Ch.9 The Plural Executive and the Bureaucracy Exam Questions

Chapter 9

Test Bank

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 1, Objective 9.1

1) In Texas, executive power is split among several independent officials. Texas can be said to have a _______ executive.

Feedback: conceptual

a. split

b. bureaucratic

c. plural

d. diffusion

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 2, Objective 9.1

2) A government organization that implements laws and provides services to individuals is the

Feedback: conceptual

a. executive branch.

b. legislative branch.

c. judicial branch.

d. bureaucracy.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 3, Objective 9.1

3) The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality developed standards to minimize air pollution. These standards are legally binding. The process in which they were created is called

Feedback: factual

a. legislation.

b. implementation.

c. regulation crafting.

d. rulemaking.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 4, Objective 9.1

4) The execution, by the bureaucracy, of laws and decisions made by the legislative, executive, or judicial branch, is known as

Feedback: conceptual

a. implementation.

b. diffusion.

c. execution of law.

d. rules.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 5, Objective 9.1

5) How does the size of the Texas bureaucracy (per 10,00 people) compare to that other states?

Feedback: factual

a. It is smaller than most other states.

b. It is larger than most other states.

c. It is about the same.

d. Texas does not have a bureaucracy.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 6, Objective 9.1

6) Standards that are established for the function and management of industry, business, individuals, and other parts of government are called

Feedback: conceptual

a. regulations.

b. licenses

c. business laws.

d. bureaucratic law.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 7, Objective 9.1

7) In order to perform some tasks, such as practicing medicine or working as a plumber, one needs to obtain _______ from the bureaucracy.

Feedback: conceptual

a. regulations

b. licensing

c. business laws

d. bureaucratic law

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 8, Objective 9.1

8) The carrying out of rules by an agency or commission within the bureaucracy, is called

Feedback: conceptual

a. implementation.

b. rule-making.

c. licensing.

d. enforcement.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 9, Objective 9.1

9) The health department fines a restaurant for not adhering to rules about cleanliness standards. This is an example of

Feedback: applied

a. executive orders.

b. lawmaking.

c. implementation.

d. enforcement.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 10, Objective 9.1

10) The governor has the least control over what kind of bureaucratic entity?

Feedback: conceptual

a. Multimember agencies which the governor appoints

b. Hybrid agencies

c. One with an independently elected head

d. One with a head the governor appoints

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 11, Objective 9.2

11) Compared to other states, the Texas lieutenant governor has _______ power.

Feedback: factual

a. about the same amount of

b. less

c. more

d. much less

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 12, Objective 9.1

12) The legislature passes a law specifying that it is illegal to put “unsafe levels of toxins” into rivers. They leave it to the bureaucracy to determine what constitutes unsafe. In this case the bureaucracy has _______ power.

Feedback: applied

a. review

b. executive

c. legislative

d. rule-making

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 13, Objective 9.2

13) The lieutenant governor has which power?

Feedback: conceptual

a. Impeaching the governor

b. Declaring actions of county judges unconstitutional

c. Vetoing legislation

d. Appointing committee chairs in the Senate

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 14, Objective 9.2

14) Which member of the plural executive is the state’s lawyer, defending the laws and constitution of the State of Texas by representing it in court?

Feedback: conceptual

a. The attorney general

b. The land commissioner

c. The lieutenant governor

d. The comptroller of public accounts

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 15, Objective 9.2

15) Which member of the plural executive handles the state’s finances?

Feedback: conceptual

a. The attorney general

b. The secretary of the treasury

c. The lieutenant governor

d. The comptroller of public accounts

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 16, Objective 9.2

16) Which member of the plural executive implements agricultural laws, promotes Texas’s agriculture production, and products and administers school nutrition programs?

Feedback: conceptual

a. The attorney general

b. The agriculture commissioner

c. The lieutenant governor

d. The comptroller of public accounts

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 17, Objective 9.2

17) Which department performs regulatory functions, such as protecting consumers from pesticides and certifying organic products?

Feedback: conceptual

a. The General Land Office (GLO) b. The secretary of state’s office

c. The Department of Agriculture

d. The lieutenant governor’s office

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 18, Objective 9.2

18) Which bureaucratic agency often works on the enforcement of child support payments?

