Texas government test 4 2025 Questions
and Answers
The Justice System - --Answer ---Both the United States and Texas use the
common law system, which relies on written laws as well as judges' interpretations
of those laws over time.
-The Texas court system, like the state itself, is very large and very complex.
-In using partisan elections to select judges, Texas prizes accountability over
independence in the judiciary.
-The Texas criminal justice system reflects the state's overall preference for
punishing crime and criminals harshly.
-The application of capital punishment in Texas raises questions of effectiveness,
efficiency, consistency, and fairness.
Both the United States and Texas use the common law system, which relies on
written laws as well as judges' interpretations of those laws over time. - --
Answer ---For much of history, the law was not formalized or shared; there
were no legislatures, professional lawmaking bodies, or printed laws. Instead,
....COPYRIGHT ©️ 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED...TRUSTED & VERIFIED 1
,judges were the law. This worked to strengthen the common law system in three
key ways: it helped provide some consistency to rulings, it let judges adapt
knowledge of other cases to local contexts, and it allowed for flexibility in
interpreting the law over time.
Federal Laws from the Constitution, Congress, and the Executive - --
Answer ---The overarching legal authority in the United States is the U.S.
Constitution. Its Supremacy Clause means that the laws of all states must conform
to the Constitution, its amendments, and all federal judicial rulings relating to the
Constitution and its amendments.
-This affects state law in three important ways: it specifies requirements and terms
of office for members of Congress, it protects individual rights and liberties, and it
allows the federal government to regulate interstate commerce.
-Finally, the U.S. president and departments and agencies within the executive
branch also make and enforce regulations related to implementing federal
programs and laws.
State Sources - --Answer ---The Texas Constitution and its amendments are
the highest legal authority for the justice system in the state.
-Laws passed by the Texas Legislature, also called statutory laws, are another
source.
....COPYRIGHT ©️ 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED...TRUSTED & VERIFIED 2
, -City ordinances dealing with a wide range of policy areas are a third state-level
source of law in Texas.
Prior Decisions - --Answer ---Texas, like all of the states, is run under a
common law system whereby legal decisions written by judges who have presided
over cases in the past are just as critical as the formal sources of law outlined
above. This concept is known as stare decisis—a Latin term meaning, roughly,
"stand by things decided."
-To avoid these potential problems, the common law system allows judges to make
nuanced interpretations of the law by comparing current cases to prior court
decisions made under similar circumstances.
The Texas court system, like the state itself, is very large and very complex. - --
Answer ---Jurisdiction, or the question of who gets to interpret the law, is
critical. It determines what kind of court a certain case may be tried in.
Kinds of Jurisdiction - --Answer ---If a court has original jurisdiction over a
specific case, this means it has the authority to hear the case first, before any other
court. (If two different courts have original jurisdiction in the same case, they are
said to have concurrent jurisdiction.)
-If a court has only appellate jurisdiction, it cannot hear any cases for the first time,
and may only hear cases that were originally tried in other courts.
....COPYRIGHT ©️ 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED...TRUSTED & VERIFIED 3
and Answers
The Justice System - --Answer ---Both the United States and Texas use the
common law system, which relies on written laws as well as judges' interpretations
of those laws over time.
-The Texas court system, like the state itself, is very large and very complex.
-In using partisan elections to select judges, Texas prizes accountability over
independence in the judiciary.
-The Texas criminal justice system reflects the state's overall preference for
punishing crime and criminals harshly.
-The application of capital punishment in Texas raises questions of effectiveness,
efficiency, consistency, and fairness.
Both the United States and Texas use the common law system, which relies on
written laws as well as judges' interpretations of those laws over time. - --
Answer ---For much of history, the law was not formalized or shared; there
were no legislatures, professional lawmaking bodies, or printed laws. Instead,
....COPYRIGHT ©️ 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED...TRUSTED & VERIFIED 1
,judges were the law. This worked to strengthen the common law system in three
key ways: it helped provide some consistency to rulings, it let judges adapt
knowledge of other cases to local contexts, and it allowed for flexibility in
interpreting the law over time.
Federal Laws from the Constitution, Congress, and the Executive - --
Answer ---The overarching legal authority in the United States is the U.S.
Constitution. Its Supremacy Clause means that the laws of all states must conform
to the Constitution, its amendments, and all federal judicial rulings relating to the
Constitution and its amendments.
-This affects state law in three important ways: it specifies requirements and terms
of office for members of Congress, it protects individual rights and liberties, and it
allows the federal government to regulate interstate commerce.
-Finally, the U.S. president and departments and agencies within the executive
branch also make and enforce regulations related to implementing federal
programs and laws.
State Sources - --Answer ---The Texas Constitution and its amendments are
the highest legal authority for the justice system in the state.
-Laws passed by the Texas Legislature, also called statutory laws, are another
source.
....COPYRIGHT ©️ 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED...TRUSTED & VERIFIED 2
, -City ordinances dealing with a wide range of policy areas are a third state-level
source of law in Texas.
Prior Decisions - --Answer ---Texas, like all of the states, is run under a
common law system whereby legal decisions written by judges who have presided
over cases in the past are just as critical as the formal sources of law outlined
above. This concept is known as stare decisis—a Latin term meaning, roughly,
"stand by things decided."
-To avoid these potential problems, the common law system allows judges to make
nuanced interpretations of the law by comparing current cases to prior court
decisions made under similar circumstances.
The Texas court system, like the state itself, is very large and very complex. - --
Answer ---Jurisdiction, or the question of who gets to interpret the law, is
critical. It determines what kind of court a certain case may be tried in.
Kinds of Jurisdiction - --Answer ---If a court has original jurisdiction over a
specific case, this means it has the authority to hear the case first, before any other
court. (If two different courts have original jurisdiction in the same case, they are
said to have concurrent jurisdiction.)
-If a court has only appellate jurisdiction, it cannot hear any cases for the first time,
and may only hear cases that were originally tried in other courts.
....COPYRIGHT ©️ 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED...TRUSTED & VERIFIED 3
