TX Govt Test 1 Review: Part 2b

Question 1

Home rule cities

Accepted Answer

have more than 5,000 people & vote to become home rule, vote on their own city charter, have flexibility in how their city is run

Question 2

Many low level drug offenders are also dealing with ___ which prisons aren't able to deal with

Accepted Answer

mental illness, homelessness, poverty

Question 3

Precint/County commissioners...

Accepted Answer

elected by people & represent precints in Texas counties, form the commissioners court w/ the county judge, are also known as road commissioners

Question 4

From 1992-2012, __ of exonerees were victims of mistaken eyewitness testimony.

Accepted Answer

75%

Question 5

How many members are on the State Board of Education?

Accepted Answer

15

Question 6

TX passed its current hate crimes law in ___ as a result of ___.

Accepted Answer

2001; dragging death of James Byrd

Question 7

Eyewitness testimony is extremely reliable

Accepted Answer

False

Question 8

From 1989-2014, ___ people were exonerated in TX based off of DNA evidence

Accepted Answer

38

Question 9

To meet the long term water needs of TX, the water development board has recommended

Accepted Answer

expanding & developing surface water, a focus on conserving water

Question 10

Felonies are minor criminal offenses

Accepted Answer

False

Question 11

In TX, ___% of prisoners are ____ & average age is ___.

Accepted Answer

90 ; male ; 38

Question 12

In TX, what is the average time spent waiting on death row?

Accepted Answer

11 years

Question 13

Plessy v. Fergusson...

Accepted Answer

created government sponsored segregation, was overturned by Brown v. Board of Education

Question 14

Which agency is responsible for collecting data on hate crimes in TX?

Accepted Answer

the Texas Department of Public Safety

Question 15

What type of city govt does Houston have?

Accepted Answer

strong mayor-council

Question 16

If you commit murder, you are exempt from the death penalty if...

Accepted Answer

you are mentally ill, you are intellectually disabled, you were not mentally competent when you committed the crime, you were under 18 years of age when the crime was committed

Question 17

What is the most important issue in Texas's ability to carry out the death penalty today?

Accepted Answer

shortage of drugs needed to execute

Question 18

The "3 strike" rule says a person convicted of a felony 3 times

Accepted Answer

can be imprisoned for life

Question 19

Regarding the state budget, the dual budgeting process requires a budget proposal from...

Accepted Answer

the Legislative Budget Board, the Governor

Question 20

Which Supreme Court case temporarily ended executions nationwide?

Accepted Answer

Furman v. Georgia

Question 21

Constable

Accepted Answer

enforces court orders in all precints, enforces law in some precints when allowed by county sherrif and/or voters, elected by the precint which is a single member district

Question 22

In TX, a person w/ mental illness is __ more likely to be incarcerated.

Accepted Answer

8 times

Question 23

TX counties...

Accepted Answer

do not have the authority to pass laws, structure is defined in TX constitution & state laws, serve as the administrative units of the state

Question 24

Which type of district do civil rights groups like because it increases minority representation?

Accepted Answer

single-member district

Question 25

In order for Texas to have a state income tax...

Accepted Answer

TX voters must approve a constitutional amendment for it

Question 26

In TX, what are you entitled to after being exonerated from a wrongful conviction?

Accepted Answer

$25,000 for each year you were on sex offender registry, tuition at a public college or university, $80,000 per year you were wrongly incarcerated, $25,000 for each year you were on parole

Question 27

What are some of the SBOE's most significant powers?

Accepted Answer

approve textbooks that can be used in public schools, approve state curriculum, manage investment of Permanent School Fund

Question 28

From 1982-2014, TX executed ____ people.

Accepted Answer

518

Question 29

Top law enforcement official in the county

Accepted Answer

elected sheriff from at-large district

Question 30

a public defender is

Accepted Answer

paid a salary by the government, appointed by a judge to represent poor people

Question 31

Which race/ethnicity is most likely to be on death row today?

Accepted Answer

African American

Question 32

Precints must be equal in population because

Accepted Answer

of a US Supreme Court Case that requires it, they elect commissioners from single-member districts

Question 33

The Legislative Budget Board...

Accepted Answer

chaired by Lieutenant Governor, creates the budget the legislature will actually use, vice-chair Speaker of the House

Question 34

Laws that cover crimes, penalties, and correctional measures

Accepted Answer

Texas Penal Code

Question 35

Studies have shown that _ of law enforcement agencies have targeted minorities 4 stops & search

Accepted Answer

2/3

Question 36

From 2004-2012, _ criminal cases had prosecutors who committed misconduct 2 obtain a conviction

Accepted Answer

91

Question 37

Instead of incarceration, treatment for drug addicts...

Accepted Answer

gives them a chance to become healthy, gives them an opportunity to become productive & contribute, is much lower in costs

Question 38

These schools take state public money but have different TEA accountability standards than other public schools

Accepted Answer

charter schools

Question 39

Prosecutors commonly use ____ to keep their conviction rates high.

Accepted Answer

plea bargain

Question 40

____ & _____ must approve in order for a convicted person to be granted clemency

Accepted Answer

governor ; board of pardons and paroles

Question 41

General law cities

Accepted Answer

are the default city in Texas, aren&#x27;t flexible because structure is in TX law & constitution, have less than 5,000 people

Question 42

Who serves on the county commissioner&#x27;s court?

Accepted Answer

precint/county commissioners, county judge who serves as the head

Question 43

In determining who is actually sentenced to death, what does research show is most important?

Accepted Answer

the race of the victim

Question 44

TX has ___ counties

Accepted Answer

254

Question 45

How are members of the State Board of Education (SBOE) selected?

Accepted Answer

elected from single member districts

Question 46

Texas has one of the highest incarceration rates in the country.

Accepted Answer

True

Question 47

The State Board of Education was created

Accepted Answer

under the Gilmer-Aiken Law

Question 48

What compensation are wrongfully convicted people entitled to?

Accepted Answer

$80,000 lump; up to $80,000 annually

Question 49

Since 1992, TX has paid ___ to ____ people who have been exonerated after a wrongful conviction

Accepted Answer

$61 million; 89

Question 50

You are eligible for the death penalty if you...

Accepted Answer

murder someone while committing a felony, murder a cop, firefighter or prison employee on duty, murder a victim under 10 years of age

Question 51

Reforms to decrease incarceration in TX regarding low level drug offenders include...

Accepted Answer

in-prison treatment options, creating specialty drug courts, easing parole criteria for non-violent offenders

Question 52

Federal courts ruled TX prisons violated prisoners' rights under the US Constitution in

Accepted Answer

Ruiz v. Estelle

Question 53

The _____ is the head of county government

Accepted Answer

county judge

TX Govt Test 1 Review: Part 2b

Questions 53

TX Govt Test 1 Review: Part 2b

Questions 53