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201 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Which is not a form of political participation?
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-watching political news shows
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According to the authors, what is the defining characteristic of representative democracies?
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-Elections
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Which of the following is not a demographic variable that affects turnout at the polls?
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-Residency
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Which of the following statements about voters is incorrect?
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-The younger an individual is, the more likely that individual is to vote.
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Which is not a legal voting qualification in Texas?
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-Being a nonresident of the state
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Which individuals are legally disqualified from voting?
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-Individuals that have been legally declared mentally incompetent
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Which of the following statements about Texas registration laws is incorrect?
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-An individual’s employer can register an employee as long as the employer is a registered voter.
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Once they register, voters are automatically sent renewals at their address of record by
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-January 1st in even-numbered years.
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Which list(s) is (are) used to purge the names of voters from the voter registration rolls?
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-Corner’s reports
-List of felony convictions -List of adjudications of mental incompetence |
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An individual must be registered at least __________ days prior to the election to be eligible to vote in Texas.
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-30
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Texas requires that all ballots and election materials be printed in other languages in addition to English if
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-counties have at least 5 percent or greater language minority
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Which of the following is not an argument put forward by those opposed to the voter ID law?
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-It would only an advantage to minorities
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Making registration and voting in America easier has resulted in which of the following?
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-A decrease in voter turnout
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The total number of persons in the United States who are 18 years of age or older, regardless of citizenship, military status, felony conviction, or mental state defines
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-voting age population.
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Which of the following can be a contributing factor to the decrease in participation in the United States after 1960?
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-The passage of the Twenty-sixth Amendment
-A decrease in party identification by voters |
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Turnout in American general elections is __________ in comparison to other industrialized democracies of the world.
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-significantly lower
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Which of the following concerning Texas elections is correct?
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-In presidential elections, as the turnout nationally has declined since 1960, Texas’s turnout has actually increased.
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Texas required individuals to pay a poll tax to vote in state elections until it was declared unconstitutional by
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-the decision in the case United States v. Texas.
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The Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gave
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-full suffrage to women in Texas.
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Smith v. Allwright
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-banned the use of White primaries,
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In the case Carrington v. Rash, the courts decided that
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-members of the military could enjoy the full rights of suffrage in Texas
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Which of the following techniques to prevent voting was never used in Texas?
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-Literacy tests
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Which case changed the state’s early voter registration requirement in Texas?
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-Beare v. Smith
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Which of the following is a deterrent to higher voter turnout in Texas?
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-Large number of elections
-Long length of the ballot -Lower income and education levels in Texas |
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Texas’ political culture can best be described as
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-a mix of traditionalistic and individualistic.
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In a traditionalistic political culture, politics is
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-the process of maintaining the existing social and economic order.
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The traditionalistic political culture is especially characteristic of which Texas area?
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-East Texas
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A method of selecting the nominees from a political party where party members elect the candidates who represent them in the general election is known as
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-direct primary
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The Terrell Election Law enabled political party members to
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-select political party nominees by allowing a direct primaries
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The Texas Election Code requires each political party
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-that receives 20 percent of the gubernatorial vote to hold a primary election
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New political parties in Texas must complete all of the following requirements to get their candidates on the general election ballot except
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-must file with the secretary of state a list of supporters equal to 1% of the total vote for governor in the last general election
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For Texas primaries, the state party chair and the state executive committee of each party
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-conduct a drawing to determine the order of the names on the ballot.
-certify the ballot to the county level officials. -canvass the election returns after the primary. |
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To win a Texas primary election, a candidate must receive
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-50 percent plus one of the votes.
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A __________ is held when one of the two top contenders of a second primary did not receive a majority of the votes.
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-runoff primary
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A closed primary allows only those individuals who ____________ to participate.
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-are party members
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What type of primary allows a voter to choose on Election Day which primary they will participate?
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-Open-primary
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What is it technically called when a person who identifies with one political party opts to vote in the other party’s primary to influence its outcome?
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-Crossover voting
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Texas does not have term limits for which office?
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-State Senator
-State House of Representative -Governor |
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To win the general election, a candidate must win with __________ of the votes.
