Deck 8: The texas legislature

Question 1

What caused Lieutenant Governor Bill Hobby, who was seen as a consensus builder, to face a revolt in 1979 from the "Killer Bees"?

A) He refused to appoint any committee chairs for two months, preventing the Senate from considering legislation, as a result of a conflict with the governor.
B) He attempted to force approval of a presidential primary bill opposed by most Democratic senators, who soon forced him to back down.
C) He appointed his son, a former farmer, to chair the energy committee, leading to a group of senators to charge him with nepotism.
D) He attempted to force approval of a campaign finance bill that would have placed limits on campaign contributions.
E) He attempted to change senate rules to provide the lieutenant governor's office with full budgetary authority.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Apportionment and redistricting address fundamental questions of who should be represented and

A) how they will be represented.
B) who pays the costs of campaigning.
C) who pays the costs of holding primary and general elections.
D) how often appropriations will be dispensed.
E) how the budget priorities should be set.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

When the legislature is in session, access to the floor of each chamber on the second floor of the Capitol is restricted to

A) lawmakers, spectators, and protestors of a bill being considered during the session.
B) certain other state officials, spectators, lawmakers, and retired officials.
C) accredited media representatives, lawyers, spectators, and lawmakers.
D) spectators, certain other state officials, lawyers, and lawmakers.
E) lawmakers, accredited media representatives, and certain other state officials.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

Which of the following best characterizes the Texas state legislature?

A) The Texas state legislature is the only one on the country whose laws cannot be declared unconstitutional by the courts.
B) Though on paper the Texas legislature is one of the strongest in the country, it is actually one of the weakest.
C) The setting of governmental priorities through the budgetary process is becoming increasingly more professional.
D) The Texas legislature is increasingly being dominated by the governor, who has the power to dismiss it at any time.
E) It has ultimate say in the financial matters of the state but is becoming increasingly dependent on the governor for support.

Question 5

As a result of ________, equity in redistricting was extended to Texas under the idea that state legislative districts had to be apportioned on the "one person, one vote" principle.

A) Baker v. Carr
B) Davis v. Federal Election Committee
C) Reynolds v. Sims
D) Ray v. Blair
E) Kilgarlin v. Martin

Question 6

Why is the office of the lieutenant governor considered by some to be the most powerful office in Texas state government?

A) This office is elected independently of the governor and can develop a dominant legislative role.
B) The lieutenant governor can appoint members to standing committees regardless of seniority.
C) This office, unlike the governor's, is protected from being charged with crimes while in office.
D) The Texas Constitution grants the lieutenant governor more authority than the governor.
E) This lieutenant governor has the sole power and responsibility to appoint statewide officials.

Question 7

The Texas legislature is

A) unicameral and full time, and has 31 House members and 150 senators.
B) unicameral and part time, and has 150 House members.
C) bicameral and part time, and has 15 senators and 120 House members.
D) bicameral and part time, and has 31 senators and 150 House members.
E) bicameral and full time, and has 25 senators and 120 House members.

Question 8

The powers of the House presiding officer includes

A) appointing a president pro tempore.
B) naming chairs and vice chairs in the Senate.
C) appointing all members of Senate procedural committees.
D) selecting the lieutenant governor.
E) vetoing bills voted on by the House.

Question 9

In recent years, the legislature has increasingly become dominated by business owners and attorneys because

A) new qualifications for one to serve in the legislature require a postgraduate degree.
B) low legislative pay and increasing demands on time preclude many salaried people from serving.
C) voters believe that people with these backgrounds are best fit to serve in the legislature.
D) they more often than not have the money required to file for candidacy.
E) doctors and educators, who once dominated the legislature, have shown a declining interest.

Question 10

Why has there traditionally been no formal division along party lines or a formal system of choosing floor leaders in the Texas legislature?

