Texas Government 2306: Module 3 Test Review – Flashcards
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What most accurately describes patronage?
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rewards from elected officials for campaign supporters.
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State political parties fulfill which of the following functions?
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nomination of presidential candidates
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The theoretical view that each party should hold firmly to a clear and consistent set of policies refers to
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the responsible party model.
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Political party planks are
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the individual issue positions of the party platform.
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By the year _________, Democrats were unable to effectively challenge Republicans for any statewide office.
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2000
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What best describes a Grassroots organization?
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A group in which decision making resides with the average citizens.
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Which two party officers do primary voters elect?
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The precinct chair and the county chair.
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At national conventions today,
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The presidential campaign organization tends to dominate.
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What is held on the same day as the party primary?
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The precinct part convention.
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Following the election of 2010, republicans held which offices in Texas?
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The Attorney General, The Comptroller, The Lieutenant Governor, and The Governor
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What is true about party competition in Texas?
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Two-party competition for U.S. congressional seats is common
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The _______ Party has won most elections throughout the history of Texas.
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Democratic
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Primary voter turnout is higher in the ___________ party.
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Republican
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What percentage of Texans think of themselves as Republicans?
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47%
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What percentage of Texans think of themselves as Democrats?
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43%
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What is one consequence of weak political parties in Texas?
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Political outsiders often gain statewide office.
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What is a modern source of influence that has weakened political parties in Texas?
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National Politics.
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Organized interests
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Benefit by the vacuum left by a lack of party competition in Texas.
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The phenomena of legislators and members of the executive branch moving easily from the government office to lucrative positions with lobbying firms is called
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The revolving door
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The idea that a greater number of organized interests means wider participation and a healthier democracy is called
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The pluralistic perspective.
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The idea that a greater number of narrow interests makes it difficult to formulate public policy that will serve the broader public interests is called
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Hyperpluralism.
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What describes public interest groups?
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Organizations that pursue noneconomic policies on behalf of the general populace
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What describes trade associations?
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Organizations of similar businesses working together to advance shared goals.
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What describes labor unions?
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Organizations that represent the interests of working people seeking better pay and better working conditions.
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Organized interests can best overcome the free-rider problem to join by providing
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Selective incentives that only group members can enjoy.
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Contributing funds to candidates through a political action committee (PAC) is an example of organized interest...
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Electioneering
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Why are state and federal laws limiting organized Interest contributions to campaigns quite limited in their effectiveness in keeping interest group money out of elections?
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Groups can spend unlimited amounts of money if there is no coordination with the candidate.
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What is true about Texas law on lobbyists and political contributions to legislators?
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Contributions are prohibited during legislative session.
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The AFL-CIO is an example of a
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Labor Union
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Professional Associations address the needs of
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Professionals not represented by unions
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51% of money spent by PACs in Texas during the 2009-2010 election cycle came from
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Business PACs
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What accurately describes voter registration requirements in Texas?
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Citizens must register to cote at least 30 days before and election.
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What barrier to voting in post-Reconstruction Texas was rarely used?
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Literacy Test
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Texas extended voting rights to which group even before federal laws were passed?
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Young voters in lowering the voting age to eighteen.
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What is a way of getting one's name on the ballot in Texas?
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Through obtaining sufficient signatures
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Electronic voting in Texas
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is financially costly but perceived as a necessary investment
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In a closed primary election,
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The election contest excludes supporters of other political parties.
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In an open primary election,
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Voters do not have to declare party affiliation to participate.
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Suffrage refers to...
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The right to vote.
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What eliminated the use of white primaries in Texas?
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A U.S. Supreme Court decision.
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The Voting Rights Act of 1965...
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Was initiated by the U.S. federal government, not the Texas State government.
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An electoral candidate without a political party affiliation...
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Is called an Independent Candidate.
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On what day are National Elections held?
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The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
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The candidate who already holds office up for elections called the
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Incumbent
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Voter Turnout refers to...
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The number of people casting ballots in a given election
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The maintenance of the voter registration list is the responsibility of ______ government.
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County
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Which state lacks any form of Voter Registration?