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-a plurality
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General elections in Texas are held on the
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-Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even-numbered years.
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In presidential election years, which of the following offices is not on the Texas ballot?
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-The Texas Governor
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What year was the Texas Constitution amended to extend the terms (from two years to four years) for the governor and other major administrative officials?
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-1972
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All special elections in the state
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-are nonpartisan elections.
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The chief election officer of the state is the
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-secretary of state
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The duties of the secretary of state include all of the following except
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-enacting legislation and voting guidelines.
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A type of ballot used in a general election where all of the candidates from each party are listed in parallel columns is called
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-party-column ballot.
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Supporters of the major political parties support the use of which ballot?
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-Party-column ballot
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Minor political parties in the state prefer the office-block ballot because it
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-makes straight-ticket voting for the major parties more difficult.
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What is another name for the Massachusetts ballot?
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-Office-block ballot
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Which of the following statements about Texas elections is incorrect?
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-The process of gaining access to the ballot by third parties is simple in Texas.
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For a name to be placed on the general-election ballot, a candidate must be either a party nominee or an independent and
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-win 5 percent of any statewide office.
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In 2002, the U.S. Department of Justice ordered Harris County to provide ballots (and voting material) in which language?
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-Vietnamese
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One can vote early in Texas elections under which of the following conditions?
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-You can vote early for any reason.
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The small piece of paper produced in punch-card ballots is known as
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-chad.
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Specific Texas laws regarding recounts in elections allow each of the following except
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-canvassing authorities are given very little discretion when interpreting an indentation on the chad.
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A number of Texas counties introduced electronic voting in the 2002 midterm election because
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-of the possibility of similar problems that occurred in Florida during the 2000 election.
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A political party’s ultimate aim is to
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-nominate candidates in the primary or convention and get them elected
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In state elections, what two factors predominate?
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-Party identification and incumbency
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Throughout their campaigns, Texas Democratic candidates tend to mobilize all of the following groups except
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-business interests.
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What strategy is used in election campaigns in which candidates attack opponents’ issue positions or character?
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-Negative campaigning
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Candidates spend most of their “on the stump” time in _________, though stumping alone, nowadays, does not get a candidate elected.
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-urban and suburban areas in the state.
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Organizations that raise and then contribute money to political candidates are known as
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-political action committees.
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All PACs must be registered with the
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-the secretary of state
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Money spent by political parties on behalf of political candidates, especially for the purposes of increasing voter registration and turnout is called
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-soft money
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The primary enforcement of regulations of state campaign laws is the responsibility of the
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-Texas Ethics Commission.
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Which of the following is not included in the Texas campaign finance law?
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-Limitations on the amount a candidate is allowed to spend
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The first African American elected to a statewide office in Texas was
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-Morris Overstreet
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According to Laura K. De La Cruz, which event was instrumental to the shift to the new media?
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-The F.C.C. eliminating of the fairness doctrine
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Which of the following is not part of the new media?
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-Major traditional networks
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The U.S. Constitution makes no mention o
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-political parties
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James Madison criticized political parties in which Federalist Paper?
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-Federalist Paper 10
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The most important goal of political parties is to
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-gain control of government through popular elections.
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Political parties are vital to democracy in that they provide a link
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-between people and government
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Which of the following is not a function of political parties?
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-Nominate and elect their members to local public offices.
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Which of the following is not a distinct characteristic of American political parties?
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-Idealism
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__________ is the philosophy that ideas should be judged on the basis of their practical results rather than on an ideological basis.
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-the Idealism
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Since political parties are pragmatic, they will not do which of the following?
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-Develop a campaign strategy that is narrowly focused.
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What is the lowest level of party organization?
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-Precinct
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State and local party organizations are ________ who exercise considerable discretion on most party matters.
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-semi-independent actors
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The national party organization provides state parties and candidates with a variety of which services?
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-Public opinion polling
-Computer networking -Direct mailing |
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______ is the exercise of power in parties by state and local party organizations rather than by national party institutions.
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-Decentralization
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Which electoral system encourages pragmatic behavior?
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-Single-member district
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Why have third parties been unsuccessful at gaining elected office?
