-
A texas college student at a local university stops attending class and the professor drops the student from the class for excessive absences. As required by state law, the student receives a w for the course and must retake the class. This example illustrates which stage of the policy making process?
policy implementation
-
According to Professor Daniel Elazar, what type of political culture does Texas have?
combination of traditionalistic and individulastic
-
According to public opinion polls, most Texans
support capital punishment.
-
According to Rice and Sundberg, what identifies a civic culture effective government?
a political culturethat is conducive to the development of an effective and efficient government.
-
which of the following set of steps in the policy procedd is listed in correct order?
agenda building, policy formulation, policy adoption, policy implementation, policy evaluation
-
government leadership is in the hands of an established social elite and the level of participation by ordinary citizens in the policy making process is relatively low in which of the following types of political culture?
traditionalistic
-
how does the average household income in Texas compare to average household income in the nation as a whole?
the average household income in Texas is below the national average
-
In the 1990s, Texas had 30 representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives. After the 2000 census, Texas had 32 representatives. Which of the following statements can be accurately concluded from that fact?
During the 1990’s, Texas’ population grew at a more rapid pace than did the population of the US as a whole
-
In which type of political culture do people expect government to intervene in social and economic affairs, promoting the public welfare and advancing the public good?
moralistic
-
Listed in order of population size, what are the largest racial/ethnic groups in Texas?
non-hispanic whites, Latinos, African Americans, Asians
-
On what basis does the government determine the official poverty line?
It is based on the amount of money an individual or family needs to purchase basic necessities, such as food, clothing, health care, shelter, and transportation
-
On which of the following activities would severance tax be levied?
An oil company produces a thousand barrels of oil a day from a field in West Texas
-
Since the mid-1970’s, which of the following sectors of the Texas economy hs grown the most rapidly?
healthcare, high-tech industries, and services
-
the assessment of policy is the definition for which of the following?
policy evaluation
-
The superintendent of schools chairs a special committee of teachers, parents, and community leaders organized to develop a plan to discourage drug use among school age youngsters. The committee action illustrates which stage of the policy process?
Policy formulation
-
Which of the following best illustrates policy adoption?
The local school board of trustees votes to purchase metal detectors to search students for weapons on school grounds
-
Which of the following groups of Texans has the LOWEST incidence of poverty?
non-hispanic whites
-
Which of the following situations best illustrates policy evaluation?
a city police department conducts a study to determine whether the location of police substations in high-crime neighborhoods affects the crime rate in those neighborhoods
-
Which of the following situations best illustrates agenda building?
A local newspaper prints a series of articles focusing on the problem of a vacant, boarded-up apartment complexes becoming hangouts for drug dealers.
-
Which of the following statements can most accurately be described as empirical?
younger people are less likely to vote than older people
-
which of the following statements can most accurately be described as normative?
people who commit murder deserve the death penalty
-
which of the following is true about the population of Texas?
Texas is the second most populous state, after California
-
which of the following is true regarding wealth and poverty in Texas?
income is below national average, income differential in Texas is greater than in the US as a whole, median income of AA and Latino is lower than non-hispanic whites
-
which of the following statements is true regarding population growth in Texas
fastest growing segment is least educated, second most populous state, population increasing at relatively rapid rate
-
which of the following texas cities is not among the 10 largest cities in the US/
El Paso
-
Which of the following is TRUE of election prodecures in Texas?
Persons convicted of serious crimes lose the right to vote until after the completion of their sentences.
-
Which of the following statements are TRUE about lobbying?
they meeet legislatures at restaurants to be more personal; they are more professional now; and they are skilled technicians
-
Which of the following would by considered a component of a good business climate?
low state and local tax rates; regulation favorable to business growth; and restrictions on labor union organizing
-
Which of the following groups would be most supportive of regulations designed to ensure safe and healthy work places?
American Federal of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)
-
Which of the following interest groups is the MOST active in Republican Party politics?
American Family Association
-
Which of the following is TRUE about voter registration in Texas?
Prospective voters must register at least 30 days before an election to be eligible to vote in that election
-
Which of the following groups is primarily interested in environmental issues?
Sierra Club
-
Which of the following groups is the most infuential in Democratic Party politics?