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North Dakota
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Which demographic group turns out to vote in higher percentages in Texas than in Minnesota?
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Asian Americans
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The ________ Act of 1993 has contributed to increased voter registration.
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Motor Voter
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Voter registration in Texas has ___________ since 1970.
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Slightly increased
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Texas voter turnout is _________ the United States as a whole.
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Lower than in
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The authors list three types of policies at the beginning of Chapter 13. Which type of policy is mentioned?
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Redistributive policy
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The state general sales tax is
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Not applied to any food-related purchases.
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The Authors note several different types of taxes. What describes the severance tax?
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A tax on the extraction of natural resources.
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What is not a tax levied on Texans by their state?
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The Income Tax
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What do the authors cite as an example of a regressive form of taxation?
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The Sales Tax
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Texas relies on other resources of revenue than taxes. What is an accurate statement regarding these sources of revenue?
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Grants from the federal government make up around 40% of the states revenue.
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The author describes Texas as a "Pay-as-you-go" state. What does the Phrase "pay-as-you-go" mean?
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The Texas Constitution requires a balanced budget, thus limiting debt.
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A bill cannot be considered passed by the legislature unless the ___________ has authorized that the amount to be spent by the bill is available.
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Comptroller
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What is the Primary source of Texas's "Rainy Day Fund?"
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Oil and Gas Taxes
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Although unpopular among many groups, why does the lottery remain a revenue source for Texas?
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The revenue lost from eliminating the lottery would mean spending cuts or raising other taxes.
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Subsidies are incentives designed to _______ the production or purchase of certain goods.
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Stimulate.
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Description of a Sin Tax?
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Taxes on products an activities that legislators would like to discourage.
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The state's largest source of investment income is?
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Income from the Permanent School Fund
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What Percentage of State revenue comes from Taxation?
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48%
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A tax on real estate is a(an)
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Property Tax
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Which government function receives the most public expenditures?
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Health and Human Services
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Which government function receives second most expenditure?
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Employee benefits
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Bob Bullock increases the comptroller budget by promising the governor and state legislature...
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Dramatically increased state revenue.
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The official name for the rainy day fund is...
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Economic Stabilization Fun
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In what year was the Legislative Budget Board created?
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1949
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What what the original purpose of the Legislative Budget Board?
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1) Consolidate the many appropriation bills. 2) Coordinate the budget process. *All of the above*
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The Legislative Budget Board is Co-Chaired by
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Speaker of the House and the Lieutenant Governor.
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Which agency is responsible for assisting the Governor in the development of the budget proposal?
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Governors office of Budget, Planning, and Policy
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The purpose of Legislative Appropriation Request (LAR) is to...
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Guide agencies in developing their budget requests.
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An appraiser comes out to your house and judges the current market value of the property. her appraisal results in a change to your property tax. this is an example of a(an)...
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ad valorem tax
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What is the current annual cap on the annual increase in taxable value for a home
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10%
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The state's general sales tax is set at ________ percent.
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6.25
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The Gilmer-Akin Act of _______ created the modern public school system in Texas.
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1949
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In which case did the U.S. Supreme Court demand that public schools were not to be segregated based on race?
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Brown v. Board of Education
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On average, Texas school districts get the greatest amount of revenue from which source?
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Local governments
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The "Robin Hood" school finance plan came as the result of which court ruling?
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Edgewood ISD v. Kirby
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Which method does not hold educators accountable?
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the Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX)
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The No Child Left Behind Act...
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is the federal education act requiring schools to institute mandatory testing.
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The Permanent University Fund (PUF) was established to help fund...
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the University of Texas and Texas A&M systems
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The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) is made up of _______ members who are _________.
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Nine: appointed by the governor
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Hopwood v. Texas addresses...
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University admissions taking into consideration race-based criteria.
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What is not a condition for receiving funds through Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)?
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Completing the next higher level of education.
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The Lone Star Card is associated with which social program?
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the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
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What is required of Texas by the Passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)?
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To create a state health insurance marketplace or, if it does not do so, face the federal government creating one for it.
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Where Medicare benefits _______, Medicaid benefits _______.
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are received by those who have paid into the program; are received by low-income elderly and disabled people regardless of ability to pay.
