Deck 2: The Texas Constitution

Question 1

A document that lays out the principles and responsibilities of government and specifies the powers of the branches of government and elected officials is usually referred to as a

A) bill of rights.
B) law brief.
C) constitution.
D) platform.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

A formal declaration of the rights of the citizens within government is usually referred to as a

A) statement of separation.
B) bill of rights.
C) policy.
D) constitution.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries political thinkers rejected the idea of a "divine right" of kings and instead argued that government should depend on

A) "liberty and faith."
B) "the consent of the ruling class."
C) "parties in power."
D) "the consent of the governed."

Answer 3

D

Question 4

An agreement in which the governed give up freedoms in return for government protection is referred to as a

A) social contract.
B) declaration of rights.
C) constitution.
D) political power.

Question 5

The Mexican government promised to protect the liberty, property, and civil rights of all "foreigners" and in turn asked them to

A) pay a steep tax on all trades.
B) profess the Roman Catholic faith.
C) join the military.
D) profess allegiance to the National Congress.

Question 6

Authority over a political entity, such as a province or a state, is the definition of

A) leadership.
B) political power.
C) sovereignty.
D) authority.

Question 7

The Mexican president who took steps to centralize power in 1835 by sending his vice president into exile, disbanding Congress, and dissolving the state legislatures was named

A) Jose Perez.
B) Gomez Farias.
C) Sam Houston.
D) Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna.

Question 8

The "Father of Texas" who traveled to Mexico City to request the continuation of his father's colony in Mexico and served as an empresario for the Anglo settlers was named

A) Moses Austin.
B) Sam Houston.
C) Stephen
D) James Polk.

Question 9

A government run by a single individual, often a king or queen, until death or abdication is called

A) a democracy.
B) a republic.
C) an oligarchy.
D) a monarchy.

Question 10

Which group primarily wrote the 1836 (Independence) Constitution?

A) Blacks
B) Mexicans
C) Tejanos
D) Anglos

Question 11

A system that vests political, judicial, and policymaking authority in different branches of government adheres to

A) separation of powers.
B) divided government.
C) unicameral legislature.
D) federalism.

Question 12

Which of the following is true of the 1836 Constitution?

A) Texas did away with the executive branch.
B) Only members of the clergy could be in the legislature.
C) Texas barred members of the clergy from serving in the legislature.
D) Only Anglos were eligible for office.

Question 13

Most of the drafters of the first Texas Constitution expected Texas would

A) face challenges from the U.S. for territory.
B) quickly join the U.S.
C) stretch all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
D) abolish slavery.

Question 14

The 1836 Constitution required that all elected officials must

A) believe in a higher power.
B) be born in Texas.
C) be Protestant.
D) be members of the clergy.

Question 15

The 1845 Constitution was prompted by what event?

A) Texas merging with South Oklahoma
B) Texas declaring independence
C) Texas joining the U.S.
D) Texas joining the Confederacy

Question 16

Debate over the 1845 Constitution included

A) a spirited debate of voting rights.
B) a fist-fight in the hall of the convention.
C) a debate on requiring all Texans to speak English.
D) a compromise on the treatment of Native Americans.

Question 17

The right to participate in the electoral process by voting is called

A) individual rights.
B) voting.
C) suffrage.
D) majority rule.

Question 18

A law that prevents Texans from losing their homes in the event of bankruptcy or other financial problems is referred to as

A) a homestead law.
B) a property tax aversion.
C) bankruptcy protection.
D) financial security.

Question 19

The 1845 Constitution explicitly protected homesteads from government seizure in the event of bankruptcy. Why was this included?

A) Stephen
B) The government had seized homes under Mexican rule.
C) There was a very high rate of homelessness at the time.
D) If people didn't have their homes, it would be hard for them to have families.

Question 20

What event exemplified Texans' frustration with the strong governor under the 1869 Constitution?

A) The Houston Incident
B) The Battle of Corpus Christi
C) The Battle of the Alamo
D) The Hill Country Rebellion

Question 21

Which notable Texan was against leaving the Union?

A) Dan Patrick
B) Stephen
C) Moses Austin
D) Sam Houston

Question 22

Which type of settlers in central Texas were opposed to secession because many did not have slaves?

A) Mexican
B) Italian
C) Jewish
D) German

Question 23

The primary historical event surrounding the Texas Constitution of 1866 was

A) the victory of the South over the North.
B) the readmission of Texas back into the Union.
C) secession.
D) reconstruction.

Question 24

The 1866 Constitution could be referred to as the

A) "Confederacy Constitution."
B) "Statehood Constitution."
C) "Readmission Constitution."
D) "Reconstruction Constitution."

Question 25

The Constitution of 1869 provided for a strong

A) oil industry.
B) governor.
C) legislature.
D) supreme court.

Question 26

The Constitution of 1869 extended full voting rights to which group for the first time?

A) White males
B) Mexican citizens
C) White females
D) African Americans

Question 27

The "Confederacy Constitution" certified the state's membership in the Confederate States of America and explicitly protected

A) Texas' right to declare independence from the Confederacy.
B) the rights of religious minorities.
C) the rights of slave owners.
D) the governor's right to veto legislation.

Question 28

The 1861 Constitution included protections for which type institution?

A) Slavery
B) Cattle breeding
C) Cotton production
D) Oil production

Question 29

The 1869 elections swept which controversial Republican governor into office?

A) Sam Houston
B) Miriam Ferguson
C) Edmund Davis
D) Greg Abbott

Question 30

Governor Davis was defeated by 50,000 votes in the 1873 election and reacted by

A) refusing to leave office right away.
B) leaving office right away.
C) sabotaging the governor's office in the capital building.
D) appealing to the people for another election.

