Chapter 14 govt inquizitive

Which of the following paradoxical statements correctly describes the issue the state legislature faces in developing transportation policy for the state?

An overwhelming majority of Texans support increased transportation funding, but there is no consensus on what is needed.

Which state has the largest immigration population?

California

The first of a series of Normal Colleges established by the state to help meet the need of educating and training primary and secondary teachers across the state is today called what?

SHSU

Most college students in Texas attend which of the following?

2-year public community and junior colleges

As of 2017, the university campus with the largest enrollment in Texas was _________ followed by __________. These have long been considered the definition of higher education in Texas.

A&M UT

The immigration issue has been a complex one for parties and politicians, partially because immigrants are a critical part of the state economy in the following ways.

Correct Answer(s) Immigrants spend on goods and services. Immigrants own businesses. Immigrants make up more than one-fifth of the state workforce. Immigrants make up large portions of important labor sectors. Immigrants are an important source of tax revenue. Incorrect Answer(s) Immigrants take American jobs. Immigrants significantly drain state tax dollars.

According to the findings by the American Transportation Research Institute, which are the two worst roadways in the state for commercial trucks?

Correct Answer(s) Interstate 45 in the Houston metro area State Highway 610 that encircles the city of Houston Incorrect Answer(s) Interstate 35 between Dallas and Austin Interstate 35 running through the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex

Which statements about the roads and highways in Texas are best supported by the data presented in the table?

Correct Answer(s) Interstate highways in Texas receive nearly three and a half times more daily vehicle miles per mile of lane than any other form of roadway in the state. Farm or ranch-to-market roads are the largest subset of state-maintained roads and highways. Incorrect Answer(s) Interstate highways have the highest total length in Texas.

Supporters of SB 4 make which of the following arguments about the need for the law?

Correct Answer(s) It ensures public safety. Local officials are flaunting federal law. Incorrect Answer(s) The federal government failed to act.

Consider the data on public transportation in major cities and metropolitan areas in Texas. Which of the following statements does it support?

Correct Answer(s) The major cities of the state provide greater mobility options for their residents than are available to commuters who live in the greater metro areas. The Dallas-Fort Worth area has planned better overall to the need for a functional mass transit system than other major urban centers of the state. Austin and the surrounding area have done a better job than the other metro areas of creating participation in the mass transit system. Incorrect Answer(s) Houston and the surrounding metro area are more geographically compact than the other metro areas in the state.

You have been asked to write a report for your government class on the rapid expansion of tolled roads in Texas between the 1990s and today. The main points in your report should consist of which of the following ideas?

Correct Answer(s) Tolling allowed roads to be built that would otherwise still be waiting in line for funding. Politicians are unwilling to risk raising taxes to pay for more transportation projects. Rapid population growth in urban areas outpaced the funding available to build new roads. Construction of tolled roads reduce travel time and congestion and are paid for only by people who use them. Incorrect Answer(s) Popular support for toll roads has led to wider usage in the areas surrounding the state's largest cities. Political support from leaders such as Dan Patrick and Greg Abbott have sped up toll projects.

Identify all the sources of funding for public higher education institutions in Texas.

Correct Answer(s) property taxes federal government Permanent University Fund students sales taxes Incorrect Answer(s) performance-based grants

Select all the major sources of funding used to build and maintain Texas's transportation network.

Correct Answer(s) tolls registration fees taxes on gasoline and diesel federal government Incorrect Answer(s) property taxes

Critics of SB 4 make which arguments about the law?

Correct Answer(s) uses local law enforcement to do the federal government's job targets average individuals rather than actual criminals causes underreporting of crimes inspired by fear, hatred, and stereotypes of minorities Incorrect Answer(s) overwhelms the detention centers in the state holding illegal immigrants increases the crime rate in major cities

The platforms of the two major parties differ in their positions on higher education policy. Label each of the following policies with the political party that included the policy in their platform.

Democratic -create programs to offer tuition-free community college to Texas high school graduates -decrease state tuition through increases in overall state financial funding -institute policies that offer culturally diverse curricula Republican -eliminate in-state tuition discount for all illegal aliens -create specific affordable degree plans and limit student borrowing -prevent religious-based concessions that create "undue burdens and costs on the institution"

Texans pay one of the highest overall rates of motor fuel tax of any major U.S. state.

False

As a staffer for a legislator who supports the DACA program, you have been assigned to review the information gathered from DACA-eligible individuals that shows the individuals are integrated and active contributors in Texas and the United States. Click on the areas in the information that support the legislator's position.

