Deck 8: Public Policy in Texas

Question 1

Which of the following best describes the focus of the Texas Public Policy Foundation?

A) It advocates for liberal policies.
B) It advocates for conservative policies.
C) It advocates for more generous health and human services spending.
D) It advocates for greater protection of Texans' civil liberties.
E) It advocates for environmental policies

Answer 1

It advocates for conservative policies.

Question 2

Put the stages of the policy process in the correct order.

A) evaluation • policy making • implementation • agenda setting
B) implementation • policy making • agenda setting • evaluation
C) policy making • agenda setting • evaluation • implementation
D) agenda setting • policy making • implementation • evaluation
E) policy making, evaluation, implementation, agenda setting,

Answer 2

agenda setting • policy making • implementation • evaluation

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of a regulation?

A) a minimum wage for workers
B) the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
C) tax breaks used to lure new businesses to Texas
D) government money used to help finance the San Antonio Spurs' basketball arena
E) the Texas Insurance Commission

Answer 3

a minimum wage for workers

Question 4

Bond programs are

A) consistent with "pay-as-you-go" laws.
B) exceptions to the requirement in the Texas Constitution for a balanced budget.
C) revenue estimates included in the comptroller's certification.
D) provisions of the Texas law that enable businesses to avoid paying corporate income taxes.
E) illegal in Texas.

Question 5

When can the governor and the Legislative Budget Board exercise their budget execution authority?

A) after a bill has been passed in the Texas House but before it has been passed in the Texas Senate
B) after the comptroller's certification that there is unallocated money remaining in the state treasury
C) during an emergency when the legislature has adjourned
D) when there is an economic recession
E) before a bill has been introduced into the legislature

Question 6

Texas has a constitutional amendment limiting spending for

A) welfare.
B) education.
C) unemployment compensation.
D) prisons.
E) law enforcement.

Question 7

From which of the following sources does Texas receive the most revenue?

A) hotel/motel taxes
B) sales taxes
C) corporate franchise taxes
D) income taxes
E) corporate income tax

Question 8

Who pays the lowest taxes (measured as a percentage of the gross domestic product)?

A) Swedes
B) Texans
C) Californians
D) Germans
E) Canada

Question 9

Which of the following best describes Texas's overall tax system?

A) progressive
B) regressive
C) proportional
D) flat
E) projected

Question 10

Which of the following taxes are progressive?

A) personal income taxes
B) sales taxes
C) gasoline taxes
D) cigarette and tobacco taxes
E) sin taxes

Question 11

Which of the following best describes per capita state spending in Texas compared with other states?

A) Texas spends more than do most other states.
B) Texas spends about the same amount as does the average state.
C) Texas spends slightly less than does the average state.
D) Texas spends less than do almost all other states.
E) Texas spends five times as much as any other state.

Question 12

Public schools operating under a contract granted by the state and giving them independence from local school boards are known as

A) ISD schools.
B) parochial schools.
C) magnet schools.
D) charter schools.
E) county school districts.

Question 13

What is the primary source of revenue for school districts in Texas?

A) state government
B) federal government
C) taxes generated by local school districts
D) donations from private citizens and corporations
E) school district income taxes

Question 14

What was Demetrio Rodriguez's complaint in his lawsuit against the San Antonio independent school district?

A) The Texas school finance system violates the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of equality.
B) The Texas school finance system violates the Texas Constitution's guarantee of equality.
C) Affirmative action admissions programs violate the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of quality.
D) Affirmative action admissions programs violate the Texas Constitution's guarantee of quality.
E) The school was practicing racial discrimination.

Question 15

According to the text of the Texas Constitution, the legislature must create

A) "an equitable system of public free schools."
B) "an unbiased system of public free schools."
C) "an efficient system of public free schools."
D) "an altruistic system of public free schools."
E) "an exceptional system of public and private schools."

Question 16

The school finance system put into effect after the decision in Edgewood v. Kirby is sometimes referred to as

A) the Top Ten Percent System.
B) Robin Hood.
C) Ben Sargent's Blunder.
D) local control.
E) reverse Robin Hood

Question 17

Health and human services policies are often designed to help those who live in poverty. Compared with other states, which of the following most accurately describes the extent of poverty and health and human services in Texas?

