Deck 11: Public Policy in Texas

Question 1

Which state was rated the most liberal in the SPI policy liberalism ranking in 2006?

A) New York
B) New Jersey
C) California
D) Massachusetts

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following is a step in the policy-making cycle?

A) policy identification
B) policy setting
C) agenda formulation
D) policy evaluation

Answer 2

D

Question 3

State governments regulate all of the following,EXCEPT

A) using Army troops to patrol the border.
B) auto and life insurance.
C) professions and occupations.
D) public utilities.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Compared to other states,Texas's per capita welfare spending is

A) well below average.
B) just below average.
C) just above average.
D) well above average.

Question 5

Prior to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act,the percentage of Texans who did not have health insurance

A) was the highest in the nation.
B) was near the highest in the nation.
C) was about average in comparison to other states.
D) was near the lowest in the nation.

Question 6

Why are most degrees in Texas state universities limited to 120 hours?

A) to comply with federal requirements
B) to save the state money
C) to meet an accreditation requirement
D) because of pressure from alumni and constituents

Question 7

Which of the following steps in the policy-making cycle occurs last?

A) policy adoption
B) policy implementation
C) problem identification
D) policy evaluation

Question 8

Which of the following steps in the policy-making cycle occurs first?

A) policy adoption
B) policy implementation
C) agenda setting
D) policy evaluation

Question 9

Who pays the largest part of the cost of K-12 education in Texas?

A) the federal government
B) the state government
C) the county government
D) local districts

Question 10

Starting with the 2011-2012 school year,students are taking the ________ exam to assess their academic progress.

A) State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness
B) Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills
C) Stanford Achievement Test
D) GMAT

Question 11

Bilingual education in Texas dates back to the early twentieth century,when ________ in Texas wanted to teach their native language(s)in the schools.

A) Native Americans
B) Latinos
C) Germans
D) Serbs

Question 12

In some cases,the policy implementation stage of the policy cycle is

A) skipped altogether because the new policy is symbolic.
B) the only part of the policy-making cycle that is actually carried out.
C) an alternative to policy adoption.
D) a time-honored role for legislators.

Question 13

Compared to the other states,where did Texas fall in the SPI policy liberalism ranking in 2006?

A) 46^th
B) 47^th
C) 48^th
D) 49^th

Question 14

The result of tuition "deregulation" in 2003 was

A) minimal, as tuition rates changed little.
B) a near doubling of tuition rates between 2003 and 2011.
C) a benefit for students, as tuition rates declined.
D) just a slight rise in tuition rates.

Question 15

Texas's approach to regulation of which of the following policies is considered less friendly to business?

A) workers' compensation
B) professional licensing regulations
C) right-to-work laws
D) land use

Question 16

If a student takes more than the allowed hours (as set by the legislature)to complete his or her degree,the student

A) must pay the out-of-state tuition rate.
B) is placed on academic probation.
C) may transfer to a community college.
D) is assigned a mentor to help him/her successfully complete the course of study.

Question 17

In lieu of purchasing workers' compensation insurance,employers in Texas

A) may require the employee to purchase the insurance.
B) can file a "tort" model exception for the employee with the health and safety board.
C) don't have to do anything, unless an injured employee files a civil law suit.
D) should have the union pay for the insurance out of mandatory dues.

Question 18

How do Texans sign up for the Affordable Care Act?

A) through a state-run exchange
B) through a privately run exchange
C) through the federally run exchange
D) through New Mexico's exchange

Question 19

Under the Affordable Care Act

A) individuals aged 19-25 must obtain their own health insurance.
B) insurance companies cannot deny coverage to people with preexisting conditions.
C) all patients must pay fees for all services.
D) uninsured individuals get a tax rebate from the federal government.

Question 20

Who pays the second-largest part of the cost of K-12 education in Texas?

A) the federal government
B) the state government
C) the county government
D) local districts

Question 21

Define the "10 percent rule." Argue for or against its fairness to students.

Question 22

When the incarceration rate is adjusted for the violent crime rate,Texas's "residuals" rank

A) ties for fourth with Alabama.
B) is below the national average.
C) is above the national average.
D) is well below the national average.

Question 23

Groundwater in Texas

A) provides about 10% of the state's total water supply.
B) is governed by the same rules that apply to surface water.
C) is owned by the person who owns the land above it.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 24

In Texas an initial permit to carry a concealed firearm costs about ________.

A) $20
B) $78
C) $120
D) $260

Question 25

How does per capita welfare spending in Texas compare to that of the other 49 states? How do you explain Texas's relative ranking?

Question 26

The Texas Veterans Leadership Program,established in 2008 under the Texas Workforce Commission,focuses on

A) veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
B) various types of land, home, and home-improvement loans to veterans.
C) veterans of the Vietnam War.
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 27

What state has the lowest incarceration rate?

A) Texas
B) California
C) Massachusetts
D) Maine

Question 28

How are school districts financed in Texas? Why is this funding controversial?

Question 29

In 2003 the U.S.Supreme Court found that antisodomy laws were unconstitutional in the case of

A) Rodriguez v. San Antonio.
B) Edgewood v. Kirby.
C) Lawrence v. Texas.
D) Plyler v. Doe.

Question 30

Based on the 1981 U.S.Supreme Court decision in ________,all states are required to provide K-12 education for undocumented immigrants and their children.

A) Rodriguez v. San Antonio
B) Edgewood v. Kirby
C) Lawrence v. Texas
D) Plyler v. Doe

Question 31

What are the main provisions of the Affordable Care Act? How did Governor Rick Perry react to its passage?

Question 32

What rationale did some legislators use when they opposed Governor Rick Perry's executive order requiring all Texas schoolgirls to be vaccinated against the human papillomavirus?

A) The young women would become more promiscuous.
B) The vaccine was an unneeded financial burden on the state.
C) The young women would become stigmatized.
D) The vaccine was as yet unproven in clinical trials.

Question 33

In what ways is regulatory policy in Texas friendly to business? Does this mean it is also unfriendly to labor? Explain.

Question 34

An acre is 43,560 square feet.For purposes of allocating water rights,water is measured in "acre feet." How many cubic feet of water are there in two acre feet?

A) 43,560
B) 65,340
C) 87,120
D) 130,680

Question 35

List the steps in the policy-making cycle.Are all the steps needed in all policy making? Explain.

Question 36

When does Texas allow the public funding of abortions?

A) cases of rape
B) cases of incest
C) when the life of the mother is endangered
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 37

Discuss policy liberalism indices and how they can be used to compare the 50 states.

Question 38

The ________ was established by the Texas Constitution of 1876 to support the University of Texas and Texas A&M University systems.

A) Permanent University Fund
B) West Texas Land Grant Fund
C) Fund for Higher Education
D) Higher Education Assistance Fund

Question 39

Which of the following ended affirmative action practices at the University of Texas law school?

A) Grutter v. Bollinger
B) the Hopwood decision
C) new laws passed by the Texas legislature
D) new rules implemented by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

Question 40

A state law mandates that the top __ percent of the graduating class of a high school be admitted to state colleges and universities.

A) 1
B) 3
C) 10
D) 20

Question 41

List the six categories state policymakers use to describe the demand for water,and explain in what way demand in these categories is expected to change.

Question 42

Texas has a reputation as a state that is "tough on crime." Is this reputation deserved? What reforms have occurred in recent years in the area of justice reform?

Question 43

What has been the traditional attitude about gay rights in Texas? What has been the impact of recent events,including court decisions,on the issue?

Question 44

How does the state of Texas regulate abortion? What are the key rules that define the circumstances and conditions for obtaining the procedure?