Identify and explain the two reasons Texas uses elections to select most of its judges, and explain why the textbook authors state that one reason is ironic.
What will be an ideal response?
The ideal answer should include:
1. Texas elects most of its judges because (1) Texas's traditionalistic and individualistic political culture has a general distrust of government and resists judicial reform, and (2) the framers of the Texas constitution reasoned that a popularly elected judiciary would be more responsive to the people than to any full-time politicians and would act to curtail the power of the governor.
2. The irony of the desire to curtail the power of the governor is that this same system allows the governor to fill vacancies in state courts between elections. Currently, seven of the nine justices serving on the Texas supreme court first assumed office by means of gubernatorial appointment. Being appointed to fill a term of office provides a huge advantage to the appointee, because it allows the justice to run as an incumbent in the next election. The ability to fill vacancies has provided the governor with immense power to shape state courts.
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Ninety-eight percent of taxes owed by citizens in Sweden
are paid. This is a demonstration of: a. a low level of traditional values. b. a strong commitment to self-expression values and resulting economic development. c. the effectiveness of the government to use online social networks to remind citizens to pay their taxes. d. a high level of social trust.
Country A’s leader has to decide whether to sign a free-trade agreement with country B or with country C. Due to the domestic political situation, she can sign only one free-trade agreement. Suppose A’s annual revenue from a free-trade agreement with B is $800M and A’s annual revenue from a free-trade agreement with C is $400M. The probability that B will agree to sign the agreement is 0.3 and the probability that C will agree to sign the agreement is 0.75. Assume also that the leader prefers an agreement to no agreement and so does not want to sign an agreement that will be rejected by the other side. Assuming that A’s leader is risk-neutral, what choice should she make?
a. A should sign a free-trade agreement with C because the probability that C will agree is higher than the probability that B will agree. b. A should sign a free-trade agreement with B because the revenue is higher than a revenue from a free-trade agreement with C. c. A should sign a free-trade agreement with C because the expected utility of an agreement with C is higher than the expected utility of an agreement with B. d. A should sign a free-trade agreement with B because the expected utility of an agreement with C is higher than the expected utility of an agreement with C.
While the implementation of an electoral college has failed to keep presidential elections out of the hands of _____________, it has largely succeeded in keeping the election of presidents out of the hands of _____________.
A. the people; Congress B. Congress; the people C. the people; the Supreme Court D. the Supreme Court; Congress E. Congress; the Supreme Court
The Fourth Amendment prohibits
A) cruel and unusual punishment. B) involuntary quartering of soldiers. C) double jeopardy. D) unreasonable searches and seizures. E) speedy and public trials.