Feedback: conceptual

a. The State Board of Education

b. The lieutenant governor

c. The commissioner of child welfare

d. The attorney general

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 19, Objective 9.2

19) The state’s budget operates on a _______, which means that state funds spent must equal state funds received.

Feedback: conceptual

a. layaway system

b. pay-as-you-go system

c. deficit spending system

d. reduced income taxes system

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 20, Objective 9.2

20) Which member of the plural executive oversees state-owned land, including open beaches and submerged land off the coast in the Gulf of Mexico?

Feedback: conceptual

a. The attorney general

b. The commissioner of the General Land Office

c. The lieutenant governor

d. The comptroller of public accounts

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 21, Objective 9.2

21) The General Land Office oversees the _______, which helps fund education.

Feedback: conceptual

a. Permanent School Fund

b. STARR Fund

c. Longhorn-Aggie Fund

d. Governor’s Excellence Fund

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 22, Objective 9.2

22) The Railroad Commissioner is unsure about the legality of a course of action. So, she asks the attorney general for advice. This advice will come in the form of

Feedback: applied

a. a law review.

b. an advisory opinion.

c. a binding precedent.

d. a legislation package.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 23, Objective 9.2

23) Members of the plural executive, such as the attorney general, the lieutenant governor, and the comptroller of public accounts, are

Feedback: conceptual

a. independently elected in partisan elections.

b. appointed by the legislature.

c. appointed by the governor.

d. appointed by the governor and then reelected in a partisan election.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 24, Objective 9.2

24) Suppose the Senate is voting on a piece of legislation and the vote is tied. How is that tie broken?

Feedback: applied

a. The majority leader gets two votes.

b. A tie means the bill fails.

c. A coin flip breaks the tie.

d. The lieutenant governor votes.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 25, Objective 9.2

25) Suppose someone would like to lease state-owned lands for oil and gas production. With whom should they negotiate?

Feedback: applied

a. Governor

b. Attorney general

c. Commissioner of the General Land Office

d. Railroad Commissioner

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 26, Objective 9.2

26) Perhaps the most powerful member of the plural executive is

Feedback: conceptual

a. the land commissioner.

b. the attorney general.

c. the lieutenant governor.

d. the comptroller of public accounts.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 27, Objective 9.2

27) The lieutenant governor serves as the _______ of the Texas Senate, meaning that he or she is in charge of the administrative and procedural duties of the chamber.

Feedback: conceptual

a. presiding officer

b. minority leader

c. chancellor

d. director of legislation

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 28, Objective 9.3

28) How is the secretary of state selected in Texas?

Feedback: conceptual

a. By the voters in a partisan election

b. By the governor and then confirmed by the Senate

c. By the governor only

d. By the voters in a nonpartisan election

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 29, Objective 9.3

29) Which official oversees elections in Texas?

Feedback: conceptual

a. The attorney general

b. The chief justice

c. The election chief

d. The secretary of state

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 30, Objective 9.3

30) How is the commissioner of health and human services selected in Texas?

Feedback: conceptual

a. By the voters in a partisan election

b. By the governor and then confirmed by the Senate

c. By the governor only

d. By the voters in a nonpartisan election

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 31, Objective 9.4

31) Bureaucratic organizations staffed by a minimum of three individuals are referred to as

Feedback: conceptual

a. independently elected agencies.

b. single-head agencies.

c. multimember agencies.

d. hybrid agencies.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 32, Objective 9.4

32) If you get an electricity bill that is alarmingly high, you should contact which multimember agency?

Feedback: applied

a. The Department of Transportation

b. The Department of Health and Human Services

c. The Public Utility Commission

d. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 33, Objective 9.4

33) Which agency is in charge of operation and maintenance of the state’s massive 80,000-mile highway system, in addition to overseeing aviation, railroads, and other public transportation systems in the state?

Feedback: conceptual

a. The Department of Transportation

b. The Department of Health and Human Services

c. The Public Utility Commission

d. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 34, Objective 9.4

34) The _______ protects public health, preserves the natural resources of the state, maintains clean air and water, and assures the safe management of waste.

