The Constitution of Coahuila y Tejas __________.
established an unicameral legislature for the Mexican state that combined Coahuila and Texas (Coahuila y Tejas)
Which governor of Texas refused to leave office although he had lost the election?
Edmund Davis
Which of the following statements is true about Texas government under the Constitution of 1876?
It establishes a part-time, biennial legislature.
What is the purpose of statutory law?
to expand upon general provisions laid out in a constitution
Seven constitutions have governed the land currently occupied by the State of Texas. When was the first constitution adopted?
1827
Scholars believe that constitutions should __________.
be concise and contain general principles
How does the Texas Constitution resemble those of other former Confederate states?
It formally acknowledges the supremacy of the U.S. Constitution.
What was a primary utility of Texas to the Republic of Mexico?
to serve as a buffer between Mexico and the United States
Under the Constitution of Coahuila y Tejas, the governor __________.
led the state militia, granted pardons, and enforced laws
During the late 1820s and early 1830s, tensions between Texans and the Mexican government were often caused by __________.
increased immigration from the United States to Texas
What did Santa Anna do in 1835?
voided the Mexican constitution
What was one reason for the 1836 conflict between Mexico and Texas?
a new Mexican constitution that concentrated power in the national government
The Constitution of 1836 that established the Republic of Texas was modeled after __________.
the U.S. Constitution
What best describes the conflict between Mexico and the newly formed Republic of Texas in 1836?
It was a short conflict with relatively light casualties.
School history texts, the celebration of key events, and the development of a mythology of the independence period keep Texas's __________ alive.
sense of national autonomy
Which of the following was part of the Constitution of 1845?
a biennial legislature
The Constitution of 1845 was amended in 1850 to allow for __________.
a plural executive
When Texas joined the Confederate States of America, its new constitution __________.
forbade the freeing of slaves
The Constitution of 1866 was invalidated by __________ shortly after it was enacted and Texas came under the control of a military government.
Radical Reconstructionists (Radical Republicans)
The Constitution of 1866 was brought about by the policies of President Abraham Lincoln, who envisioned __________.
a rapid return to civilian governments for southern states and their quick reintegration into the Union
Which of the seven Texas constitutions was used for the shortest period of time?
the Constitution of 1866
Andrew Johnson's mild reconstruction policies were replaced by those of __________.
a. radical Democrats
b.? radical Republicans
c. liberal Democrats
d. conservative Republicans
The Reconstruction Acts required a Texas Constitution that would __________.
grant African Americans the right to vote
What did the members of the Grange fight for in the creation of the Constitution of 1876?
the powers of the banks to be restricted
Which of the following best describes the Constitution of 1876?
antigovernment
After the unpleasantness of Reconstruction, Texas created a constitution that __________.
limited government power and fragmented its institutions
Which of the following helps to explain why the comprehensive constitutional reform efforts of the mid-1970s failed?
Special interests fought against reform because they did not want to give up the protections that the old constitution afforded them.
An underlying principle of the 1876 constitution is __________.
concentration of powers
Under the 1876 constitution, lawmaking authority was vested in __________.
a bicameral legislature composed of 181 members
Which of the following is an accurate statement about the judicial system established by the Constitution of 1876?
Texas has two courts of last resort, one for criminal cases and one for civil cases.
Which of the following statements about the Texas legislature established by the Constitution of 1876 is accurate?
The legislature is more easily influenced by special interest groups than the drafters of the Constitution of 1876 intended
The current Texas Constitution is __________.
excessively detailed
The Texas Constitution has been amended __________ times.
about 500
When was Texas's most recent constitutional convention?
1974
What best characterizes the role of Governor Dolph Briscoe in the most recent constitutional convention?
He did not exercise leadership and provided little input to the convention.
The delegates to the most recent constitutional convention consisted of __________.
