Deck 10: Budgets and Public Policy: Revenues, Expenditures, and Policy Goals in Texas

Question 1

To overspend the Comptroller's "revenue estimate" the House and Senate must approve by a supermajority of:

A) 60%
B) 70%
C) 80%
D) 90%

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Texas limits the percent of general revenue funds that can be spent on welfare to:

A) 1%
B) 5%
C) 8%
D) 10%

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which legislator did Lt. Gov. Patrick name to chair the Senate Finance Committee in the 2021 regular session?

A) Juan Hinojosa
B) Judith Zaffirini
C) Jerry Patterson
D) Jane Nelson

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Texas state government draws the bulk of its revenues from:

A) income tax
B) property tax
C) sales tax
D) fines and fees

Question 5

What percent of Texas' 2022-23 spending came as transfer payments from the federal government?

A) 25%
B) 36%
C) 45%
D) 56%

Question 6

What is the largest area of expense in the Texas state budget?

A) roads
B) prisons
C) health
D) education

Question 7

Which of the following cases from 1982 held that school districts must provide free public education to the children of illegal immigrants?

A) Del Rio ISD v. Salvatierra
B) Delgado v. Bastrop ISD
C) Gilmer v. Aiken ISD
D) Pyler v. Doe

Question 8

How many students attend public and private colleges and universities in Texas?

A) 1 million
B) 1.25 million
C) 1.7 million
D) 1.95 million

Question 9

What was the 1992 Texas case in which the U.S. 5^th Circuit Court of Appeals held that UT was giving race too much weight in admissions decisions?

A) Pyler v. Doe
B) Grutter v. Bollinger
C) U.S. v. Texas
D) Hopwood v. Texas

Question 10

Where does Texas rank in the percent of its total population without health insurance (where 1 is most without and 50 is least without)?

A) 1^st
B) 5^th
C) 15^th
D) 25^th

Question 11

The 2022-23 biennial Texas state budget totaled:

A) $82 billion
B) $132 billion
C) $248 billion
D) $290 billion

Question 12

Which legislator did Speaker Straus name to chair the House Appropriations Committee in the 2017 regular session?

A) Richard Raymond
B) Greg Bonnen
C) Carl Sewell
D) Jim Dunham

Question 13

There are four main kinds of taxes, which does Texas not have?

A) income tax
B) sales tax
C) property tax
D) special fines and fees

Question 14

How many states do not employ a general sales tax?

A) 3
B) 5
C) 7
D) 10

Question 15

What is the Texas general sales tax rate (before local governments add their increment of up to 2 percent)?

A) 3.75 percent
B) 4.25 percent
C) 5.6 percent
D) 6.25 percent

Question 16

The traditional corporate franchise fee was amended in 2006 to apply to Texas businesses more broadly. What is the new tax called?

A) corporate income tax
B) margins tax
C) profits tax
D) liquidity tax

Question 17

The most expensive program in the budget's "Health and Human Services" category is?

A) Medicaid
B) Prisons
C) Medicare
D) Parks and Recreation

Question 18

Average spending per person across all 50 states is $7,047 annually. What is Texas's annual spending per person?

A) $2,801
B) $3,201
C) $4,916
D) $6,256

Question 19

What percent of Texas education spending goes to elementary and secondary education as opposed to higher education?

A) 40%
B) 65%
C) 78%
D) 90%

Question 20

Which of the following cases from 1948 held that segregation of Mexican-American students was illegal?

A) Del Rio ISD v. Salvatierra
B) Delgado v. Bastrop ISD
C) Gilmer v. Aiken ISD
D) Pyler v. Doe

Question 21

Which Texas senator authored the 1993 "Robin Hood" bill that transferred property tax money from rich school districts to poor districts?

A) Bill Ratliff
B) Steve Ogden
C) Judith Zaffirini
D) Juan Hinojosa

Question 22

In 2019-20, the national average spent per pupil was $14,270. What did Texas spend?

A) $6,807
B) $7,408
C) $8,498
D) $11,415

Question 23

Of students pursuing higher education in Texas, what percent attend public colleges and universities?

A) 90%
B) 80%
C) 70%
D) 60%

Question 24

What proportion of the money that Texas spends on health and human welfare each year comes from the federal government?

A) 20%
B) 40%
C) 60%
D) 80%

Question 25

How many prisoners does Texas hold in its 106 prisons and jails?

A) 120,000
B) 146,000
C) 175,000
D) 195,000

Question 26

Should the governor have a greater role than he does in preparing the state budget for submission to the legislature, or does his line-item veto give him all the leverage he needs?

Question 27

Texas has one of the lowest tax burdens in the U.S. Is this good for businesses and families, or is it denying all Texans access to important benefits and services?

Question 28

Is the Texas tax structure progressive or regressive? How might it be revised or reformed to make it more balanced? What would be the costs and benefits of doing so?

Question 29

Describe the role of the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) in drafting the Texas state budget.

Question 30

What are federal transfer payments and what purpose do they serve in the American federal system?

Question 31

Where does Texas rank among the 50 states on per capita tax burden?

Question 32

Where does Texas rank among the 50 states on proportion of residents with health insurance?

Question 33

No more than one percent of Texas general revenue funds can be spent on welfare.

Question 34

The governor is responsible for preparing the budget for submission to the legislature.

Question 35

The largest source of tax revenue to Texas in the general sales tax.

Question 36

Texas is allowed to run a budget deficit during difficult economic times.

Question 37

The Supreme Court held in Fisher v. University of Texas (2016) that UT was giving too much weight to race in admissions decisions.

Question 38

_________are moral and political documents that seek to balance a community's revenues with its spending objectives.

Question 39

The ten-member_________drafts the state's biennial budget.

Question 40

Taxes on oil and natural gas production are called_________taxes.

Question 41

Billionaire_________ headed an education reform committee in the 1980s.

Question 42

A_________ tax is one that takes a higher proportion of income from the rich than from the poor.