Chapter 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 Reading test
If you were wrongfully convicted and exonerated, the Timothy Cole Act requires that the state pays you __________________ per year you wrongfully spent in prison.
$80,000
According to Texas Constitution (Article 3, Section 51a), Texas cannot spend more than _________ of the state budget in any two-year period to help needy dependent children or their caretakers.
1 percent
It is estimated that undocumented immigrants paid ___________ in state and local taxes in 2014.
1.6 billion
In Texas, felony juries are composed of ________ people and misdemeanor juries are composed of ________.
12-6
In 2016, approximately what percentage of Texans lived below the poverty line?
15
The most prison-prone group in society is between the ages of
15 and 25
In 2015, approximately what percentage of the population living in Texas was born outside of the United States?
16
How many major water reservoirs are currently in Texas?
188
The first publicly supported junior college in Texas was established in
1922
The prison population reached its highest level in which year?
2000
While ________ states have the death penalty, _______ states do not.
31; 19
In 2018, approximately how many students were enrolled in public schools in Texas?
5 million
Texas has _____ university systems.
6
In Texas, the state and local governments can both levy sales taxes. These general state and local sales taxes can combine to reach a rate of _________ percent.
8.25
Today, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates the prison system. Who runs this agency?
9 member board appointed by Governor
Regarding the rules of community supervision (probation) requirements, what are the results of compliance versus violation?
A criminal in compliance will likely receive an early release of up to one-third the term, while a criminal in violation may be sent to jail for the remainder of his or her sentence.
In the 1960s, welfare policy in Texas reflected
A policy of minimizing the cost to Texas while maximizing the use of federal dollars.
In March 2010, Congress passed ________, substantially altering the nation's health care system.
ACA
Drug and alcohol treatment programs throughout the criminal justice system in Texas began during the administration of which governor?
Ann Richards
It is through what process that the legislature legally authorizes a government agency or body to spend up to a particular amount of money?
Appropriations
A(n) ________ is a lawyer who is appointed by a judge to represent an individual who can't afford legal representation.
Assigned council
In Texas, the legal standard of proof "beyond a reasonable doubt" is used in which type(s) of cases?
Both
Which U.S. Supreme Court case overturned Plessy v. Ferguson, ruling that state-imposed segregation in schools isolated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment?
Brown v. Board of Education
Which of the following is the best definition of nondedicated funds of the Texas budget?
Can be used for ant purpose
The most serious felony is ________, for which the penalty can be death or life imprisonment without parole.
Capital Murder
Which of the following is the measurement of the total length of a road or a segment of a road?
Centerline miles
Which program provides coverage for children in families with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid?
Children's Health Insurance Program
When it was originally established, which institutions in Texas could receive funding from the Higher Education Fund (HEF)?
Colleges, universities, and health-related institutions that are not eligible for or included in PUF funding could get funding from the HEF.
Advances in __________ have revealed a series of wrongful convictions raising questions about criminal justice in Texas.
DNA evidence
The term "dreamers" refers to individuals protected under which of the following?
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
According to SB 4, Texas would help pay for portions of the border wall between the United States and Mexico that would be built in Texas.
F
According to the Texas Constitution, only the Texas legislature is permitted to borrow money using capital appreciation bonds.
F
According to the law of capture, private property owners are not entitled to water taken from under the land they own.
F
All colleges and universities in Texas have access to monies through the Higher Education Fund.
F
Although Texas must maintain a balanced budget, the legislature has a lot of flexibility and control over the state budget.
F
Attorney General Ken Paxton joined with other states in petitioning the federal government to continue the program known as DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals).
F
Because the budget process in Texas operates on a two-year cycle, Texas legislators have adequate time to gather information, carefully analyze it, and craft a detailed and accurate state budget.
F
Besides the state government, the only other governmental authority in Texas that can impose a sales tax is a city government.
F
Constitution, state agencies are allowed to take on debt, but only for one project at a time.
F
Federal matching funds for a program are not dependent on how much the state also contributes to that program.
F
Groundwater and surface water are regulated by the same laws.
F
In the first stage of the budgetary process, the governor's office develops a draft budget based on requests from Texas' state agencies.
F
One of the primary duties of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) is to coordinate policy and decisions related to funding for colleges and universities in Texas.
F
Plea bargains are not often used in Texas criminal trials.
F
Texas has four "flagship" institutions that have helped define education policy in the state.
