GOVT-2306 2X01 8W1 Texas Government Test III

1. Powers of the Speaker: Recognition

The power of recognition allows the Texas Speaker of the House to

Options:

• (a) determine who will get to speak and how long a legislative debate will last.
• (b) set the legislative agenda, signaling which pieces of legislation he or she prefers and supports.
• (c) appoint people to serve on committees in return for loyalty to the Speaker.
• (d) honor Texans who have served their state and country with valor.

Correct Answer: (a) (p. 1)
Explanation: In the Texas House, the power of recognition is a vital procedural tool. It gives the Speaker the authority to decide which representative may speak on the floor during a debate and for how long. By simply not "recognizing" a member, the Speaker can prevent them from speaking, offering amendments, or making motions, effectively controlling the pace and direction of legislation (p. 1).

2. Representation: House vs. Senate

Which statement about the constituencies and methods of selection for Texas senators and representatives is correct?

Options:

• (a) Although Texas senators represent a larger number of Texans than Texas state representatives, both are selected via popular elections.
• (b) Texans vote, district by district, for their representatives to the Texas House of Representatives, then the lieutenant governor selects from those representatives to fill the Texas Senate.
• (c) While their respective number of constituents varies, members of the House are elected by the people, and members of the Senate are selected by county leaders.
• (d) Owing to the bicameral structure of the Texas legislature, members of the Texas House and Texas Senate both represent roughly the same number of Texans.

Correct Answer: (a) (p. 1)
Explanation: Texas uses a bicameral (two-chamber) legislature where all 181 members (150 in the House and 31 in the Senate) are chosen by popular election. Because there are only 31 Senate districts compared to 150 House districts, each Texas Senator represents roughly 940,000 people, whereas each Representative represents approximately 194,000 (p. 1).

3. Special Sessions: Agenda Setting

Which process is used to set the agenda for special sessions of the Texas legislature?

Options:

• (a) Texas voters are asked to select topics from items/issues presented to them in a special election.
• (b) Committee chairs are permitted to determine what proposed legislation their respective committees will consider during special sessions.
• (c) The Texas speaker of the house and the lieutenant governor will work to establish shared priorities for the special session.
• (d) The governor has sole authority to determine what both chambers will focus on during the special session.

Correct Answer: (d) (p. 2)
Explanation: Under the Texas Constitution, the Governor has the exclusive power to call a special session and, crucially, the sole authority to set the agenda (the "call"). While legislators can introduce bills on other topics, they cannot be passed unless the Governor adds that topic to the official session agenda (p. 2).

4. Originating Chamber: Revenue Bills

__________ bills must be first introduced in the Texas House of Representatives.

Options:

• (a) Transportation
• (b) All
• (c) Revenue
• (d) School finance

Correct Answer: (c) (p. 2)
Explanation: Following the tradition of the U.S. Constitution, the Texas Constitution requires that any bill intended to raise revenue (such as increasing taxes) must originate in the House of Representatives. This ensures that the chamber closest to the people (due to smaller districts and more frequent elections) has the first say on taxation (p. 2).

5. Misconduct: Removal from Office

Suppose an elected official in Texas is found to have defrauded her clients and stolen money from her law firm. Which of the following describes the process by which she may be removed from office prior to the scheduled end of her term?

Options:

• (a) redistricting
• (b) impeachment
• (c) chubbing
• (d) constituent service

Correct Answer: (b) (p. 3)
Explanation: Impeachment is the formal constitutional process for removing a high-level state official for "crimes and misdemeanors." The House of Representatives votes to bring charges (impeach), and the Senate then conducts a trial to determine if the official should be removed from office (p. 3).

6. Bill Drafting: Authorship

While bills must be introduced by a member of the Texas legislature, ______________ can write a bill.

Options:

• (a) only a member of the chamber where it is being introduced
• (b) any elected government official
• (c) anyone
• (d) only specially designated "authors" within each chamber

Correct Answer: (c) (p. 3)
Explanation: While only an elected member of the legislature has the legal authority to formally "file" or introduce a bill, the actual text of the bill can be written by anyone. This includes lobbyists, interest groups, private citizens, or the Texas Legislative Council (p. 3).

7. Influence: Regular Sessions

During regular legislative sessions, who among the following typically exert(s) the greatest degree of influence over the legislative process?

Options:

• (a) the governor
• (b) voters
• (c) lobbyists and interest groups
• (d) the Texas state bureaucracy

Correct Answer: (c) (p. 4)
Explanation: Because the Texas legislature is a part-time "citizen" body that meets for only 140 days every two years, legislators often lack the time and staff to conduct deep research. Lobbyists and interest groups fill this void by providing information, drafting bill language, and offering political support, giving them immense influence over the process (p. 4).

8. Committee Types: Conference Committee

What is the purpose of a conference committee in the Texas legislature?

