Deck 9: The Federal Role in Financing Education

Question 1

The federal government considered education to be a state function and therefore did not, until lately, provide for any fiscal measures to support education.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

The federal government gets its constitutional authority to fund education through the General Welfare (or Spending) Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The federal government has only those powers delegated to it by the U.S. Constitution.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Federal spending for education is about 25 percent of the total elementary and secondary school expenditures.

Question 5

Mandatory spending exceeds discretionary spending in the federal budget.

Question 6

Spending for education constitutes only about two percent of the total discretionary and mandatory spending by the federal government.

Question 7

Tax expenditures (or tax breaks) are an important limitation on federal revenues.

Question 8

Tax breaks are so significant that they actually exceed all federal discretionary spending.

Question 9

International investors hold more of the federal debt than do private domestic investors.

Question 10

Economic stimulus was strongly advanced by John Maynard Keynes in the early 1900s.

Question 11

"Sequestration" of federal money means that Congress requires that the Executive Branch hold back federal expenditures even though the money has been earlier budgeted.

Question 12

The Ordinance of 1787 evidenced the federal government's recognition that education of the people was necessary for good government.

Question 13

The National Domain was owned by England and was ceded to the United States federal government by special treaty.

Question 14

The federal government considered education to be a state function and therefore did not, until lately, provide for any fiscal measures to support education.

Question 15

The federal government gets its constitutional authority to fund education through the General Welfare (or Spending) Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Question 16

Federal spending for education is about 25 percent of the total elementary and secondary school expenditures.

Question 17

Mandatory spending exceeds discretionary spending in the federal budget.

Question 18

Spending for education constitutes only about two percent of the total discretionary and mandatory spending by the federal government.

Question 19

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) now exceeds the ESEA in federal appropriations for education.

Question 20

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was an entirely new concept and did not build on earlier federal categorical programs.

Question 21

The Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) requirement was first enacted by Congress during George W. Bush's administration.

Question 22

Unfunded mandates have increased federal control of education only marginally.

Question 23

Administrative costs of NCLB testing programs are actually negligible when actual dollars spent by states are considered.

Question 24

Children in poverty are targeted by the Title I, ESEA program.

Question 25

Title I was not affected by Congress's sequestration of federal funding in 2013.

Question 26

Federal IDEA funding has consistently exceeded 20 percent of excess costs for educating children with disabilities.

Question 27

Congress estimated that its own federal expenditures for costs of programs for children with disabilities should be funded at a maximum amount of 30 percent.

Question 28

How does the U.S. Supreme Court's view of the "federative system" of government in the United States affect education?

Question 29

What are the fiscal consequences of the "federative system"?

Question 30

What is meant by the terminology of "mandatory" and "discretionary" spending as applied to the federal budget?

Question 31

Tax breaks are also called "tax expenditures" for federal budgetary purposes. Explain.

Question 32

"Sequestration" is a term frequently invoked in explaining federal spending. What does it mean?

Question 33

What are the principal federal revenue sources?

Question 34

Why were the Ordinances of 1785 and 1787 important for the development of public schools in America?

Question 35

What was the "National Domain"? What was its origin?

Question 36

Why was the Morrill Act of importance to education in America?

Question 37

What is the fiscal magnitude and importance of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965?

Question 38

What are unfunded mandates? Give a couple of examples.

Question 39

How did the Individuals with Disabilities Act develop as a major federal program?