Graduates or professional school college undergraduate Grade 9-12 Bilingual speaks english only

Label each argument below as more likely to come from a supporter or an opponent of the bullet train project in Texas.

Supporter: -There is rapid population growth in the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston metropolitan areas. -The terrain between Houston and Dallas is favorable. -Current air routes between Houston and Dallas are among busiest in the nation. Opponent: -Property rights should be respected. -Foreign technology enriches foreign powers.

Which state regulatory agency is most likely to have this as its mission statement?

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

Judging from the information, which program are these most likely to be associated with?

Texas Dream Act

Texas maintains the largest network of roadways in the nation to serve a diverse and rapidly growing population. Read each passage below and click on the ones that would be included in a report by a civil engineer about the state's transportation infrastructure.

The Houston area has a little over 1 percent of the U.S. population but 10 percent of the worst bottlenecks in the nation for commercial truck drivers Nearly one in five bridges in the state are completely out of date in relationship to modern safety and building standards or have major degradation of the structure. Beyond the frustration and time-cost, Texans in traffic face a significant financial burden from roadway congestion. Texans in urban areas spend more than a 40-hour workweek stuck in traffic per year on Texas roadways. More fuel-efficient vehicles have created new financial challenges for the state in being able to fund the maintenance and construction of roadways.

Which of the following best describes the way the Permanent University Fund has affected higher education in Texas?

The Permanent University Fund has collected money from the sale of public lands and the revenue made from those lands for the creation and continuing funding of the University of Texas and Texas A&M University.

You are an elected official who has just been presented with a public opinion poll that shows levels of support for various options to create funding for transportation in Texas.

The relative unpopularity of all options combined with the deep divisions about how to address the financial needs for transportation have created a stalemate for political leaders.

How does the geography of Texas impact the creation of water policy for the state?

The size of the state complicates the development of a comprehensive water policy.

Without increased road funding or continued use of toll roads, the average commuter can expect large increases in commute times, fuel expenses, and a decrease in average travel speeds on major roads.

True

As the mayor of a city that is less than 25 miles from a state university, what is your interest in lobbying legislators for more funding for the university and building partnerships with the university?

Your city benefits from the sales tax dollars of students, presence of skilled laborers for local businesses, and having the educational needs of the region met locally.

What do these points suggest is the state's biggest concern regarding education?

achieving a high portion of the state's population that can be considered competitive in a changing global economy

Economic activities surrounding the ________ industry rely most heavily on groundwater, while _________ is most dependent on the continued availability of surface water resources.

agriculture urbanization

The largest water source for most of the state is water pumped from __________, while the rest of the water for the state comes from resources known as ___________

aquifers surface water

Higher education policy has become a critical issue in Texas for which of the following reasons?

correct Answer(s) The modern workforce increasingly requires a technically skilled and knowledgeable labor force. High school diplomas aren't competitive in the job market. Policy makers have changed perspectives on what it means to be an educated population. Incorrect Answer(s) High school educations are increasingly becoming a source of competitive laborers.

You have been appointed to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). As the new member of the board, which of the following situations is one that you should be involved in monitoring?

developing a new doctorate in higher education leadership at the University of Texas

Individuals brought to the United States illegally as minors who qualify for protected status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program are often referred to as which of the following?

dreamers

The responsibility for creating and enforcing immigration policy belongs to which level of government?

federal

The controversial issue of illegal immigration, enforcement of laws, and tensions between state, local, and federal governments is an example of which of the fundamental principles of the American structure of government?

federalsim

The ruling in Houston and Texas Central Railroad Company v. East created essentially a common law policy that governs water rights from which resource?

groundwater

Texas courts have consistently sided with which of the following regarding who has the greatest say over how groundwater is used?

property owners

Numerous ________, mostly large urban areas, have chosen not to cooperate with immigration officials in holding illegal immigrants for ICE and have been threatened by ________with the withholding of federal funds for failing to cooperate.

sanctuary cities the Department of Justice

A massive outpouring of opposition to the Trump Administration's "zero tolerance" policy was stoked primarily by which of the following?

separations of children from parents

When the Federal Highway Administration made a review of the more than 53,000 bridges in Texas, they found that nearly one-fifth were _________ . They had significant deterioration or were _________ , meaning they no longer met modern design standards.

structurally deficient functionally obsolete

Which significant event triggered the rapid and continuing growth in the demand for higher education in Texas?

the end of WWII

When immigrants arrive in Texas, the majority are destined for which of the following?

the most urban areas of the state

Texas has six _________ to coordinate the activities of various schools and agencies involved in ________ and research.

university systems higher education