Options:

• (a) It is another name for a standing committee.
• (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 a committee in which members of both houses meet informally with the governor's representatives to set the agenda for an upcoming session.

Correct Answer: (b) (p. 4)
Explanation: For a bill to become law, both the House and Senate must pass the exact same text. If the two chambers pass different versions, a conference committee (made up of members from both houses) is formed to negotiate a compromise and create a single, unified version of the bill (p. 4).

9. Executive Interaction: The Comptroller

When carrying out their job, members of the Texas legislature most directly rely on the comptroller of public accounts to

Options:

• (a) maintain a database of campaign donor information.
• (b) provide a forecast of the state's revenue.
• (c) determine the salary for legislators, considering current inflation levels.
• (d) serve as co-chair of the House and Senate finance committees.

Correct Answer: (b) (p. 5)
Explanation: The Comptroller provides the Biennial Revenue Estimate (BRE) at the start of each session. This is a forecast of how much tax money the state will collect. Because Texas is constitutionally required to have a balanced budget, the legislature cannot spend more than the amount the Comptroller forecasts (p. 5).

10. Electoral Maps: Redistricting

Which of the following is the best definition of redistricting?

Options:

• (a) The redrawing of district lines for U.S. House of Representatives, Texas Senate, and Texas House every 10 years after the census to ensure that each district has roughly the same number of people
• (b) The redrawing of precinct lines that determine where people vote on election day, done every two years in order to minimize wait times on election day
• (c) The process of changing the committee to which a bill is assigned during the referral process
• (d) The formal process that must be completed when a member of one party decides that he or she wants to officially become a member of another party

Correct Answer: (a) (p. 5)
Explanation: Redistricting is the process of redrawing electoral district boundaries every 10 years following the federal census. This ensures that districts remain roughly equal in population, upholding the "one person, one vote" principle (p. 5).

11. Committee Tactics: Pigeonholing

If the chair of a committee in the Texas Senate is accused of pigeonholing another senator’s bill, what has happened?

Options:

• (a) The chair set very restrictive rules for debate that did not allow for any amendments or extended discussion on a bill.
• (b) The chair did not think that the bill was a "good fit" for their committee and sent it to another committee.
• (c) The chair only introduced the bill two times rather than the required three times.
• (d) The bill was assigned to the chair's standing committee, but the chair killed the bill by setting it aside and not bringing it before the committee for discussion.

Correct Answer: (d) (p. 6)
Explanation: Pigeonholing is a tactic where a committee chair simply refuses to schedule a bill for a hearing or a vote. Since a bill must pass through a committee to reach the floor, "pigeonholing" it effectively kills the legislation without a public debate or vote (p. 6).

12. Leadership Power: Appointments

One of the powers of both the Speaker of the House and the lieutenant governor is the appointment power. Who can they appoint?

Options:

• (a) They can assign members to standing committees and appoint the chairs to those committees.
• (b) They can appoint officials from the state attorney general's office to review legislation.
• (c) They can appoint individuals to fill vacancies in their respective chambers.
• (d) They can appoint experienced staff to the offices of newer elected legislators.

Correct Answer: (a) (p. 6)
Explanation: The Speaker and Lieutenant Governor derive much of their power from their ability to appoint the Chairs and members of all standing committees. By placing allies in charge of powerful committees, they can control which bills succeed and which are killed (p. 6).

13. Executive Power: Vetoes

What happens if the governor takes no action on a bill (neither signing nor vetoing) within 10 days of it arriving on his or her desk?

Options:

• (a) After day 10, the governor will send a message to the legislature outlining concerns.
• (b) The governor must sign or veto all legislation passed by the legislature.
• (c) It becomes law without the governor's signature.
• (d) It does not become law and is vetoed by default, known as the "pocket veto."

Correct Answer: (c) (p. 7)
Explanation: Unlike the U.S. President, the Texas Governor cannot use a "pocket veto." If the Governor receives a bill while the legislature is in session and does nothing for 10 days, it automatically becomes law (p. 7).

14. Budgetary Power: Line-Item Veto

When the governor strikes out specific spending provisions in large appropriations bills it is called

Options:

• (a) the pocket veto.
• (b) the post-adjournment veto.
• (c) the line-item veto.
• (d) pigeonholing.

Correct Answer: (c) (p. 7)
Explanation: The line-item veto allows the Governor to strike out specific spending items in the state budget (appropriations bill) while signing the rest of the bill into law. This is a powerful tool to eliminate "pork-barrel" spending without vetoing the entire state budget (p. 7).

15. Committee Types: Standing Committee

In the Texas Senate, a __________ committee is focused on a major policy area of an enduring or permanent concern to the state, such as “Education” or “Health and Human Services.”