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What describes the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) accurately?
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It targets families who make too much to be on medicaid but lack private health insurance.
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The father of Texas Education was...
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Mirabeau Lamar
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The Brown v. Board of Education decision produced what response in Texas?
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No desegregation plan.
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What did the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) allege the state of Texas failed to do in their 2014 lawsuit?
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Support programs to help students learn English.
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The majority of ELL students have been in the United States for at least _________ years.
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Three
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Which federal judge ordered desegregation in 1970?
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Judge William Wayne Justice
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In 1989, the Supreme Court of Texas ruled that the Texas school funding system violated rules laid out by...
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The Texas Constitution
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At which high school did state officials refuse to guarantee the safety for black students?
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Mansfield
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The Texas Legislature mandated a state-wide curriculum in...
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1981
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The Texas legislation that established an equalized wealth level for schools was called...
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Robin Hood Plan
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Critics of the state legislature's attempts to resolve public education finance argue that the lack of students funds for education force local districts to take the following action:
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Raise property taxes to the Maximum.
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What is one of the consequences of the rising costs of education?
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Tax payers take more interest in how money is spent.
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The test that teachers must take to assure basic competency is called ____________.
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TECAT
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(True of false)The goal of standardized testing is to offer taxpayers a standard against which to evaluate student and school performance.
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True.
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The 2013 education reforms passed by the Texas state legislature reduced...
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standardized testing
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How many people serve on the Higher Education Coordinating Board?
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Thirteen
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The result of Sweatt v. Painter (1950) was...
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The creation of Texas State University for Negroes
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Although oil was discovered in other parts of the state earlier, the Texas Oil boom began with a massive oil find in...
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Beaumont
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The authors mention the recession of the __________ as the beginning of the diversification of the Texas economy away from oil.
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1980s
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During the Great Depression, Texas government attempted primarily to curtail what among oil producers?
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Overproduction that drove prices down.
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The power of a government to take private property for public use, generally for public functions such as roads is called...
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Eminent Domain
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The cash poor Texas government originally paid for the extension of the railroad with what resource?
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Land
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How does modern fracking differ from traditional fracking?
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Modern fracking uses more water than traditional
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What is the best description of a negative externality?
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An unintended cost imposed on someone not involved in an economic transaction.
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What is a good description of the air quality in Texas?
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The air quality has improved in recent decades.
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The authors contrast the differences between California and Texas in their approaches to environmental protection. What activity is California's position at the forefront highlighted?
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Automobile emissions
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How are water rights connected to land ownership in Texas?
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Property owners own the water below their property
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What is true about wind power in Texas?
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Texas leads all states in wind power production.
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What is the most prominent concern the authors expressed about the Andrews County radioactive waste site?
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Its proximity to the Ogallala Aquifer creates a risk for water contamination.
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How has the funding for Texas roads changed since the twentieth century?
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Funding is now based more on fees and bonds issued by the government.
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Besides building and maintaining roads, the Good Roads Amendments, demands road user fees will be spent on...
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Education
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Which city's light rail system has not only the greatest number of operated miles in Texas, but in the nation as well?
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Dallas
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The benefits Texas experiences due to immigration does not include that...
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Immigrants raise demand for government services and increase public employment.
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What is not true about the Texas Dream Act?
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It required those covered by it to be seeking citizenship.
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What was the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling in Plyler v. Doe (1982)?
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Public schools could not charge illegal immigrants for public education.
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Who is primarily responsible for protecting the environment in the state of Texas?
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Texas Commission for Environmental Quality
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What is the significance of Spicewood Beach?
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It's the First Texas Town to run out of water
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(True of False) In 2014 almost twenty towns in Texas came within ninety days of running out of water.
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True
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What did not contribute to the Water shortage in Texas?
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Selling water to other states
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(True or False) The rule of capture comes from English common law.
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True
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The development of Wind Energy was added by which federal incentive?
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Clean energy tax
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Which type of Alternative energy has Texas excelled in developing?
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Wind
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The creation of the first regulatory commission in the state of Texas was charged with the task of overseeing the task of overseeing which industry?
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Railroad