A) The powers of the presiding officers and the longtime Democratic-controlled system did not produce a leadership structure comparable to that of the U.S. Congress.
B) Though membership in the legislature includes Republicans and Democrats, the delegation of power has not been typically done in a partisan fashion.
C) Legislative rules concerning the appointing of floor leaders was removed in the early twentieth century to reduce partisanship.
D) The powers of the governor over the legislature and longtime Democratic-controlled system did not produce a leadership structure comparable to that of the U.S. Congress.
E) Though membership in the legislature includes Republicans and Democrats, the delegation of power has been left to the whim of the presiding officers, which varies greatly.

Question 11

What was the primary reason for legislative partisanship in Texas in 2003?

A) funding for a new transportation network
B) academic placement tests in public schools
C) congressional redistricting fights
D) cuts in health care for low-income individuals
E) advancing of the conservative GOP agenda

Question 12

The ________ cannot vote on legislation unless there is a tie.

A) speaker of the House
B) president pro tempore of the House
C) lieutenant governor
D) governor
E) legislature

Question 13

In the context of political science, the development of a legislative body into a formally structured system with stable membership, complex rules, expanded internal operations, and the delineation of staff functions is known as

A) politicalization.
B) democratization.
C) institutionalization.
D) socialization.
E) structurization.

Question 14

What are the primary causes of legislative turnover in the Texas legislature?

A) It is a thankless job that has low stature and popularity in the eyes of many Texans.
B) The year-long legislative sessions often have a negative effect on a legislator's family life.
C) The effects of redistricting, low pay, and personal costs of running for office make the position undesirable.
D) The vicious nature of politics in Austin disenfranchises legislators from seeking reelection.
E) The lack of benefits and responsibilities outside the legislature lead many not to return.

Question 15

The speaker of the House is

A) elected by the members of the House.
B) elected by members of the majority party in the House, with final approval by the Senate.
C) appointed by the governor.
D) held by the legislator who has the longest tenure serving in the House.
E) elected by a statewide popular election.

Question 16

Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock surprised his friends just after the close of the 1997 session by announcing he would

A) not seek reelection in 1998.
B) seek the office of governor in 1998.
C) run for the U.S. Senate.
D) seek a fifth term in 1998.
E) run for mayor of College Station.

Question 17

In 2003, the first Republican House Speaker since Reconstruction was

A) Tom DeLay.
B) Gib Lewis.
C) David Dewhurst.
D) Tom Craddick.
E) Bob Bullock

Question 18

The Texas Senate influences policy by

A) approving or rejecting appointments made by the governor.
B) appointing most members of the governing boards of bureaucratic agencies.
C) its role as the dominate legislative body in the budgetary process.
D) conducting trials of executive officials who are impeached.
E) deciding whether laws are constitutional.

Question 19

Of the 5,796 bills introduced during the 2011 regular session, only about ________ finally passed both chambers.

A) 1,400
B) 2,500
C) 3,700
D) 4,100
E) 5,200

Question 20

The base pay of House and Senate members is ________ per year.

A) $45,300
B) $21,100
C) $7,200
D) $4,500
E) $2,600

Question 21

The House Calendars Committee historically has had more life-and-death power over legislation than any other committee because

A) it sets the order of debate on the House floor.
B) the speaker chairs the committee.
C) it sets the order of debate in conference committees.
D) it considers discharge petitions.
E) it decides when a legislator's term is up.

Question 22

At first reading, a bill is introduced, numbered, and then sent

A) to a committee.
B) to the governor.
C) for a vote on the floor.
D) to the other chamber.
E) to a debate by the chamber.

Question 23

How are tags used to derail legislation during the closing days of a Senate session?

A) A senator can call upon a member of the House to come before the Senate and object to the bill, forcing it out of consideration.
B) A Senate committee chair can use this power once a session to force a bill back to committee, preventing it from being voted on and ultimately killing it.
C) It allows a senator to postpone a committee hearing on a bill for at least forty-eight hours, which can be fatal to a bill.
D) A senator can bring the legislation before the judiciary, which can impose an order stopping consideration of the bill if it is found unconstitutional.
E) It allows a senator to speak against a bill for as long as he or she can stand and talk thus preventing it from being voted on before the end of the session.

