GOVT 2306 - Review for Unit II PDF

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GOVT 2306 Exam II – Review Sheet formal qualifications for the office of governor in Texas - Which of the following is NOT among the formal qualifications for the office of governor in Texas? Registered voter informal qualifications for governor - Which of the following informal qualifications for governor is nearly universal in Texas? Having previously held elected office governor of Texas's salary - Which state pays its governor the lowest salary? Maine - The governor of Texas’s salary is $150,000 per year succession to the governor's office - In states without a lieutenant governor, who is usually next in succession to the governor’s office? The leader of the state senate The office of lieutenant governor is different from the office of the vice president in that… - When governors leave their states, lieutenant governors become acting governors John Sununu - What former governor was President George H.W. Bush’s chief of staff? Prior to the election of George W. Bush to the presidency, when was the last time a Texas governor had gone on to higher elected office? - 1941 In most instances, the adoption of articles of impeachment results in… - A trial in the senate The voters of Wisconsin voted to not recall Governor Walker in 2011 because they… - Did not like the idea of using a recall to remove a governor plural executive structure… - Why is the Texas governor’s power exceptionally weak as compared to that of the governors of some other states? work of the attorney general involves… - Most of the work of the attorney general involves civil law rather than criminal law the comptroller of public accounts - Which office created in 1876 functions as the chief fiscal and revenue forecasting office and is responsible for investing state funds? State of Texas Econometric Model - What tool is used to forecast state economic growth, keep track of business cycles, and generally provide information on the health of the economy of Texas? General Land Office - What office was created under the 1836 constitution to administer stateowned land? Texas Railroad Commission's primary function - What is currently the Texas Railroad Commission’s primary function? Regulation of the oil and gas industry State Board of Education

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Unlike most other statewide governing offices, what governing body has varied greatly in form and structure over the years? tenure of office - Both the ability of elected officials to succeed themselves and the term length Who was the first Texas governor to be elected to three consecutive fouryear terms? - Rick Perry Which of the following best describes the effect the expansion of a governor's ability to appoint and remove agency heads would have on executive authority? - It would increase executive authority secretary of state - The chief record keeper and election official for the state of Texas is the secretary of state senatorial courtesy - In the process known as senatorial courtesy, the governor must clear his or her appointments with the state senator from the appointee’s home district Texas Register - The SOS publishes the Texas Register, which is the source of official notices or rules, meetings, executive orders, and opinions of the attorney general that are required to be filed by state agencies chief legislator - By recommending policy initiatives to state legislators and coordinating with state agencies that administer programs and implement policies, the governor is demonstrating his or her role as chief legislator John Connally - In Texas the trend in recent years has been to expand the staff of the governor’s office. Who was the first Texas governor to use a professional staff of advisors? Impeachment - The process by which some elected officials may be removed from office by the lower house adopting articles is? Recall - Nine states allow this by Texas does not Land commissioner - What office was created in 1836 and has elected officials responsible for administration and oversight of state-owned lands and coastal lands extending 10.3 miles into the Gulf of Mexico Governors appointment powers Boards and commissions - Governing body for many state agencies; members appointed by the governor for fixed term - Governors have also been known to appoint who to governing boards and commissions? Campaign supporters Military powers Removal powers Legislative Budget Board

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State agency that other state agencies must present budge request to, and is controlled by the leadership in the state legislature and that writes the sate budget? Legislative Audit Committee Judicial powers Sunset Advisory Commission All roles of the Governor Most court cases in Texas deal with… - Controversies between individuals Why does the U.S. have a dual court system? - The federal system of government difference between trial and appellate courts - What is the most important difference between trial and appellate courts? Deciding points of fact versus points of law JP courts in Texas - JP courts in Texas can perform all of the following except … hear traffic ticket appeals two kinds of county courts - Constitutional county courts and county courts at law which courts hear major criminal and civil cases.. - In most states, which courts hear major criminal and civil cases? District courts, major trial courts, and superior courts criminal appeals involving the death penalty are heard by… - The Court of Criminal Appeals the Court of Criminal Appeals - What is the highest court for criminal cases in Texas the Missouri system - The merit system used to identify and select judges is also known as the Missouri system How are trial court judges selected in Texas? - Partisan election Extra: Most voters go to the election booth with scant knowledge about the qualifications of judicial candidates, and they often end up voting … - By name familiarity straight ticket voting - In 1984, many incumbent Democratic judges lost their seats in large urban counties to unknown Republican challengers because of straight ticket voting What happened to Democratic judges in 1984? - In 1984, many incumbent Democratic judges lost their seats in large urban counties to unknown Republican challengers because of straight ticket voting How many elections must a judge win prior to being seated on the bench under the Texas partisan election system? - 2 Fourteenth Amendment - The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees citizens in each state due process and equal protection of the law regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender municipal court judge