Question 31

Why was Sam Houston was removed as governor of Texas in 1861?

A) Houston was offered the position of Mayor of Houston.
B) Texas instituted term limits.
C) Houston advocated joining the Confederacy and the legislature disagreed.
D) Houston refused to sign an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy.

Question 32

Why did the 1876 Constitution have a weak governor?

A) Texans at the time felt the judiciary should be the strongest branch.
B) Texans had bad experiences under a strong governor from the 1869 Constitution.
C) Sam Houston mentioned how uncomfortable he was with a lot of power.
D) It was random.

Question 33

Which group of voters was initially excluded from voting under the original version of the 1876 Constitution?

A) White males
B) Hispanics
C) African-Americans
D) Women

Question 34

How did the 1876 Constitution check strong executive power?

A) County judges could override the governor.
B) It had a plural executive.
C) It had a legislature that was always in session.
D) It did away with the executive branch.

Question 35

The legislature can pass laws, but only the governor can sign them into law. This is an example of

A) limited government.
B) separation of powers.
C) federalism.
D) constitutionalism.

Question 36

In practice, the plural executive means

A) the governor is allowed to appoint officials to help lead the state.
B) there are three governors at any given time who must make decisions together.
C) the various executive officials are elected separately.
D) the Speaker of the House is required to assist the governor in gubernatorial duties if asked to do so.

Question 37

Texas can regulate what you can/cannot do in Texas. However, Oklahoma cannot regulate what you do in Texas. This is because Oklahoma lacks _______ in Texas.

A) sovereignty
B) force
C) constitutionality
D) legitimacy

Question 38

In order to suppress the black vote, the 1876 Constitution required voters pay $1 to vote. This is called a

A) use tax.
B) voting admission.
C) ballot fee.
D) poll tax.

Question 39

"Popular sovereignty" is defined as

A) the people control every choice in the executive branch.
B) rule of the mob.
C) one person controls the government.
D) rule by the people.

Question 40

A political system in which the government's functions and powers are restricted to protect individual liberty is called

A) limited government.
B) unlimited government.
C) popular government.
D) democratic socialism.

Question 41

Diffusion of authority and power throughout several entities in the executive branch is referred to as what type of executive?

A) Single
B) Dual
C) Plural
D) Chief

Question 42

What is the purpose of separation of powers in the constitution?

A) To encourage democracy
B) To add a layer of complication and confusion
C) To keep one branch from becoming too powerful
D) To keep the executive branch from becoming too powerful

Question 43

The Texas Bill of Rights was initially modeled on

A) the U.S. Bill of Rights.
B) the Louisiana Bill of Rights.
C) the writings of Sam Houston.
D) the Mexican Bill of Rights.

Question 44

The Texas Constitution periodically needs to be updated. How is this usually done?

A) Just ignoring the parts that are problematic
B) Calling the county judges to revise the constitution
C) Calling a new constitutional convention
D) A constitutional amendment

Question 45

The current Texas constitution is _______ most other state constitutions.

A) more awkwardly worded than
B) longer than
C) shorter than
D) about the same length as

Question 46

Suppose we want to amend the current Texas Constitution. The first step is

A) a constitutional convention must be called by 60% of the county judges
B) at least 100,000 voters must sign a petition in support of an amendment.
C) the governor must formally ask the state legislature to consider the amendment.
D) two-thirds of both chambers of the legislature must vote to adopt a resolution to propose the amendment.

Question 47

Any change to state government that requires expansion of state authority must be approved by

A) delegates at a constitutional convention.
B) the governor.
C) a constitutional amendment.
D) the federal government.

Question 48

Roughly what percentage of amendments of passed since 1879?

A) 52%
B) 29%
C) 100%
D) 74%

Question 49

Which of the following amendments are the voters most likely to approve by a high percentage?

A) Tax increases
B) Reorganizing a branch of government
C) Reducing or eliminating a tax
D) Extending additional powers to politicians

Question 50

Which of the following is NOT a step in the Texas constitutional amendment process?

A) Two-thirds of both houses of the legislature vote to adopt a resolution to propose an amendment.
B) The secretary of state and attorney general approve the proposal.
C) The voters approve with a majority vote.
D) The governor provides a signature.

Question 51

What are the two themes that we see in each of the Texas Constitutions?

Question 52

Explain the difference between a monarchy and a republic.

Question 53

What steps did President Santa Anna take to centralize the Mexican government?

Question 54

Name a few of the grievances listed in the Texas Declaration of Independence against the Mexican government.

Question 55

Explain the concept of separation of powers.

Question 56

What were the historical circumstances surrounding the 1836 Constitution?

Question 57

What are some differences between the Texas Constitution of 1836 and the U.S. Constitution?

Question 58

What were the historical circumstances surrounding the 1845 Constitution?

Question 59

Explain the concept of a homestead law.

Question 60

What was the historical event that prompted the Constitution of 1861?

Question 61

What were the circumstances surrounding the "Readmission Constitution"?

Question 62

Explain the significance of the 1876 Constitution.

Question 63

Explain the concept of limited government.

Question 64

What are the steps involved in passing a constitutional amendment?

Question 65

What is voter turnout like for constitutional amendment elections?

Question 66

Explain the events leading up to the fight for Texas independence. How did these events shape the political culture of the state?

Question 67

Explain the reason why Texas saw three different constitutions in the 1860s. Include in your answer the relevant historical events surrounding each constitution.

Question 68

Describe the significance of the Constitution of the 1876. Include in your answer the core functions of the Texas government under this document.

Question 69

Explain the significance of constitutional amendments in Texas. Include in your answer a description of the constitutional amendment process.