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TX Chapter 3. The Texas Legislature (POLY SCI-EXAM #4)

Terms in this set (70)

Who controls the output of legislation in the Texas legislature?
The speaker of the house and the lieutenant governor
Most of the work done in the Texas legislature is done in ________ committees.
standing
The "birthright" characteristics of Texas representatives include their
-national background.
-race and ethnicity.
-religion.
Which position generally controls the passage of legislation in the house?
Speaker of the house
Which of the following are among the formal qualifications for being a member of the Texas House?
-Registered voter
-Lived in Texas for two years
-At least 21 years old
A limitation on the number of times a person can be elected to the same office in a state legislature is referred to as a(n) _________ __________.
term limit
Which of the following is true about the compensation received by Texas legislature?
The Texas legislature receives generous retirement benefits.
What might happen to legislative districts in Texas following a federal census?
-reapportionment
-redistricting
The Texas House has _________ members.
150
The number of new members of the legislature each session is referred to as as
turnover.
Which of the following are true of the bills introduced in the house and senate that do not make it into law?
-Some are dead on arrival.
-Most bills die in committee.
-Some are introduced to satisfy voters back home but have no real chance to pass.
Which of the following refers to the drawing of legislative districts to create minority districts?
racial gerrymandering
The purpose of having a local and consent calendar for relatively noncontroversial bills in the Texas legislature is to
save scarce time for dealing with more important and controversial bills.
The lieutenant governor in Texas has the power to
-refer bills to committees.
-appoint the chairs of all senate committees.
-interpret senate rules.
The Texas legislature meets in regular session
for 240 days every odd-numbered year.
When can bills be introduced in the Texas legislature?
-at any time before the session
-After the sixtieth day in special circumstances
-Up to the sixtieth day of the 140-day session
The set of norms or values that govern legislative behavior is known as _______ rules.
informal
Most bills that dies in the Texas legislature do so
at the committee level.
Which of the following identifies the type of election system practiced in Texas?
Single-member districts
The _______ Redistricting Board is a state board that has the authority to draw new district lines for the House and Senate if the legislature fails to act.
Legislative
The responsibility to create, alter, and enact laws for the state is the responsibility of the
legislature.
What was unusual about attempts to redistrict Texas's congressional districts in 2003?
-The governor called three special sessions of the legislature to consider the issue.
-They took place mid-decade.
-To avoid a quorum, 52 Democrats left the state.
How do lieutenant governors assume office?
The lieutenant governor is elected by voters.
The Texas Senate has _____ members.
31
To be placed on the consent calendar bills must be
-minor.
-noncontroversial.
Former house speaker Tom Craddick was known to seek electoral opponents for those members who opposed his agenda. This led to an increase in competition in the
Republican primary.
Which of the following are informal qualifications that come into play in election to the Texas legislature?
-income
-ethnicity
-occupation
Provisions attached to a bill that may not be of the same subject matter as the main bill are called __________.
riders
How does the salary for legislators in Texas compare with that paid to legislators in the other 9 most populous states in the U.S.?
Lowest salary for legislators
Which are the places where Republicans are likely to have safe election districts?
-the Panhandle
-the suburbs
-the German Hill Country
A noncompetitive election district is one that can be counted on to have at least _______% of the vote for the dominant party in the district.
55%
In the 1970s, to allow for more minority representation in Texas, the federal courts _______ multi member districts.
invalidated
States with a higher degree of legislative professionalism have
-longer sessions.
-more staff support.
A biennial session is one that happens
once every two years.
In what ways are major and minor bills treated differently?
-Major bills are more likely to be killed.
-Major bills are introduced earlier in the session.
-Major bills are more evenly distributed across committees.
______ refers to the concept that each member of the legislature will represent about the same number of people.
Equality of representation
Which of the following types of tax have been established by the Texas legislature?
-sales tax
-"sin" tax
-franchise tax
In what way can the Texas legislature perform its oversight function?
