The Legislature Full Test Bank Chapter 7 - Test Bank | Governing Texas 4e by Anthony Champagne by Anthony Champagne. DOCX document preview.
CHAPTER 7 The Legislature
Textbook Section (REF)
Structure of the Texas Legislature
Powers of the Legislature
How a Bill Becomes a Law in Texas
Power and Partisanship in the Legislature
Redistricting
Chapter Goal (OBJ)
Describe the organization and basic rules of the legislature.
Outline the legislative and nonlegislative powers of the legislature.
Trace the process through which law is made in Texas.
Analyze how party leadership and partisanship affect power in the legislature.
Explain the politics of redistricting.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The power of recognition allows the Speaker of the House to
a. | appoint people to serve on committees in return for loyalty to the Speaker. |
b. | honor Texans who have served their state and country with valor. |
c. | determine who will get to speak and how long a legislative debate will last. |
d. | set the legislative agenda, signaling which pieces of legislation he or she prefers and supports. |
2. In the Texas legislature, the House has ________ members and the Senate has ________ members.
a. | 435; 100 | c. | 150; 31 |
b. | 100; 25 | d. | 31; 150 |
3. Texas senators serve ________-year terms and House members serve ________-year terms.
a. | two; four | c. | four; two |
b. | four; six | d. | six; four |
4. In order to be eligible to serve in the Texas House, you must be ______ years old; in order to be eligible to serve in the Texas Senate, you must be ______ years old.
a. | 25; 30 |
b. | 18; 22 |
c. | 30; 35 |
d. | 21; 26 |
5. Senators and House members take office in______________ of odd-numbered years.
a. | March | c. | September |
b. | January | d. | May |
6. Each member of the Texas Senate represents about ___________ people, while each member of the Texas House represents about_________ people.
a. | 350,000; 650,000 | c. | 811,000; 168,000 |
b. | 168,000; 811,000 | d. | 1,000,000; 100,000 |
7. For a law to pass in the Texas legislature it must be voted on by
a. | two deliberative bodies representing different constituencies. |
b. | both Democrats and Republicans. |
c. | Tea Party members. |
d. | just one chamber. |
8. One of the most notable effects of bicameralism in the Texas legislature is that it
a. | speeds up the process of legislation by dividing the labors between two separate institutions. |
b. | works to the benefit of the more densely populated urban areas. |
c. | allows for sparsely populated rural counties to receive more of a voice in the legislature. |
d. | permits more opportunities to kill or significantly modify a bill. |
9. What is the function of the “local and consent” calendar?
a. | It marks the date by which legislators must vote on specific bills. |
b. | It is the calendar for all private bills sponsored by members of the legislature. |
c. | It is reserved for uncontroversial bills or bills limited to a localized problem. |
d. | It describes the voting schedule for those bills that require approval by both the legislature and local communities. |
10. For how long does the Texas legislature meet?
a. | The legislature meets all year, with breaks for holidays and campaigning. |
b. | The regular session is nine months every year. |
c. | The legislature meets for nine months biennially. |
d. | The regular legislative session lasts 140 days in odd-numbered years. |
11. The agenda for special sessions in the Texas legislature is set by the
a. | lieutenant governor and the Texas Speaker of the House. |
b. | governor. |
c. | Texas Supreme Court. |
d. | chair of the Joint Committee on Special Sessions. |
12. Which of the following statements about special sessions of the Texas legislature is true?
a. | Special sessions are a rare occurrence, called on average once a decade. |
b. | Special sessions were common in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries but have been rare over the past 50 years. |
c. | Special sessions are common, held an average of once a year since 1876. |
d. | Special sessions occur often, on average four times a year. |
13. Special sessions last ________, but there is no limit to the number of special sessions a governor can call.
a. | 30 days | c. | 90 days |
b. | 60 days | d. | 120 days |
14. Special sessions of the legislature
a. | are called infrequently because they are very expensive. |
b. | can only be called by a joint resolution passed by both the House and the Senate. |
c. | are called frequently because the legislature is unable to complete all of its required business in the allotted 140 days of its regular sessions. |
d. | can only be called to deal with issues related to passing a budget. |
15. In even-numbered years, Texas representatives receive a salary of only ________ per year, not including a per diem.
a. | nothing | c. | $7,200 |
b. | $28,200 | d. | $12,000 |
16. ________ must begin in the House of Representatives.
