Deck 5: The Plural Executive and Bureaucracy in Texas

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT a responsibility of the State Board of Education?

A) approving the state curriculum and textbooks
B) determining passing scores for state educational testing
C) managing the Permanent School Fund
D) appointing the commissioner of education
E) representing voters

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The greatest importance of the Texas General Land Office is that it ______.

A) regulates mortgages in the state
B) generates a great deal of money for the state through its management of public lands
C) controls rights of way for railroads and highways
D) is in charge of flood and hurricane preparation for the state
E) manages the Permanent School Fund

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The Texas executive, as it presently exists, was created ______ years ago.

A) 50
B) 100
C) 20
D) 80

Answer 3

B

Question 4

A plural executive is made up of ______.

A) a single strong governor
B) an executive committee
C) several elected executive leaders
D) executive leaders, but no governor

Question 5

Which of the following commissions is elected?

A) the Texas Department of Transportation
B) the Department of State Health Services
C) the Texas Department of Criminal Justice
D) the Public Utility Commission
E) the Railroad Commission

Question 6

Who is on the Sunset Advisory Commission?

A) the governor and legislative leaders
B) the governor and members of the judiciary
C) the attorney general and the comptroller
D) the lieutenant governor and the attorney general
E) legislators and appointed public members

Question 7

The major source of the lieutenant governor's power is ______.

A) the possibility that he or she will replace the governor
B) his or her public popularity
C) his or her position as chair of the governor's cabinet
D) his or her role as chief advisor to the governor
E) his or her role as president of the Senate

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT true about the agriculture commissioner?

A) The agriculture commissioner is elected by voters statewide every four years, with no term limits.
B) The agriculture commissioner occupies a constitutionally required position.
C) The agriculture commissioner heads the Texas Department of Agriculture and implements all agriculture law.
D) The agriculture commissioner inspects the accuracy of market scales and gas pumps, regulates the use of pesticides, and regulates the quality of agriculture products.
E) The agriculture commissioner promotes agriculture throughout the state.

Question 9

The Texas executive branch has ______ statewide elected offices.

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

Question 10

What executive is solicited for advisory opinions on the constitutionality of proposed actions?

A) the attorney general
B) the comptroller.
C) the railroad commissioner
D) the secretary of state
E) the land commissioner

Question 11

The comptroller's most significant job is ______.

A) to collect taxes
B) to serve as the state auditor
C) to estimate the amount of revenue the state will generate each year
D) to manage and invest state funds
E) to propose the state budget

Question 12

Texas has a(n) ______ executive.

A) federal
B) unitary
C) amateur
D) plural

Question 13

How many members are elected to the Texas State Board of Education?

A) three
B) four
C) eight
D) fifteen

Question 14

Which of the following statements is NOT true about public education in Texas?

A) Local school boards choose textbooks for their schools.
B) The state government determines the local school curriculum.
C) The state government creates statewide tests for students.
D) The state government has created standards for school curriculum that question the basis for the separation of church and state.
E) The state government rates local schools.

Question 15

Which of the following is consistent with a merit-based system?

A) the governor appointing campaign supporters to boards
B) agencies hiring technical employees based on their education
C) campaign workers filling staff positions after the election
D) contracts being awarded to fundraisers
E) high-level appointments being reserved for party activists

Question 16

Which one of the following is appointed by the Texas governor?

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

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT true about the secretary of state?

A) The secretary of state serves as state record keeper.
B) The secretary of state maintains a list of lobbyist and campaign contributions, issues corporate charters, certifies notaries public, and keeps the official state seal.
C) The secretary of state has the duty of extraditing wanted fugitives to the states where they are wanted.
D) The secretary of state administers elections, including conducting voter registration drives and certifying election results.
E) The secretary of state is designated as the chief international protocol officer who receives international delegations.

Question 18

Which of the following statements is NOT true about the sunset review process?

A) It requires most state agencies to be reviewed every twelve years.
B) Ten of the twelve members of the Sunset Advisory Commission are members of the Texas Legislature.
C) The Sunset Advisory Commission develops a report on each agency and holds a public meeting concerning the agency.
D) If the Sunset Advisory Commission takes no action, the agency is renewed automatically.
E) The Sunset Advisory Commission can recommend that an agency be continued, reorganized, or merged with another agency.

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT true about the attorney general?