-Through the Sunset Advisory Committee
-Through the use of committees
-Through financial mechanisms
The Texas legislature has ______ permanent and session-only staff than most other states.
more
Most bills are passed in the Texas legislature in the last _______ weeks of the session.
2
As result of the Texas House and Senate adjourning the 2001 session without approving new redistricting plans, the _______ was left to establish new districts for the Texas House and Senate.
Legislative Redistricting Board
The necessity of redistricting in 2011 was the result of
increased population in the 2010 census.
The term ________ legislature is a positive way if describing legislatures characterized by low pay, short sessions, and fewer staff resources.
citizen
Which of the following are among the primary issues raised by reapportionment and redistricting?
-equity of representation
-minority representation
-gerrymandering
What was established by the Texas legislature to review state agencies and determine whether they should be continued or abolished?
Sunset Advisory Committee
What are the characteristics of the average state legislator?
-well-educated
-male
-professional
Which of the following characterize African American and Mexican American members of the Texas legislature?
-Usually professionals
-Underrepresented based on the total %
_Usually better educated than their constituents
In terms of the proportion of women in the legislature, Texas ranks _____ among state legislatures for the proportion of women.
in the bottom third
Which of the following Texas speakers have exerted tight control over the house?
-Tom Craddick
-Billy Clayton
-Pete Laney
Legislators usually vote on bills based on
how the issue affects their district.
Who was most instrumental in the redistricting map that was passed by both Houses of the Texas legislature in mid-October 2003?
U.S. Congressman Tom Delay
Before the sixtieth day of the legislative session, a bill can clear the senate with a _______ vote.
simple majority
True or false: Apportioning seats in any legislative body is a highly political process.
true
What has been the result of increased competition in the Republican Party primary elections in the past eight years?
Most incumbents still survive election challenges
There are great differences in lieutenant governors' leadership styles.What lieutenant governor was low-key and preferred to work behind the scenes and forge compromises?
Bill Hobby
A large legislative body is
-more democratic.
-more likely to be inefficient at decision making.
The first women to serve in a state legislature were elected in what state?
Colorado
Which of the following powers do committee chairs have over their committees?
-Giving a bill they do not like to a subcommittee that will kill it
-Deciding how much time to devote to a bill in the committee
-Deciding the time and agendas for meetings of the committee
The election for Texas speaker of the house is usually
-predetermined before the session begins.
-the first formal act of a legislative session.
-won by a long-term member of the house.
True or false: In the past, coalitions in the Texas legislature organized more around party than around ideology, but ideology has played a much larger role in recent years.
False
Formal rules of procedures that govern the operation of legislatures
-make the process of passing laws more orderly.
-prescribe how bills are passed into law.
Which of the following is true of the Texas lieutenant governor's power?
The lieutenant governor must forge an alliance with key senators to effectively utilize the powers of the office.
What court cases required that state legislative districts contain about the same number of citizens and led to the "one person, one vote" rule?
-Baker v. Carr
-Reynolds v. Sims
The rules regarding legislative sessions in Texas give the governor stronger veto powers because
the legislature cannot call a special session after it has adjourned to override a veto.
Multi member districts tend to promote
majority representation and domination
Which groups gained seats in the Texas legislature because of the redistricting of the 1990s?
-minorities
-Republicans
Most of the money contributed to a state legislator's election campaign comes from
contributors who live outside the representative's district.
Which of the following correctly describe the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Hunt v. Cromartie?
Race can be a factor, but not the primary factor, in determining the makeup of legislative districts.
A large legislative body is
-more democratic.
-more likely to be inefficient at decision making.
Which of the following powers do committee chairs have over their committees?
-Deciding how much time to devote to a bill in the committee
-Giving a bill they do not like to a subcommittee that will kill it
-Deciding the time and agendas for meeting of the committee
THIS SET IS OFTEN IN FOLDERS WITH...