a. | Transportation bills | c. | Revenue bills |
b. | School finance bills | d. | All bills |
17. A bill in the Texas legislature that would allow a county to establish a new community college would be classified as a
a. | general bill. | c. | local bill. |
b. | special bill. | d. | concurrent resolution. |
18. Which is the most important bill that applies to all people and property throughout the state?
a. | general bill | c. | simple resolution |
b. | local bill | d. | special bill |
19. If the legislature grants a particular corporation an exception from a state law, it is called
a. | logrolling. | c. | a private resolution. |
b. | a special bill. | d. | a filibuster. |
20. Which of the following statements about simple resolutions is correct?
a. | They do not require the signature of the governor. |
b. | They can only concern the internal rules of the Texas legislature. |
c. | They are limited to matters of concern for no more than two House districts. |
d. | They can only be initiated by the governor. |
21. What types of resolutions are acted on without debate and without requiring members to read the resolution?
a. | concurrent resolutions | c. | resolutions of honor or recognition |
b. | joint resolutions | d. | simple resolution |
22. Constituent service can play an important role in
a. | being able to successfully filibuster a bill. |
b. | creating a personal relationship between the legislator and the individual constituent, which will give the legislator an advantage when running for reelection. |
c. | being able to successfully pigeonhole a bill. |
d. | the Speaker’s ability to make sure that members are assigned to committees that match their interest and skills. |
23. The Texas Legislature has many powers that are not related to legislation, including which of the following?
a. | the power to create local bills |
b. | the power to filibuster in the Senate. |
c. | the power to formally count returns for the governor’s and lieutenant governor’s elections. |
d. | the power to create concurrent resolutions. |
24. The legislature has “directive and supervisory powers” that include the ability to
a. | review each state agency every twelve years. | c. | require members to hire a certain number of interns each year. |
b. | impeach government officials for improper behavior. | d. | confirm judicial nominations. |
25. While bills must be introduced by a member of the legislature, ______________ can write a bill.
a. | anyone |
b. | only a member of the chamber where it is being introduced |
c. | any elected government official |
d. | only specially designated “authors” within each chamber |
26. After a bill is referred by a committee, the next step in the process is
a. | floor action. |
b. | action by the governor. |
c. | action by conference committee. |
d. | approval. |
27. In the Texas legislature, the referral of a bill to a standing committee in the House and the Senate is the job of the
a. | governor. |
b. | secretary of state. |
c. | Speaker of the House and lieutenant governor. |
d. | Sergeant-at-Arms of the House and Senate. |
28. Which committee acts as a screening mechanism to filter out bad bills or bills that have little or no political support?
a. | standing | c. | joint |
b. | conference | d. | select |
29. Rules of the legislature require that the bill be read
a. | on two separate occasions. |
b. | on three separate occasions. |
c. | by the bill writer, the legislative member, and the lieutenant governor or Speaker of the House. |
d. | by the bill writer, the legislative member, and the committee chairman. |
30. Which of the following rules applies to the filibuster in the Texas Senate?
a. | The filibuster can only be used during a special session. |
b. | The senator speaking can expand the topic of debate to related subjects. |
c. | The senator who has control of the floor must always speak in an audible voice, so that he or she can be heard and understood. |
d. | The senator who is speaking can take one five-minute break and leave the chamber every eight hours while he or she is talking. |
31. In the Texas legislature, when a committee chair “pigeonholes” a bill, what happens?
a. | The bill is set aside before it is ever discussed in committee. |
b. | The bill is referred to a special session. |
c. | The chair vetoes a bill after it has already received an affirmative committee vote. |
d. | The chair refers a bill to only one subcommittee rather than two or more. |
32. ________ is a kind of talking that is used to stall legislation.
a. | Veto | c. | Pigeonholing |
b. | Chubbing | d. | Referral |
33. As in the U.S. Congress, the purpose of a conference committee in the Texas legislature is to do what?
a. | It is a committee in which members of both houses meet informally with the governor’s representatives to set the agenda for an upcoming session. |
b. | It is a committee designed to make differing House and Senate versions of the same bill identical. |
c. | It is the committee that establishes the rules for floor debate in the House. |
d. | It is another name for a standing committee. |
34. The governor often uses the State of the State address to do which of the following?
a. | to call a special legislative session |
b. | to issue a signing statement |
c. | to describe his or her legislative priorities and agenda |
d. | to announce the committee chairs for the legislative committees |
35. In Texas, why is a governor’s post-adjournment veto so powerful?
a. | It cannot be overturned by the legislature. |
b. | It can be overturned only by a two-thirds majority of both houses. |
c. | It allows the governor to veto parts of a bill but not all of it. |
d. | It allows the governor to get maximum media coverage. |
36. When the governor strikes out specific spending provisions in large appropriations bills it is called
a. | pigeonholing. | c. | the line-item veto. |
b. | the pocket veto. | d. | the post-adjournment veto. |
37. In Texas, the governor’s State of the State address is an example of the ________ power.
a. | special session | c. | message |
b. | veto | d. | impeachment |
38. In addition to the legislators and the governor, there are others involved in the lawmaking process during both regular and special sessions. Which one official has direct involvement in the legislative process, while other players are involved indirectly?
