govt Chapter 12 InQuizitive
If the economy entered a time of recession in the near future, what would be the primary effect on Texas's Medicaid program?
growth in benefit claims
A policy solution to an issue that is considered to be "optimal" would be one in which what occurs?
the greatest results occur with the least resources being committed
Which of the following is the best definition of policy legitimation?
the process of demonstrating and explaining the legality and constitutionality of a policy initiative
Poverty in Texas is highest in the border counties.
true
Which Supreme Court case reaffirmed a woman's right to abortion services without facing an undue burden imposed by the state of Texas?
whole woman's health v. hellerstedt
Match each antipoverty or welfare program to its correct description.
President Roosevelt's 1930s programs to stimulate the national economy and provide relief from the Great Depression - New Deal assistance to individuals in need who have disabilities or are aged -Supplemental Security Income (SSI) a federal-state program financing medical services to low-income people. -Medicaid a state-federal public assistance program aimed at children living with parents or relatives - Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)
The policy of transferring funds from wealthy school districts to poorer ones is commonly referred to as which of the following?
Robin Hood
Place the steps of the policymaking process in order.
1. problem identification 2. policy formulation 3. implementation 4. evaluation
Which of the following groups has the highest rate of poverty in Texas?
Children
A related program to Medicaid is the ____________ which provides medical coverage for children in families with incomes too __________ to qualify for Medicaid.
Children's Health Insurance Program high
Which statements below can be taken directly from information in the chart?
Correct Answer(s) Among uninsured Texans, most are Latino. Among uninsured Texans, most are adults. Incorrect Answer(s) Among uninsured Texans, most are white.
Which of the following are conditions placed on those who receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits?
Correct Answer(s) Children must receive vaccinations. Children must attend school. Parents must attend parenting classes. Recipients must attend programs for job skills and job placement.
As a consequence of the Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson, Texas maintained segregated schools but ensured that all schools received equal funding.
False
In response to public pressure and U.S. Supreme Court rulings, in 2013, Governor Rick Perry expanded Medicaid access to comply with the Affordable Care Act.
False
The educational reforms of the 1980s and 1990s, such as standardized testing, "No Pass, No Play," school ratings, and extended school years, have largely been praised for their success in closing the achievement gap between students with a low socioeconomic status and their better-off peers.
False
The_______ program is a _________ program that primarily provides medical benefits for women and children living in poverty, while _________ is a ________ program to provide medical benefits for the elderly.
Medicaid state-operated Medicare federally-operated
The 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, or Welfare Reform Act, combined existing work and cash welfare programs into a new program known as ______ that provided ______ to states that encouraged innovation in reducing welfare participation and offered states more flexibility on eligibility requirements.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grants
In what ways do Texans get (or do not get) health insurance? Arrange the type of coverage from largest to smallest.
employer government-sponsored program uninsured private
In terms of the Texas constitutional provisions on education, the Democratic state supreme court of the 1980s focused on _________ , while the Republican court of 2016 focused on _______
fairness and efficiency general diffusion of knowledge
In the last decade, state legislators have withheld increases in state funding, or even justified cuts in funding, that would have maintained the state portion of per-pupil spending with expectations that districts would have funding from what other source?
increased property tax values
Media coverage of the Selma March for voting rights, passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, congressional oversight of implementation of the act, and the review of constitutional challenges to the act by the federal courts are examples of which aspect of policy making?
policy legitimation
As a member of an interest group, you and your organization are most likely to raise awareness about issues important to you during which stage of the policy-making process?
problem identification
Which of the following is the best definition of rationality in policy making?
public policy that addresses clearly identified goals in an optimal and efficient manner
Political scientists identify four main stages in the development of public policy: problem identification, policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation. Match each stage of the public policy process to its best definition.
putting into practice the policies designed to address an issue : - implementation determining whether or not a policy addressing an issue has been successful or effective: - evaluation developing rules, regulations, and legislation to address an issue: - policy formulation developing an understanding of how to think about and address an issue: - problem identification
Imagine that you are a lawmaker on the Texas House Appropriations Committee who is faced with filling a structural deficit found in the state's budget for the next biennium. Because of a lack of staff and office resources as well as the time crunch of the legislative session, you and the rest of the committee address the issue by cutting spending in state programs rather than finding a solution to the structural deficit. You and the other decision makers have just used which strategy to find a solution to the problem?
