Homework Assignment #2

Homework Assignment #2 Chapters: 10, 20 & 25

Multiple Choice. Fill in the one letter that best completes the statement or answers the question.

1. American political values and culture can best be described as A) liberal. B) radical. C) egalitarian. D) relatively stable. E) relatively transitory.

2. Contemporary political leaders and political scientists tend to view the participation of citizens in governmental decision making A) as a source of legitimacy for our political system. B) as a source of instability. C) though an elitist lens. D) both A and B. E) both B and C.

3. The attitudes of individuals regarding their political leaders and institutions as well as political and social issues are referred to as A) Public opinion. B) Political knowledge. C) Political values. D) Political culture. E) Political efficacy.

4. An exit poll is a(n) A) sample using a target population that is split into subgroups. B) form of telemarketing disguised as a poll intended to give information (usually false) with the goal of influencing public opinion. C) poll conducted on election day to try and predict election outcomes before the votes are counted. D) nonprobability sample in which the researcher randomly invites respondents to participate in the survey. E) unscientific mechanism to gauge public opinion.

5. Radio talk show listeners are likely to be _____ than the average American. A) angrier B) more conservative C) male D) Republican E) all of the above

1 Homework Assignment #2 Chapters: 10, 20 & 25

6. The belief, common among the framers of our Constitution, that the wealthy, better educated, more informed, and more interested should have more influence than others in our governmental processes, is known as A) professionalism. B) elitism. C) efficacy. D) reflexivity. E) superiority.

7. The theory usually posited as being in direct opposition to elitism is known as A) commonality. B) fragmentism. C) Unification theory. D) pluralism. E) socialism.

8. Which of the following periods was characterized by large and dramatic shifts in public opinion? A) The 1760s and 1770s B) The 1840s C) The 1920s D) The 1940s E) The 1980s

9. In recent years, women made up approximately what percentage of the U.S. Congress? A) 5 percent B) 15 percent C) 25 percent D) 33 percent E) 50 percent

10. Political socialization refers to the A) conscious and unconscious transmission of political culture and values from one generation to another. B) belief in a strong social welfare state in order to protect society from the vagaries of unfettered markets. C) the libertarian opposition to the interference of the state in the market in the pursuit of social objectives. D) the ideology of democratic state control of the market as practiced in the Scandinavian welfare states. E) the political values and beliefs of an individual.

11. The most important difference between liberals and conservatives today center on A) The purpose of government actions. B) The scope of government activity. C) The nature of the economic system. D) The nature of democracy. E) All of the above.

12. In the 1930s, large numbers of African Americans began to A) switch party allegiance from the Republicans to the Democrats. B) switch party allegiance from the Democrats to the Republicans. C) move away from the Republican Party to becoming independents. D) move away from the Democratic Party to becoming independents. E) register to vote for the first time.

13. Polls are sometimes problematic because they may A) reflect the effectiveness of an elected official or government policy. B) silence members of the public who hold minority views. C) influence rather than report public opinion. D) do both A and B. E) do both B and C.

14. When done correctly, the purpose of sampling is to get as A) uniform a set of responses as possible. B) diverse a set of responses as possible. C) random a set of responses as possible. D) representative a set of responses as possible, E) rapid a set of responses as possible.

15. The argument that rational decision-making occurs when many active groups get informed about the issues and discuss the many arguments is advanced by A) elitist. B) pluralists. C) republicans. D) Machiavelli. E) Plato.

16. One of the problems with the many amendments to the Texas constitution is that amendments sometimes A) undermine the principles of the drafters of the constitution. B) may be of very small scope. C) fail to bring about the desired change. D) are overly broad. E) are hard to pass.

17. The Texas constitution has been amended about how many times? A) 250 B) 450 C) 650 D) 850 E) 1050

18. The Texas constitution can be described as being very A) idealistic. B) vague. C) detailed. D) egalitarian E) short.

19. The authors argue that the U.S. Constitution is a more ______document than the Texas constitution. A) enduring and flexible B) precise and legalistic C) accurate and realistic D) egalitarian and fair E) detailed and partisan

20. The Constitution of Coahuila y Tejas was written under A) U.S. rule. B) Mexican rule. C) French rule. D) the Republic of Texas. E) Spanish rule.

