Govt 2306 Test 1 – Flashcards
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Which group of Texans pays the most in taxes proportional to their income?
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a. Middle class b. Wealthiest 20 percent (False) c. Purchasers of luxury cars d. Poorest 20 percent (True)
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Which of the following is not a common concern about concentration of media ownership?
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a. The likelihood of homogenization of the news stories increases. b. There is a decrease in the amount of state and local news. (Wrong) c. There is an increase in hard news and a decrease in soft news. (True) d. There is more commercial bias and favorable news about the owner's company.
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Which of the following classes of corporations has the least business tax burden?
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a. Oil companies (Wrong) b. Banking companies (Right) c. Insurance companies d. Public utility companies
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How many community college districts are there in Texas?
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a. 10 (Wrong) b. 30 c. 50 (Right) d. 95
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The state-federal program that provides direct cash payments to poor children and their families is
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a. Women, Infants, and Children nutrition program. (Wrong) b. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. (Right) c. SNAP (formerly the Food Stamp Program). d. Medicaid and Tri-Care.
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Most taxes in Texas are administered by the
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a. commissioner of insurance. (Wrong) b. comptroller of public accounts. (Right) c. secretary of the Treasury. d. county tax assessor-collector.
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The history of Texas suburbs is marked by racial segregation because
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a. the federal government used policies like redlining and urban renewal in a discriminatory manner. (Wrong) b. state and local governments engaged in discriminatory practices such as exclusionary zoning and racial covenants. c. some realtors and lenders steered their clients into segregated neighborhoods. d. all of these choices are reasons that racial segregation marked the development of Texas suburbs. (True)
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Environmental policies in Texas are coordinated by the
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a. Environmental Protection Agency. b. Department of Parks and Wildlife. c. Department of Homeland Security. d. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. (True)
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The Texas DREAM Act
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a. granted amnesty and citizenship to millions of undocumented immigrants in Texas. b. allows certain undocumented immigrants who were brought to Texas as children to pay in-state tuition at public colleges. (True) c. illegal immigration is no longer a problem for Texas. d. authorized the creation of a border fence with a moat along the Texas-Mexico border. (Wrong)
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When it comes to measures of civic engagement like voter turnout, being involved in groups, donating to charity, volunteering and discussing political issues online,
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a. Texans are the most active in the nation. (Wrong) b. Texans are above the national average. c. Texans are exactly at the national average. d. Texans are below the national average. (Right)
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Taxes that rely more heavily on revenues from higher incomes are known as
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a. flat taxes. b. progressive taxes. (True) c. regressive taxes. d. nominal taxes.
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When it comes to shaping our perceptions of events and issues, the media
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a. provide information, but their ability to shape opinion is reduced by personal knowledge, connections, and pre-existing opinions. b. have almost total control over what people think about and believe about political issues and personalities. (Wrong) c. have no impact at all on shaping opinions, as opinions are formed by personal knowledge and connections. d. only shape the opinions of uneducated and socially isolated citizens. (True)
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People are more likely to hear and remember ideas and information if they come from
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a. the governor. b. a trusted opinion leader. (True) c. a teacher or professor. d. anonymous reporters.
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Ninety-five percent of public transportation in Texas is by
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a. light rail. b. subway. c. street car. d. bus. (True)
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The fund that measures the state's fiscal health is the
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a. selective sales tax fund. b. rainy day contingency fund. c. general revenue fund. (True) d. overall lottery fund.
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The governance of Texas community colleges is performed mainly by
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a. local boards of trustees. (True) b. the Texas Education Agency. c. county commissioners courts. d. the State Board of Education.
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The development of which industry transformed Texas from a predominantly agricultural culture into an industrial society?
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a. Cotton b. Cattle c. Timber d. Oil (True)
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Candidates began to use social media for their campaigns in a major way in
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a. 1996 and 2000. b. 2000 and 2004. (Wrong) c. 2004 and 2008. d. 2008 and 2012. (Right)
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What happened when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) abolished the Fairness Doctrine in 1987?