Question 24

In order for a bill to become a law, its first step must be

A) the first reading.
B) passage.
C) sponsorship by the governor.
D) referral to a committee.
E) sponsorship by a legislator.

Question 25

In addition to the formal rules of the legislature, there are unwritten rules that shape legislators' behavior called

A) agendas.
B) norms.
C) alliances.
D) associations.
E) tenets.

Question 26

During the third reading, a bill may be amended by

A) four-fifths approval.
B) three-fourths approval.
C) two-thirds approval.
D) three-fifths approval.
E) majority approval.

Question 27

In the 2003 Texas legislature,

A) Republicans had a majority in the Senate for the first time since Reconstruction.
B) Republicans were the only legislators elected that year.
C) Republicans had a majority the House for the first time since Reconstruction.
D) Democrats were the only legislators elected that year.
E) Republicans and Democrats evenly split both the House and the Senate.

Question 28

Bills that ________ are the only type of bill that must originate in the House of Representatives according to the Constitution of Texas.

A) affect the judiciary
B) deal with municipalities
C) raise revenue
D) affect the executive branch
E) concern redistricting

Question 29

A bill is ________ after a successful third reading in the originating chamber.

A) sent to the opposite chamber
B) brought before debate on the floor
C) sent to the governor
D) brought before the presiding officer for approval
E) sent to committee one last time

Question 30

To bring a bill to the floor of the Senate for debate requires

A) the permission of the senior member of the majority party.
B) a two-thirds approval vote by the Senate.
C) a three-fourths approval vote by the House.
D) the approval of the chair of the committee that considered the bill.
E) the approval of the Calendars Committee.

Question 31

The wishes of constituents are most likely to be considered by legislators when

A) they receive a few letters from loud agitators in their district.
B) there is a groundswell of dominant opinions from their district.
C) there is a calamity that causes much stress in their district.
D) there is a groundswell of mixed opinions from their district.
E) a few voice their concerns over the phone to their district office.

Question 32

A favorite voter-contact tool of many legislators is

A) phoning constituents to see what is going on in the district.
B) a newsletter they can mail to households in their district at their expense.
C) personally responding to all letters with letters mailed from Austin.
D) responding to all emails sent to their offices during the year.
E) a newsletter they can mail to households in their districts at state expense.

Question 33

If a bill passes both the House and Senate but in different forms, the bill is sent to

A) the governor.
B) a conference committee.
C) the speaker.
D) a special caucus.
E) a standing committee.

Question 34

How does the veto power of the Texas governor differ from that of the president of the United States?

A) The governor can use the line-item veto on any bill, but the president is restricted to using it on appropriation bills.
B) The governor can veto a bill twice, but the president can only veto a bill once and is powerless if the legislature overrides it.
C) Unlike the president, a veto by the governor on a bill cannot be overridden by the legislature.
D) The governor can only veto a bill with the sworn support of one-tenth of the legislature; the president has no preconditions.
E) Unlike the president, if the governor fails to sign a bill by a certain deadline, it is passed automatically.

Question 35

A bill can be considered by the full chamber after it wins committee approval on the

A) consent of the other chamber.
B) second reading.
C) consent of the standing committee.
D) third reading.
E) consent of the presiding officer.

Question 36

A committee appointed by the governor and convened between legislative sessions to study a major policy issue would be considered a ________ committee.

A) procedural
B) select
C) conference
D) standing
E) steering

Question 37

The majority of bills that fail to be enacted generally die

A) on the floor of the Senate or the House.
B) when the other chamber refuses to introduce the bill.
C) in either a House or Senate committee.
D) on orders of the speaker or the lieutenant governor.
E) under the veto pen of the governor.

Question 38

The legislative process is designed to institutionalize

A) conflict.
B) duels.
C) relationships.
D) change.
E) statutes.