Feedback: conceptual

a. Department of Transportation

b. Department of Health and Human Services

c. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

d. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 35, Objective 9.4

35) The Texas Department of Transportation is in charge of

Feedback: conceptual

a. the state’s highway system.

b. air traffic in Texas.

c. clearing traffic jams.

d. maintaining sidewalks.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 36, Objective 9.4

36) Which agency is in charge of selling hunting and fishing licenses?

Feedback: conceptual

a. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

b. Sportsman Commission

c. Department of the Interior

d. Department of Recreation

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 37, Objective 9.5

37) How are members of hybrid agencies selected?

Feedback: factual

a. Some are appointed, some are elected.

b. The are appointed by the Senate, then confirmed by the House.

c. They are initially appointed and then elected.

d. Members of the agency vote for their own leaders.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 38, Objective 9.5

38) Which bureaucratic agency oversees curriculum in primary and secondary schools?

Feedback: conceptual

a. State Board of Education

b. Board of Regents

c. Texas Independent Mega District

d. The State Senate

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 39, Objective 9.5

39) Bureaucratic organizations whose leaders are selected by a mixture of appointments and elections are known as

Feedback: conceptual

a. independently elected agencies.

b. single-head agencies.

c. multimember agencies.

d. hybrid agencies.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 40, Objective 9.5

40) How are multimember commissioners selected?

Feedback: conceptual

a. Through district or statewide elections

b. Through city elections

c. Through national elections

d. Through appointment

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 41, Objective 9.5

41) Which of the following commissions deals primarily with the regulation of the oil and gas industry?

Feedback: conceptual

a. The Texas Railroad Commission

b. The Texas Ethics Commission

c. The Texas Oil Commission

d. The Public Utility Commission

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 42, Objective 9.5

42) The _______ oversees campaign contributions and regulates and enforces lobbying activities.

Feedback: conceptual

a. Texas Railroad Commission

b. Texas Ethics Commission

c. State Board of Education

d. Public Utility Commission

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 43, Objective 9.5

43) The _______ is responsible for the oversight of public primary and secondary education, setting curriculum standards, and establishing graduation requirements.

Feedback: conceptual

a. Higher Education Coordinating Board

b. State Board of Education

c. Texas Ethics Commission

d. Public Utility Commission

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 44, Objective 9.5

44) Why does the governor have less influence over multimember agencies?

Feedback: conceptual

a. All members are appointed at the same time.

b. Member terms are often staggered.

c. Members are appointed by the Senate.

d. Members are always elected.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 45, Objective 9.6

45) One consequence of a plural executive is policy making is often

Feedback: conceptual

a. streamlined.

b. quick.

c. efficient.

d. sluggish.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 46, Objective 9.6

46) What typically happens when an agency is marked to be “sunsetted”?

Feedback: conceptual

a. They completely cease to exist.

b. Their responsibilities are transferred to other agencies.

c. They immediately stop operating.

d. The voters make the ultimate decision.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 47, Objective 9.6

47) Suppose the legislature conducts hearings to determine whether agencies are compliant with legislative policies. These hearings are called

Feedback: applied

a. markup.

b. compliance.

c. review.

d. oversight.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 48, Objective 9.6

48) The lieutenant governor also sits on several _______ boards.

Feedback: factual

a. county

b. judicial

c. executive

d. legislative

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 49, Objective 9.6

49) Which bureaucratic agency reviews whether other bureaucratic agencies are still useful to Texas?

Feedback: conceptual

a. Small Government Agency

b. Texas Ethics Commission

c. Sunset Advisory Commission

d. Utility Commission

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 50, Objective 9.6

50) While the governor appoints many members of the bureaucracy, the legislature can _______ members of the bureaucracy.

Feedback: conceptual

a. imprison

b. set minimum qualifications for

c. dismiss

d. fire for any reason

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 51, Objective 9.1

51) Describe the plural executive in Texas.

Feedback:

The diffusion of authority and power throughout several entities in the executive branch and the bureaucracy. Done so out of distrust of centralized executive power.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 52, Objective 9.1

52) Define bureaucracy.