181 members of the legislature
A right-to-work law __________.
demonstrates the power of labor unions over the power of businesses
A small group of legislators who did not want a new constitution in the 1970s and attempted to delay or obstruct the constitutional convention's work was labeled as __________.
cockroaches
When only constitutional amendments are on the ballot in Texas, __________ percent of registered voters turn out to vote.
less than 10
The public education system that has evolved under the current Texas Constitution can best be described as __________.
inequitable
Chapter 3:
A(n) __________ is a system in which each member government is considered sovereign, and the national government is limited to powers delegated to it by its member governments.
confederation
What are the three fundamental systems for structuring government?
confederal, federal, and unitary
There is no such thing as __________ sovereignty
local government
A systematic transfer of authority from the federal government to the states would be considered __________.
devolution
Most official proceedings concerning our daily lives come from __________ governments.
state and local
The __________ clause of the U.S. Constitution implies that when there is a power struggle between the federal government and a state government, the federal government triumphs.
supremacy
The U.S. Constitution limits the powers of the states and the national government through __________ powers.
denied
The ability to __________ is a concurrent power shared by the national and state governments.
tax
Formal agreements between states that must be approved by Congress are called __________ compacts.
interstate
Which of the following disputes would be settled by the Supreme Court?
a. fraud cases involving at least $1.2 million
b. any dispute involving the death penalty
c. a boundary dispute between Texas and Louisiana
d. treason, bribery, and other high crimes and misdemeanors
The U.S. Constitution provides for the return of a person accused of a crime to the state in which the crime was committed. This process between the states is called __________.
extradition
Which of the following statements about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is accurate?
Texas opted out of the portion of the law that would have expanded Medicaid coverage.
Under cooperative federalism, __________.
all three levels of government share authority over policy
Categorical grants-in-aid are used by the federal government __________.
to shape and implement domestic policies
A __________ grant requires a state or local government to submit an application and compete on the basis of merit with other governments for the funds.
project
President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society programs __________.
expanded the scope of the federal government
Block grants provide the states with more __________ than do categorical grants.
discretion
Why did President Nixon propose replacing categorical grants with revenue sharing?
to allow recipient governments to use the money as they saw fit
Who would have most directly benefited from the DREAM Act if it had become law?
those who were brought to the United States illegally when they were children
Why did President Reagan seek to end revenue sharing with state and local governments?
Reagan believed that revenue sharing was inefficient and contributed to the federal deficit
Which of the following problems related to illegal immigration surfaced during the Obama administration?
illegal immigration by unaccompanied minors
22. In recent decades, Congress has __________.
a. increased the number of mandates and preemptions forced on the states
b. eliminated all mandates and preemptions except in times of emergency or national crisis
c. resisted efforts to cut taxes
d. decreased the federal role in policymaking in favor of
Which of the following is a health concern for those living along the U.S./Mexico border?
Many Mexican children are not vaccinated against common childhood diseases.
After the events of September 11, 2001, President George W. Bush endorsed the __________, which increased government surveillance powers to investigate espionage and terrorism.
USA Patriot Act
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the case of United States v. Lopez that Congress had overreached its constitutional power concerning interstate commerce when it __________.
attempted to prevent the carrying of guns in school zones
Texas ranks __________ in per capital federal government spending.
forty-third
What does the Texas Office of State-Federal Relations do?
adjusts revenue forecasts used by Congress and the state legislature
Why do state agencies and communities sometimes resist accepting federal funding?
They are wary of the "strings" attached to federal grant programs.
What are the problems and interests that Texas and Mexico share called?
transnational regionalism
What is the primary purpose of the maquiladora program?
to boost employment and industrial development
How effective has the maquiladora program been?
It has not created many new manufacturing jobs, but it has created jobs in transportation, warehousing, and support services.
In 1991, the United States, Mexico, and Canada negotiated the __________.
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
Which governments are most common in Texas?
municipal governments
Which of the following groups has been the most uneasy about NAFTA policies?
U.S. labor unions
Texas exported approximately __________ worth of goods to Mexico in 2013.
$100 billion
Which of the following is consistent with the Dillon rule?
State governments can eliminate local governments.
What are colonias?
rural, unincorporated slums on the Texas side of the border that have substandard housing, roads, drainage, water, and sewer systems
What was a major contributor to illegal immigration prior to 1986?