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-Major parties make a conscientious effort to absorb them by adopting their issues
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In Texas, third party candidates must receive what percentage of the vote to get on the ballot?
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-Five percent
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If a third party candidate fails to garner five percent of the vote in a previous election to get on the ballot, they must
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-collect 45,000 signatures from eligible voters.
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In the late nineteenth century, the Democratic Party was challenged by which third party?
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-Populist
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Which of the following do Conservatives not believe in?
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-They support government programs that involve redistribution of wealth.
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What theory refers to the idea that HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_breaks" tax breaks or other economic benefits provided by government to businesses and the wealthy will encourage economic development and prosperity for the whole of society?
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Trickle-down theory
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Which ideology tends to view change suspiciously?
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-Conservatism
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Which political party has a “hands-off” philosophy about government?
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-Libertarians
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One particular form of conservatism is
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-Libertarianism.
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Which of the following is not a belief of the Libertarian political party?
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-Social Security is a sound system not in need of reform.
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Which of the following statements is not true of liberals?
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-They possess a more pessimistic view of human nature than conservatives.
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An individual income tax is an example of what type of tax?
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-Progressive tax
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The success of conservative Democrats competing in the party primary was not because
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they represent education interests.
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The development of the conservative Democratic faction was an outgrowth of all of the following except
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-Secessionist proposal of Edmund Davis.
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Liberals in the Texas Democratic party consists of all of the following groups except
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-large farmers and rancher.
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Liberals in the Texas Democratic Party consist of groups who have supported the national party ticket and its presidents except
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-George Bush
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The rejuvenation of the Republican Party in Texas came in 1961 when ______ was elected to the U.S. Senate
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-John Tower
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Which individual was the state’s first elected Republican governor since Governor E. J. Davis?
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-Bill Clements
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People who vote Republican for national office but Democratic for state and local office are known as
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-presidential Republicans
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Since 1998, the GOP achieved their most impressive gains
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-by reelecting Governor George Bush
-with Republicans sweeping every state-wide office. -by succeeding in the redistricting of Texas’ congressional delegation in 2004 |
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In 1974, the GOP held only 53 offices at the county level and now they hold more than __________ county offices.
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-2000
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Which of the following is not a strength area for Texas Republicans?
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-South and South Central Texas
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The Republican party of Texas appeals to all of the following groups except
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-rural, low-income ranchers
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_________________ are supporters of the Republican Party, who are concerned with such issues as family, religion, abortion, gay rights, and community morals
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-Evangelical Christians
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The formal issue positions of a political party is a
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-party platform
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A group of conservative Republicans that formed in opposition to President Obama’s health care initiative is
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-Tea Party
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Which Texas legislator advocated making undocumented aliens in Texas a state crime?
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-Dan Patrick
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In recent years the Republican Party had developed two factions with two different styles of leadership except
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-pro-minority party activists
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A gathering of party members who voted in the party’s primary for the purpose of electing delegates to the county or district convention is
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-precinct convention
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The precinct convention is open to individuals who
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-voted earlier in the day in that party’s primary
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Both the Republican and Democratic parties hold state conventions in
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-June of even-numbered years
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If contending party factions in a precinct are evenly divided, a walkout is possible if one side or the other looses a key vote and claims that a grave injustice was done. Such a group will conduct its own convention called a
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-rump convention
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The major functions of the Democratic and Republican parties biennial state conventions include all of the following except
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-to certify to the Attorney General which candidates were nominated by the party in its March primary.
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The rules for selecting delegates to the respective parties’ national convention are best described by which statement?
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-The rules for both parties are somewhat complex
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Political parties in Texas select delegates to the national nominating convention using both the primary and the caucus system. This process is known as
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-Texas Two-Step
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The roles of a party precinct chair include all of the following except
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-serving as a member of the state executive committee.
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The county executive committee, along with the approval of the __________, must certify the name of the nominees.
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-commissioners’ court
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All of the following are part of the state’s Democratic Party’s platform except
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-they believe the federal government should not change the No Child Left Behind program.
