Question 1

Who was the first Republican governor of Texas since Reconstruction, and when was he
Or she elected?

Accepted Answer

A)  Allan Shivers in 1948 
B)  William Clements in 1978 
C)  Ann Richards in 1990 
D)  George W. Bush in 1994 
E)  Rick Perry in 2000

Question 2

The office of Texas governor is one of the weakest in the nation. Why is this the case?
What are some of the limitations that the Texas Constitution places on the governor? What
are some of the informal powers the governor may use to bolster the power of the office?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The office of Texas governor is one...

Question 3

Which office is charged with ensuring the accuracy of official weights and measures?

Accepted Answer

A)  the Department of Agriculture 
B)  the Department of Weights and Measures 
C)  the attorney general 
D)  the comptroller 
E)  the General Land Office

Question 4

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 5

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

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

The Department of Public Safety is responsible for all of the following EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

A)  the Texas Rangers. 
B)  drivers' licensing. 
C)  animal and insect control. 
D)  motor vehicle inspections. 
E)  truck weighing stations.

Question 7

The governor appoints people to office, but the Texas ________ must also confirm them.

Accepted Answer

A)  House of Representatives 
B)  Ethics Commission 
C)  Senate 
D)  Commission on Appointments 
E)  secretary of state

Question 8

In Texas, if a sitting governor is unable to hold office due to impeachment and conviction, resignation, or death, who becomes governor?

Accepted Answer

A)  the secretary of state 
B)  the lieutenant governor 
C)  the Speaker of the state House of Representatives 
D)  the comptroller of public accounts 
E)  a temporary replacement appointed by the lieutenant governor

Question 9

The ________ is the oldest state agency in Texas.

Accepted Answer

A)  General Land Office 
B)  Texas Ranger Division 
C)  Railroad Commission 
D)  Department of Public Safety 
E)  Agriculture Commission

Question 10

Governors can be quite powerful in spite of weaknesses of the office by doing all of the following EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

A)  mobilizing interest groups and editorial boards of newspapers. 
B)  calling special sessions of the legislature. 
C)  pardoning criminals and permitting fugitives to be extradited to other states. 
D)  filing legislative bills at the beginning of every legislative session. 
E)  appointing people to the state governing boards and commissions.

Question 11

Governor Rick Perry exerted control over the state government in a way that no other governor has EXCEPT he

Accepted Answer

A)  has appointed every member of the boards and commissions that run Texas government. 
B)  uses his veto power to punish political opponents in the legislature. 
C)  successfully pushed a pro-business agenda. 
D)  successfully pushed for tort reform, raised taxes, and business-friendly regulations. 
E)  claims to have led Texas to weather the Great Recession better than other states.

Question 12

Why did the Texas Constitution establish a plural executive?

Accepted Answer

A)  Texas was following the structure of the federal executive. 
B)  There was suspicion of a strong chief executive. 
C)  The complications of running a state as large as Texas necessitate a plural executive. 
D)  It was necessary in order for the executive branch to be as dominant as possible. 
E)  It is necessary to provide an important check on the state legislature.

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

What is the Texas governor's greatest judicial power?

Accepted Answer

A)  the power to appoint judges to appeals courts, with the Senate's consent 
B)  the power to appoint judges to vacancies in the courts 
C)  the power to restrict the types of cases the appeals courts may decide 
D)  the power to remove judges 
E)  the power to appoint all judges in the state

Question 15

In two prior gubernatorial rankings, the Texas governor continuously ranked forty-ninth out of fifty for gubernatorial authority.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

The Texas State Board of Education is responsible for all of the following EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

A)  adopting textbooks. 
B)  setting minimum high school graduation requirements. 
C)  funding public school districts. 
D)  determining the licensing requirements for public school teachers. 
E)  establishing accreditation standards for Texas public schools.

Question 17

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 18

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.

Question 19

The chief lawyer for Texas is the

Accepted Answer

A)  chief justice of the state supreme court. 
B)  attorney general. 
C)  secretary of state. 
D)  state comptroller. 
E)  lieutenant governor.

Question 20

The structure of the Texas executive branch is centralized, with much formal authority allocated to the governor.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 8: The Texas Executive Branch

Who was the first Republican governor of Texas since Reconstruction, and when was he Or she elected?

The office of Texas governor is one of the weakest in the nation. Why is this the case? What are some of the limitations that the Texas Constitution places on the governor? What are some of the informal powers the governor may use to bolster the power of the office?

Which office is charged with ensuring the accuracy of official weights and measures?

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

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

The Department of Public Safety is responsible for all of the following EXCEPT

The governor appoints people to office, but the Texas ________ must also confirm them.

In Texas, if a sitting governor is unable to hold office due to impeachment and conviction, resignation, or death, who becomes governor?

The ________ is the oldest state agency in Texas.

Governors can be quite powerful in spite of weaknesses of the office by doing all of the following EXCEPT

Governor Rick Perry exerted control over the state government in a way that no other governor has EXCEPT he

Why did the Texas Constitution establish a plural executive?

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

What is the Texas governor's greatest judicial power?

In two prior gubernatorial rankings, the Texas governor continuously ranked forty-ninth out of fifty for gubernatorial authority.

The Texas State Board of Education is responsible for all of the following EXCEPT

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?

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

The chief lawyer for Texas is the

The structure of the Texas executive branch is centralized, with much formal authority allocated to the governor.