A) Texas has high poverty rates and provides generous health and human services.
B) Texas has high poverty rates and provides minimal health and human services.
C) Texas has low poverty rates and provides generous health and human services.
D) Texas has low poverty rates and provides minimal health and human services.
E) Health and Human Services have been mostly privatized in Texas.

Question 18

The primary goal of the Top 10 Percent Law was to:

A) raise college tuition by at least 10 percent
B) cap annual tuition increases
C) increase minority representation in the Texas legislature
D) decrease college tuition expenses for students graduating in the top 10 percent of their class
E) increase diversity at Texas colleges

Question 19

The Top 10 Percent Law was in response to which of the following cases?

A) Edgewood v. Kirby
B) Lewis v. Johnson
C) Sweatt v. Painter
D) Kirby v. Smith
E) Hopwood v. Texas

Question 20

Texas's transportation policies and resources focus on

A) roads.
B) mass transit.
C) airports.
D) high-speed rail.
E) bike paths.

Question 21

James Leininger founded the Texas Liberal Policy Foundation which advocates for liberal policies in Texas, but has had little success recently due to Republican control of the Texas government.

Question 22

Compared with the other states, Texas has the second highest per capita income.

Question 23

Only the economic elites of Texas can serve as policy actors.

Question 24

A tax break used to lure new businesses to Texas is an example of a subsidy.

Question 25

The governor creates an annual budget that limits legislative appropriations.

Question 26

The Texas Constitution requires a balanced budget except where it specifically permits using a bond program to fund a specific program.

Question 27

Before appropriation bills are implemented, the comptroller must certify that the budget adopted by the legislature will be within expected revenues.

Question 28

The Texas Constitution limits how much money the legislature can spend.

Question 29

Most states collect a significant percentage of their revenue from state income taxes.

Question 30

Texas relies more heavily on personal income taxes for its revenue than do most states, making its tax system largely progressive.

Question 31

State revenue from the sale of lottery tickets has been steadily increasing, currently providing about one-tenth of the total state revenue.

Question 32

In Texas, corporate income is never taxed.

Question 33

A majority of Texas's revenue for health and human services comes from the federal government.

Question 34

The top ten percent of Texans contribute nearly ten percent of their income in various state and local taxes while the bottom ten percent contribute less then two percent of their income.

Question 35

Sales taxes are regressive.

Question 36

The largest spending category in the Texas Budget is for employee benefits.

Question 37

The school finance debate in Texas was settled once and for all with the decision in Edgewood v.
Kirby.

Question 38

In 2007, Texas spent $$11,298 on each student in Texas's public elementary and secondary schools, regardless of which school the student attended.

Question 39

Under the Texas Top Ten Percent Law, diversity at Texas's public colleges and universities is now nearly identical to the racial and ethnic diversity of the state as a whole.

Question 40

Medicaid is a health care program for the poor that is financed and operated solely by the federal government.

Question 41

How does the budget process work in Texas? What role do various actors play in the process?

Question 42

Describe how Temporary Aid for Needy Families (TANF) works and how it differs from the welfare system it replaced.

Question 43

What happens in the event a budget emergency materializes when the Texas legislature is adjourned?

Question 44

What problems has the Texas Child Protective Services encountered in ensuring the safety of children? How has the legislature attempted to address these problems?

Question 45

Describe transportation policy in Texas. How are transportation policies funded and implemented?

Question 46

Texas is a low-tax, low-services state. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this system? What kinds of changes to the levels of taxes and services would you recommend? Why?

Question 47

Describe the federal-state partnership in providing health and human services. Do you think it is a
good system? Would it be better if the state government took over complete responsibility for funding and financing these programs? Would it be better if the federal government assumed total control? Why or why not?

Question 48

Describe the evolution of the school finance system in Texas. Is the current "Robin Hood" system fair? Why or why not? How do you think schools should be financed to provide the best education for all Texans?

Question 49

How did Hopwood v. Texas affect admissions to public colleges and universities in Texas? How does the Top 10 Percent Law address access to higher education? Has the law been a success? Evaluate the criticisms levied against the current system. How might this issue be affected by the recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions regarding affirmative action programs at the University of Michigan?

Question 50

What are the differences among progressive, regressive, and proportional taxes? Give examples of each type of tax. What kind of taxes does Texas tend to rely on? Do you think this is a fair system? Why or why not? What changes would you like to see to Texas's system for generating tax revenue?