a. | the comptroller of public accounts | c. | the court |
b. | the media | d. | the lobbyist |
39. Why is the comptroller of public accounts so important to the legislature?
a. | The comptroller is responsible for setting the salary and compensation packages for legislators. |
b. | The comptroller informs the legislature how much money it has to spend on the budget. |
c. | The comptroller investigates suspected illegal campaign contributions. |
d. | Whoever is comptroller is also the Speaker of the House. |
40. The Speaker of the House and the lieutenant governor are viewed as among the most powerful actors in Texas government because
a. | they usually move on to higher levels of office, such as governor. |
b. | they have the ability to set the initial legislative budget. |
c. | they call special sessions of the legislature. |
d. | they have enough institutional powers to be able to influence which legislation passes and which legislation is killed. |
41. How is the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives chosen?
a. | The Speaker is elected in a statewide election. |
b. | The Speaker is the most senior representative in the House. |
c. | The Speaker is the most senior representative from the majority party. |
d. | The Speaker is elected by members of the House. |
42. Which of the following statements about partisanship in the Texas legislature is correct?
a. | Partisan rivalries have been high throughout the history of the Texas legislature. |
b. | Historically, partisanship has been rather low, but in recent years the legislature has moved into a more partisan era. |
c. | The legislature was divided by partisan bickering before the 1980s, but the conflict has decreased steadily since then. |
d. | The Texas Constitution was amended in 1986 to forbid partisanship from interfering with the legislative process. |
43. Legislative districts in the Texas House and Senate are
a. | based on proportional representation. | c. | multiple-member districts. |
b. | single-member districts. | d. | redistricted every four years. |
44. Who has responsibility for redistricting the Texas delegation to the U.S. Congress?
a. | the Texas legislature |
b. | the governor |
c. | the governor, along with the Texas Senate |
d. | the U.S. Congress |
45. What is the importance of the Supreme Court case Reynolds v. Sims and Baker v. Carr?
a. | It declared the Voting Rights Act of 1965 constitutional. |
b. | It declared poll taxes unconstitutional. |
c. | It declared the constitutional principle of “one person, one vote.” |
d. | It declared that preclearance was an unconstitutional abridgement of state power. |
46. The Legislative Redistricting Board has the authority to draw new districts if
a. | appointed to do so by the governor after a special redistricting session. |
b. | the legislature fails to redistrict at the first regular session after the census. |
c. | ordered to do so by the state supreme court or a federal district court. |
d. | a majority in both the House and the Senate vote to allow it. |
47. Why did 51 Democratic members of the Texas legislature go to Oklahoma in 2003?
a. | To protest a second redistricting effort that was intended to further only political goals rather than to meet the one-person, one-vote requirement after a decennial census. |
b. | They were part of a multi-state caucus of Democratic state legislators working on preparing for the 2004 presidential election. |
c. | They were asked by the Oklahoma legislature to provide assistance in drafting pieces of legislation related to pay-as-you-go requirements. |
d. | They were part of a larger taskforce that was participating in a multi-state effort to coordinate response and training with the newly created Department of Homeland Security. |
1. Members of the Texas House have a larger constituency than members of the Texas Senate.
2. The Texas Constitution permits the election to the Texas legislature of persons who are not U.S. citizens but who have been legal residents of Texas for at least 10 years.
3. Bicameralism creates an interesting dynamic in a legislature because it means that before a law is passed, it will be voted on by two deliberative bodies representing different constituencies.
4. Regular sessions of the Texas legislature last for 200 days.
5. The Texas legislature meets in regular session once every two years.
6. Special sessions last 30 days, and there is a limit to the number of special sessions a governor can call.
7. Revenue bills must begin in the House of Representatives.
8. The Texas House of Representatives is responsible for both impeaching government officials and holding the trials after impeachment.
9. Special bills are used to grant specific individuals or corporations exemptions from state law.
10. Conference committees are designed to make Texas House and Senate bills identical to each other.
11. Like the U.S. president, the governor of Texas can kill a bill by refusing to sign it.
12. The governor of Texas has the authority to exercise a line-item veto.
13. The legislature can overturn a post-adjournment veto.
14. The Texas Constitution forbids the legislature to borrow money to conduct the daily operations of government.
15. By focusing on some things and not others, the media can shape the legislative agenda and what becomes legal or illegal in Texas.
16. In Texas, both the lieutenant governor and the Speaker of the House are elected in statewide elections.
17. Since the lieutenant governor is elected in a statewide election, he or she represents the interests of the whole state rather than a smaller geographic constituency.
18. Members of the Texas House of Representatives are permitted to speak on the House floor for as long as they wish.
19. In the Senate, the Speaker controls legislative debate by selecting who speaks and how long the debate will last.
1. Describe the structure and organization of the Texas legislature. Consider the following questions: What are some of the effects of bicameralism? What are committees, and what are their roles? When is the Texas legislature in regular session?
2. Contrast the leadership and committee structure of the Texas House with that of the Texas Senate.
3. Describe how a bill becomes a state law. Consider the following questions: Who writes bills? What are the rules for debate on the floor? What are some of the powers of the governor throughout this process?
4. Does the increase in partisanship put the minority party at a bigger disadvantage when it comes to influencing legislation? Do the Texas legislature’s presiding officers have too much power?
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Test Bank | Governing Texas 4e by Anthony Champagne
By Anthony Champagne