21. Under the Republic of Texas, slavery was A) retroactively banned. B) forbidden. C) encouraged. D) ignored. E) legalized.

22. The Texas public school system is A) centralized. B) decentralized. C) nonexistent. D) highly centralized. E) run by the federal government.

23. The Texas executive can be said to be excessively A) strong. B) weak. C) fragmented. D) subject to the legislature. E) whimsical.

24. The Texas constitution of 1876 embodies all of the following principles EXCEPT A) contract theory. B) unitary government. C) popular sovereignty. D) the white man’s burden. E) limited government.

25. The Texas Constitution of 1876 was primarily the creation of A) the white old guard of Texas. B) only whites. C) white newcomers to the state. D) newly-emancipated African American legislators. E) African Americans.

26. African Americans earned the right to vote in Texas in A) 1859. B) 1860. C) 1861. D) 1865. E) 1869.

27. Texas joined the Confederacy in A) 1860 B) 1861 C) 1862 D) 1863 E) 1864

28. The issue that delayed the annexation of Texas was A) its constitution. B) Mexican influence. C) voting rights. D) slavery. E) the state’s poor Native American policy.

29. Interpretation of the constitution is increasingly coming from the state’s A) schools. B) attorneys. C) farmers. D) special interest groups. E) courts.

30. Voting rights in Texas were originally limited by the use of A) poll taxes. B) racial quotas. C) knowledge tests. D) licenses. E) preprimaries.

31. General-law cities in Texas have fewer than ______residents. A) 5,000 B) 10,000 C) 15,000 D) 20,000 E) 25,000

32. The operation of local governments in Texas is dictated by the legislature and the A) governor. B) judiciary. C) bureaucracy. D) body of statutory law. E) constitution.

33. Approximately how many incorporated municipalities are there in Texas? A) 0 B) 400 C) 800 D) 1,200 E) 1,600

34. In the council-manager form of city government, the city council can be said to have the monopoly on A) executive power. B) the day-to-day running of the city. C) lawmaking. D) police powers. E) creating the budget.

35. Municipal elections in Texas are overwhelmingly A) ceremonial. B) apolitical. C) strongly partisan. D) nonpartisan. E) partisan.

36. City governments receive no state funds, and rely on ______for funding. A) regressive taxes B) progressive taxes C) income taxes D) the federal government E) their county.

37. The authors use the term “passing the buck” to refer to A) property taxes. B) revenue bonds. C) general obligation bonds. D) federal mandates. E) sales taxes.

38. Texas has about ______special districts. A) 50 B) 100 C) 1000 D) 2000 E) 3,000

39. If Texas school boards are like council-manager municipal governments, the manager working for a school board is the A) mayor. B) commissioner. C) electorate. D) principal. E) superintendent.

40. Texas cities can annex an area up to ____ of their territory. A) 10% B) 20% C) 30% D) 40% E) 50%

41. The Texas Education Agency has the power of limiting the activities of A) the State Board of Education. B) a superintendent of schools. C) a council of government. D) a school board. E) teacher.

42. Shortly after they were created, independent school districts were given______from local governments. A) autonomy B) funds C) support D) advice E) responsibilities

43. The practice in which successful candidates for public office rewarded their supporters by giving them government positions was called A) a political machine. B) ward politics. C) the spoils system. D) cronyism. E) the civil service system.

44. In smaller counties, the duties filled by the tax assessor-collector in other counties are carried out by the A) constable. B) sheriff. C) district clerk. D) district attorney. E) commissioners court.

45. A city’s residents can limit new taxes of over______, through a petition and recall election. A) 8% B) 10% C) 12% D) 14% E) 16%

46. The mayors of most Texas cities most resemble a(n) ______in their powers. A) attorney general B) lieutenant governor C) justice of the peace D) governor E) chief justice

47. The strong mayor form of municipal government in Texas more closely resembles ______than ______government. A) Texas, U.S. B) U.S., Texas C) county, Texas D) Texas, county E) council-manager, Texas

48. Cities often finance projects through the use of voter-approved A) sales of property. B) bonds. C) sales tax increases. D) income tax increases. E) property tax increases.