F
The Texas Dream Act was signed into law by Governor George W. Bush.
F
The Texas Rainy Day Fund is more properly known as the National Research University Fund.
F
The Texas Water Development Board has to develop a state water plan every 10 years.
F
The Texas legislature can impose a personal income tax without requiring voter approval.
F
The gasoline tax in Texas is indexed to inflation.
F
The majority of the water in Texas comes from rivers.
F
The primary source of funding for the Permanent University Fund (PUF) is from sales of lottery tickets.
F
The proposed bullet train between Dallas and Houston would use French train (TGV) technology.
F
The term "lane miles" is often used as an estimate of road usage.
F
There is no mechanism available under the current budgetary system in Texas to shift monies between agencies or programs when the legislature is not in session.
F
Thirty-five percent of the total population in Texas is in the United States illegally.
F
When crafting a final legislative budget, the Texas legislature works from the governor's draft budget rather than the Legislative Budget Board's draft budget.
F
Texas is known as a high tax state; because of this, it is a good place to do business.
False
In an attempt to stem the rising tide of illegitimacy rates and single-parent families among the poor, which act mandated two-parent coverage for all state AFDC programs?
Family Support Act of 1988
A serious criminal offense that subjects a person to state prison punishment is a(n)
Felony
The ________ budget of Texas is comprised of funds for dedicated revenues that target money for specific purposes.
General Revenue-Dedicated Funds
Individuals who cannot afford an attorney have a constitutional right to have one appointed to them. Which Supreme Court case was instrumental in guaranteeing this right?
Gideon v. Wainwright
In 1949, which law increased state funding and established the Texas Education Agency (TEA), which carries out the state's educational program?
Gilmer-Aikin Laws
What happens if a defendant posts bail and does not show up for his or her trial?
He or she forfeits the bail money.
Texas universities that are not eligible to receive funding from the Permanent University Fund (PUF), are eligible for funding from the
Higher Education Fund (HEF)
Dropout rates in Texas are
Higher than the national average
As the number of urban areas grew in the state in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the management of local affairs became such a growing burden on the Texas legislature that it passed the
Home-Rule Charter Amendment in 1912.
The high-speed bullet train project currently under development would connect which two cities in Texas?
Houston and Dallas
Which argument is made by supporters of a physical wall separating the United States and Mexico?
Immigration reform cannot be successful without a secure border, and the wall is the best way to secure the border.
Which of the following educational reforms was passed during the 1995 legislative session?
In certain circumstances, students in low-performing schools could transfer to high-performing schools in the same district.
One effective way to improve public education in Texas that a majority of Democrats, Republicans, and Tea Party supporters would accept is
Increasing pay for teachers.
Which statement about the Texas budget is true?
It covers a two-year period.
The debate over public education in Texas goes back to the
It has always been a strongly debated topic
Why must the Texas legislature maintain a balanced budget?
It is required by the Texas Constitution
The Texas Legislative Budget Board is chaired by
Lt governor
What is a key problem with counties in Texas?
Many of them are too small and underpopulated to function well.
What is the level of popularity of the commissioner system of city government in Texas today?
No city in Texas today has a pure commissioner system, but a handful claim a variation of the system.
The Sandra Bland Act requires which of the following?
Officers must obtain written consent to search a vehicle.
________ is a punishment where, instead of a jail or prison sentence, an offender remains in the community with the understanding that the offender will meet certain requirements that are imposed by the court.
Parole
The origins of modern welfare policy lie in
President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal
A major source of revenue for independent school districts in Texas is:
Property tax
Texas' Economic Stabilization Fund (ESF) is also known as the
Rainy day fund
________ calls for wealthy districts to transfer funds to poorer districts in order to equalize funds available to all public schools across the state.
Robin Hood plan
The chief law-enforcement officer in Texas' county governments is the
Sheriff
Which goal is presented in the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's strategic plan titled "60x30TX" that was released in 2015?
Sixty percent of Texans between the ages of 25 and 34 will have completed a certificate or degree by 2030.
When you pay your motor vehicle registration fees, the money goes into which part of the Texas budget?
State Highway Fund
Conservation plays a key role in the groundwater initiatives since some of the state's aquifers are being overused.
T
If the Texas comptroller certifies the budget, then it is considered to be "balanced."
T
If you are convicted of a misdemeanor, you retain your right to vote
T
In cases where the prosecution believes it will be difficult to get a conviction, it might agree to a plea bargain allowing community supervision for a long period.