Options:

• (a) standing
• (b) procedural
• (c) interim
• (d) select

Correct Answer: (a) (p. 7)
Explanation: Standing committees are permanent committees that exist every session to deal with ongoing policy issues. They are the primary bodies where bills are debated, amended, and either sent to the floor or killed (p. 7).

16. Fiscal Policy: Balanced Budget

Why must the Texas legislature maintain a balanced budget?

Options:

• (a) It is required by the U.S. Constitution.
• (b) Each legislative session decides to balance or not balance the state budget.
• (c) The Texas Office of the Comptroller writes the state budget.
• (d) It is required by the Texas Constitution.

Correct Answer: (d) (p. 8)
Explanation: The Texas Constitution (Article III, Section 49a) mandates a balanced budget. This is known as the "pay-as-you-go" principle, meaning the state cannot spend more money than it is projected to collect (p. 8).

17. Fiscal Approach: Taxes and Services

When compared to other states in the United States, which of the following best describes Texas’s current approach to spending and revenue?

Options:

• (a) Texas collects relatively few taxes per person and, as a result, does not offer as many social programs as other states with higher taxes.
• (b) Texas collects about the same level of taxes per person as other states.
• (c) Texas collects about the same level of taxes per person but is limited in social programs.
• (d) Texas collects relatively few taxes per person but is still able to offer high levels of social programs.

Correct Answer: (a) (p. 8)
Explanation: Texas follows a "low-tax, low-service" model. Because the state has no personal income tax and maintains low overall tax rates, it has less revenue available to fund social programs compared to states like New York or California (p. 8).

18. Revenue Sources: Sales Tax

Texas relies on __________ taxes more than any other source of revenue to fund the government.

Options:

• (a) property
• (b) gasoline
• (c) income
• (d) sales

Correct Answer: (d) (p. 9)
Explanation: Without an income tax, the sales tax is the primary way the state of Texas generates revenue. It accounts for more than half of all state tax collections (p. 9).

19. Economic Volatility: Oil Prices

Why is the price of oil important for the budget of the State of Texas?

Options:

• (a) Many cities and counties set sales tax rates based on oil prices.
• (b) Texas invests the ESF into the energy sector and loses value when oil is low.
• (c) Texas collects tax revenue on all oil removed from the ground based on a percentage of the market value of a barrel of oil.
• (d) Oil is the largest and most important sector of the Texas economy.

Correct Answer: (c) (p. 9)
Explanation: Texas collects severance taxes (production taxes) on oil and natural gas. Because the tax is a percentage of the market value, when oil prices are high, the state collects significantly more revenue. When prices crash, the state budget can face a major shortfall (p. 9).

20. Intergovernmental Revenue: Matching Funds

Which of the following is an example of federal matching funds given to Texas to implement programs within the state?

Options:

• (a) The federal government and Texas jointly pay for Medicaid expenses when providing health care services to poorer Texans.
• (b) Texas receives money from the federal government for U.S. military bases.
• (c) Funds Texas receives back from the U.S. Treasury for overpayments.
• (d) Federal funds provided to offset energy costs for offshore oil extraction.

Correct Answer: (a) (p. 10)
Explanation: Medicaid is a prime example of a matching program. For every dollar Texas spends on Medicaid, the federal government "matches" it with a certain amount (usually around 60 cents). If the state spends less, it loses out on those federal matching dollars (p. 10).

21. Education Funding: Dedicated Funds

The __________ is a dedicated fund established by the Texas constitution for the support of public education in the state.

Options:

• (a) Available School Fund (ASF)
• (b) state lottery
• (c) National Research University Fund (NRUF)
• (d) Permanent University Fund (PUF)

Correct Answer: (a) (p. 10)
Explanation: The Available School Fund (ASF) is a constitutionally dedicated fund that uses investment income from the Permanent School Fund and a portion of the motor fuels tax to provide funding for K-12 public schools (p. 10).

22. Transportation Funding: State Highway Fund

When you pay your Texas motor vehicle registration fees, the money goes into which fund?

Options:

• (a) Road Maintenance Fund
• (b) Department of Motor Vehicles Fund
• (c) State Highway Fund
• (d) User Fee Fund

Correct Answer: (c) (p. 11)
Explanation: Vehicle registration fees are constitutionally dedicated to the State Highway Fund, which is used specifically for the construction, maintenance, and policing of public roads (p. 11).

23. Dedicated Funds: Philosophy

What does the existence of dedicated funds (such as the State Highway Fund) say about how Texans view the role of government?

Options:

• (a) Texans are generally apprehensive about the state government spending money, so the dedicated funds are a way to limit the role of the legislature in directing funds.
• (b) Funds were created because past legislatures cut popular programs.
• (c) They give the Governor tools to directly impact the economy.
• (d) They allow legislators to easily deduct money to fund other priorities.

