Deck 8: The Executive

Question 1

The line of succession places which official next in line,should the governor vacate the office?

A)Secretary of state
B)Speaker of the house
C)Lieutenant governor
D)President pro tempore of the senate

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The governor may be removed from office only by impeachment with conviction by the

A)house.
B)judiciary.
C)senate.
D)attorney general.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Constitutionally,a state-of-the-state message must be given by the governor

A)at the beginning of the governor's term.
B)30 days after the governor has been elected.
C)at the beginning of each legislative session.
D)at the end of a governor's term in office.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which statement about the legislature's power to override bills vetoed by the governor is incorrect?

A)It is difficult to override a veto.
B)The legislature has overridden a veto only once since World War II.
C)The veto gives the Texas governor a strong bargaining position with legislators.
D)The vast majority of bills are passed and sent to the governor during the early days of the session so that he or she has plenty of time to veto them.

Question 5

The legislature has the constitutional power to override the governor's veto

A)by a two-thirds vote.
B)by a simple majority.
C)by a three-fourths majority.
D)The legislature doesn't have this constitutional power.

Question 6

Which of the following does not provide an opportunity for the governor to have greater influence on both the legislative and administrative policy?

A)The Texas Constitution
B)Media access
C)Party influence
D)Appointive powers to boards,commissions,and the judiciary

Question 7

Which is (are)informal criterion (criteria)to become governor.

A)Governors must be WASP.
B)Governors are historically male.
C)Typically governors will be a businessperson or attorney.
D)All of these choices are true.

Question 8

Impeachment is the legislative equivalent of

A)habeas corpus.
B)arraignment.
C)indictment.
D)verdict.

Question 9

The governor's ability to influence the making and executing of government policy depends on all the following except his or her

A)bargaining skills.
B)ability to broker effectively between competing interests.
C)persuasiveness.
D)prior experience as a legislator.

Question 10

If the office of the governor is vacated,who assumes the office?

A)The speaker of the house
B)Lieutenant governor
C)The state holds a special election for the office of the governor.
D)The land commissioner

Question 11

The salary of the governor is determined by the

A)legislature.
B)state constitution.
C)Texas Ethics Commission.
D)Ethics Commission along with the voters of Texas.

Question 12

​____________ is the tradition of allowing a senator to reject the governor's appointment of a political enemy from the senator's district.

A)The Rule of Three
B)Franking
C)Senatorial courtesy 
D)Clemency

Question 13

Which of the following statements best describes a Texas governor's term in office?

A)Two years per term,with no limit on the number of terms
B)Four years per term,with no limit on the number of terms
C)Four years per term,with a two-term limit
D)Four years per term,with a one-term limit

Question 14

The most influential bargaining tools of the governor are

A)executive.
B)military.
C)legislative.
D)informal.

Question 15

The Texas governor has never been allowed to use the

A)pocket veto.
B)item veto.
C)threat to veto.
D)post adjournment veto.

Question 16

The governor's ability to use informal powers is largely determined by the extent of

A)informal (extralegal)powers.
B)formal (legal)powers.
C)constitutional powers.
D)implied powers.

Question 17

_________ serve as a liaison between the office of the governor and the legislature.

A)Floor leaders
B)Presiding officers
C)Committee chairs
D)Legislative assistants

Question 18

Articles of impeachment in the Texas Senate against a governor require a vote of

A)two-thirds.
B)three-fourths.
C)a simple majority.
D)all members present.

Question 19

In the history of Texas,the only other female governor other than Miriam Ferguson was

A)Kay Bailey Hutchison.
B)Ann Richards.
C)Barbara Bush.
D)Barbara Jordan.

Question 20

Which term best describes the executive branch?

A)Fragile
B)Fragmented
C)Centralized
D)Diversified

Question 21

Which statement about Texas's executive branch is incorrect?

A)Texas has a plural executive.
B)Elected officials are directly responsible to the governor.
C)The governor shares executive power with several independently elected executives and boards.
D)The constitutional and statutory requirement that several administrators be elected was a deliberate effort to decentralize administrative power.

Question 22

What is the most important constitutional duty for the comptroller of public accounts?