49. The office of tax assessor-collector in Texas was historically tainted by frequent unethical A) tax assessment. B) tax collection. C) errors in property valuation. D) overvaluation of properties. E) undervaluation of properties.

50. A failed experiment in Texas was giving counties the ability to A) collect their own taxes. B) enforce their own laws. C) use a merit system. D) implement home rule. E) use auditors.

True/False. Fill in ‘A’ if the statement is true or ‘B’ if the statement is false.

51. Exit polls are conducted on the day of an election in order to analyze how candidates are doing before the votes are formally counted.

52. Telephone surveys are popular because they allow for the collection of data in a quick and inexpensive manner.

53. A stratified sample breaks the target population into subgroups before the sample is drawn.

54. Polls provide a snapshot of public opinion and allow officials to make a quick assessment of public policies.

55. Most studies indicate that religion and ethnicity have no impact on political views.

56. People with higher levels of education generally have more liberal social views.

57. Efficacy refers to the belief that one can influence the government.

58. Public Opinion refers to the attitudes of individuals regarding their political leaders and institutions as well as political and social issues.

59. Conservatives tend to support social and cultural change, particularly when connected to issues of equality.

60. In the 1970s and 1980s, the United States witnessed a revitalization of the conservative movement and the emergence of a new conservative agenda.

61. Research suggests that minorities living in racially diverse neighborhoods tend to have higher levels of political efficacy than minorities living in segregated neighborhoods.

62. Conservatives tend to believe that government spending should be limited, that traditional patterns of relationship should be preserved, and that a large government is a threat to personal liberties.

63. Education tends to liberalize an individual’s position on non-fiscal issues.

64. In polling, all samples are necessarily random.

65. Professional pollsters rely almost exclusively on the accidental sample method because the method produces better and more accurate results.

66. Schools play little role in political socialization.

67. The creation of the constitution of the Republic of Texas was free of the pressure of special interests.

68. During the Civil War, Texas was part of the Confederacy.

69. African Americans had no part in creating the current Texas constitution.

70. The current Texas constitution was adopted in 1876.

71. The constitution of the Republic of Texas differs greatly that of the current constitution created in 1876.

72. The fear of the “mischief of faction” led to the principle of separation of powers.

73. The Texas courts appear to be taking a greater role in interpreting the state constitution.

74. Texas has had just one constitution.

75. In general, the Texas constitution is considerably simpler than the U.S. Constitution

76. Texas law has retained little of Mexican legal practices.

77. The constitution of the Republic of Texas embraced the principle of federalism

78. Texas has the highest number of adopted constitutional amendments of any state.

79. Radical Reconstruction was welcomed by all Texans.

80. The constitution of the Republic of Texas was heavily influenced by southern traditions.

81. Texas law has retained little of Mexican legal practices.

82. The federal and Texas state governments may mandate that local governments carry out programs or actions, with or without funding.

83. Most Texas cities work under general law, and have a mayor-council form of government.

84. The at-large elections traditionally used in Texas have tended to mitigate the power of the Establishment.

85. Regressive taxes are the main source of municipal funds.

86. A decline in property values in the 1980s inhibited Texas cities’ ability to borrow money for capital improvements.

87. Unfunded mandates from the U.S. government and the state of Texas have been eliminated by new laws.

88. The commissioners court administers justice for counties.

89. Frequently, special districts solve problems that occur when natural resources must be managed across county borders.

90. School boards in Texas are more powerful than school superintendents.

91. Annexation and extraterritorial jurisdiction are powers used by counties to expand their scope.

92. The duty of appraising property taxes has been shifted away from the tax assessor-collector because of unethical conduct.

93. The county clerk has been defined as the office that has served as the “dumping ground for miscellaneous functions of the county.”

94. Funds from the federal government have decreased at the same time that federal mandates to cities have increased.

95. In Texas, citizens have the right to nullify tax increases in rollback elections.

96. At-large elections in Texas have repeatedly been challenged for perpetuating inequities.

97. The commissioner system is the most common form of Texas municipal government.

98. Texas cities first won home rule authority at the constitutional convention of 1875.

99. In Texas, the city commission form of government has largely been replaced by the council- manager form.

100. Sheriffs and constables typically fulfill law-enforcement and administrative roles in rural counties.