Correct Answer: (a) (p. 11)
Explanation: Dedicated funds earmark money for specific purposes (like roads or universities). This prevents the legislature from using that money for other things, reflecting a desire to limit government's flexibility and ensure tax dollars are spent only on approved priorities (p. 11).

24. Budget Execution: Between Sessions

What must happen to move money from one agency to another when the legislature is not in session?

Options:

• (a) The governor must call a special legislative session.
• (b) The head of an impacted agency must submit a request to the governor and lieutenant governor.
• (c) The comptroller has authority to grant this type of transfer.
• (d) The Legislative Budget Board and the governor must work together to propose and approve this type of transfer.

Correct Answer: (d) (p. 12)
Explanation: This is called Budget Execution Authority. Since the legislature only meets every two years, the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) and the Governor have the joint power to move funds between agencies to address emergencies while the legislature is away (p. 12).

25. Appropriations: Definition

What does the Texas legislature’s appropriation process do?

Options:

• (a) It authorizes a government agency to spend a particular amount of money.
• (b) It allows a city to take on debt (borrow money).
• (c) It grants permission to the judicial branch to hear a case.
• (d) It empowers a police department to take property from a citizen.

Correct Answer: (a) (p. 12)
Explanation: An appropriation is simply the legal authority to spend money. Even if a state agency exists, it cannot spend a single cent unless the legislature "appropriates" funds for it in the state budget (p. 12).

26. Revenue Planning: The BRE

The purpose of the Biennial Revenue Estimate (BRE) is to provide

Options:

• (a) a detailed forecast of total revenues that the state of Texas is expected to take in over the next biennium.
• (b) a detailed forecast of expenditures the state expects to be obligated for.
• (c) the governor with a detailed estimate of the likelihood of a balanced budget.
• (d) a detailed forecast of the estimated federal funds the state can expect.

Correct Answer: (a) (p. 13)
Explanation: Issued by the Comptroller, the BRE tells the legislature exactly how much revenue is expected for the next two years. This number acts as the "ceiling" for the budget (p. 13).

27. Tax Types: Sales Tax

Texas’s sales tax is an example of which of the following?

Options:

• (a) a progressive tax
• (b) a property tax
• (c) a consumption tax
• (d) an income tax

Correct Answer: (c) (p. 13)
Explanation: A consumption tax is one that is paid when goods or services are purchased (consumed). The sales tax is the most common form of consumption tax (p. 13).

28. Budget Cycle: Why Two Years?

Why does Texas have 2-year budgets (valid for a biennium)?

Options:

• (a) The federal government allocates funds on a biennial basis.
• (b) It is easier to maintain a balanced budget for two years at a time.
• (c) The comptroller is only a part-time office.
• (d) The legislature only meets in odd-numbered years, so all of the business of the state needs to be done during that session.

Correct Answer: (d) (p. 14)
Explanation: Because the Texas Legislature only meets for 140 days every two years, they must pass a budget that lasts until they meet again. Therefore, the budget must cover a full biennium (two-year period) (p. 14).

29. Reserve Funds: The ESF

What is the purpose of the Economic Stabilization Fund (ESF)?

Options:

• (a) If there is a budget deficit, or a budget shortfall develops during a biennium, monies from the ESF can be used to fill these gaps.
• (b) To ensure tuition at public colleges remains consistent with inflation.
• (c) To ensure public officials have stable pension funds.
• (d) To provide pension benefits to police and firefighters in small towns.

Correct Answer: (a) (p. 14)
Explanation: The ESF, often called the "Rainy Day Fund," is a massive savings account for the state. It is used during economic downturns or emergencies to prevent the state from having to make massive, sudden cuts to services (p. 14).

30. Budget Control: Leadership

Who has the greatest degree of control over what provisions are included in the final budget adopted by the state?

Options:

• (a) Texas voters
• (b) the comptroller of Texas
• (c) the Texas state legislature
• (d) interest groups and lobbyists

Correct Answer: (c) (p. 15)
Explanation: While the Governor has a veto and the Comptroller sets the revenue limit, the Legislature (specifically through the House Appropriations and Senate Finance committees) actually writes the specific lines of the budget, giving them the ultimate control over state spending (p. 15).

31. Essay: Structure of the Legislature

Describe the structure and organization of the Texas legislature. (Bicameralism, Committees, Sessions)

Correct Response Summary: (p. 15)

• Bicameralism: Texas has a two-house legislature (House and Senate). This creates "checks and balances" because a bill must pass both houses in identical form to become law, slowing down the process and preventing rash decisions.
• Committees: Known as "gatekeepers," committees are where bills are first sent. They hold hearings and can "pigeonhole" (kill) bills or amend them. No bill can reach the floor without passing a committee first.
• Sessions: The legislature meets in regular session for only 140 days every two years (in odd-numbered years). This creates a chaotic environment where time is a weapon, and it is much easier to kill a bill than to pass one (p. 15).