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a. Conservative and liberal talk-radio hosts had about equal success. b. Liberal talk-radio hosts quickly outpaced conservatives. c. Conservative talk-radio hosts quickly outpaced liberals. d. Talk radio virtually disappeared from both AM and FM radio. (Wrong)
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The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
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a. enforces state and some federal air and water quality standards. (True) b. regulates timber cutting in East Texas forests. c. regulates air pollution but not water pollution. d. lost its oversight authority of toxic waste dumping in 1997.
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Which of the following land-based industries formed the basis of the early economic development of Texas?
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a. Cotton, cattle, timber, and oil (True) b. Cattle, oil, corn, and real estate speculation c. Mining, cattle, natural gas, and oil d. Manufacturing, oil, silver, and cotton
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"A public institution with authority to formulate, adopt, implement, and enforce public policies for a society" defines
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a. politics. b. public policy. c. government. (True) d. justice.
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Over the years criticism has been leveled at the Health and Human Services Commission and the Texas attorney general for
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a. defunding health care for the poor. b. accepting the Obama health care reforms. (Wrong) c. a lack of drive in pursuing nursing home violations. (Right) d. cutting back on free child care and food stamp programs.
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Probably the most important duty of the Texas Railroad Commission from the standpoint of the rest of the United States is
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a. regulating the production of oil and natural gas. (True) b. setting the price of Texas-produced petroleum sold outside Texas. c. regulating intrastate trucking commerce. d. regulating the storage of toxic waste in underground salt domes.
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If someone fails to claim their prize from the Texas Lottery within 180 days after a drawing the money is used to fund
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a. welfare programs. (right) b. public education. c. gambling addiction treatment programs. (Wrong) d. hospitals for indigent care.
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Which of the following is not true of newsmagazines?
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a. There are more newsmagazines than there are newspapers, and they are read by more people. (True) b. They are quite influential because they are read by elites. c. Their reporters have more time to gather and study information for their stories. d. Texas lacks competition between major newsmagazines.
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NAFTA has been criticized because of
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a. loss of clothing manufacturers in the United States. b. increased air pollution. (Wrong) c. economic damage to fruit and vegetable producers in Texas. d. all of these choices are common criticisms of NAFTA. (right)
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Which of the following is true regarding freedom of the press in Texas?
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a. Texas has a shield law that protects journalists from having to reveal certain confidential sources. b. Texas has a right-to-know law that requires journalists to reveal all of their sources upon request. c. Texas has a prior restraint law that allows the government to block newspapers from using certain sources. (Wrong) d. Texas has no laws regarding freedom of the press.
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Which of the following is false regarding maquiladoras?
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a. They have become common on the Mexican side of the border since the passage of NAFTA. b. Labor policies in maquiladoras have been found to endanger women who work there. (Wrong) c. They are confined largely to food-processing industries. (right) d. They enable U.S. goods to be made with cheaper labor in Mexico and exported to the United States without being taxed.
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The Asian American population of Texas is
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a. descended from Chinese laborers. b. primarily immigrant, having come from Southeast Asia. (Wrong) c. concentrated in rural areas of the state. d. is statistically less likely than other groups to attend universities. (right)
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When reporting is done in a combative style that features opposition, it is referred to as
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a. objective journalism. b. adversarial journalism.(True) c. yellow journalism. d. professional journalism.
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Which of the following is true of high-technology jobs?
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a. They tend to be low-wage jobs with few benefits. b.The government of Texas has done nothing to encourage the development of high-technology jobs in the state. c. More than one-third of high-technology jobs are in technical, managerial, and professional positions. (True) d. Most high-technology firms produce products like farm tractors, toasters, and spatulas.
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Which interests tend to benefit most from Texas business and regulatory policies?
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a. Business (True) b. Environmental c. Consumer d. Public interest
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The current Texas testing program (STAAR) is controversial because
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a. it requires end-of-course tests for some subjects. b. it is used for evaluating teachers and schools. (Wrong) c. in practice, it encourages teaching to the test. d. All of these choices are true of the STAAR testing program. (right)
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In the case of University of California v. Bakke (1978), the US. Supreme Court ruled that _______ could be considered as one factor along with other criteria to achieve diversity in higher education.
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a. gender b. race (True) c. religion d. class
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In recent years, Texas's poverty rate has been
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a. 1-2 percent of the population. b. 15-23 percent of the population. (True) c. 40-56 percent of the population. d. 65-81 percent of the population.
