or death, who becomes governor?

A) the secretary of state
B) the lieutenant governor
C) the Speaker of the state House of Representatives
D) the comptroller of public accounts
E) a temporary replacement appointed by the lieutenant governor

Question 6

The governor has some control over the final appropriations bill through the use of the ________ veto.

A) pocket
B) amendatory
C) reduction
D) line-item
E) post adjournment

Question 7

The governor of Texas has

A) strong formal powers granted by the Texas Constitution.
B) few formal powers, so the office is one of the weakest chief executives in the United States.
C) the power to appoint all officials in the executive branch.
D) the power to appoint all state judges.
E) an average amount of power compared to governors of other states.

Question 8

What is the Texas governor's most significant and far-reaching power?

A) the power to appoint boards and commissions
B) the power to call special sessions
C) the power to submit a budget to the legislature
D) the line-item veto power
E) the post-adjournment veto power

Question 9

________ is the only Texas governor to be both impeached and convicted.

A) E. J. Davis
B) James Ferguson
C) Ann Richards
D) Miriam Ferguson
E) No governor of Texas has been both impeached and convicted.

Question 10

In Texas, the only constitutional method of removing a governor from office is by ________ and conviction.

A) recall
B) a two-thirds vote
C) impeachment
D) judicial proceeding
E) firing

Question 11

What is the ultimate check on the governor?

A) impeachment
B) the Sunset review process
C) the budgetary review process
D) a campaign donation
E) an election

Question 12

The Department of Public Safety is responsible for all of the following EXCEPT

A) the Texas Rangers.
B) drivers' licensing.
C) animal and insect control.
D) motor vehicle inspections.
E) truck weighing stations.

Question 13

The governor appoints people to office, but the Texas ________ must also confirm them.

A) House of Representatives
B) Ethics Commission
C) Senate
D) Commission on Appointments
E) secretary of state

Question 14

Governors can be quite powerful in spite of weaknesses of the office by doing all of the following EXCEPT

A) mobilizing interest groups and editorial boards of newspapers.
B) calling special sessions of the legislature.
C) pardoning criminals and permitting fugitives to be extradited to other states.
D) filing legislative bills at the beginning of every legislative session.
E) appointing people to the state governing boards and commissions.

Question 15

Which of the following is the best example of the Texas governor's exercise of senatorial courtesy?

A) The governor will not appoint someone to office unless that appointee's state senator agrees.
B) The governor will not veto a bill without first giving the bill's Senate sponsor an opportunity to amend it.
C) The Senate will use the governor's budget plan as its blueprint for the upcoming session.
D) The governor will address the full Senate at the beginning of each legislative session.
E) The Senate will automatically approve any nominee submitted by the governor.

Question 16

What is the most important function of the Texas governor's staff?

A) to keep the governor informed about problems and issues
B) to act as lobbyists for the governor's agenda in the legislature
C) to represent the governor's office in different parts of the state
D) to organize the governor's electoral campaigns
E) to keep the governor organized by coordinating his or her appointments

Question 17

During which constitution was the Texas governor very powerful, and many regarded state government as oppressive and corrupt?

A) the Constitution of 1976
B) the Reconstruction Constitution of 1869
C) the Constitution of 1866
D) the Constitution of 1861
E) the Constitution of 1845

Question 18

Why must Texas gubernatorial candidates purchase print and electronic advertisements in 19 media markets to reach every corner of the state?

A) It is what a candidate does to win an election.
B) It is necessary because Texas is such a large geographic area.
C) Candidates must pay consultants, pollsters, and staff.
D) One party must make sure to outspend the other.
E) Candidates must remain competitive.

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT a qualification a person would need to be a viable candidate for governor of Texas?

A) 30 years of age
B) born in Texas
C) prior political experience
D) U.S. citizenship
E) access to money

Question 20

In Texas, why are gubernatorial elections held in off-years?

A) so that gubernatorial elections will not be influenced by a presidential election
B) so that candidates cannot run for governor and a federal office at the same time
C) so that voters will not become overwhelmed by too many candidates in one year
D) because Texas happened to become part of the United States during an off-year
E) so that presidential elections will not be influenced by the gubernatorial election

Question 21

Which state office was eliminated in 1996?

