Chapter 21 The Texas Constitution

1. Chapter 21 The Texas Constitution

2. 1. The current Texas constitution has provided the framework for the state government since 1876. 1900. 1925. 1968. 1998.

3. 2. Immediately prior to joining the United States, Texas was part of Mexico. part of Coahuila. a British colony. an independent republic. essentially a �no man�s land.�

4. 3. What led to the drafting of the 1861 Constitution? Secession Presidential reconstruction Congressional reconstruction Independence The discovery of oil

5. 4. Why was the 1869 Constitution written? To explicitly allow slavery To satisfy the demands of the national government at the end of reconstruction To join the Confederacy To reduce Texas� debt load and snub its creditors To appease the masses

6. 5. The 1866 constitution made which of the following changes? Abolition of slavery Lengthening the governor�s term Provision of a line-item veto Increase in the number of Supreme Court judges All of the above

7. 6. Which Texas constitution was the first to provide universal male suffrage? The Constitution of the Republic of Texas The 1845 Constitution (admittance to the Union) The 1861 Constitution (admittance to the Confederacy) The Constitution of 1866 (after the Civil War) The Constitution of 1869 (after Reconstruction)

8. 7. The current Texas Constitution has been amended only twice. 37 times. about 100 times. about 225 times. about 400 times.

9. 8. When were the most amendments added to the Texas Constitution? From its adoption through the 1880s During the 1890s and 1900s During the 1910s and 1920s During the World War II era Since the 1970s

10. 9. A majority of the delegates to the 1875 Constitutional Convention were native Texans. members of Grange organizations. European immigrants. Democrats. Republicans.

11. 10. In general, the restrictive provisions of the 1876 Texas Constitution reflected a series of issues that included admiration of Reconstruction. dissatisfaction with Governor E. J. Davis. massive inflation. the Texas gold rush. all of the above.

12. 11. The Texas Constitution contains a bill of rights. guarantees universal suffrage. distributes vast tracts of land to all Texas citizens at the time of its adoption. declares that slavery shall exist in Texas �in perpetuity.� is difficult to amend.

13. 12. A statutory constitution seeks to control the powers of the government. the people. corporations. interest groups. railroads.

14. 13. Which of the following accurately describes the Texas Legislature created by the Texas Constitution? Regular legislative sessions will occur every other year. The legislative session will last for 225 days. There will be a nonpartisan, unicameral legislature. Legislation must be considered without regard to cost. Legislators are not paid when they are in special session.

15. 14. The current length of the governor�s term is two years. four years. six years. seven years. eight years.

16. 15. Which of the following accurately describes amendments to the Texas Constitution? They are seldom presented to the voters, but those that are frequently pass. They are seldom presented to the voters, and those that are seldom pass. They are frequently presented to the voters, and those that are frequently pass. They are frequently presented to the voters, but those that are seldom pass. They are fairly rare.

17. 16. Which of the following best describes the outcome of the 1999 constitutional revision effort? The effort led to a reduction in the number of state courts. A merit-based system for selection of judges replaced partisan elections. A statewide property tax system was created in order to fund public education. Power in the executive branch was consolidated in the governor. No substantive changes resulted from the 1999 constitutional revision effort.

18. 17. Most of the changes to the current Texas Constitution have been piecemeal and minor. have been rejected by the federal courts as violations of civil rights laws. have significantly increased the power and authority of the state government. have been major overhauls of the way the Texas Legislature works. have been major overhauls of the Texas executive branch.

19. 18. Attempts to make comprehensive revisions to the 1876 Constitution have generally been successful. have been frequent. have been nearly non-existent. were described by the Dallas Morning News as �acts of aggression and treachery against the State of Texas.� have been overturned frequently by state courts.

20. 19. Which of the following best describes the initiative process in Texas? Initiatives must be proposed through citizen petitions filed by one percent of Texas voters. Initiatives must be passed by a majority of voters in two successive elections. Initiatives are not adopted unless approved by at least sixty percent of voters. Initiatives allow an opportunity for a dedicated minority of citizens to adopt legislation that is generally opposed by a majority of the public. The Texas Constitution does not permit initiatives.

21. 20. A member of a constitutional convention who resists any change to the current constitution is known as a/an marshmallow. cockroach. blue dog. oven mitt. traffic cop.