Texas Government and Politics
Historical and Philosophical Foundations
______________ indicated that—realistically—the best government is a “mixed” government that includes, “the one,” “the few,” and “the many.” – Aristotle
The idea that an unjust law can, and should be, resisted in a non-violent manner came from ___________. – Thomas Aquinas
Texas Political History
Which political party dominated Texas for approximately 100 years? – Democrats
According to the Tenth Amendment of the U. S. Constitution, the State of Texas has the exclusive power to control ___________. – Both an intrastate aquifer such as the Edwards Aquifer and abortion
The first Republican governor of Texas was _______________. – E.J. Davis
The (1876) Constitution of Texas mixes religion and politics in the preamble. – True
The Civil War and Reconstruction
The Civil War and Reconstruction extended power to the national government through the principle of “the rule of law.” – False
The Republic of Texas modeled its constitution after the constitution of ___________. – USA
Which of the following relationships is correct? – The Americans followed Locke’s political theory and the Texans copied the Americans
Texas fought and won its independence from _______________ – Mexico
_________________ indicates that slavery was not the cause of the Civil War. – ALL
- The inclusion of four slave states in the northern “free” states
- Lincoln’s failure to issue an Emancipation Proclamation in April 1861
- The existence of over 400,000 slaves in the “free states” after the Civil War
How did the United States settle the dispute regarding the right of secession? – Through “might makes right”
According to the authors of the textbook, the Civil War settled the issue of ________________. – Federalism by making the states subordinate to the national government
Requiring the southern States to accept the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments (the “Civil War Amendments”) before they were readmitted to the Union was inconsistent with the idea that ________. – The southern states could not—and had not—seceded from the U.S.A.
The leaders of the U. S. Congress who supported black suffrage and the military occupation of the South after the Civil War were called __________________ . – Radical Republicans
The Texas Constitution
The 1876 Constitution of Texas _____________.
- Provides for a Bill of Rights
The current constitution for Texas includes articles that address or contain stipulations regarding ____________.
- The executive branch
- A bill of rights
- Suffrage
Federalism and the Division of Power
Federalism, sometimes called “dual federalism,” ____________. – Attempts to balance power between the national government and the state governments
Reserved powers are those powers that belong to the ____________. – People or the state governments
A broad interpretation of the “necessary and proper” clause allows the national government to ____________ state powers. – Encroach upon
Reconstruction and Federalism in Texas
During the Reconstruction era, Texas was dominated by the ____________ . – Republicans
Powers belonging exclusively to the national government are called __________________ powers. – Enumerated or expressed
Powers that both the national and state governments can constitutionally claim are called ____________. – Concurrent
Federalism is a division of power between the national and State governments. – True
A strict interpretation of the “necessary and proper” clause accepts the idea that “implied powers” must be “necessary.” – True
The idea that “implied powers” can be derived from the “necessary and proper clause” was accepted by the U. S. Supreme Court in the case of ________________. – McCulloch v. Maryland
Types of Federal Grants
Categorical Grants
Force states to spend federal funds as the federal government sees fit
Unfunded Mandates
Meet federal regulatory guidelines without receiving any additional funds from the national government
Block Grants
Allow states to spend federal funds within a range of options granted by the U.S. government
Cooperative Federalism
Maintains a balance between the power of the national government and the states
Constitutions and Government Structures
A constitution – Establishes the institutions and apparatus of government
Forcing states to spend their funds to support federal policies is known as ___________. – An unfunded mandate
A ________ legislature means a one-chamber legislature. – Unicameral
The division of the governmental power between the legislative, judicial and executive branches is known as __________. – Separation of powers
Sovereignty and Executive Power
The __________ possesses supreme political authority within a geographic area. – Sovereign
A(n) __________ executive holds only a fragment of the power within the executive branch. – Plural
An executive (e.g. a governor) who is formally charged by the House of Representatives with misconduct is – Impeached
Progressivism and Contemporary Issues
Supporters of a political movement that advocates centralized governmental control, the use of experts to solve major problems, and a broad interpretation of the “necessary and proper” clause are called _________________. – Progressives
The authors’ constitutional argument that the “supremacy clause” settles all legal conflicts between the national and state governments can be ____________. – Rejected since the Tenth Amendment was ratified after the adoption of the Constitution
The Federal Reserve made mistakes that led to both the Great Depression of the 1930s and the Great Recession of 2007-2008. – True
Progressives believe that _____________. – “Implied powers” are a part of the “delegated powers” referenced in the Tenth Amendment