Comparative State Politics Test Preparation
Course Introduction
Comparative State Politics explores the structures, processes, and outcomes of politics at the subnational level within federal systems, with a focus on the United States and other federations. The course examines how states and provinces vary in terms of political institutions, party systems, policy priorities, and governance strategies. Students analyze the impact of political culture, demographic diversity, and economic differences across states, considering factors such as electoral systems, intergovernmental relations, and policy diffusion. Through comparative analysis, the course highlights both similarities and differences among subnational governments, providing insight into how state-level dynamics influence broader national politics and policy outcomes.
Recommended Textbook
The State of Texas Government Politics and Policy 2nd Edition by Sherri Mora
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12 Chapters
547 Verified Questions
547 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/3149 Page 2
Chapter 1: Introduction to Texas History and Politics
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50 Verified Questions
50 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/62366
Sample Questions
Q1) What is the main reason why early petitions by the Republic of Texas to join the United States were rejected?
A) Texas residents favored monarchy, not republicanism.
B) Texas was composed almost entirely of Catholic Spanish speakers.
C) The American government feared sparking a war with Spain.
D) There was controversy over Texas becoming a slave state.
Answer: D
Q2) In the years following the Civil War,________ became Texas's economic mainstay.
A) cattle
B) cotton
C) oil
D) None of these answers is correct.
Answer: A
Q3) Who led the Army of the Gulf in a show of force designed to discourage French support of the Confederacy?
A) Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing
B) Ulysses S. Grant
C) Alfred H. Terry
D) Nathaniel P. Banks
Answer: D
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Chapter 2: The Texas State Constitution and the American Federal System
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46 Verified Questions
46 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which amendment to the U.S.Constitution contains this statement? "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution,nor prohibited by it to the States,are reserved to the States respectively,or to the people."
A) Ninth
B) Tenth
C) Eleventh
D) Twelfth
Answer: B
Q2) Under the Texas constitution,the power to tax resides with
A) the governor.
B) the legislature.
C) the judiciary.
D) the bureaucracy.
Answer: B
Q3) What does the Texas Constitution contain that the U.S.Constitution does not?
A) Bill of Rights
B) separation of powers
C) legislative member qualifications
D) equal rights amendment
Answer: D
Page 4
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Chapter 3: The Texas Legislature
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50 Verified Questions
50 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Why was the Legislative Redistricting Board's multimember plan invalidated by a federal court in 1971?
A) the "Matthew syndrome"
B) dilution of the impact of rural voters
C) findings in Lawrence v. Texas
D) possible unfairness to minority voters
Answer: D
Q2) About one third of the Texas legislature is composed of A) women.
B) blue collar workers.
C) Hispanics.
D) lawyers.
Answer: D
Q3) Which of the following is NOT among the powers of the speaker of the house in the Texas House of Representatives?
A) committee chair appointment
B) bill referral to committees
C) appoints members to calendar committee
D) appoints all members of standing committees
Answer: D
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Chapter 4: The Executive Department and the Office of the
Governor of Texas
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47 Verified Questions
47 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) In most instances,the adoption of articles of impeachment results in
A) the removal of an office holder.
B) a trial in the senate.
C) a trial in a judicial court.
D) a statewide recall vote.
Q2) The Sunset Advisory Commission
A) is composed of members appointed by the governor.
B) reviews most state agencies every 12 years.
C) has yet to abolish a state agency.
D) was discontinued in the mid-1970s.
Q3) In states without a lieutenant governor,who is usually next in succession to the governor's office?
A) the leader of the state senate
B) the vice governor
C) the leader of the state house of representatives
D) the chief justice of the state supreme court
Q4) Identify the six variables used to measure the formal powers of the office of governor.
Page 6
Q5) What are the budget and legislative powers of the Texas governor? Does this give the governor a strong position? Why or why not?
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Chapter 5: The Court System in Texas
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46 Verified Questions
46 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Texas Government Code allows jurisdictions to draw upon which source(s)for jury selection?
A) registered voters only
B) licensed drivers only
C) jury pool volunteers only
D) both registered voters and licensed drivers
Q2) What is the most important difference between trial and appellate courts?
A) deciding points of fact versus points of law
B) the level of citizen participation
C) the number of judges
D) jurisdiction
Q3) How is juvenile justice handled in Texas? How could it be improved?
Q4) What are the two kinds of county courts?
A) constitutional county courts and county courts at law
B) trial courts and appellate courts
C) misdemeanor courts and felony courts
D) primary and secondary jurisdiction courts
Q5) Discuss the two kinds of state courts and four principle ways they differ from each other.
Q6) Which Texas courts can hear appeals,and what types of appeals do they hear?
Page 7
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Chapter 6: Local Governments in Texas
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48 Verified Questions
48 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) What voting system is preferred by voting rights activists as a means of increasing minority representation?
A) at-large voting
B) single-member districts
C) preferential voting
D) cumulative voting
Q2) What change was noted when cities in Texas were forced to change to single-member districts for at least some city council seats?
