Question 1

Anyone can write a bill, but only members of the legislature can introduce a bill.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

Texas senators serve ________-year terms and House members serve ________-year terms.

Accepted Answer

A)   two; four
B)   four; six
C)   four; two
D)   six; four
E)   two; twoF) A) and B)
G) A) and C)

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 of the House and Senate.
E)   chair of the committee to which the bill is being referred.F) A) and E)
G) D) and E)

Question 4

The typical Texas legislator is most likely to be a

Accepted Answer

A)   white woman with a professional degree.
B)   white, affluent businessman.
C)   working-class Hispanic woman.
D)   middle-class African American lawyer.
E)   white, working-class male.F) None of the above
G) C) and D)

Question 5

For how long does the Texas legislature meet?

Accepted Answer

A)   The legislature meets all year, with breaks for holidays and campaigning.
B)   The regular session is nine months every year.
C)   The legislature meets for nine months biennially.
D)   The regular legislative session lasts 140 days every two years.
E)   The legislature meets for six months every year.F) A) and E)
G) A) and B)

Question 6

Which of the following statements about simple resolutions is correct?

Accepted Answer

A)   They do not require the signature of the governor.
B)   They can only concern the internal rules of the Texas legislature.
C)   They are limited to matters of concern for no more than two House districts.
D)   They can only be initiated by either the Speaker or the lieutenant governor.
E)   They are only used to honor the outstanding achievements of Texas residents.F) None of the above
G) A) and E)

Question 7

Which of the following statements about the Texas legislature is INCORRECT?

Accepted Answer

A)   The House and the Senate can physically force members to attend legislative sessions.
B)   The legislature decides the amount of money to be appropriated for every executive agency over a two-year period.
C)   Only the Senate has the constitutional authority to launch investigations into problems concerning the state.
D)   Only the House has the power to impeach members of the executive and judicial branches of government.
E)   Only the Senate has the power to try officials on impeachment charges.F) A) and E)
G) None of the above

Question 8

In Texas, the governor's State of the State address is an example of the ________ power.

Accepted Answer

A)   special session
B)   veto
C)   message
D)   impeachment
E)   mediaF) D) and E)
G) C) and E)

Question 9

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

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.
E)   It is used by each political party to develop its legislative strategy before each session.F) C) and D)
G) None of the above B

Question 10

In the Texas legislature, when a committee chair "pigeonholes" a bill, what happens?

Accepted Answer

A)   The bill is set aside before it is ever discussed in committee.
B)   The bill is referred to a special session.
C)   The chair vetoes a bill after it has already received an affirmative committee vote.
D)   The chair refers a bill to only one subcommittee, rather than two or more.
E)   The bill is immediately sent to the floor without a committee vote.F) B) and C)
G) None of the above

Question 11

The lieutenant governor is also a member of the Texas House of Representatives.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

The secretary of state in Texas is responsible for redrawing legislative districts every 10 years.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT a nonlegislative power of the Texas legislature?

Accepted Answer

A)   the power of impeachment
B)   the power to investigate financial mismanagement in a state agency
C)   the power to formally count the election returns in the governor's race
D)   the power to overturn state supreme court decisions with a two-thirds majority
E)   the power to supervise the behavior of executive branch agenciesF) A) and B)
G) C) and D)

Question 14

In Texas, both the lieutenant governor and the Speaker of the House are elected in statewide elections.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

In the Texas legislature, if the filibustering senator is successfully called on three points of order, a simple majority of the Senate may vote to prevent the senator from continuing his or her remarks.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  True

Question 16

Members of the Texas House of Representatives are permitted to speak on the House floor for as long as they wish.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

The requirements for holding office in the Texas legislature

Accepted Answer

A)   are minimal, in keeping with the idea that office-holding should be open to most citizens.
B)   are stricter than those in the federal legislature, reflecting the belief that only the most qualified Texans deserve to serve.
C)   require one to be a citizen of Texas but not necessarily a citizen of the United States.
D)   are the same as in the U.S. Constitution.
E)   require one to be a citizen of both Texas and the United States for at least 10 years prior to running for office.F) All of the above
G) A) and C) A

Question 18

In the Texas legislature, the House has ________ members and the Senate has ________ members.

Accepted Answer

A)   435; 100
B)   100; 25
C)   150; 31
D)   31; 150
E)   100; 50F) A) and E)
G) A) and D)

Question 19

In Texas, why is a governor's post-adjournment veto so powerful?

Accepted Answer

A)   It cannot be overturned by the legislature.
B)   It can be overturned only by a two-thirds majority of both houses.
C)   It allows the governor to veto parts of a bill but not all of it.
D)   It allows the governor to get maximum media coverage.
E)   It can only be overturned by a unanimous vote in both houses.F) A) and B)
G) C) and D)

Question 20

The typical Texas legislator is a white, upper-class, male Protestant.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 7: The Texas Legislature

Anyone can write a bill, but only members of the legislature can introduce a bill.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Texas senators serve ________-year terms and House members serve ________-year terms.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The typical Texas legislator is most likely to be a

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

For how long does the Texas legislature meet?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following statements about simple resolutions is correct?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following statements about the Texas legislature is INCORRECT?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In Texas, the governor's State of the State address is an example of the ________ power.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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

Correct AnswerverifiedB

In the Texas legislature, when a committee chair "pigeonholes" a bill, what happens?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The lieutenant governor is also a member of the Texas House of Representatives.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The secretary of state in Texas is responsible for redrawing legislative districts every 10 years.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following is NOT a nonlegislative power of the Texas legislature?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In Texas, both the lieutenant governor and the Speaker of the House are elected in statewide elections.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In the Texas legislature, if the filibustering senator is successfully called on three points of order, a simple majority of the Senate may vote to prevent the senator from continuing his or her remarks.

Correct AnswerverifiedTrue

Members of the Texas House of Representatives are permitted to speak on the House floor for as long as they wish.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The requirements for holding office in the Texas legislature

Correct AnswerverifiedA

In the Texas legislature, the House has ________ members and the Senate has ________ members.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In Texas, why is a governor's post-adjournment veto so powerful?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The typical Texas legislator is a white, upper-class, male Protestant.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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Texas senators serve -year terms and House members serve -year terms.

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B

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True

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A

In the Texas legislature, the House has members and the Senate has members.

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