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All of the following are part of the state’s Republican Party’s platform except
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-they propose amnesty for long term, working illegal immigrants
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The duties of the state’s political parties’ executive committees include all of the following except
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-nominating state party candidates.
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The transition from one dominant political party in the state to another is known as
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-realignment
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In recent presidential elections, Texas has
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-consistently supported the Republican nominee
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The shift in party identification in the state can be attributed to all of the following reasons except
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-the popularity of President Lyndon Johnson
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Which potential voters are sometimes referred to as tipping?
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-The Latino vote
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Swing voters are
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-individuals who are not bound by party affiliation
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Ticket splitters are individuals who are
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-willing to vote for candidates of more than one party in a given election
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The idea of dealignment suggests that
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-voters are calling themselves Independents rather than identifying with political parties
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Dealignment comes from evaluating the percentage of
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-ticket splitters
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Which interest group depends on government spending and lobby policy makers?
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-Road construction companies
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Which of the following statements about the population of Texas is incorrect?
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-Texas has both a large poor and upper-income population
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Direct contact between an interest group representative and an officer of government is an example of
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-lobbying
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Which of the following statements about the lobbying activities of special interest groups is incorrect?
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-They lobby only members of the state senate
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Which of the following statements about interest groups is incorrect?
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-Interest groups are considered political parties that nominate candidates for office.
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Which of the following is not a positive aspect of interest groups?
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-Narrow interests
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Which of the following is employed to express the values of interest groups?
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-Lobbyists
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Business and agriculture interest groups are interested in all of the following except
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-encouraging government regulations
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Education and local government groups lobby for all of the following except
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-encouraging unfunded state mandates.
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Labor unions seek legislation for all of the following except
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-supporting the “right to work laws.”
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Governor Rick Perry hired lobbyist, __________, to protect the interest of the Texas Department of Transportation.
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-Robert Black
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What type of interest group seeks the betterment of society as a whole or the reform of the political, social, or economic system in ways that do not directly affect their member’s pocketbooks?
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-Noneconomic interest groups
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Which of the following is a way interest groups can be classified?
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-Economic
-Noneconomic -Mixed interest |
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A(n) __________ is an individual who benefits from the work of an interest group, but who does not participate in the collective actions that made the benefits possible.
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-free rider
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Noneconomic interest groups benefit from _______because it translates into greater political clout in the Texas’s legislature.
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-large membership
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Which is a reason why individuals are not motivated to participate in noneconomic interest groups?
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-Economic well being for all
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Interest groups pursuing social equality and economic goals are classified as what type of group?
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-Mixed or hybrid organizations
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Which of the following is not classified as a mixed interest group?
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-Public interest
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People join interest groups
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-to receive the monthly or quarterly magazine or newsletter
-to be a member of a network of like-minded people. -in order to protect their economic, recreational, social, or political interests. |
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___________ is the promotion of a particular public policy position.
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-Advocacy
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Which of the following is not classified as a non-economic interest group?
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-Recreation
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The primary goal of interest groups is to
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-influence all branches of government at all levels.
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Why is it difficult for any one special interest group to dominate Texas state politics?
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-There is a wide diversity of interests
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When interest groups employ lobbying officeholders to file suits in court, get their advocates appointed to state boards, testify before legislative committees, these are examples of
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-direct means of influencing government.
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Which branch of government is responsible for the implementation of public policy?
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-Executive branch or administration
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The power to make decisions on the basis of personal judgment rather than specific legal requirements defines
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-discretion
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_______ is to legally transfer authority from one official or institution to another.
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-Delegate
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Special interest groups use the court system because of all of the following except
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-the court system is a way to political capital for supporters
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The blurring of lines between the state and a special interest group is called
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-co-optation
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Which of the following has occurred when a public official makes a decision that might result in a personal economic advantage?
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-Conflict of interest
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_______ is the good of the whole society, without bias for or against any particular segment of the society.
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-Public interes
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Which is not an interest group activity?
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-Nominating candidates for office
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Interest groups will seek to build a positive public image by which of the following means?
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-Hiring public relations firms
-Demonstrating good citizenship -Print and broadcast advertisements |
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__________ is the fabrication of public support for issues supported by industry and special interest groups, but which give the impression of widespread public support.