Question 39

When a bill leaves the second chamber after its third reading, it

A) goes to the governor automatically no matter how many changes have been made.
B) goes to the governor if it is in the identical form passed by the first chamber.
C) is automatically sent to a conference committee for more tweaking.
D) is automatically sent to a select committee to pick the most important parts of the bill.
E) is automatically sent to the Calendars Committee to schedule a debate.

Question 40

In 2009, Democrats retook some of their lost seats in the House and joined with moderate Republicans to unseat ________ and replace him with

A) consensus builder Bill Hobby; Bob Bullock.
B) autocratic Speaker Joe Strauss; Tom Craddick.
C) autocratic Speaker Tom Craddick; Joe Strauss.
D) consensus builder Bob Bullock; Tom Craddick.
E) autocratic Speaker Bob Bullock; Joe Strauss.

Question 41

Lieutenant governors get most of their power from rules set by the senators, not from the Texas Constitution.

Question 42

Because the overriding consideration for most lawmakers is to get reelected, the interests of which source are most important in leading them to a decision on how to vote?

A) Campaign contributors are vital to a legislator so care must be taken not to alienate them.
B) They must carefully balance the interests of a variety of groups to ensure continued support.
C) The political party to which the legislator is a member of can make or break a legislator's career.
D) Legislators represent the people who put their faith in a legislator's personal convictions.
E) A legislator's senior colleagues are the biggest influence on how they will vote.

Question 43

The legislative rules and the heavy volume of bills considered ________ enables lawmakers to sneak major, controversial proposals into law by adding little noticed amendments to other bills.

A) never
B) sometimes
C) always
D) once each session
E) by no means

Question 44

How did the fallout from the Sharpstown stock fraud scandal immediately impact the Texas legislature?

A) The House moved to limit the speaker's power through a modified seniority system for committee appointments.
B) Through a public referendum, it was voted that appropriations bills could no longer originate from the Senate.
C) An executive order was issued by the governor to force all legislators to reveal their personal stock holdings.
D) The judiciary stepped in and put forth a rule that all legislation concerning the banks had to go through the Texas comptroller.
E) The governor created a special board comprised of bank industry experts and federal auditors to oversee every bill concerning banks and insurance.

Question 45

Today, Texas is the country's second most populous state and is more than 80 percent urban.

Question 46

Redistricting was harmonious in the 2003 session of the Texas legislature.

Question 47

In 2003, Democrats still controlled both houses of the Texas legislature.

Question 48

Equality in redistricting finally arrived in Texas as a result of state court intervention in 1975.

Question 49

What is the most meaningful threat a governor can make to a legislator?

A) The governor can threaten to not appoint the legislator's supporters to boards and commissions.
B) The governor can threaten to reveal evidence of a legislator's public misconduct.
C) The governor can threaten to veto legislation of importance to the legislator.
D) The governor can threaten call for a special session to reverse the legislator's legislation.
E) The governor can threaten to cut the legislators budget for staff and office expenses.

Question 50

The most important power of the speaker and lieutenant governor is

A) their control of the scheduling of third readings.
B) the appointment of House and Senate committee members.
C) certifying the vote on bills that pass.
D) signing bills in the governor's absence.
E) the appointment of Texas state board and commission members.

Question 51

Legislators' decisions are influenced by

A) constituents, national opinion, and lobbyists.
B) interest groups, constituents, and opinion polls.
C) the media, opinion polls, and national opinions.
D) constituents, interest groups, and the media.
E) the media, national opinions, and opinion polls.

Question 52

To curb lawmakers' power, the Texas constitutional framers limited the regular legislative session to a maximum of 180 days every other year.

Question 53

The growth and development of the legislative staff reflects

A) a growing commitment to be free of lobbyists.
B) a reduction in the influence of the presiding officers.
C) an emerging professionalism in lawmaking.
D) the attempt by the legislature to address scandalous issues.
E) a bloated bureaucracy that needs to be trimmed down.