It was legal to hire undocumented immigrants.
Which of the following was a key provision of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act?
Illegal immigrants who had been in the United States before January 1, 1982, were granted amnesty.
Which of the following has been particularly problematic on the Texas side of the border in recent years?
drug violence
chapter 4:
The prevailing constitutional theory is that the relationship of the state to its local governments is best described as a(n) __________ system.
unitary
According to __________ rule, local governments are fundamentally administrative subdivisions of the state and have no rights except for those granted to them by the state
Dillon
Eighty percent of Texans live in __________.
urban areas
The largest city in Texas in terms of population is __________; the largest in terms of landmass is __________.
Houston; Houston
The state has granted Texas cities a(n) __________ range of discretionary power over organizational structure and local public policy.
wide
The majority of cities in Texas are __________ cities, while the most common form of city government is __________.
general law; mayor-council
Which of the following accurately describes the mayor-council form of government?
The legislative function is assigned to the city council, and the executive function is assigned to the mayor.
Which of the following is a characteristic of a strong-mayor system?
The mayor has the power to recommend to the city council that certain city officials be removed.
Which of the following is a major disadvantage of the commission form of city government?
It lacks a single chief executive, which means that no single individual is in charge.
The commission form of government combines the __________ functions in the offices of various city commissioners.
legislative and administrative
Which of the following is a characteristic of the council-manager form of government?
There is a key distinction between policymaking and administration.
The __________ is usually a voting member of city council but has few other institutional duties in the council-manager form of city government.
mayor
In Texas, city officials are elected in __________ elections.
nonpartisan
Which of the following have historically benefited from municipal election systems that use at-large, citywide elections with nonpartisan ballots?
higher social and economic groups
Most Texas cities elect their city council members using __________.
at-large elections
In a place system, candidates __________.
file for a specific council seat and run citywide for positions
Which of the following is the largest revenue source for Texas cities?
regressive taxes
What are rollback elections?
elections to nullify any tax increase of more than 8 percent in a given year
Although cities are required by law to balance their operating budgets, many municipal construction projects are financed by loans through the issuance of __________.
general obligation bonds
The bonds issued by a city are secured by its __________.
taxing power
Which of the following might a city build using a revenue bond?
a parking garage
A law or regulation enacted by a higher level of government that compels a lower level of government to carry out specific actions is a(n) __________.
mandate
What characterizes county governments in Texas?
Their organizational structure is highly fragmented, and most of their powers are delegated by the state.
The commissioners court is comprised of a __________ who presides and __________ county commissioners.
county judge; four
The county judge __________.
does not need to be a lawyer
What was the purpose of the Optional Road Law of 1947?
It relieved the county commissions of road construction and maintenance by delegating it to a county engineer.
Why has the county clerk been called a "dumping ground"?
Over the years, the legislature has enacted hundreds of laws that give various responsibilities to the county clerk.
The __________ is responsible for issuing various licenses required by state law, such as a marriage license.
county clerk
The state's legal interests are represented at the local level by __________.
county and district attorneys
Why was the appraisal district created?
to enhance the professionalism of tax appraisals and move towards greater consistency
In small, rural counties, the __________ is the primary law enforcement officer for the entire county.
sheriff
Special districts are units of local government created by the __________ to perform specific functions.
state
How are special districts created?
by statute or constitutional amendment
School districts are governed by __________.
elected school boards
Why might a city lease a new facility built by a private contractor instead of building the facility itself?
The city might have already reached its bond indebtedness ceiling and has no way to build the facility itself without raising taxes.
Annexation and extraterritorial jurisdiction allow cities to do which of the following?
expand their boundaries into neighboring unincorporated areas to control development
In areas surrounding large Texas cities, population growth has forced both cities and counties to wrestle with __________.
urban sprawl
Which of the following recommendations is being made as a way to modernize county governments in Texas?
creating an office of county administrator
Which of the following are commonly used tools to promote economic development in cities?
tax abatements and lowered utility bills
A(n) __________ district can be created at the urging of property owners in a city to address a wide range of upgrades from libraries to sidewalks.
public improvement