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Unit 2

Question	Answer
Almost one-half of the attorney general’s employees are involved in what government task?	collecting child-support payments
When the Texas governor strikes out particular spending provisions in an appropriations bill, it is called	a line-item veto.
Who was the first Republican governor of Texas since Reconstruction, and when was he or she elected?	William Clements in 1978
What is the ultimate check on the governor?	impeachment
What is the most significant and far-reaching of the Texas governor’s powers?	the power to appoint boards and commissions
The ______ is the oldest state agency in Texas.	General Land Office
The Department of Public Safety is responsible for all of the following EXCEPT	animal and insect control.
Setting local telephone and electric rates is the responsibility of the	Public Utilities Commission.
Which of the following is not a qualification a person would need to be a viable candidate for governor of Texas?	BORN IN TEXAS
For a Texas governor, what is the benefit of a post-adjournment veto?	it canot be overide
In Texas, what is the most important power of the state comptroller?	estimating tax revenues for the legislature
In Texas, what is the primary effect of a plural executive?	It dilutes the power of the governor and fragments the executive branch.
Which of the following statements concerning the Texas Department of Insurance is incorrect?	The department makes sure that all Texans are covered by health insurance.
Which of the following about the lieutenant governor in Texas is incorrect?	The lieutenant governor’s powers are primarily executive, not legislative.
Which of the following is the best example of the Texas governor’s military powers?	The governor can declare martial law during a natural disaster
Which of the following is the best example of the Texas governor’s exercise of senatorial courtesy	The governor will not appoint someone to office unless that appointee’s state senator agrees
The unwritten rule of the "senatorial courtesy" in Texas:	allows a senator to block the governor's nomination of a person who lives in the senator's home district.
The Texas governor has all of the following legislative powers EXCEPT the power to	break tie votes in the senate.
______ is the only Texas governor to be both impeached and convicted. Answer	James Ferguson
Which state office was eliminated in 1996?	State Treasurer
In Texas, the plural executive is held accountable through all of the following EXCEPT	appointment by the governor.
All of the following have been a lieutenant governor of Texas EXCEPT	Rodney Ellis.
What is the purpose of the Sunset Advisory Commission in Texas?	It reviews state agencies every twelve years to see if they are still needed.
Authority over railroads throughout Texas was given to the ______ in 2005	Texas Department Of Transportation
In Texas, which officer in the plural executive is not elected by voters?	Secretary of State
Which of the following does NOT limit the Texas governor's executive power?	Special legislative sessions
According to the video The Texas Governor, despite the limits of the governor's formal powers, Texas governors can use informal powers such as:	the power of the personality.
Which of the following statements about the impeachment process is TRUE?	A governor can be removed from office by a two-thirds vote of the Texas senate.
The ____________________ is the executive official who issues written opinions to interpret state laws and the state constitution.	attorney general
The power of the Texas governor to reject specific parts of an appropriations or spending bill without killing the entire bill is called a(n):	line-item veto.
According to experts in the video The Texas Governor, one of the main keys to success for Governor George W. Bush's gubernatorial tenure was:	his relationship with Democratic Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock.
The provisions under which most state agencies have to be periodically reviewed and re-authorized by the legislature or go out of business are called:	sunset laws.
George W. Bush (Rep. 1994-2000) and Ann Richards (Dem. 1991-1994) are examples of Texas governors who:	skillfully used interpersonal political skills, the media, and appointment powers to overcome the limited formal powers of the office.
According to the video The Texas Governor, which of the following is NOT a power given to the Texas governor?	Control over the state's budget
The three-member, elected body that is primarily responsible for the regulation of oil and natural gas production in Texas is the:	Railroad Commission.
Which of the following Texas agencies is led by a fifteen-member elected board?	The State Board of Education
Which of the following plays the MOST important role in drafting the state's budget?	The Legislative Budget Board
Which of the following describes the tenure of the Texas governor?	4 years unlimited
Which of the following areas is one of the very few in which the Texas governor enjoys greater formal power than a U.S. president?	veto powers
The __________________ is the executive official who serves as the State of Texas' accountant, is elected statewide, certifies the official budget for the State of Texas, and has the power to audit state agencies for waste and fraud.	Comptroller of Public Accounts
Despite comparatively weak appointment powers, Texas governors do appoint the __________________, responsible for administering state election laws and granting charters to corporations.	Secretary Of State
Which of the following statements about the rules governing campaign finance in judicial elections is TRUE?	All of the choices
If you were on trial for a felony case, in which of the following courts would you most likely appear?	district court
According to experts in the video The Texas Judiciary, voters in Texas use the following criteria for selecting judges EXCEPT:	analysis of judges' rulings