Bounded rationality
Which of the following statements about charter schools are accurate?
Correct Answer(s) Charter schools receive public funds from the state but not from local taxes. Charter schools divert money away from traditional public schools that already face significant financial challenges. Charter schools operate according to different rules than other public schools, granting them greater flexibility. Incorrect Answer(s) Charter schools have struggled to attract students from public schools.
Which of the following are criticisms of the use of standardized testing?
Correct Answer(s) Heavy emphasis on test scores led to instruction focused on getting right answers instead of building knowledge. Increased testing takes away from time spent on classroom instruction. Standardized tests are over-emphasized as a tool for assessing student achievement. Incorrect Answer(s) Testing had been demanded by parents, not educators, as a way to assess the performance of schools and districts.
The information in the chart best supports which of the following positions?
Correct Answer(s) Latino children are more likely to live in poverty and need more support than do children from other groups. There is a significant need for state-supported low-cost or free preventive care programs. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission likely needs to provide individuals and materials that primarily support both Spanish and English speakers. Incorrect Answer(s) Younger adults with less education are more likely to compose a significant portion of the uninsured population.
Which of the following were consequences of the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) decision on education in Texas?
Correct Answer(s) Legal segregation was outlawed, but de facto segregation remained an issue. The Texas legislature passed laws encouraging school districts to resist federally ordered desegregation. Incorrect Answer(s) Virtually all Texas schools were integrated quickly.
Looking closely at the bar chart below, which of the following statements are correct?
Correct Answer(s) Most Medicaid recipients are African American or Latino. Slightly more females than males are recipients of Medicaid. Seventy-seven percent of those on Medicaid are age 20 or younger Incorrect Answer(s) Those over the age of 65 are a significant portion of Medicaid recipients.
Which were the most important consequences of the 2016 ruling by the Supreme Court of Texas regarding a lawsuit brought over school funding inequities?
Correct Answer(s) Questions about school funding were made decidedly an issue for the legislative branch to resolve. State courts removed themselves from the school funding question. Incorrect Answer(s) The Robin Hood system was struck down as unconstitutional because it didn't meet the requirements for a "general diffusion of knowledge." The courts affirmed the effectiveness of the current system in remedying funding issues and delivering education to students.
Watch the animation on the ethnic composition of school districts in major Texas cities, and then determine which of the following statements are accurate.
Correct Answer(s) Suburbanization has led to de facto segregation in many Texas schools. White Texans are less likely to be enrolled in public schools. In major cities, most students are either black or Latino.
Watch the animation on the trade-offs in Texas public policy, and then determine which of the following statements are accurate.
Correct Answer(s) Texas has a low rate of state taxes as a percentage of income and a high rate of people without health insurance. Texas voters have consistently elected Republicans to state office, and these elected officials have largely enacted a conservative policy agenda. States with higher taxes tend to offer more social services such as health care
Which of the following statements about poverty in Texas are accurate?
Correct Answer(s) Texas uses the federal poverty guidelines for determining eligibility for state programs. Poverty rates among nonwhite Texans are higher than among white Texans. The highest poverty rates in Texas are found in border counties. Incorrect Answer(s) The Texas government spends only a tiny portion of it budget on health and human services, which include antipoverty programs.
As a result of the 1983 national report on the state of education, A Nation at Risk, Texas adopted which reforms to address the serious issues that had been identified?