T
In the Texas criminal justice system, crimes are classified as felonies or misdemeanors.
T
Money from the Texas State Highway fund can be used to acquire rights of way for roadways.
T
One factor that works against rationality is the fact that the government tends to work incrementally.
T
One of the challenges facing education policy in Texas is high dropout rates.
T
Police departments are now required to report officer-involved shootings to the state.
T
Policy makers often are constrained by bounded rationality and tend to engage in satisficing decision making.
T
Public education in Texas is funded through both the Permanent School Fund (PSF) and the Available School Fund (ASF).
T
Public policy refers to the outputs of governmental institutions.
T
Scientific advances in DNA technology have helped exonerate many people who were wrongfully convicted.
T
Tax increases or toll roads must be used to adequately fund needed growth and maintenance of Texas's roads and highways.
T
Texas maintains a balanced budget because the state constitution requires it.
T
The Higher Education Fund (HEF) is funded through General Revenues portion of the state budget.
T
The Legislative Budget Board plays an important role in the budget process in Texas.
T
The Michael Morton Act established a uniform policy for district attorneys to make material that can help defendants' cases available to defense attorneys
T
The San Antonio School District became one of the first school districts in Texas to comply with the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954.
T
The Texas Comptroller's Office is predicting declining receipts in the tobacco settlement account due to fewer people purchasing cigarettes.
T
The Texas auditor's office is responsible for making sure that agencies are in compliance with their budgets.
T
The bulk of Federal Funds expenditures in Texas is in two areas: health and human services and education.
T
The major criticism of the grand jury is that it usually hears only what the prosecutor chooses to let it hear
T
Toll road policy enabled legislatures to get access to funding without raising the gasoline tax.
T
Unless the Texas government starts allocating more money to higher education, it is going to be difficult to meet the goals of the 60x30TX plan.
T
With a progressive income tax, people with lower income pay a lower tax rate than people with higher income.
T
Among the most important findings of the 1983 report A Nation at Risk were that
Test scores declined and functional illiteracy was increasing
When taking into consideration taxes on both gasoline and diesel, which of the following is true?
Texans pay the lowest fuel taxes out of the ten largest states.
Which public university in Texas can trace its origins to the Texas Constitution?
Texas A&M
When an individual is released early from jail or prison, which state agency determines the conditions that must be met?
Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles
Which of the following makes the decision to grant parole?
Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles
Which agency is responsible for administering and coordinating the major welfare and antipoverty programs in Texas?
Texas Health and Human Services Commission
Which agency is responsible for developing a standardizing core curriculum used at all public colleges and universities in Texas?
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Why is the price of oil important for the budget of the State of Texas?
Texas collects tax revenue on all oil removed from the ground based on a percentage of the market value of a barrel of oil. Higher prices raise more revenue, and lower prices less revenue.
Which of the following best describes capital punishment in Texas?
Texas executes more individuals than any other state and has a statistically low rate of successfully appealed capital cases.
When thinking about the total number of people in state prisons across the United States, which of the following is true?
Texas has more people incarcerated in its state prisons than any other state.
Which of the following statements about Texas and wrongful convictions rates is accurate?
Texas has more verified wrongful convictions than any other state in the United States.
Article 3, Section 49a of the Texas Constitution, also known as the pay-as-you-go limit, requires that
Texas maintain a balanced budget, meaning that spending from the General Revenue Fund cannot exceed projected available revenue.
Responding to the Supreme Court decision on national health care legislation of 2010, Governor Perry announced that
Texas would refuse to participate in the expanded Medicaid program.
What happens if money needs to be transferred from one agency to another and the Texas legislature is not in session to authorize this transfer?
The governor can propose the transfer and the LBB can approve the proposal.
What is the process for granting clemency in Texas?
The governor must follow the recommendations of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles.
Which of the following occurred during the 2017 legislative session?
The legislature shifted more of the responsibility for education funding onto local governments.
What is preemption?
The legislature's power to overrule ordinances or actions of local home-rule cities.
Why would a judge direct an offender to be housed at the Substance Abuse Felony Punishment Facilities (SAFPF)?
The offender has substance abuse problems that need to be treated, and treatment options are not always available in other prison facilities.
Who is responsible for developing independent audits for Texas agencies to ensure that they are complying with the state budget?
The state auditors office
In 2013, voters in Texas approved a constitutional amendment that dealt with water policy. What was included in this amendment?