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Which is a true statement regarding agriculture in Texas?
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a. It is hampered by poor rail, road, and harbor facilities. b. It sells most of its output in Texas grocery stores. c. It produces commodities that are all processed in Texas. (Wrong) d. It is characterized by a decreasing number of farms with large acreages.
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Which of the following has been a trend in news coverage?
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a. There has been no change over time in the diversity and quality of news. b. There has been less softening of the news, and more hard news. (Wrong) c. There has been a reduction in the number of and range of alternative sources of news. d. Competition for viewers and advertising dollars has led to more entertainment and less news in broadcasts. (right)
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Texas may accrue state debt when it
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a. relies on federal fimding. ( Wrong ) b. instituted a state-wide lottery system. c. passes a supplemental budget. d. issues general obligation or revenue bonds. (buyuk ihtimal)
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A bond whose repayment is guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the state is a
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a. revenue bond. b. general obligation bond. (True) c. special assessment bond. d. limited obligation bond.
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Decisions by local school boards and superintendents are primarily shaped by
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a. the federal government. b. state rules. (True) c. the Texas Senate. d. county rules.
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More than half of the expenditures in Texas are paid from
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a. federal grants-in-aid. b. the general revenue fund. c. dedicated funds. (True) d. general obligation and revenue bonds.
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Conservative members of the State Board of Education tend to be
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a.Anglo Republicans. (True) b. African American Democrats. c. Anglo Democrats. d. Latina Republicans.
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The "values, attitudes, traditions, habits, and general behavioral patterns that develop overtime and shape the politics of a particular region," are collectively referred to as
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a. political culture. (True) b. political socialization. c. political economics. d. political geography.
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Which of the following is not a reason that newspapers began to move away from strong partisanship toward more even-handed, objective reporting in the last half of the 19th century?
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a. The government passed laws requiring greater objectivity and less partisanship. b. Increased circulation meant publishers had to be more moderate and professional to avoid alienating advertisers. (buyuk ihtimal) c. Increased circulation meant publishers had to be more moderate and professional to avoid alienating subscribers. d. Newspapers shared stories from news services like the Associated Press.
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The traditional Texas fiscal policy is the achievement of a balanced budget through
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a. low taxes and low levels of public spending. (True) b. high taxes and low public spending. c. high taxes and high public spending. d. low taxes and high public spending.
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Assume that you are a newly divorced, 27-year-old mother of two nondisabled children; your former husband has run off and cannot be located to make child support payments; you never graduated from high school; and you own no property. You are definitely ineligible for
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a. food stamps. b. Medicaid. c. Medicare. (True) d. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
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Which of the following is not true of civic engagement and the Internet, according to study by the Pew Research Internet Project?
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a. Use of the Internet and social media lead to less civic engagement and political activity. b. Lower education and income have less of a negative effect on civic engagement among Facebook and Twitter users. c. Young people are more likely than older adults to be engaged in political activities on social networking sites. d. There was major growth in political activity on social networking sites during 2008-2012. (Wrong)
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In the case of Fisher v. University of Texas, the Supreme Court held that to use race as a criterion for admission,
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a. the university must demonstrate to a court that it is necessary. b. the university's decision to use race must fact "strict scrutiny. " (Wrong) c. race could not be used in admission decisions. d. the university must demonstrate to a court that it is necessary and the university's decision to use race must fact "strict scrutiny." (buyuk ihtimal)
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Most non-farm jobs in Texas are in the general area of
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a. manufacturing. b. service providing. (right) c. food processing. (Wrong) d. local government.
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Texas's commitment to education began with which state constitution?
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1836
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Laws that segregated African Americans and denied them access to public services were known as
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Jim Crow laws
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A state tax levied on a natural resource taken from the earth is the
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severance tax
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When the news media says how important an issue is or which part of a situation is most important, they are engaging in
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priming
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Government decisions regarding revenues, expenditures, and borrowing are referred to as
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fiscal policy
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Talk radio has long been dominated by
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conservatives
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By 2014, approximately what proportion of Texas children were living in poverty?
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One in four (1/4)
