Deck 1: The Context for Texas Politics and Government

Question 1

During the 1990s, the Hispanic population in Texas

A) decreased considerably.
B) decreased a small amount.
C) stayed about the same.
D) increased a small amount.
E) increased considerably.

Answer 1

increased considerably.

Question 2

The population of Texas is

A) 1.2 million.
B) 4.7 million.
C) 15 million.
D) about 10 million.
E) over 20 million.

Answer 2

over 20 million.

Question 3

The largest ethnic group in Texas is

A) Hispanics.
B) Anglos.
C) African Americans.
D) Asians.
E) Native Americans.

Answer 3

Anglos.

Question 4

What is the most common landform in Texas?

A) plateaus
B) plains
C) mountains
D) hills
E) valleys

Question 5

Which of the following was NOT a component of Spanish colonization efforts in Texas?

A) the mission
B) the presidio
C) the rancho
D) civilian settlements
E) slavery

Question 6

How does the size of the Texas population compare with other states?

A) Texas is the most populous state in the nation.
B) Texas is the second most populous state in the nation.
C) Texas is the tenth most populous state in the nation.
D) The population of Texas is about average compared with other states.
E) Texas is the least populous state in the United States

Question 7

The first inhabitants of Texas were the

A) Native Americans.
B) African Americans.
C) Asian Americans.
D) Anglos.
E) Germans.

Question 8

The bulk of settlement by African Americans in Texas occurred during the

A) 1600s.
B) 1700s.
C) 1800s.
D) 1900s.
E) 2000s.

Question 9

-According to projected population trends (see "Analyzing Visuals" in this

A) 2040
B) 2030
C) 2020
D) 2015
E) 2010

Question 10

Beginning in 1991, Native American tribes in Texas were allowed to open casinos for the first time because

A) the United States Supreme Court issued a court order.
B) Congress passed the Indian betting Act of 1991.
C) The Texas Legislature elected the first Native American speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.
D) The Texas Constitution was amended to allow some forms of gambling.
E) Jack Abramoff sued the state.

Question 11

____________________has the largest Asian American population in Texas.

A) Dallas
B) Houston
C) Austin
D) Lubbock
E) Galveston

Question 12

Which of the following Texas cities elected the first Asian American woman to the Texas legislature?

A) Houston
B) Dallas
C) San Marcos
D) Lubbock
E) Austin

Question 13

Since the 1940s, the majority of Texans have lived in

A) desert areas.
B) rural areas.
C) rural areas along the border with Mexico.
D) urban areas along the border with Mexico.
E) urban areas.

Question 14

By 2000, the____________population of Texas fell below 16%.

A) rural
B) urban
C) suburban
D) Anglo
E) middle-aged

Question 15

The largest city in Texas is

A) San Antonio.
B) Houston.
C) Dallas.
D) El Paso.
E) Fort Worth.

Question 16

The ideological basis for politics in Texas can best be called

A) liberalism.
B) populism.
C) libertarianism.
D) the Texan Creed.
E) Retro Liberalism.

Question 17

The Texan Creed consists of

A) liberty, individualism, constitutionalism, and equality.
B) liberty, communitarianism, constitutionalism, and freedom.
C) liberty, freedom, socialism, and constitutionalism.
D) liberty, individualism, freedom, and populism.
E) populism, freedom, and anarchism.

Question 18

Constitutionalism places

A) limits on citizens' powers over government.
B) limits on government through a written document.
C) limits on government through oral agreements.
D) limits on the authority of the United Nations.
E) limits on the executive branch of government but not on the other branches.

Question 19

The first real economy in Texas was created by

A) cattle ranchers.
B) computer software entrepreneurs.
C) southern planters.
D) oil tycoons.
E) commodity traders in the 1950s.

Question 20

Students from Texas high schools in Dallas, Houston, and Austin participated in protests against

A) the firing of minority teachers.
B) increasing the length of the school day to 10 hours.
C) making illegal immigration a felony.
D) forcing illegal immigrants to pay back taxes.
E) making all immigrants take literacy tests.

Question 21

Native Americans constitute a small percentage of Texas's population.

Question 22

The term Anglos is used to refer to non-Hispanic whites.

Question 23

In the late 1800s, Chinese laborers in Texas helped construct railroads.

Question 24

Almost all of Texas legislators in the late twentieth century have been Hispanics.

Question 25

Prior to the 1940s, most Texans lived in rural areas.

Question 26

Texas's population declined dramatically in the 1990s.

Question 27

The most important economic issue for Hispanics is trade with Mexico.

Question 28

In Texas, the frontier era lasted only one decade.

Question 29

The Alamo exemplifies Texans' passion for liberty.

Question 30

Tejanos are native Texans of Mexican decent.

Question 31

American conservatism believes that humans are selfish by nature.

Question 32

Texas has a strong populist tradition.

Question 33

The Texas economy began to diversify in the 1960s.

Question 34

Unprecedented economic growth in Texas has lessened the gap between the rich and the poor.

Question 35

When compared with other states, the distribution of income in Texas is among the most unequal.

Question 36

The poor in Texas live primarily in metropolitan areas and along the border with Mexico.

Question 37

How does the Texan Creed differ from the American Creed?

Question 38

Discuss the significance of the Alamo to the idea of liberty.

Question 39

Describe how the Texas economy has changed.

Question 40

Select one of the four ethnic groups in Texas and briefly explain their impact on Texas's politics and economy.

Question 41

Discuss shifts in Texas's population during the 1980s and 1990s.

Question 42

Discuss Hispanics' impact on Texas politics since 1990 and their potential impact on Texas's politics in the future. Be sure to discuss the ideologies Hispanics tend to embrace and the political issues Hispanics tend to be most concerned about.

Question 43

Briefly summarize the four ideologies discussed in the

Question 44

Discuss shifts in the Texas economy since 1980 and how these changes link to changes in the Texas population during the same time.

Question 45

How common is poverty in Texas compared with the nation a as a whole? Within Texas, how does poverty differ by ethnicity? What possible explanations might account for these patterns?

Question 46

What are the arguments for whether non-English-speaking students should be taught using bilingual education? Which set of arguments do you find most persuasive? Why?