The voters approved the creation of a dedicated water fund, known as the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT), through a transfer of $2 billion from the Rainy Day Fund.
What is the function of the 24 councils of government in Texas today?
They are a regional board meant to coordinate local planning and development.
The licensing of police officers in Texas is regulated by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. How are the nine members of this commission selected?
They are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate.
Why did Texas build reservoirs through the state?
They are used help control flooding and to better distribute water during droughts.
What happens if members of the Texas National Guard who are deployed at the border see someone illegally crossing the border?
They have to notify the Border Patrol to make the arrest. The Texas National Guard is part of the military, and members of the military cannot generally arrest anyone.
Why are Texas counties important?
They provide the main form of government in rural areas.
Normal schools were established in order to
Train teachers
Monies generated from the Texas motor fuels tax are dedicated to either construction, maintenance, and policing of public roads or public education.
True
Which agency is responsible for monitoring land crossings between Texas and Mexico?
U.S. Border Patrol
The generally accepted standard by which poverty is measured in the United States is the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services poverty index.
How are tuition and fee schedules set at public universities in Texas?
University presidents submit requests to their system's Board of Regents who set the tuition and fee schedules.
In the state of Texas, what is the policy for felons' right to vote?
Voting rights restored automatically upon completion of sentence, including prison, and both parole, and probationf their sentences.
In the state of Texas, which race/ethnicity is most likely to be on death row today?
White
Even if you are not sentenced to jail time, how is your freedom of movement restricted if you are convicted of a drug-related offense?
Your driver's license is suspended for six months. You have the option to go to court to get an occupational driver's license, but then you have to get an expensive high-risk SR-22 car insurance policy.
Water policy in Texas is based on
a complicated system of private property rights
Suppose you were trying to reform your city's government so that it better reflected the ethnic and racial diversity of your city and with leadership that is more accountable to voters. Which of the following forms of city government would most likely achieve these goals?
a council-manager form of government with a mix of single-member districts and at-large elections
What is the composition of a Texas county commissioner's court?
a county judge who is elected countywide and presides over the meetings, and four county commissioners who are each elected to represent about one-quarter of the population of the county
The purpose of the Biennial Revenue Estimate is to provide
a detailed forecast of total revenues that the state is expected to take in over the next biennium.
The Robin Hood plan was found unconstitutional because it required
a funding mechanism that was not Constitutional
What is a grand jury?
a jury that determines whether there is enough evidence to justify a trial
What is the State of Texas Access Reform (STAR) program?
a managed care program run by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to provide health care to poor populations in various parts of Texas
A school district is
a special district
The Water Rights Adjudication Act created
a unified permit system related to surface water and well-defined underground streams.
The Texas Water Development Board is responsible for
administering the Texas Water Bank.
Who is the head of every district attorney's office in Texas?
an elected officer who runs under a party label
More than one-half of the water used in Texas comes from
aquifers
In the 1973 San Antonio v. Rodriguez case, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that states such as Texas
are NOT required to subsidize wealthy school districts under the equal protection clause
After you are arrested and taken to jail, you must appear before a judge and be told what charges you are being accused of and reminded of your right to an attorney and right to remain silent. What is this process called?
arraignment
After a person is arrested for a crime, the first step in the criminal justice process for that person is
arraignment before a judge.
Money that is provided by the defendant to ensure his or her appearance in court is referred to as
bail
According to the Federal Highway Administration, 19 percent of the 53,000 bridges in Texas are rated as
being "structurally deficient" or "functionally obsolete."
Prosecutors often use plea bargains because
by using plea bargains, these offices can manage their limited resources better and maintain a high conviction rate.
Cities and towns in Texas often see rapid population growth. Such growth requires school districts to quickly expand. In this type of situation, school districts use __________________ to borrow the necessary funds to achieve this goal.
capital appreciation bonds (CABs)
Taken together, the sprawling cities and ________________ make it difficult to develop public transportation in most areas in Texas.
car-centered culture
The Constitution of 1876 created a Permanent University Fund (PUF) from the sale of what?
certain public lands
Which of the following is a challenge facing education policy in Texas?
changing demographics of students enrolled in Texas schools
What are plea bargains used to do?
clear a crowded district court docket by negotiating guilty pleas in criminal cases
The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles makes recommendations about
clemency and parole.
Under the Gilmer-Aikin Laws,
combination of public funds and tuition payments.
