Question 1

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?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Does the increase in partisanship put the...

Question 2

The Texas Legislature has many powers that are not related to legislation, including which of the following?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 3

In the Texas legislature, the referral of a bill to a standing committee in the House and the Senate is the job of the

Accepted Answer

A)  governor. 
B)  secretary of state. 
C)  Speaker of the House and lieutenant governor. 
D)  Sergeant-at-Arms of the House and Senate.

Question 4

The Texas legislature meets in regular session once every two years.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Why did 51 Democratic members of the Texas legislature go to Oklahoma in 2003?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 6

Regular sessions of the Texas legislature last for 200 days.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

Each member of the Texas Senate represents about ___________ people, while each member of the Texas House represents about_________ people.

Accepted Answer

A)  350,000; 650,000 
B)  168,000; 811,000 
C)  811,000; 168,000 
D)  1,000,000; 100,000

Question 8

The Speaker of the House and the lieutenant governor are viewed as among the most powerful actors in Texas government because

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 9

As in the U.S. Congress, the purpose of a conference committee in the Texas legislature is to do what?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 10

In the Senate, the Speaker controls legislative debate by selecting who speaks and how long the debate will last.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

Special sessions of the legislature

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 12

Conference committees are designed to make Texas House and Senate bills identical to each other.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

Like the U.S. president, the governor of Texas can kill a bill by refusing to sign it.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

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.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

By focusing on some things and not others, the media can shape the legislative agenda and what becomes legal or illegal in Texas.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

Special sessions last ________, but there is no limit to the number of special sessions a governor can call.

Accepted Answer

A)  30 days 
B)  60 days 
C)  90 days 
D)  120 days

Question 17

Special bills are used to grant specific individuals or corporations exemptions from state law.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

Revenue bills must begin in the House of Representatives.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

The legislature can overturn a post-adjournment veto.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

The Legislative Redistricting Board has the authority to draw new districts if

Accepted Answer

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.

Exam 7: The Legislature

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?

The Texas Legislature has many powers that are not related to legislation, including which of the following?

In the Texas legislature, the referral of a bill to a standing committee in the House and the Senate is the job of the

The Texas legislature meets in regular session once every two years.

Why did 51 Democratic members of the Texas legislature go to Oklahoma in 2003?

Regular sessions of the Texas legislature last for 200 days.

Each member of the Texas Senate represents about ___ people, while each member of the Texas House represents about_ people.

The Speaker of the House and the lieutenant governor are viewed as among the most powerful actors in Texas government because

As in the U.S. Congress, the purpose of a conference committee in the Texas legislature is to do what?

In the Senate, the Speaker controls legislative debate by selecting who speaks and how long the debate will last.

Special sessions of the legislature

Conference committees are designed to make Texas House and Senate bills identical to each other.

Like the U.S. president, the governor of Texas can kill a bill by refusing to sign it.

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.

By focusing on some things and not others, the media can shape the legislative agenda and what becomes legal or illegal in Texas.

Special sessions last ________, but there is no limit to the number of special sessions a governor can call.

Special bills are used to grant specific individuals or corporations exemptions from state law.

Revenue bills must begin in the House of Representatives.

The legislature can overturn a post-adjournment veto.

The Legislative Redistricting Board has the authority to draw new districts if