American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)
-
Which of the following groups would be LEAST supportive of limiting punitive damages in medical calpractice lawsuits?
trial lawyers
-
Through which of the following processes did women gain the right to vote in all elections in Texas?
an amendment to the U.S. Constitution
-
Tort reform deals with which of the following issues?
limiting the amount of monetary damages a plaintiff in a personal injury lawsuit can recover in court
-
Which of the following groups is MOST interested in the issues of abortion, pornography, and sex and violence on television?
Focus on the Family
-
LULAC is most concerned with which of the following?
issues relating to Latinos
-
The case of Smith v. Allwright dealt with which of the following issues?
the elimination of the white primary
-
The white primary prevented African American Texans from participating in which of the following state elections?
Democratic primary elections
-
If the average age of the state's population were to increase, what impact would you expect that development to have on voter participation rates?
they will increase because older adults are generally more likely to participate than younger adults
-
In which of the following parts of the state is organized labor the strongest?
Texas Gulf Coast
-
In which of the following types of elections in Texas would you expect voting participation rates to be proportionally the highest?
presidential election
-
Interest groups typically contribute more generously to..
incumbents
-
Conservatism is associated with which of the following issue positions?
relatively low levels of texas and government spending
-
How do voter participation rates in Texas compare with participation rates in other states?
Participation rates in Texas are below the national average
-
A political system in which citizens elect representatives to make policy decisions on their behalf is known as which of the following?
representative democracy
-
An organization of people who join together voluntarily on the basis of some interest they share for the purpose of influencing policy is a good definition of which of the following?
an interest group
-
Archer Parr and Duval County were associated with which of the following?
boss control of hispanic residents in South Texas
-
Which of the following is a reason why Texas recieves relatively little federal grant money per capita?
official census tends to undercount; rapid population growth; and relatively little spent on health, education, and welfare
-
Which of the following is most closely related with the concept of the Jacksonian Democracy?
the long ballot
-
Which of the following statements is true about voting on constitutional amendments?
Voter participation in amendment elections is generally less than participation in candidate elections
-
Which of the following events illustrates the constitutional principle of seperation of powers with checks and balances?
a governor vetoes a bill passed by the legislature
-
Which of the following features is are found in BOTH the Texas and American constitutions?
bill of rights; separation of powers; and bicameral legislature
-
Which of the following is a major tax source for state and local governments in Texas?
sales tax; property taxes
-
The procedure through which congress establishes a program, defines its general purpose, devises proceudres for its operation, specifies an agency for implementation, and indicates an approximate level of funding is known as which of the following?
authorization process
-
The state of Texas began a massive prison construction program primarily because of a federal court ruling in which of the following cases?
Ruiz v. Estelle
-
The state of Texas was forced to dismantle its dual school system because of the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which of the following cases?
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
-
The current Texas constitution was written during which period of time?
in the 1870's, after reconstruction
-
The interpretation and application of the constitution is the definition for which of the following?
constitutional law
-
The No Child Left Behind Act is a federal law that deals with which of the following issues?
school districts instituting basic skills testing
-
On what issue was the Texas Supreme Court's decision in Edgewood v. Kirby based?
inequitable funding between property-rich and property-poor school districts
-
Suppose that a state enacts a law that is in conflict with a law passed by the U.S. Congress. Which takes precedence?
Federal law takes precedence over state laws
-
The constitutional provision that declares that the constitution, the laws made under it, and the treaties of the United States are the supreme law of the land is known as which of the following?
the national supremacy clause
-
Every person shall be at liberty to speak, write or publish his opinions on any subject. Based on yuor understanding of the style of the Texas Bill of Rights and the U.S. Bill of Rights, would you expect the above phrase to appear in the U.S. document or its Texas counterpart?
the Texas Bill of Rights, because the Texas Bill of Rights is phrased positively while the U.S. Bill of Rights is phrase negatively
-
How does Texas rank in comparison with other states in the reciept of federal grant money?
Texas ranks at or near the bottom in the reciept of grant money on a per capita basis
-
In recent years several cities have adopted juvenile curfews, requiring persons under the age of 18 to be off the streets late and night and, in Houston, during school hours as well. Suppose a group of youngsters believes that their rights are violated by the curfew. On which of the following bases could they make their challenge?