A) attorney general
B) animal commissioner
C) state treasurer
D) sheriff
E) roads and highways commissioner

Question 22

A Texas governor can only grant ________ for a convicted felon without the help of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles.

A) clemency
B) a pardon
C) commutation
D) a 30-day reprieve
E) a 15-day reprieve

Question 23

In Texas, which officer in the plural executive is NOT elected by voters?

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

Question 24

Which office is charged with ensuring the accuracy of official weights and measures?

A) the Department of Agriculture
B) the Department of Weights and Measures
C) the attorney general
D) the comptroller
E) the General Land Office

Question 25

In Texas, what is the most important power of the state comptroller?

A) estimating tax revenues for the legislature
B) overseeing the state police and the Texas Rangers
C) enforcing all state land-use and takings laws
D) regulating the oil industry in the state
E) certifying election results in the state

Question 26

Which of the following statements concerning the Texas Department of Insurance is INCORRECT?

A) It is a single-member commission.
B) The department's commissioner is appointed for a two-year term.
C) The department makes sure that all Texans are covered by health insurance.
D) It regulates the insurance market in Texas.
E) The current department has been in effect since 1993.

Question 27

Setting local telephone and electric rates is the responsibility of the

A) Public Utilities Commission.
B) comptroller of public accounts.
C) attorney general.
D) federal Department of Energy.
E) utility companies; there is no state regulation of these.

Question 28

In Texas, what is the primary effect of a plural executive?

A) It dilutes the power of the governor and fragments the executive branch.
B) It grants the governor additional powers, since it makes for a powerful executive branch.
C) It makes the executive branch less accountable to the voters.
D) It leads to excessive corruption within the executive branch.
E) It puts too much power in the hands of a small group of officials.

Question 29

The ________ is the oldest state agency in Texas.

A) General Land Office
B) Texas Ranger Division
C) Railroad Commission
D) Department of Public Safety
E) Agriculture Commission

Question 30

Which entity has the main responsibility for collecting child-support payments?

A) Texas Governor's Office
B) Texas Comptroller
C) Texas attorney general
D) secretary of state
E) Adjutant General

Question 31

In Texas, the plural executive is held accountable through all of the following EXCEPT

A) the budgetary process.
B) the Sunset review.
C) the impeachment process.
D) elections.
E) appointment by the governor.

Question 32

What is the primary task of the Texas secretary of state?

A) to oversee the state's foreign, economic, and diplomatic policy
B) to handle elections and voter registration
C) to collect child-support payments
D) to coordinate and plan projects in conjunction with the federal government
E) to oversee the state's economic interactions with other states

Question 33

Authority over railroads throughout Texas was given to the ________ in 2005.

A) Railroad Commission of Texas
B) Texas Department of Transportation
C) lieutenant governor
D) attorney general
E) General Land Office

Question 34

The chief lawyer for Texas is the

A) chief justice of the state supreme court.
B) attorney general.
C) secretary of state.
D) state comptroller.
E) lieutenant governor.

Question 35

Why did the Texas Constitution establish a plural executive?

A) Texas was following the structure of the federal executive.
B) There was suspicion of a strong chief executive.
C) The complications of running a state as large as Texas necessitate a plural executive.
D) It was necessary in order for the executive branch to be as dominant as possible.
E) It is necessary to provide an important check on the state legislature.

Question 36

For a Texas governor, what is the benefit of a post-adjournment veto?

A) It requires a two-thirds majority from both houses to override it.
B) The legislature is prevented from overriding it.
C) It allows the governor to veto specific provisions of a bill.
D) It is the only way to veto legislation without giving reasons.
E) It requires a unanimous vote from both houses to override it.

Question 37

What makes the greatest difference between strong and weak governors of Texas?

A) the willingness to use formal powers
B) the frequency of vetoes
C) the differences in personality
D) the partisan makeup of the legislature
E) the percentage of the total vote they receive in their election bids

Question 38

The Texas governor has all of the following legislative powers EXCEPT the power to

A) address the legislature in State of the State speeches.
B) sign and veto bills.
C) call special sessions.
D) break tie votes in the Senate.
E) lobby the legislature on important bills.