The governing body for Texas counties is the
commissioners court
Since the late 1960s, de facto segregation
continues to be a problem, particularly in urban public schools with large minority populations.
A ________ form of government is one in which public policies are developed by the city council and executive and administrative functions are assigned to a professional city manager.
council-manager
Which of the following forms of government is the most common in home rule cities in Texas?
council-manager
The ________ usually provides legal advice to the county commissioners.
county attorney
In Texas, lesser criminal cases are generally prosecuted by _______________, while the more serious criminal cases tend to be prosecuted by ______________.
county attorneys; district attorneys
Who is responsible for construction and maintenance of county roads and bridges in Texas?
county commissioners
Who collects the taxes owed to a Texas county?
county tax assessor-collector
The Texas Groundwater Act is responsible for
creating the system of water districts that manage the groundwater supply in Texas.
In Brown v. Board of Education, segregated school districts were ordered to
desegregate their schools "with all deliberate speed"
As cars and trucks become more fuel efficient,
drivers are buying less gasoline, thereby reducing the amount of money collected by the state in fuel taxes.
_________________ occurs when public policies are reviewed to determine if they are effectively meeting their goals.
evaluation
It is often quite difficult for people to readjust to life after prison because
family members may have moved, died, or cut off communications, thereby removing a support network.
Texas determines which children are eligible for reduced-price or free lunch at school based on
federal poverty guidelines
In Texas, murder is a __________; vandalism is classified as a __________.
felony and misdemeanor
The three main issues that have shaped education policy in Texas over the last 50 years have been
funding, desegregation, and educational excellence. 2
In 2016, the Texas Supreme Court held that the existing system for funding public schools met the minimum constitutional provisions for
general diffusion of knowledge.
According to the Dillon Rule doctrine,
general-law cities and towns are much more constrained than home-rule cities, and cannot take any action unless explicitly authorized by a law passed by the state.
If sentenced by a judge to probation, you would most likely have to do which of the following?
have a steady job, report to your probation officer on a regular basis, abstain from drug and alcohol use, and pay any fines or restitution
In order to become a naturalized citizen, you must
have entered the United States legally, been a resident of the United States for at least 5 years, and be able to demonstrate good moral character, knowledge of American government, and a basic command of English.
Which of the following issues was part of the Ruiz case?
health care
Among the issues covered in Ruiz v. Estelle was
health care in the prison system
Texas has a __________ rate of incarceration and, compared to other states, a __________ crime rate.
high, high
If you live in a city that can set property tax rates up to $2.50 per $100 valuation and may have the power to annex land adjacent to the city, then you live in a city governed by
home rule charter
Supporters of vouchers argue that ____________________________; while opponents argue that ___________________________.
if parents do not think a public school is working for their child, they should be able to send their child to a private school and take their funding with them; vouchers will drain money from public schools and leave only poorer children in these schools.
Employee pensions are an issue for all levels of government in Texas. Which of the following is a change that has been recently implemented as a way to make pension plans more economically sound?
increased retirement age
One of the most important social services provided by Texas counties is
indigent health care.
In the Gideon v. Wainwright case, the Supreme Court decided that
individuals charged with serious offenses have a constitutional right to an attorney, even if they cannot pay for it themselves.
In the 1972 case of Ruiz v. Estelle, the U.S. federal court determined that
inmates' constitutionally guaranteed rights had been violated in Texas prisons.
Most of the water in Texas is for
irrigation
Federal money for Medicaid programs
is accompanied by federal rules and regulations which states must comply with to maintain federal funding of the program
Part of the opposition to the high-speed train project
is due to rural landowners not wanting to sell their land to the state to improve the travel capabilities of urban dwellers.
Seven states, including Texas, sued the federal government in May 2018 arguing that DACA was unconstitutional because
it violated the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches of government described in the U.S. Constitution.
One goal of the deferred retirement option plan (DROP) was to
keep Dallas police officers and firefighters working on the job instead of retiring and collecting their pension after 20 years of service.
Which of the following accounts for both the length of the road and the width of the road, as indicated by the number of lanes?
lane miles
In the 2017 legislative session,
legislation was passed that would grade schools on three dimensions: student progress, student achievement, and a "closing the gaps" measure.