They could file suit under the provisions of both the U.S. and the Texas constitutions because both documents protect individual rights.
-
A legal requirement placed on a state or local government requiring certain policy actions is known as which of the following?
federal mandate
-
Assume that a particular federal program provides money to all public school districts based on the number of students enrolled in a district with learning deficiencies. That program would be an example of what type of grant program?
formula grant
-
At the state constitutional convention of 1875, the Grange represented the interest of which of the following groups?
small farmers
-
Which of the following types of elections is always held in the spring of even-numbered years?
general election
-
Which of the following U.S. congressional districts in Texas would most likely be represented in Washington by a republican?
a suburban district that is 15 percent minority with median home values of 70,000
-
Who is responsible for drawing new U.S. congressional districts in Texas?
Texas legislature
-
Which of the following is the main purpose of precinct conventions held in the evening on primary election day?
choose delegates to the county or state senatorial district conventions
-
Which of the following MOST accurately describes the Texas party system during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century?
Texas was one-party Democratic
-
Which of the following reasons best explains the dominance of the Democratic party in Texas and other southern states in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries?
The republican party was discredited in the eyes of more native white Texans because of its leadership role in American national government during the Civil War and Reconstruction Era.
-
Which of the following groups of Texas voters is LEAST likely to support a liberal Democratic candidate in a race against a conservative Democrat?
suburban voters
-
Which of the following was become the clear majority party in Texas since 1994?
republicans
-
Which of the following individuals would be eligible to participate in the republican primary in Texas?
An individual who is registered to vote can participate in EITHER the democratic or republican primary, whichever primary he or she chooses
-
The term long ballot refers to which of the following?
number of races on the election ballot
-
Texas republicans get more support from...
older voters
-
Which of the following factors contributed LEAST to the growth of the Republican party as a force in Texas politics?
elimination of barriers to minority political participation
-
Money contributed by individuals and groups to candidiates for office in Texas
is not restricted for candidates for executive or legislative offices
-
The Texas electorate is..
almost evenly divided among republicans, democrats, and independents
-
The 2003 redistricting plan was designed to...
get more republicans elected to U.S. Congress
-
In the general election for governor, the Democratic candidiate recieved 48 percent of the vote, the republican recieved 47 percent of the vote, and the libertarian candidate got 5 percent. What is the outcome of the general election?
The Democratic candidate wins because the democrat got the most votes.
-
In which of the following elections might voters have the opportunity to choose among candidates representing the democratic, republican, and libertarian parties?
general election
-
Last general election, Mr. Hsu voted for every republican candidate in the ballot. How would Mr. Hsu's action most accurately be described?
Mr. Hsu voted a straight ticket
-
How are delegates to the national party conventions selected in Texas?
The Texas Democratic Party chooses by means of both the caucus method of delegate selection and the presidential preference primary, while Texas republican party uses the presidential preference method of delegate selection
-
In the 2006 state election, Ms. Trevino voted for republican candidate Rick Perry for governor but voted for Democrat John Sharp for lieutenant governor. How would Ms. Trevino's action most accurately be described?
Ms. Trevino voted a split ticket
-
In the Democratic primary for governonr, Candidate A recieved 45 percent of the vote, Candidate B, 30 percent, and Candidate C, 25 percent. What is the outcome of the primary?
Candidates A and B face each other in a runoff because no candidate recieved a majority of the votes cast and they were the top two finishers
-
Which of the following types of grant programs permits local authorities the greatest leeway in program implementation?
block grants
-
Organizations created to seek benefitson behalf of persons who are unable to represent their own interests are..
advocacy groups
-
A form of government that divides political power between a central government with authority over the whole nation and a series of state governments is the definition for which of the following?
a federal system of government
-
A good description of the Texas constitution would be that it is..
lengthy, confusing, and badly written
-
A law made by the legislature is the definition for which of the following?
statutory law
-
An identifiable subgroup within a political party (such as the liberal democrats) is known by which of the following terms?
party faction
-
Democratic candidates for congress do best in the _____________ while republicans do best in the _____________.
inner cities; suburbs
-
Democratic officeholders and party officials who attend the national convention as delegates who are not officially pledged to support any candidate is a good definition of which of the following?
super delegates
|
|
