Question 1

Authority over railroads throughout Texas was given to the ______ in 2005.

Accepted Answer

A)  Railroad Commission of Texas 
B)  Texas Department of Transportation 
C)  lieutenant governor 
D)  attorney general 
E)  General Land Office

Question 2

Which of the following is the best example of the Texas governor's exercise of senatorial courtesy?

Accepted Answer

A)  The governor will not appoint someone to office unless that appointee's state senator agrees. 
B)  The governor will not veto a bill without first giving the bill's senate sponsor an opportunity to amend it. 
C)  The senate will use the governor's budget plan as its blueprint for the upcoming session. 
D)  The governor will address the full senate at the beginning of each legislative session. 
E)  The senate will automatically approve any nominee submitted by the governor.

Question 3

Which of the following statements concerning the Texas Department of Insurance is incorrect?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is a single-member commission. 
B)  The department's commissioner is appointed for a two-year term. 
C)  The department makes sure that all Texans are covered by health insurance. 
D)  It regulates the insurance market in Texas. 
E)  The current department has been in effect since 1993.

Question 4

Texas has a plural executive made up of multiple popularly elected offices.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

The governor makes approximately 3,000 appointments to executive boards and commissions during a single term in office.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

In Texas, the plural executive is held accountable through all of the following EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

A)  the budgetary process. 
B)  Sunset review. 
C)  the impeachment process. 
D)  elections. 
E)  appointment by the governor.

Question 7

The governor of Texas has

Accepted Answer

A)  strong formal powers granted by the Texas constitution. 
B)  few formal powers, so the office is one of the weakest chief executives in the United States. 
C)  the power to appoint all of the other officials in the executive branch. 
D)  the power to appoint all state judges. 
E)  an average amount of power compared to governors of other states.

Question 8

The governor of Texas currently serves a two-year term in office.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

Both the lieutenant governor and the secretary of state in Texas have the authority to call a special session of the legislature.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

What is the basic structure of the Texas bureaucracy? What are some of the problems of accountability in the bureaucracy, and what have been some of the solutions to these problems? What is the function of the Sunset Advisory Commission?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the basic structure of the...

Question 11

The Texas governor has strong powers for granting clemency.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

In Texas, why are gubernatorial elections held in off years?

Accepted Answer

A)  so that gubernatorial elections will not be influenced by a presidential election 
B)  so that candidates cannot run for governor and a federal office at the same time 
C)  so that voters will not become overwhelmed by too many candidates in one year 
D)  because Texas happened to become part of the United States during an off year 
E)  so that presidential elections will not be influenced by the gubernatorial election

Question 13

In Texas, what is the primary effect of a plural executive?

Accepted Answer

A)  It dilutes the power of the governor and fragments the executive branch. 
B)  It grants the governor additional powers, since it makes for a powerful executive branch. 
C)  It makes the executive branch less accountable to the voters. 
D)  It leads to excessive corruption within the executive branch. 
E)  It puts too much power in the hands of a small group of officials.

Question 14

There are approximately twenty state boards and commissions within the Texas plural executive.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

Which of the following about the lieutenant governor in Texas is incorrect?

Accepted Answer

A)  The lieutenant governor is chair of the Legislative Budget Board. 
B)  The lieutenant governor presides over the senate. 
C)  The lieutenant governor is elected in a statewide election. 
D)  The lieutenant governor's powers are primarily executive, not legislative. 
E)  The lieutenant governor is first in line for succession of the governor.

Exam 8: The Texas Executive Branch

Authority over railroads throughout Texas was given to the ______ in 2005.

Which of the following is the best example of the Texas governor's exercise of senatorial courtesy?

Which of the following statements concerning the Texas Department of Insurance is incorrect?

Texas has a plural executive made up of multiple popularly elected offices.

The governor makes approximately 3,000 appointments to executive boards and commissions during a single term in office.

In Texas, the plural executive is held accountable through all of the following EXCEPT

The governor of Texas has

The governor of Texas currently serves a two-year term in office.

Both the lieutenant governor and the secretary of state in Texas have the authority to call a special session of the legislature.

What is the basic structure of the Texas bureaucracy? What are some of the problems of accountability in the bureaucracy, and what have been some of the solutions to these problems? What is the function of the Sunset Advisory Commission?

The Texas governor has strong powers for granting clemency.

In Texas, why are gubernatorial elections held in off years?

In Texas, what is the primary effect of a plural executive?

There are approximately twenty state boards and commissions within the Texas plural executive.

Which of the following about the lieutenant governor in Texas is incorrect?