In theory, Texas has a dual-budget system, meaning the budget authority is shared by the governor and the legislature; however, in practice, the primary player(s) in the budget is/are
legislature
Community colleges are supported in part by ___________________.
local tax dollars
What are sanctuary cities?
localities where sheriffs do not notify federal immigration authorities when undocumented immigrants are arrested
Texas has a reputation of being a ________ state.
low service, low tax
Under the separate but equal doctrine in the 1920s and 1930s, the amount of money Texas spent on black students was ________ the amount spent on white students in public schools.
lower than
Unless legally exempt, in order to receive benefits through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, recipients must
make sure their children go to school, participate in an employment services program, attend parenting classes, get their children vaccinated, and agree not to use drugs or alcohol.
________ are less serious crimes.
misdemeanors
Federal matching funds are
monies going to a state based on a state spending for a program.
If you live outside city limits, water, sewer, sanitation, and electricity services are offered by
municipal utility districts (MUDs).
Community college districts and fire-prevention districts are examples of
non-school special purpose district
Federal money is an important part of the Texas budget, but monies that Texas receives from the federal government
often come with strings attached
________ refers to the idea that policy will be developed that will maximize the output of government with a minimum commitment of resources.
optimality
If a person cannot provide bail on his or her own or cannot pay a bondsman, the accused can possibly be released
personal recognizance
A negotiated agreement in a criminal case in which a defendant agrees to tell the court that he or she is guilty in return for the state's agreement to reduce the severity of the criminal charge or prison sentence the defendant is facing is known as a
plea bargain
A(n) ________ is a common method prosecutors use to maintain high conviction rates.
plea bargain between the defendant and the state
Which of the following in the policy-making cycle occurs last?
policy evaluation
In a similar previous case the court ruled for the plaintiff. The court will now consider that previous ruling in deciding how to deal with the current case. This is an example of __________.
precedent
The Permanent School Fund (PSF) was established to provide funds for ___________________ on the basis of _________________.
primary and secondary schools in Texas; student attendance
Which of the following steps in the policy-making cycle occurs first?
problem identification
Special districts in Texas are primarily paid for by revenue generated by
property taxes and user fees
In 1965, Congress created the Medicaid program, a state-federal program, to
provide health care for the poor.
The term _____________ refers to the expressed goals of a government institution, supported by either punishments or rewards.
public policy
In terms of per capita spending on education, Texas
ranks near the bottom in the country.
________ refers to the idea that policy-makers have formulated and implemented policy that addresses problems in an optimal or efficient manner.
rationality
Texas relies on ____________ taxes more than any other source of revenue to fund the government.
sales
Since policy-makers do not have enough time or resources to make a fully rational or optimal decision, they may therefore try to ______________.
satisfice
In a mayor-council form of government, the mayor ____________________ while the city council __________________.
serves as chief executive officer of the city; serves as the legislative body for the city
In order to use testimony from a jailhouse informant, prosecutors will now have to
share with the defense attorneys the criminal history of the jailhouse informant and anything offered to the informant in return for his or her testimony.
In the case of Edwards Aquifer Authority v. Burrell Day and Joel McDaniel (2012), farmers argued that
since they owned the land above the aquifer, they had rights to water within the aquifer.
Public opinion in Texas on the possession of firearms on college campuses, known as "campus carry," is __________.
slightly favorable
Which of the following is the most common form of local government in Texas?
special districts
Which government entity administered and determined the benefit levels for Aid for Dependent Children, Old Age Assistance, and Aid for the Blind?
state
The salaries for public defenders, who are assigned to defendants who cannot afford their own attorney, are paid for by
state government
Charter schools are funded by
state monies and sometimes privately raised funds
In National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius (2012) the Supreme Court found that
states could not be forced to expand their Medicaid programs.
The Select Committee on Public Education (SCOPE) presented 140 recommendations to the legislature in 1984, including one known as "no pass, no play" which stated that
students who did not pass a class with a grade of 70 could not participate in extracurricular activities for the next six-week grading period.
The largest source of funding for roads and highways on Texas comes from
taxes on motor fuels.
Compared to other states, Texas tends to spend a relatively small amount of money on programs that are jointly funded by the state and federal governments. Because of this,
the amount of money that Texas receives in matching funds and grants from the federal government is relatively low as compared to other states.
Having a widespread public transportation system is challenging for Houston because
the city has over 1,200 square miles of territory and it would be expensive to have bus or rail service for this large of an area.
One significant component of the budget process that is relatively unique to Texas is
the constitutional mandate that Texas legislators write a budget every two years.
