Govt Quiz 11-12

Question 1 of 20

1

Sin taxes

Select one of the following:

a. are imposed on tobacco products and alcohol.
b. are used to increase consumption of luxury goods.
c. are only imposed on tobacco and alcohol producers.
d. do not exist in Texas.
e. are used to directly fund public healthcare initiatives.

Explanation

Question 2 of 20

1

While little changed in minority enrollments at many Texas Universities after the Hopwood decision, ______ and University of Texas at Austin, the two largest saw a huge drop-off as they had formerly used race as a factor in admissions.

Select one of the following:

a. Texas Tech University
b. Tarleton State University
c. Texas A&M
d. Lamar University
e. University of North Texas

Explanation

Question 3 of 20

1

In 2012-2013,_____percent of the Texas budget was devoted to education.

Select one of the following:

a. 11
b. 42
c. 21
d. 51
e. 31

Explanation

Question 4 of 20

1

The 1984 education reform law did not change the basic education finance system, an omission resulting in

Select one of the following:

a. Edgewood v. Kirby.
b. Smith v. Allred.
c. Midland v. Avery.
d. Del Rio v. Smith.
e. Mumford v. Bush.

Explanation

Question 5 of 20

1

Texas government made a commitment to modernize the state criminal justice system starting in the 1950s.

Select one of the following:

a. True
b. False

Explanation

Question 6 of 20

1

Setting public policy usually involves questions of

Select one of the following:

a. who will benefit and who will pay the bill.
b. which agencies do the taxing and who benefits.
c. who will pay the bill and how will the money be collected.
d. who will benefit and will there be federal funding.
e. which type of tax should be used and who will pay.

Explanation

Question 7 of 20

1

In an attempt to give the best students from poor and minority public school districts an equal footing in university admissions, the legislature enacted a 1997 law that guaranteed automatic admission to state universities for a high school graduate who finished in the top ______ percent of his or her class.

Select one of the following:

a. 20
b. 10
c. 1
d. 15
e. 5

Explanation

Question 8 of 20

1

Texas officials ignored deteriorating state prison conditions until a 1980 ruling by ______, which declared the Texas prison system unconstitutional.

Select one of the following:

a. the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
b. U.S. District Judge Lucius Bunton
c. federal Judge William Wayne Justice
d. the Texas Supreme Court
e. Attorney General Dan Morales

Explanation

Question 9 of 20

1

Texas' pay-as-you-go spending rules are best summarized as

Select one of the following:

a. a direct debt limit of $500,000 for individual line items.
b. a limit on spending of federal funds.
c. a general prohibition of deficit financing.
d. a direct debt limit set at $2 billion.
e. a prohibition of deficit spending.

Explanation

Question 10 of 20

1

Why did Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock actively campaign for a state income tax in 1991?

Select one of the following:

a. He believed that it could be used to replace the estate tax as a major source of revenue.
b. He believed it was the only way to meet the state's needs fairly and adequately.
c. He sought for it to be an alternative to the proposed state franchise tax.
d. He believed in conjunction with other unpopular taxes, it could create a budget surplus.
e. He sought to use it to replace local school property taxes.

Explanation

Question 11 of 20

1

What are Texas cities primarily dependent on for revenue?

Select one of the following:

a. Direct aid from the federal government in the form of bonds.
b. City governments rely heavily on revenue generated by city owned facilities.
c. Money distributed by the state and county governments.
d. City governments rely heavily on regressive taxes such as the property tax.
e. Money generated through the municipal income tax.

Explanation

Question 12 of 20

1

In a place system, candidates

Select one of the following:

a. run citywide for council seats; the candidates with the most votes win.
b. run for a council seat within a district and are voted by the constituents of the district.
c. for city council are elected through a double ballot system.
d. file for city council and are chosen by party leaders.
e. file for a specific council seat and run citywide for positions.

Explanation

Question 13 of 20

1

Citizens can petition their city council for a rollback election

Select one of the following:

a. to nullify any changes in taxation policy from a former administration.
b. in an attempt to recall a mayor who has underperformed.
c. to prevent a budget from being passed that will negatively affect the city.
d. to nullify any tax increase of more than 8 percent in a given year.
e. to prevent the city from embarking on a certain project.

Explanation

Question 14 of 20

1

State governments grant to local governments

Select one of the following:

a. funding, functions, and powers.
b. power, functions, and funding.
c. functions, responsibilities, and funding.
d. responsibilities, power, and funding.
e. responsibilities, power, and functions.

Explanation

Question 15 of 20

1

Almost every Texas city elects its council in _________ elections.

Select one of the following:

a. partisan
b. special
c. nonpolitical
d. primary
e. nonpartisan

Explanation

Question 16 of 20

1

The state's legal interests in both civil and criminal matters are represented at the local level by

Select one of the following:

a. the county, district, and assistant state attorneys.
b. the assistant state, county, and criminal district attorneys.
c. the district, criminal district, and assistant state attorneys.
d. the county, district, and criminal district attorneys.
e. the criminal district, civil district, and county attorneys .

Explanation

Question 17 of 20

1

The __________ is usually a voting member of city council but has few other duties in the council-manager form of city government.

Select one of the following:

a. city judge
b. mayor
c. city manager
d. city commissioner
e. comptroller

Explanation

Question 18 of 20

1

The two major limit-setting authorities over cities, counties, school districts, and special districts are the

Select one of the following:

a. Texas Constitution and the Court of Criminal Appeals.
b. Texas Supreme Court and the legislature.
c. Texas Supreme Court and the Texas Constitution.
d. Texas Constitution and the legislature.
e. commissioners courts and the Texas Constitution.

Explanation

Question 19 of 20

1

Why did the commission type of city government come about in 1900 in Galveston?

Select one of the following:

a. The mayor and several members of the city council had been involved in bribery and fraud in connection with city projects and when indicted the government collapsed.
b. Following a major hurricane which devastated the city, the government proved incapable of responding and the commission was designed to be more responsive to the people.
c. After being ceded to Texas from Louisiana, the people of Galveston opted to keep the commission form of government, a product of the French influence in Louisiana politics.
d. A fire which could have been prevented had the legislature invested in fire equipment destroyed the city and because of this, the citizens voted to create a more responsive government.
e. The Galveston government was in massive debt at the end of the 19th century brought on by an ineffective legislature and inexperienced mayor and was replaced with the commission.

Explanation

Question 20 of 20

1

In the mayor-council form of government,

Select one of the following:

a. the mayor is the executive but shares legislative power with the city council.
b. the legislative function is assigned to the city council and the executive function to the mayor.
c. the city council chooses the mayor out of its membership every 6 months.
d. the city council has legislative authority but can be disbanded at an time by the mayor.
e. the council is chosen by a popularly elected mayor who exercises executive control.

	Created by Koda M about 8 years ago