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Of the following, which is most likely to be appointed to his or her initial seat on the court in Texas? A municipal court judge Which method of judicial selection is a system left over from colonial America? - Election by the legislature Which method for removing judges for misconduct is used by the fewest states? - Removal by the governor after a hearing grand juries and administrative hearings - Texas uses both grand juries and administrative hearings to review the facts and decide whether enough evidence exists to try cases The Texas Government Code allows jurisdictions to draw upon which source(s) for jury selection? - Both registered voters and licensed drivers Why do political candidates often use the "tough on criminals" campaign strategy? - It offends few voters "age of majority" in Texas with regard to civil and criminal responsibility - What is the age of majority in Texas with regard to civil and criminal responsibility before the law? 17 Which state has the highest rate of incarceration? - Louisiana criminal justice system should serve three broad purposes.. - Rehabilitation, deterrence, and punishment Furman v. Georgia - What U.S. Supreme Court case in 1972 outlawed the death penalty because it was unfairly applied to many crimes and because of the lack of safeguards in place in many states? pro bono - Free or reduced-fee legal representation is known as pro bono stare decisis trial courts objectivity appellate courts magistrate functions Study Figure 5.1 on p. 127 Partisan elections Non-partisan elections Juvenile justice in Texas Federalism - Federalism is the political principle that assigns different functions to different levels of government Extra: The most common form of local government in the United States is the … - Special district Extra: The least common form of local government in the United States is the … - City limited-purpose - Bexar County, Texas, is an example of which category of local government? 4

For incorporation to proceed in Texas, first a minimum population of ________ citizens must be living within a two-square-mile area. - 201 Annexing San Antonio wants to expand and add new territory to the city and broaden its tax base by doing what with regard to the upscale subdivision that is in Bexar County and borders the city? - Annexing it council-manager - If you selected any city in Texas at random, what governmental form would you most likely find? - In which type of city government does the city council select a person to be a chief administrator? roles of the mayor in a council-manager form of government - Which of the following is one of the roles of the mayor in a council-manager form of government? Presiding officer of the council Under the council-manager form of government, how is the city manager selected - City council appointment weakness of the council-manager form of city government - Ability of the city manager to manipulate information and control council decisions The weak mayor's formal powers most resemble those of which other government official in Texas? - The governor Extra: In a strong-mayor city, the mayor … - Appoints major department heads Commission - If you selected any city in Texas at random, what governmental form would you LEAST likely find? - In which type of city government do voters elect people directly to oversee city departments? weak mayor-council budget authority (Tulsa, Ok.) - Tulsa, Oklahoma, which is one of the last large cities to use the commission form of city government, gave what powers to the mayor in an attempt to correct some of the form’s shortcomings? Budget authority The commission form of city government served as a transition from the… - Weak mayor form to the council-manager form at-large election systems - All of the following are at-large election systems EXCEPT at-large multiple places What change was noted when cities in Texas were forced to change to SMD for at least some city council seats? - Substantial increase in minority city council members cumulative voting - What voting system is preferred by voting rights activists as a means of increasing minority representation? single member districts Good Government League 5

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San Antonio ran slates of candidates using a “nonpartisan organization” known as the Voter turnout in City of Austin municipal elections is usually about… - 10 percent What is the oldest type of local government, adapted from a British unit of government, that is used in the United States? - County Extra: What is the largest county in Texas in terms of population? - Harris composition of the county commissioner's court - What is the composition of the county commissioner’s court? A county judge and four county commissioners the tax assessor/collector - In smaller counties, state law allows the sheriff to act as … Extra: Who is responsible for maintaining property records and issuing marriage licenses? - Country clerk Extra: Who is responsible for collecting revenue for the state and county? - County tax assessor Extra: Who is responsible for overseeing eh collecting and disbursing county funds? - County auditor Extra: Who is responsible for receiving, maintaining, and disbursing county funds? - County treasurer County government was designed to meet the needs of and provide services to a(n) ________ population. - Rural Ordinance - What authority do state and city governments have that in counties is quite limited? Ordinance creation The primary source of revenue for counties is… - Property tax state block grants home rule - One suggestion for reform of county government that has been frequently made over the past 70 years involves … Article 7 of Texas Constitution - The authority to establish and maintain a free public school system is contained in which article of the Texas Constitution? Creatures of the state Home rule city Extraterritorial jurisdiction City manager Role of the city manager Strong-mayor form County and District attorneys County sheriff School districts - In Texas, education is primarily the responsibility of … 6...