If you want to get married and need to get a marriage license, or need to get a copy of a birth or death certificate, which office do you need to contact?
the county clerk where you are getting married, or where the death or birth occurred
While the Texas Constitution does require that the state maintains a balanced budget, the state is allowed to carry debt as long as
the debt payments are not more than 5 percent of the state's revenue.
The law of capture, as it pertains to water policy in Texas, essentially means that
the first person to capture the water by pumping it out of the ground owns it.
The 2012 State Water Plan discussed strategies to address both the short- and long-term water needs in Texas including
the focus on conservation and expanding and developing available surface water.
One of the controversies arising out of the Medicaid Women's Health Program in Texas involved
the funding for having a child in state clinics paid for by Texas taxpayers who were opposed to the procedure.
Which of the following helps explain why the push to use testing and accountability as tools to reform the educational system in Texas was successful?
the influence of business groups in the political culture of Texas
commissioner form of government
the legislative and executive functions are performed by the elected commissioners.
Welfare reforms are measured along which two dimensions?
the number of people on welfare and the success of getting people into the workforce
In 2018, the Trump administration announced a "zero tolerance" policy designed to deter people from crossing the southern border illegally. Which of the following was a consequence of this policy?
the separation of minor children from their parents for extended periods of time
Overall, the tax system in Texas is generally considered to be regressive, which means that
the tax burden consumes a greater percentage of income received by lower-income individuals.
A person convicted of a third felony can be sentenced to life imprisonment based on
the three-strikes provision
To whom are most county officials in Texas most responsible, and how?
the voters, through the electoral process
Many sheriffs opposed SB 4 because
they feared it would lead to people underreporting crimes.
Mayors are elected using at-large elections because
they represent the entire geographical area of the city rather than one specific district.
Based upon a provision in the penal code, a person convicted of __________ felonies can be sentenced to life in prison.
three
How are people selected to serve on grand juries in Texas?
through a random selection process
Monies from the Available University Fund (AUF) can be used for which of the following purposes?
to guarantee a bond issued by the University of Texas System to build a new dormitory on the campus of one of its system schools
Which of the following was a goal of the Affordable Care Act of 2010?
to increase access to health insurance coverage for people with preexisting conditions
_______________ have recently been used to pay for maintenance and construction of roads and highways.
tolls
What is the maximum sentence of an offender who is sentenced to serve time at state jail?
two years
Jurors determine a guilty verdict in criminal cases
unanimous vote
Around three-quarters of individuals on Medicaid in Texas are
under age 20
According to the Texas Dream Act,
undocumented immigrants living in Texas have the ability to pay in-state tuition at public universities in Texas.
One of the most controversial issues facing police in Texas and across the United States involves
use of force
A major criticism of the grand jury is that it
usually hears only what the prosecutor chooses to let it hear.
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
validated state-imposed racial segregation in Texas public schools.
For which type of offenses are Texas prison inmates most likely to be imprisoned?
violent
Grand juries do not find people guilty of a crime but instead will
vote a "true bill"
During the 1980s, a growing number of critics alleged that welfare programs
were helping to create a dysfunctional underclass of people who depended upon them for survival.
How do policy-makers define poverty?
when an individual or family does not have the resources necessary to meet their basic needs including food, shelter, health care, transportation, and clothing
In Edgewood ISD v. Kirby, the key constitutional issue was
whether the phrase "an efficient system of free public schools" included school financing.
If there is a budget deficit during the Texas legislature's biennium, then money can be used from the Economic Stabilization Fund (ESF)
with the approval of three-fifths of the members of both the Texas House and Texas Senate.
Although the use of toll roads allowed roads and highways to be built _________________, they are _________________.
without raising taxes; very unpopular with voters
Constitutional carry
would not require gun training classes or any licensing process before someone could legally carry a weapon in public.
Texas has more verified ______________ than any other state.
wrongful convictions
If you are convicted of a misdemeanor in Texas,
you retain your right to vote and possess a weapon.
While many of the sources of revenue in Texas are dedicated to specific purposes, designated as "nondedicated," or come from the federal government, there are some funds that are not included in the specific budget categories. Where do we classify these funds?
Other funds
A major factor in the increase in preemption is the partisan split between the Texas legislature, controlled by Republicans, and major city governments, controlled by Democrats.
T
Commissioner governments are designed to run school districts and other special purpose districts throughout Texas.
T
Community colleges in Texas are allotted their own special purpose districts.
