Name: __________________________________
Parris
Date: ___________
Period: ____
TEXAS GOVERNMENT
INTERNET SCAVENGER HUNT
Use the links to answer each question.
The Executive Branch
Website to use: Office of the Governor of Texas, http://governor.state.tx.us/about/
1. Who is the governor today?
2. How long is the term of office?
3. What qualifications must he or she meet in order to run for office?
4. What are 3 of the governor’s duties?
a.
b.
c.
Website to use: Governor’s Organizations, http://governor.state.tx.us/organization/
5. According to the Appointments Office, how many appointments will a governor make during a fouryear term?
6. What does the Governor’s Budget, Planning, and Policy Division do?
Website to use: Texas Governor’s Mansion, http://governor.state.tx.us/about/mansion/
7. When was the current Governor’s Mansion built?
8. What happened to the Mansion on June 8th, 2008?
Legislative Branch
Website to use: Texas Senate, http://www.senate.state.tx.us/
9. Number of members in the Texas Senate: ______
# Democrats ______
# Republicans ______
# Men ______
# Women ______
10. How old is the youngest Senator in the 81st Legislature?
11. Who is your Texas State Senator? (NOT U.S. Senator)
12. Who is the most senior member of the Texas Senate (longest serving)? How long has he been in
office?
13. Who is the Lieutenant Governor of Texas?
14. What are 3 of the Lieutenant Governor’s duties?
a.
b.
c.
15. What makes the office of Lieutenant Governor of Texas unique?
16. How are Senators appointed to committees?
17. How many standing Senate committees are there in the 81st Legislature?
18. List 2 of the committees.
a.
b.
Website to use: Texas House of Representatives, http://www.house.state.tx.us/index.php
19. How many members are the in the Texas House of Representatives?
20. Who is your Texas State Representative? (NOT U.S. Representative)
21. When was he elected to office?
22. What 3 committees does he serve on?
a.
b.
c.
23. So far, how many bills has he authored in the 81st Legislature?
24. Summarize one of those bills.
25. What position is the leading officer of the Texas House of Representatives? What is his name?
26. What are 3 of his duties?
a.
b.
c.
27. Who assigns committee appointments to members of the House of Representatives?
28. How many standing committees are there in the House in the 81st Legislature?
29. Who is the Chair of the Criminal Jurisprudence Committee?
30. How many bills have been referred to this committee?
31. Summarize one of these bills.
Judicial Branch
Website to use:
Texas Courts Online, http://www.courts.state.tx.us/
32. What are the two highest courts in Texas?
a.
b.
33. How many justices serve on the Texas Supreme Court?
34. How long is the term for a Texas Supreme Court justice?
35. What types of cases does the Texas Supreme Court hear?
36. How many justices serve on the Court of Criminal Appeals? How do they obtain this position?
a.
b.
37. What types of cases does the Court of Criminal Appeals hear?
38. How many Courts of Appeals are there in Texas? What types of cases do they hear?
39. Appeals in the Courts of Appeals are usually heard by a panel of _____ justices.
40. Which Court of Appeals hears cases from the Katy area?
41. The 452 District Courts have original jurisdiction over what types of cases?
a.
b.
c.
42. What are the two lowest courts in Texas?
a.
b.
43. Appeals of death sentences go straight to which court?
Fun Texas Facts
Website to use:
Texas Legends, http://www.legendsofamerica.com/tx-facts.html
44. In Texas, it is illegal to put what on someone else’s cow?
45. Pharmacists are not allowed to be members of what?
46. Why was the Encyclopedia Britannica banned in Texas?
47. In Mesquite, it is illegal for children to have what?
48. Still to this day, what can the punishment be for stealing cattle?