A)Certifying the financial condition of the state at the close of each fiscal year
B)Acting as the chief tax collector
C)Acting as the auditor for each county in addition to the state
D)Certifying the approximate biennial revenue for the state

Question 23

Which veto gives the governor the opportunity to shape legislation?

A)Threat to veto
B)Item veto
C)Veto
D)None of these choices is true.

Question 24

The Texas governor lacks __________ power that is available to many other chief executives,including the president of the United States.

A)item veto
B)pocket veto
C)legislative veto
D)threat veto

Question 25

Which of the following statements about the Texas attorney general's advisory opinions is incorrect?

A)Government officials usually do not follow these opinions as they are not binding.
B)If an official ignores the opinions,the attorney general will not defend the action in court.
C)Advisory opinions are technically not legally binding,but they carry great weight in Texas government.
D)The attorney general has the power to give an opinion that a law or practice does or does not violate other laws or practices of the Texas or U.S.Constitutions.

Question 26

Once a special session of the legislature has been called,the agenda is determined by the

A)presiding officers.
B)legislators.
C)governor.
D)governor and the presiding officers.

Question 27

The attorney general is the lawyer for which of the following?

A)State officials
B)State board members
C)State agencies
D)All of the above

Question 28

The most distinctive characteristic of the Texas administration is

A)no one is officially in charge of the administrative apparatus.
B)that in Texas laws are fragmented into several elective and appointive positions.
C)an agency director heads each executive department.
D)that there is no single official in Texas government that bears ultimate responsibility.

Question 29

The Texas governor's combined administrative and legislative power ranking is __________ among the 50 states.

A)35th
B)47th
C)1st
D)24th

Question 30

Which statement about blue-ribbon commissions is correct?

A)They are used to delay the actual consideration of a "political hot potato" until it has cooled.
B)They can serve as trial balloons to measure public acceptance of various proposals.
C)They are a means to inform and increase interest group support.
D)All of these choices are true.

Question 31

An informal legislative power of the governor not mentioned in the constitution or the law is the

A)line item veto.
B)pocket veto.
C)threat of veto.
D)post veto.

Question 32

One of the most persuasive tools the governor has is the

A)pocket veto.
B)threat of veto.
C)item veto.
D)none of these choices is true.

Question 33

Which of the following is not a primary function of the Texas attorney general?

A)Representing the state in conflicts with the national government
B)Representing the state in legal conflicts with governments of other states
C)Prosecuting the most criminal cases in Texas
D)Initiating lawsuits against corporations for consumer protection

Question 34

The system of officials and their employees administering or managing government policies and programs is called

A)board and commission.
B)bureaucracy.
C)elected positions.
D)tenured positions.

Question 35

Compared to those of other states,the governor of Texas has

A)stronger executive and legislative powers.
B)comparable executive and administrative powers.
C)weaker executive and administrative powers.
D)No comparative studies have been conducted recently.

Question 36

Which of the following is not a responsibility of the Texas commissioner of agriculture?

A)Checking the accuracy of scales in meat markets.
B)Administering the Texas Agricultural Finance Authority.
C)Conducting research,educational,and regulatory activities relating to agriculture.
D)Coordinating pesticide management policies and programs.

Question 37

The revenues from the management of public lands are dedicated to the Permanent School Fund,which benefit

A)state chartered schools.
B)community colleges.
C)public schools.
D)state colleges and universities.

Question 38

Texas has a plural executive,which means that

A)Texas is part of the three branches of government.
B)the governor shares executive power with several other independently elected executives and boards.
C)the institutions of government have a system of checks and balances.
D)the executive branch of government is modeled after that of the executive branch at the national level.

Question 39

The governor's authority to reject a proposed law is almost an absolute power because

A)the governor has control over the legislative agenda.
B)the presiding officers are in agreement with the governor.
C)the legislature is seldom in session when the governor issues a veto.
D)the conference committee has conferred with the governor.

Question 40

An item veto allows the governor to do which of the following?

A)Remove funds for specific items or projects without killing the entire bill
B)Bypass the legislature's approval
C)Compete with other states for federal funds
D)End a legislative session

Question 41

Government employees who expose bureaucratic excesses,blunders,corruption,or favoritism are called

A)unsung heroes.
B)whistle-blowers.
C)ombudsmen.
D)snitches.