The panel that that determines whether there is enough evidence for a trial is called a:	grand jury.
If you were ticketed for speeding, in which of the following courts would you most likely appear	Municipal Court
According to experts in the video The Texas Judiciary, why is the current system of selecting judges in Texas unlikely to change, despite calls for reform?	All of the choices
According to the video The Texas Judiciary, which of the following steps is NOT part of the merit selection (the Missouri Plan) of judicial selection	The Texas Supreme Court evaluates a judge's performance every four years and determines whether the judge should remain in office.
In comparing the methods of judicial selection, the goal of an election system is the ______________of judges, while the goal of an appointive or merit system is the ______________ of judges.	accountability; independence
According to the video The Texas Judiciary, most judges in Texas are selected by:	partisan election.
Which of the following statements about county-level courts in Texas is FALSE	County judges must be lawyers by mandate of the Texas Constitution.
If you were on trial for a misdemeanor case involving theft, in which of the following courts would you most likely appear?	Justice of the peace courts
Who has the burden of proof and the legal obligation to prove its position in a civil case before a court?	The Plantiff
Texas leads the nation in executions. It has one of the __________ rates of incarceration in the nation and has one of the __________crime rates in the nation.	highest; highest
Which of the following statements about the Texas judicial system is FALSE?	udges in the Texas court system reflect the ethnic and racial diversity of the state's population.
The authority of a court to review the decisions of lower courts to determine if the law was properly interpreted and proper legal procedures were followed is	Apellete Jurisdiction
According to the video The Texas Judiciary, which of the following steps is NOT part of the merit selection (the Missouri Plan) of judicial selection?	The Texas Supreme Court evaluates a judge's performance every four years and determines whether the judge should remain in office.
Who has the burden of proof, the legal obligation to prove its position to a court, in a criminal case?	The prosecutor
Which of the following statements about county-level courts in Texas is FALSE?	County judges must be lawyers by mandate of the Texas Constitution.
Which of the following is not likely to be included in a plea bargain?	a recommendation for a higher sentence with a lower fee
Misdemeanor juries in the state of Texas require ______ members, while felony juries require ______ members	six; twelve
The highest fine an individual can receive upon criminal sentencing is	$10,000
What means of execution does Texas currently use?	lethal injection
In Texas, the legal standard of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt is used in which types of cases?	both felony and misdemeanor cases
For felonies, in general, most probation sentences run for up to ______ years of community supervision.	10
Money that is provided by the defendant to assure his or her appearance in court is referred to as ______	bail
During the first appearance before a judge, referred to as the arraignment, what will likely happen?	The judge will repeat the due process rights of the accused and set bail.
A minor criminal offense, usually punishable by a small fine or a short jail sentence, is a(n)	misdemeanor.
The average prison time served by those that have been exonerated was ______ years.	13
A very common method prosecutors use to maintain high conviction rates is a(n)	plea bargain between the defendant and the state.
If an individual were to commit three state-jail felonies, does the state of Texas have the right to punish that person with life imprisonment?	yes, based on the three-strikes provision of the Texas penal code
Which of the following states does not have a higher incarceration rate than Texas?	Cali
What is the process for granting clemency in Texas?	There is none
A grand jury consists of how many individuals to possibly hear a case? ten to fifteen	12
In the past twenty years, the costs of prison construction and maintenance have risen from approximately ______ to approximately ______	$147 million; $3 billion
Which of the following is NOT a controversy that has led to the questioning of the integrity of the Texas criminal justice system?	UTA
Which of the following states has not outright banned or considered a ban on the death penalty?	Texas
The lowest class of misdemeanor is which of the following?	c
The ______ attorney is more likely to represent the state in felony criminal cases, while the ______ attorney is more likely to represent the state in misdemeanor criminal cases.	District/County
Which of the following does the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles not handle?	The board handles all of the above.
Which of the following best describes capital punishment in Texas?	Texas executes more individuals than any other state and has a statistically low rate of successfully appealed capital cases.
The most prison-prone group of individuals in society are those that are	Males between 20-29
What type of offenses are Texas prison inmates most likely to be imprisoned for?	violent
Which of the following is not a reason that an individual can be given the death penalty in Texas?	age of 12
A(n) ______ determines whether sufficient evidence is available to justify a trial.	Grand jury
Which of the following makes the decision to grant parole?	Board of Paroles
In a situation in which the defendant may have committed his or her first offense, the judge is more likely to issue a punishment of ______.	Probation
Which individual has the vast amount of discretion in determining whether to charge a person with a crime?	Prosecutor

Created by: JorgeOfTheJungle

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