Feedback:

A government organization that implements laws and provides services to individuals.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 53, Objective 9.1

53) Bureaucrats engage in implementation. What does this mean?

Feedback:

The execution by the bureaucracy of laws and decisions made by the legislative, executive, or judicial branch.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 54, Objective 9.1

54) Why do bureaucrats “get a bad rap”?

Feedback:

Politicians engage in “bureaucracy bashing” as a foil for their inability to make government work to their liking. Reporters often highlight the worst abuses, such as the denial of workers’ compensation claims, to hold the government responsible, but these events may be isolated incidents.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 55, Objective 9.2

55) Why Is the lieutenant governor important in Texas?

Feedback:

The lieutenant governor’s duties are primarily managerial, but their legislative responsibilities make them a very powerful force in state government.

The lieutenant governor serves as the presiding officer of the Texas Senate, meaning that he or she is in charge of the administrative and procedural duties of the chamber.

As the leader of the Texas Senate, the lieutenant governor uses discretion in following the chamber’s rules on proper parliamentary procedures, and deciding when a bill will come up for a vote.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 56, Objective 9.1

56) Explain the “plural executive” in Texas and how this diffuses power.

Feedback:

Infighting weakens an already weak executive branch, but it is an inevitable result of the plural executive.

The Texas Constitution fragments political power and policy management on purpose, so no single individual, group, or agency has the power to control government.

The people elect the most powerful officers of the executive branch, including the lieutenant governor, the attorney general, the comptroller of public accounts, the land commissioner, and positions in dozens of boards and commissions that shape the policy direction of the state.

The governor does not appoint many of them and has no direct authority over them.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 57, Objective 9.1

57) Describe the Texas bureaucracy. What do bureaucrats do? How does the size of our bureaucracy compare to other states?

Feedback:

The state agencies that administer financial assistance to college students and regulate standards of the state’s hair, nail, and beauty salons are all part of the bureaucracy.

Bureaucracies set up a hierarchical chain of command: employees at each level report to a single boss.

The legislature or governor assigns each agency its own specialized mission, such as dispensing financial aid or regulating cosmetology standards.

As a result, bureaucrats in these agencies have knowledge of or experience in a single issue or topic needed to carry out their mission.

Bureaucracies need staff to operate.

Because of the size of the land mass, the number of businesses, the number of people, and the size of the economy, the executive bureaucracy in Texas is necessarily huge. However, when compared to other states, Texas has fewer bureaucrats per person—approximately 1 bureaucrat for every 3,500 Texas residents.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 58, Objective 9.2

58) Name the members of the plural executive that are elected. Why do they have autonomy?

Feedback:

The lieutenant governor, the attorney general, the comptroller of public accounts, the commissioner of the general land office, and the agricultural commissioner are all independently elected members of the executive branch.

None of these positions are beholden to the governor for their position, so they have a sizeable degree of autonomy.

They are only accountable to the voters.

They do not have to work together like a presidential cabinet, or even be of the same party.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 59, Objective 9.2

59) Explain the position of the lieutenant governor in Texas. What makes the role so powerful?

Feedback:

Unlike lieutenant governors in other states, and unlike the US vice president, the Texas lieutenant governor plays a formidable role within both the executive and legislative branches.

The lieutenant governor’s duties are primarily managerial, but their legislative responsibilities make them a very powerful force in state government.

Since the end of the Second World War, the lieutenant governor has had a significant say in the administration of the state and lawmaking in Texas. The lieutenant governor serves as the presiding officer of the Texas Senate, meaning that he or she is in charge of the administrative and procedural duties of the chamber.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 09 Question 60, Objective 9.2

60) Explain the position of the attorney general in Texas. What role does he or she play in Texas politics?

Feedback:

The attorney general (AG) is the state’s lawyer, defending the laws and constitution of the State of Texas by representing the state in court.

The attorney general provides legal services to the governor, state agencies, and local and state government entities.

The AG’s actions and opinions can actively shape state policies.

When requested, the AG’s office will file suit on behalf of state agencies in court

The Texas Constitution does not specify that the attorney general be a licensed attorney, only that they “represent the state” in various legal capacities.