A) higher voter turnout
B) substantial increase in minority city council members
C) lower voter turnout
D) dramatic change in how city services were distributed
Q3) San Antonio wants to expand and add new territory to the city and broaden its tax base by doing what with regard to an upscale subdivision that borders the city?
A) declaring eminent domain over it
B) annexing it
C) invoking extraterritorial jurisdiction upon it
D) incorporating it
Q4) List and describe the three basic forms city governments have taken in Texas.
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Chapter 7: Voting and Political Participation in Texas
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43 Verified Questions
43 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) How did Texas act throughout its history to restrict the voting rights of poor people and minorities? How were these practices finally ended?
Q2) Discuss Texas's legacy of restricted ballot access.Does Texas continue to restrict the ballot today? Defend your position.
Q3) If the post office in Texas is unable to deliver a voter registration card,it will be returned to the voter registrar,and
A) it will be sent to the polling station on election day for the voter to pick up.
B) the voter registrar will attempt to find a forwarding address and re-send the card if one is found.
C) the county sheriff will be notified to investigate possible voter fraud.
D) the voter will need to re-register in order to vote in future elections.
Q4) Which of the three measures for voter turnout consistently shows the lower figures?
A) percentage of registered voters who voted
B) percentage of VEP who voted
C) percentage of VAP who voted
D) They are all roughly equal.
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Page 9
Chapter 8: Elections and Campaigns in Texas
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43 Verified Questions
43 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Discuss the runoff primary.Why does it exist? What are its benefits and its drawbacks?
Q2) Which of the following is NOT among the types of short political commercials?
A) the feel bad spot
B) the sainthood spot
C) NOOTS
D) the good ol' girl spot
Q3) List the five types of sound-bite commercials listed in the chapter.Define two of them.
Q4) How often does Texas hold general elections?
A) every year
B) every two years
C) every four years
D) twice a year
Q5) In Texas,when is a runoff primary required?
A) when the winner of the first primary is disqualified
B) when there is only a .02% difference in total votes for the top two candidates
C) when no candidate receives a plurality of votes
D) when no candidate receives a majority of votes
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Chapter 9: Political Parties in Texas
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45 Verified Questions
45 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) What political reforms have weakened political parties?
Q2) In Texas the Democratic state executive committee consists of __ members,equally divided between men and women.
A) 30
B) 62
C) 150
D) 302
Q3) What were the main positions of the Greenback Party,the Populist Party,and the Progressive movement? What impact did they have on the two main political parties and Texas in general?
Q4) What is the proper time sequence of the following three political movements/parties,from earliest to latest?
A) Populist Party, Greenback Party, Progressive movement
B) Progressive movement, Populist Party, Greenback Party
C) Populist Party, Progressive movement, Greenback Party
D) Greenback Party, Populist Party, Progressive movement
Q5) Discuss the fragmented political party system it the United States and why the national parties are so weak.
Q6) Explain how Phil Gramm "converted" from a Democratic senator to a Republican.
Page 11
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Chapter 10: Interest Groups and Lobbying in Texas
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43 Verified Questions
43 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/62357
Sample Questions
Q1) Peak business associations are interest groups that represent
A) statewide business interests.
B) seasonal business interests.
C) national business interests.
D) local business interests.
Q2) Compare and contrast retail trade associations and professional associations.
Q3) When are PACs prohibited from making contributions to members of the Texas state legislature?
A) never; they are free to contribute whenever they wish
B) during the regular 140-day session only
C) the period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the regular session
D) in odd calendar years, i.e. 1971, 1973
Q4) Who is best known for arguing that "factions" would play an important role in American politics?
A) George Washington
B) Ben Franklin
C) Thomas Paine
D) James Madison
Q5) Discuss how Texas regulates interest groups.
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Chapter 11: Public Policy in Texas
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44 Verified Questions
44 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/62356
Sample Questions
Q1) In 2003 the U.S.Supreme Court found that antisodomy laws were unconstitutional in the case of
A) Rodriguez v. San Antonio.
B) Edgewood v. Kirby.
C) Lawrence v. Texas.
D) Plyler v. Doe.
Q2) An acre is 43,560 square feet.For purposes of allocating water rights,water is measured in "acre feet." How many cubic feet of water are there in two acre feet?
A) 43,560
B) 65,340
C) 87,120
D) 130,680
Q3) List the six categories state policymakers use to describe the demand for water,and explain in what way demand in these categories is expected to change.
Q4) How are school districts financed in Texas? Why is this funding controversial?
Q5) How does per capita welfare spending in Texas compare to that of the other 49 states? How do you explain Texas's relative ranking?
Q6) Define the "10 percent rule." Argue for or against its fairness to students.
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Chapter 12: Financing State Government
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42 Verified Questions
42 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) About 60% of the money that Texas receives from the federal government is spent on A) health and human services.
B) public safety.
C) education.
D) transportation.
Q2) Which level of government is most heavily dependent on service charges and fees to finance their services?
A) federal
B) state
C) county
D) city
Q3) Name and describe the form of corporate "income tax" Texas uses.To whom does it apply? How has it changed since its creation?
Q4) In Texas,citizens can be excluded from all of the following for nonpayment,EXCEPT for A) water.
B) education.
C) sewer.
D) electricity.
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