A) The attorney general is the chief prosecutor for the state on major felonies.
B) The attorney general serves as legal representation for the state in court.
C) The attorney general ensures that corporations in Texas comply with state and federal laws.
D) The attorney general collects unpaid child support and delinquent state taxes.
E) The attorney general issues advisory opinions to the governor's office, the legislature, or other state agencies.

Question 20

Recently the governor has expanded the job of ______.

A) the attorney general
B) the comptroller
C) the railroad commissioner
D) the secretary of state
E) the land commissioner

Question 21

Who is the presiding officer of the Texas Senate?

A) the governor
B) the lieutenant governor
C) the comptroller
D) the secretary of state

Question 22

Patronage systems typically involve ______.

A) promotion of campaign supporters
B) advancement based on merit
C) civil service exams
D) interviews based on formal qualifications

Question 23

The Texas Public Information Act is an example of ______.

A) the Texas Bill of Rights
B) the U.S. Bill of Rights
C) a Turner-Edwards law
D) a sunshine law

Question 24

The attorney general is elected for a period of ______ years.

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

Question 25

The Texas State Board of Education is an example of ______.

A) an appointed regulatory commission
B) an elected board
C) an independent agency
D) a modified citizens board

Question 26

Sunshine laws ______.

A) save energy
B) change work hours
C) provide government transparency
D) promote solar power

Question 27

The structure of the Texas executive branch ______.

A) follows a cabinet design
B) follows a plural executive model
C) insists that all executive officials be selected by voters
D) is one in which the governor appoints all members

Question 28

The comptroller does all of the following EXCEPT ______.

A) collect taxes
B) manage state investments
C) veto unbalanced legislative budgets
D) estimate revenue

Question 29

Co-chairing the LBB is an example of the legislative power that a ______ can wield.

A) lieutenant governor
B) governor
C) comptroller
D) secretary of state

Question 30

The lieutenant governor appoints ______ to the Legislative Budget Board.

A) Texas House members
B) state judges
C) business leaders
D) senators

Question 31

The attorney general is the chief ______ for the state.

A) legal adviser
B) legal mentor
C) executive officer
D) judicial officer

Question 32

The land commissioner is elected for ______ years.

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

Question 33

The Texas Public Information Act requires agencies to ______.

A) post a website
B) keep records
C) share information
D) hide information

Question 34

The public utility commission is an example of ______.

A) an appointed regulatory commission
B) an elected regulatory commission
C) an independent agency
D) a modified citizens board

Question 35

The Texas Department of Transportation is headed by ______.

A) a commission
B) an executive director
C) a panel of mid-level agency employees
D) the governor

Question 36

Dan Patrick championed which piece of legislation, designed to level tougher requirements against the right to an abortion?

A) the requirement that abortion providers have admitting privileges at a local hospital
B) HB 5
C) the requirement that women have a sonogram
D) the Prenatal Health Care Act

Question 37

Which of the following is NOT a member of the elected plural executive?

A) the agricultural commissioner
B) the alcohol commissioner
C) the land commissioner
D) the secretary of state

Question 38

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a bureaucracy?

A) division of labor
B) standard operating procedure
C) hierarchical structure
D) flat organizational structure

Question 39

The Texas land commissioner ______.

A) is considered the most powerful position in Texas
B) is one of the plural executives
C) is appointed by the governor
D) has historically been regarded as unnecessary

Question 40

Advancement by merit is a characteristic of a ______.

A) judicial system
B) private-public partnership
C) bureaucracy
D) legislature

Question 41

What are the two most important duties of the secretary of state?

Question 42

All of the key leaders in the plural executive are elected.

Question 43

What is the difference between sunshine and sunset in the Texas executive?

Question 44

The lieutenant governor ______ is often considered the least powerful position in Texas.

Question 45

The sunset review process is an attempt to create greater government accountability.

Question 46

What is meant by the term plural executive?

Question 47

The elected officials of Texas's executive branch serve terms of four years in office.

Question 48

The secretary of state is elected for four-year terms.

Question 49

What are the most salient differences between the patronage and merit-based systems?

Question 50

The agency in charge of sunset review is the Sunset Advisory Commission.

Question 51

Elected executives in the federal government almost never express significantly different opinions on policy proposals and find themselves in conflict with one another, whereas in Texas this is common. Why is this?

Question 52

The attorney general is not part of the plural executive.

Question 53

Laws designed to make government transparent and accessible are known as sunset laws.

Question 54

Public hearings are not part of the sunset review process.

Question 55

The most important appointed position in the executive branch is the lieutenant governor.