Correct Answer(s) The legislature established the Select Committee on Public Education. A program was created that tied academic performance to athletic eligibility. Statewide assessment standards were developed. Incorrect Answer(s) Many schools cancelled athletic programs to free up space for academics. Federal control of Texas schools was increased.
Which of the following statements about Texas public schools are accurate?
Correct Answer(s) The majority of school districts in Texas are in small, rural areas. Texas has one of the largest public-school systems in the nation. Incorrect Answer(s) The student-teacher ratio in Texas is higher than the U.S. ratio. Per-student funding in Texas is among the highest in the nation.
Identify the factors that tend to work against rationality and efficiency in the making of public policy.
Correct Answer(s) The policy making process is highly complex. Policy makers and other politically active individuals may not behave rationally or efficiently. Governments tend to work incrementally. Incorrect Answer(s) Although identifying problems and formulating policy solutions is not controversial, there is often disagreement about the evaluation of policy.
Looking closely at the pie chart below, which of the following statements are accurate?
Correct Answer(s) There are about as many uninsured Texans as there are Texans on Medicaid. Close to half of all Texans receive their health insurance from their employer. Incorrect Answer(s) Close to half of all Texans receive their health insurance from the government. There are more Texans on Medicare than on Medicaid.
Which of the following statements about voucher plans (or school-choice plans) are accurate?
Correct Answer(s) Voucher critics argue that middle- and upper-class families will benefit from the programs and leave poor families behind in even more poorly-funded public schools. Vouchers attach school funding to the student, not the school, and follow the student to whichever school is chosen by parents. Voucher proponents argue the transferrable funding will create positive competition among public, private, and religious schools to improve overall student performance. Incorrect Answer(s) Voucher schools are given greater freedom and flexibility to manage their own schools. Vouchers have been proposed by Democrats and liberals as a way to help close achievement gaps between poor and minority groups and their better-off peers.
The primary groups served by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission include which of the following?
Correct Answer(s) elderly disabled mothers with children Incorrect Answer(s) immigrants
In 1949, Texas passed the Gilmer-Aikin Laws to reform schools in Texas. What did these laws help achieve?
Correct Answer(s) established a minimum number of teaching days per school year created the Texas Education Agency established the State Board of Education as the public education policy-making body increased state funding for schools Incorrect Answer(s) reduction of state supervision of schools, giving more control to local government
Which of the following are ways in which public schools in Texas are funded?
Correct Answer(s) federal funds property taxes General Revenue Funds Incorrect Answer(s) income taxes
Which of the following are examples of public policy?
Correct Answer(s) laws passed by the legislature that encourage more people to continue their education by offering free tuition at public universities regulations that raise the speed limit on Texas highways operating procedures state agencies develop to implement laws criminal penalties for drunk driving Incorrect Answer(s) campaign promises made by candidates for office
The ability of an individual to understand a problem or its solutions may be restricted by which of the following?
Correct Answer(s) limited resources restricted window for making decisions inability to conceptualize Incorrect Answer(s) dispute over facts
What are some of the challenges facing educational policy in Texas?
Correct Answer(s) low levels of per-student spending high dropout rates relatively high levels of economically disadvantaged and at-risk students Incorrect Answer(s) worse than average student-teacher ratios public disinterest in public education
Which Supreme Court case endorsed racial segregation through the now infamous "separate but equal" doctrine?
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
While lawmakers might generally agree that a large infusion of public funds to the public education system along with a dramatic reform of the public structure would optimize the outcomes of student performance in public education in Texas, they may choose to continue making incremental increases in funding and tweak the funding structure during each session in a practice referred to as what?
satisficing
Read the following excerpt from the 1896 Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson.
to allow states constitutionally legitimate authority to decide the issue of segregation as they saw fit
If reduction in program participation is considered the standard of success, then welfare program reforms enacted since the 1990s have largely been successful.
true
When school districts are funded by local taxes only, the likelihood of disparities in funding goes up.
true