Question 42

Mike Toomey's career is an example of

A)electoral success.
B)the revolving door.
C)incumbent advantage.
D)executive privilege.

Question 43

By executive order,Governor Rick Perry directed the __________ to serve as his liaison for Texas border and Mexican affairs.

A)attorney general
B)comptroller of public accounts
C)secretary of state
D)adjunct general

Question 44

__________ makes recommendations as to the alteration,termination,or continuation of about 130 state boards,commissions,and agencies.

A)The Sunset Advisory Commission
B)An ombudsman
C)The Legislative Oversight Committee
D)The Governor's Accountability Board

Question 45

The Iron Texas Star is composed of a coalition of interests that include all of the following except

A)the lieutenant governor.
B)the speaker.
C)the governor.
D)the comptroller.

Question 46

A system that allows the chief executive to appoint and remove top-level administrators,thereby giving the chief executive more control over the administration is called

A)cabinet system.
B)oversight board.
C)ombudsman.
D)auditing board.

Question 47

Which of the following executive officers is not legally independent of the governor?

A)Lieutenant governor
B)Comptroller of public accounts
C)Commissioner of education
D)Commissioner of the General Land Office

Question 48

Describe the typical demographic characteristics of past Texas governors.Are their reasons to believe these demographic characteristics may change in the future? Why or why not?​

Question 49

The principle of legislative accountability has been implemented by all of the following except

A)oversight boards.
B)auditing board.
C)budgeting board.
D)redistricting board.

Question 50

A practice where politicians award contracts to their political supporters in the business community is called

A)a spoils system.
B)a merit system.
C)civil service.
D)a contract spoils.

Question 51

Describe the veto powers of the Texas governor.Which strategy for veto is most effective and why?​

Question 52

What are the benefits and drawbacks of a plural executive? Should Texas restructure its executive? Why or why not?​

Question 53

Contrast the formal and informal powers of the Texas governor.Which set of powers are most effectual and why?​

Question 54

Describe the appointment powers of the governor.How are these powers limited?

Question 55

An official who takes,investigates,and mediates complaints about government bureaucrats from private individuals is called a(n)

A)ombudsman.
B)amicus curiae.
C)advocate.
D)whistle-blower.

Question 56

_________ is/are most concerned with the laws and policies being administered by a government agency.

A)Political parties
B)Clientele interest groups
C)The general public
D)The Legislative Oversight Board

Question 57

The ________ practices of special interest groups help them gain influence over public policy.

A)public service
B)civil service
C)revolving door
D)contract spoils

Question 58

Which is a violation of open meeting laws in Texas?

A)Unannounced meetings
B)Public notice of closed sessions
C)Meetings opened to the general public when discussing land acquisition
D)Meetings opened to the general public when discussing litigation matters

Question 59

The Texas Department of Agriculture is responsible for

A)administration of all agricultural purchase agreements.
B)administration of the Texas food bank program.
C)enforcement of laws for consumer and labor protection,as well as the other laws related to the agribusiness industry.
D)coordination of pesticide management policies and programs for the Department of Agriculture and several other state agencies.

Question 60

All of the following are appointed by the governor except

A)members of the Public Safety Commission.
B)adjutant general of the Texas National Guard and Texas State Guard.
C)members of the Board of Pardons and Parole.
D)members of the State Board of Education.

Question 61

What potential positive and negative outcomes for democratic accountability are created by Texas Iron Stars?

Question 62

Discuss the issue of accountability and the bureaucracy,elected officials,legislators,and the governor of the state.What are various approaches that are used to hold administrations accountable to the people of Texas?

Question 63

Describe the structure of a Texas Iron Star.How does it form? Who sets the agenda in a Texas Iron Star?​

Question 64

Contrast bureaucratic accountability to the legislature and the chief executive in Texas.What changes would you make to increase bureaucratic accountability? 

Question 65

Compare and contrast and appointee and an electoral system of bureaucratic accountability.Be sure to analyze the potential for corruption in each system.Weigh the differences and craft an argument for the system you believe to be superior.​