Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

Bill Ratliff authored the 1993 "Robin Hood" bill that transferred property tax money from rich school districts to poor districts.

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

Since Texas is not mentioned in the question, we must look up Texas' average spending per pupil for 2019-20. According to the National Education Association, Texas spent an average of $11,415 per pupil in 2019-20, which is closest to option D.

Question 3

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

Accepted Answer

Of students pursuing higher education in Texas, 90% attend public colleges and universities.

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

According to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, approximately 60% of the funding for health and human welfare services in Texas comes from the federal government.

Question 5

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

Accepted Answer

As of my last update, Texas holds approximately 146,000 prisoners in its 106 prisons and jails. This number fluctuates due to various factors such as releases, new sentences, and transfers.

Question 6

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?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Should the governor have a greater role...

Question 7

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?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Texas has one of the lowest tax...

Question 8

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?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Is the Texas tax structure progressive or...

Question 9

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

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the role of the Legislative Budget...

Question 10

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

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are federal transfer payments and what...

Question 11

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

Accepted Answer

The answer of Where does Texas rank among the 50...

Question 12

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

Accepted Answer

The answer of Where does Texas rank among the 50...

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

According to Article III, Section 50 of the Texas Constitution, no more than one percent of the state's general revenue funds can be spent on public assistance or welfare programs.

Question 14

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

Accepted Answer

The answer of The governor is responsible for preparing the...

Question 15

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 16

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

Accepted Answer

Texas, like all states, is required to balance its budget each fiscal year. It cannot run a budget deficit, unless it is authorized to do so by a vote of two-thirds of both the state House of Representatives and the state Senate. However, the state does have a rainy day fund that it can draw from during difficult economic times.

Question 17

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

Accepted Answer

In Fisher v. University of Texas (2016), the Supreme Court upheld the University of Texas at Austin's use of race as one of many factors in admissions, finding it did not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Question 18

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

Accepted Answer

The answer of _________are moral and political documents that seek...

Question 19

The ten-member_________drafts the state's biennial budget.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The ten-member_________drafts the state's biennial budget....

Question 20

Taxes on oil and natural gas production are called_________taxes.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Taxes on oil and natural gas production...

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