T
Fewer than 10 percent of eligible voters in Texas cast ballots in special purpose district elections.
T
Home-rule cities in Texas are able to set a maximum property tax rate of $2.50 per $100 valuation.
T
One of the proposed changes to public pensions in Texas is to increase the required years of service to be eligible to receive a pension.
T
San Antonio and Dallas both have council-manager forms of government.
T
The primary sources of funding for special purpose districts in Texas are property taxes and user fees.
T
In Texas, ________ create(s) special purpose districts.
Texas voters in the areas that will be covered
________ is a nondedicated revenue account and is the state of Texas' primary operating fund.
The General Revenue Funds budget
Authorized by voters in 1991, the Texas state lottery generates a sizeable sum for the state budget. Which of the following statements regarding the Texas lottery is true?
The lottery is played by large numbers of people from all social classes
County governments are most important for administering rural areas throughout Texas.
True
Which of the following make it unlikely that Texas will enact a personal income tax in the near future?
Voters approved constitutional amendments in 1993 and 2019 that would make it extremely difficult to create a personal income tax in Texas.
In Texas, county governments are responsible for which of the following tasks?
administration of social services
In 1978, the Texas Constitution was amended (Article 8, Section 22), so that if the economy of the state shrinks,
appropriations have to shrink as well
In large Texas counties, the ________ prepares the county budget.
auditor
What is the main difference between Texas' home-rule cities and general-law cities?
A general-law city is chartered for localities with a population of fewer than 5,000 persons.
The ________ is a dedicated fund established by the Texas constitution for the support of public education in the state.
ASF
If you want to get the overall picture of revenue for the State of Texas, then you should look at which of the following?
All funds
Which of the following statements about county government in Texas is accurate?
County government in Texas varies in importance; some areas rely on it heavily, others much less so.
What happens when a city council uses single-member districts?
Each member of the city council represents a specific "district" of the city and is elected by residents of that geographical area
All Texas county commissioners' court have original jurisdiction for cases involving violation of county laws.
F
All cities in Texas with pension funds have sufficient funding to meet their obligations to be able to pay retirees.
F
All large cities in Texas have structures of government that give strong executive powers to the mayor.
F
Cities in Texas are primarily responsible for providing indigent health care.
F
Constables are appointed by the county sheriff.
F
In Texas, special purpose districts are run by a board of trustees appointed by the governor.
F
In Texas, the county commissioners' court is responsible for prosecuting violations of law that occur outside of the city limits but within the county lines.
F
In order to be a general-law city in Texas, the population of the city must be larger than 5,000.
F
One of the problems with Texas government is that there are no regional councils that promote coordinated planning across local governments.
F
One problem with special purpose districts is that sometimes local government officials work in relative obscurity, avoiding media and public scrutiny
F
Since each county in Texas is required under the one person, one vote doctrine to have approximately the same number of residents, county lines must be redrawn every ten years as part of the redistricting process after the census.
F
Since most county officials in Texas are appointed, they are only accountable to the members of the county commissioners' court.
F
When the federal government reimburses Texas for monies spent in program such as Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program, these reimbursements go into which fund?
Federal Funds
The debate over preemption between local self-governance and control by the state government in Texas echoes which of the following:
debates between the state governments and the federal government about which level of government should make governing decisions
Flood control is managed through special purpose districts because
flooding is seldom contained in a single city or county.
When we talk about a progressive tax, we are talking about a type of tax where
individuals with a lower income pay less in taxes because of a lower tax rate than those with a higher income.
When thinking about the system of public financing through these various budgets and funds, it is important to remember that
the legislature does not have direct control of most of the money in the state budget
The National Research University Fund (NRUF) was established through an amendment to the Texas constitution to provide a source of funding for
universities seeking to achieve national prominence as research institutions
Which universities are eligible to receive monies from the Permanent University Fund (PUF)?
universities that are part of the University of Texas and Texas A&M systems
Special purpose districts were initially designed to help develop poor and rural areas of Texas. However, many people are now concerned that the system is being abused because
real estate developers have figured out a way to develop the infrastructure for new developments but pass the costs on to future owners of the property.
________ is a unit of government that performs a single service in a limited geographic area.
special district
What type of government is called hidden government because people often do not know it exists?
special purpose districts
Most federal expenditures in Texas go to education and health and human services. However, in order to receive these funds, Texas must
spend state money in these areas first.