Question 54

What was the primary purpose of the changes made to ethics laws in 2003?

A) It increased the penalties for violation of ethics laws across the board including increasing misdemeanors to felonies.
B) It was primarily aimed at creating greater transparency in donations made to legislators and their personal finances.
C) It prohibited officeholders who owned business from controlling their business while the legislature in session.
D) It was primarily aimed at providing Texans with school records of all legislators and local level politicians.
E) It forced legislators to keep records available to the public of all letters written to them and a list of every visitor to their offices.

Question 55

The governor can use the line-item veto to veto specific spending provisions from

A) appropriations bills.
B) water rights bills.
C) all bills.
D) local bills.
E) education bills.

Question 56

Rick Perry became the first Republican lieutenant governor of modern Texas.

Question 57

Frances Farenthold of Corpus Christi was often referred to as the "Den Mother of the Dirty Thirty," a bipartisan legislative group that challenged the power of the speaker during a major stock fraud scandal.

Question 58

Legislators receive retirement benefits that are almost triple the amount of their original legislative pay.

Question 59

Institutionalization is illustrated by the decreased tenure of the legislative membership, changing career and leadership patterns, a lower workload, and the emergence of partisan divisions.

Question 60

An opportunistic legislator

A) spends endless hours developing programs and are turned to often for advice.
B) tends to contribute little in terms of legislation and have little influence over others.
C) pursues issues to produce personal or political benefits.
D) tends to enjoy the perks of the office more than actual legislating.
E) is more interested in scoring political points through outrageous behavior than legislating.

Question 61

Most legislators are honest, hard-working individuals.

Question 62

In 2009, Democrats regained some of their lost seats in the House and assisted moderate Republicans in ousting autocratic Speaker Tom Craddick.

Question 63

Trace the changes in partisanship of the Texas legislature from Democratic to Republican dominance. Why is partisanship increasing? Provide specific examples.

Question 64

In 2011, about 5,700 pieces of legislation were introduced during the regular legislative session.

Question 65

Traditionally, there has been a formal division along party lines or a formal system of floor leaders in either the Texas House or the Senate.

Question 66

An emotionally charged issue in 1999 was an attempt by some Democrats to strengthen the state law against hate crimes.Republicans disliked the bill because it raised the penalties for discriminatory crimes against African Americans.

Question 67

Outline the process by which a bill becomes a law in Texas, including a discussion of the critical stages in the process.Why do so few bills become laws?

Question 68

List and briefly explain at least three of the five legislative functions discussed in the text.How has institutionalization affected the Texas state legislature?

Question 69

The state budget is the most important bill enacted by the legislature because it indicates how much money there is to spend during the session.

Question 70

List and briefly explain some of the more serious ethical issues facing the Texas legislators and the efforts that have been made to enact and implement ethics reform.

Question 71

Laws made in Texas go through different processes than those followed by the U.S.Congress.

Question 72

Discuss the reason for the strong leadership roles played by the lieutenant governor and speaker in the Texas legislature.In what ways do they control the legislative agenda?

Question 73

How has redistricting impacted the Texas state legislature? What significant changes have been made over the past century to ensure equality in representation?

Question 74

Why is the committee system considered the backbone of the legislative process? What are the different types and roles of committees?

Question 75

Why did Democratic legislators leave Texas in 2003 while the legislature was in session? Do you believe this was a fair tactic? Defend your answer.

Question 76

What are the characteristics of the Texas state legislature? How does it compare to the legislatures of other states?

Question 77

Speaker of the House Gib Lewis won a postponement of his ethics trial under a law that automatically grants continuances to legislators when they are in session.

Question 78

The Texas House was humiliated in 1991 when a dead lawmaker was recorded as answering the daily roll call and voting on several recorded votes.

Question 79

The work of the Texas legislature is given extensive coverage across the state.

Question 80

What influences a Texas lawmaker's decision making? Are the needs of the constituents the most important consideration?