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-Astroturf lobbying
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When an organization decides to endorse and recommend that its members vote for the candidate more disposed to support their values, this is an example of
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-electioneering
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A lobbyist inviting a public official to lunch or a party to establish a positive relationship is an example of
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-socializing.
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Before a legislative session begins, a lobbyist must have successfully completed all of the following except
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-getting to know the family members of legislators because through them the member can be influenced
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A successful lobbyist will attempt all of the following except
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-establish rapport with all members of the legislature
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Who hired HillCo to block the “sanctuary cities” bill in the legislature because they viewed it as a threat to their business interest?
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-Bob Perry and Charles But
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The Texas Register is used by a state agency to provide
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-notice of intent to make a rule.
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Which of the following are least likely to subscribe to the Texas Register?
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-Ordinary citizens
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For generations, __________ has (have) characterized the relationship between major industries in Texas and the state’s political leadership
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-crony capitalism
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Twice in the past 15 years, CBS has run programs about __________ on 60 Minutes alleging that the Texas Supreme Court identifies with specific interests?
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-“justice for sale”
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In the case of Caperton v. A.T. Massey the U.S. Supreme Court
|
-began to set parameters for the most egregious examples of conflicts of interest
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The right of the public in the United States to petition their government is found in which constitutional Amendment?
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-First Amendment
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All of the following are exempt from lobbyists’ reports except
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-costs above expenditure threshold of $500 per year.
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According to state law, when registering, lobbyists are required to reveal to the state
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-for whom the person lobbies
-information about their clients and employers -the policy areas of concern. |
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According to state law, which of the following statements about lobbying is incorrect?
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-All lobbyists must file financial reports with the Secretary of State.
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Which state agency has the responsibility to establish standards of conduct for lobbyists?
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-the Texas Ethics Commission
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The members of the Texas legislature must be provided with a list of registered lobbyists and their clients by
|
-February 1 of each legislative session
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Which industry groups in Texas had the largest number and maximum value of contracts signed with lobbyists?
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-Energy/natural resources
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Which characteristic of the structure of government in Texas makes it difficult for one interest to dominate the whole government?
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-Separation of powers
-Checks and balances -Appointed officials with fixed terms |
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Studies regarding the power of interest groups consistently show that
|
-where political parties are weak, interest groups are strong
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The history of one-partyism in the state created all of the following except
|
-an incentive for average Texans to participate in elections.
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Why is it that the current system of a part-time legislature is unlikely to change?
|
-Current legislators have been successful under the current system.
-The public is unlikely to support change. -Lobbyists prefer the current system. |
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Texas law states that ex-legislators
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-can become lobbyists with no restrictions
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The media is a _________ link between the people and the government.
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-non-neutral
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Which is the public’s watchdog institution?
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-The media
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According to the text, which is most likely to occur?
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-An elected representative would probably not vote contrary to clear-cut constituent desires to please a special interest.
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When a special interest is seeking a change in policy that affects the balance of power in the political, social, or economic system, there will be
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-much greater participation and conflict
|
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much greater participation and conflict
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-Most campaign contributions for the state legislature and statewide offices come from small donors.
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Which of the following concerning campaign contributions for state house and senate candidates is correct?
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-Total contributions for senate races were less than the total for house races
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The ability to contact an official either in person or by phone is called
|
-access.
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Late train contributions are
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-campaign funds given to the winning legislative candidate.
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Governor Perry executive order to vaccinate pre-teen girls with the HPV vaccine was considered an example of a
|
-conflict of interest
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Research shows that the main element that determines the political power of a group is
|
-how much public officials need the group
|
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An organization created by interest groups to promote common goals is identified as what type of organization?
|
-Umbrella
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“Iron Triangles” are composed of which of the following?
|
-Legislative committee members, high-ranking bureaucrats, and representatives of special interests
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Loose alliances of interest groups are called
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-issue networks.
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A mass alliance of like-minded groups and individuals seeking broad changes in the direction of government policies is called a(n)
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-political movement.
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The right to bear arms was established by the ________ Amendment
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-Second
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