Question 39

Which of the following about the lieutenant governor in Texas is INCORRECT?

A) The lieutenant governor is chair of the Legislative Budget Board.
B) The lieutenant governor presides over the Senate.
C) The lieutenant governor is elected in a statewide election.
D) The lieutenant governor's powers are primarily executive, not legislative.
E) The lieutenant governor is first in line for succession of the governor.

Question 40

What is the Texas governor's greatest judicial power?

A) the power to appoint judges to appeals courts, with the Senate's consent
B) the power to appoint judges to vacancies in the courts
C) the power to restrict the types of cases the appeals courts may decide
D) the power to remove judges
E) the power to appoint all judges in the state

Question 41

Governor Rick Perry's record of failures and achievements as chief executive of the state show that governors do matter.

Question 42

What is the purpose of the Sunset Advisory Commission in Texas?

A) It reviews state agencies every 12 years to see if they are still needed.
B) It administers state programs for the elderly.
C) It oversees the retirement of state bureaucratic workers.
D) It runs the Texas Chamber of Commerce.
E) It operates all state retirement homes.

Question 43

The governor of Texas currently serves a two-year term in office.

Question 44

The governor makes approximately 3,000 appointments to executive boards and commissions during a single term in office.

Question 45

The attorney general in Texas is responsible for overseeing the registration of voters.

Question 46

The Texas governor has many formal powers, making him or her one of the United States' strongest chief executives.

Question 47

Impeachment of a governor begins in the Texas House of Representatives.

Question 48

In Texas, the lieutenant governor is also the president of the Senate and may cast a vote to break a tie.

Question 49

There are approximately 20 state boards and commissions within the Texas plural executive.

Question 50

The structure of the Texas executive branch is centralized, with much formal authority allocated to the governor.

Question 51

George W. Bush was the first Republican governor of Texas since Reconstruction.

Question 52

Texas has a plural executive made up of multiple popularly elected offices.

Question 53

The governor has the ability to declare martial law in Texas.

Question 54

Historically, Ann Richards is the only female to ever serve as governor of Texas.

Question 55

In two prior gubernatorial rankings, the Texas governor continuously ranked forty-ninth out of fifty for gubernatorial authority.

Question 56

The Texas State Board of Education is responsible for all of the following EXCEPT

A) adopting textbooks.
B) setting minimum high school graduation requirements.
C) funding public school districts.
D) determining the licensing requirements for public school teachers.
E) establishing accreditation standards for Texas public schools.

Question 57

The attorney general's office offers advisory opinions to state agencies concerning the legality of actions.

Question 58

The Texas governor has strong powers for granting clemency.

Question 59

The comptroller of public accounts directs the collection of taxes for the state of Texas.

Question 60

Both the lieutenant governor and the secretary of state in Texas have the authority to call a special session of the legislature.

Question 61

What is the basic structure of the Texas bureaucracy? What are some of the problems of accountability in the bureaucracy, and what have been some of the solutions to these problems? What is the function of the Sunset Advisory Commission?

Question 62

Why is Texas's lieutenant governor considered the most powerful politician
in the state?

Question 63

How can the governor's session-calling powers be used to influence the legislative process?

Question 64

Describe the most important formal powers of the Texas governor under the state constitution. How do these powers reflect a commitment to the principle of checks and balances?

Question 65

The office of Texas governor is one of the weakest in the nation. Why is this the case?
What are some of the limitations that the Texas Constitution places on the governor? What
are some of the informal powers the governor may use to bolster the power of the office?

Question 66

The Texas Sunset Advisory Commission has mandated that no government official may serve in any single office for more than 12 years.

Question 67

It has often been claimed that the Texas governor's greatest political power is the power of appointment. What kind of opportunities does the governor have to exercise this power, and what are some of the possible effects of this power on the executive branch?

Question 68

What is the plural executive? Describe the offices that constitute the plural executive in Texas. How does this compare with the executive branch of government under the U.S. Constitution? What are the political principles behind the creation of the plural executive?