8. State legislatures serve several primary functions. Which of the following is not officially prescribed by the state constitutions?
Group of answer choices
a. Legislatures perform an oversight function for the executive branch.
b. Legislatures perform a lawmaking function by researching, writing, and passing legislation.
c. Legislators represent their districts and work to translate public wants and aspirations, answering requests for help from their constituents.
d. Legislatures serve as ombudsmen—listening, learning, and finding solutions to problems.
9. As a state legislator, Paul E. Tisian believes because he was reelected to a third term, he has the expertise to understand most political issues impacting voters in his district. He is willing to use his own judgment and vote against the desires of constituents so long as he believes it is in the people’s best interest. He is also more likely to vote his conscience on issues that are personal to him, such as gun control or abortion rights.
Paul E. Tisian represents a
Group of answer choices
a. a despotic legislator.
b. a conservative legislator.
c. a delegate legislator.
d. a trustee legislator.
10. Which of the following arguments supports the use of term limits?
Group of answer choices
a. Term limits would increase the motivation to make good public policy if members focus less on reelection and know they can’t serve more than a certain number of years.
b. Term limits result in legislators having less policy expertise and political experience as a function of having fewer years in office, allowing interest groups to enjoy greater ability to set the agenda and push for policy that favors their organization.
c. Term limits affect the power structure between the legislative and executive branches, weakening the power of checks and balances.
d. There is no statistically significant difference in diversity between states with term limits and states without.