Texas Politics chp. 3, 12, 13, 14 – Flashcards
Unlock all answers in this set
Unlock answersquestion
ability-to-pay theory of taxation
answer
An approach to government finance that holds that taxes should be based on an individual's financial resources.
question
Adversary proceeding
answer
A legal procedure in which each side presents evidence and arguments to bolster its position while rebutting evidence that might support the other side.
question
Aggravated offenses
answer
Violent crimes
question
Arraignment
answer
A judicial proceeding at which a suspect is formally charged with a crime and asked to enter a plea.
question
Authorization process
answer
the procedure through which Congress legislatively establishes a program, defines its general purpose, devises procedures for its operation, specifies an agency for implementation, and indicates an approximate level of funding.
question
Biennium
answer
two-year budget period.
question
Bilingual education
answer
teaching of academic subjects in both English and student's native language, usually Spanish.
question
Booking
answer
An administrative procedure in which law enforcement personnel document a suspect's arrest.
question
Burden of proof
answer
The legal obligation of one party in a lawsuit to prove its position to a court.
question
Charter school
answer
A publicly funded but privately managed school that operates under the terms of a formal contract, or charter, with the state.
question
Clearance rate
answer
the proportion of crimes known to authorities for which an arrest is made.
question
Conflict of interest
answer
a situation in which the personal interests of a public official may clash with that official's professional responsibilities.
question
Deferred adjudication
answer
A type of probation that can be granted by a judge to a defendant who pleads guilty or nolo contendere to certain, relatively less serious offenses.
question
Dual school system
answer
separate sets of schools for white and African American youngsters.
question
Eminent domain
answer
The authority to take private property for public use upon just compensation.
question
Employees Retirement System (ERS) Trust Fund
answer
A pension fund for state employees.
question
Entitlement programs
answer
Government programs providing benefits to all persons qualified to receive them under law.
question
Equal Protection Clause
answer
The constitutional provision found in the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution that declares "No state shall... deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
question
Excise tax
answer
A tax levied on the manufacture, transportation, sale, or consumption of a particular item or set of related items.
question
Federal grant program
answer
A program through which the national government gives money to state and local governments to spend in accordance with set standards and conditions.
question
Federal preemption of state authority
answer
an act of Congress adopting regulatory policies that overrule state policies in a particular regulatory area.
question
Federal system or federation
answer
A political system that divides power between a central government, with authority over the whole nation, and a series of state governments.
question
Felony
answer
A serious criminal offense, such as murder, sexual assault, or burglary.
question
Formula grant program
answer
A grant program that awards funding on the basis of a formula established by Congress.
question
Foundation School Program
answer
The basic funding program for public education in the state of Texas.
question
Franchise Tax
answer
A tax on businesses chartered or organized in Texas and doing business in the state.
question
General Fund
answer
the state treasury account that supports state programs and services without restriction.
question
Good time
answer
A prison policy that credits inmates with time off for good behavior.
question
Grand jury
answer
A body of 12 citizens that hears evidence presented by the prosecuting attorney and decides whether to indict an accused person.
question
Hospital district
answer
A special district that provides emergency medical services, indigent healthcare, and community health services.
question
Incremental model of budgeting
answer
A theoretical effort to explain the budget process on the basis of small (incremental).
question
Independent school districts (ISDs)
answer
Units of local government that provide public education services to district residents from kindergarten through the 12th grade.
question
Indictment
answer
A formal accusation charging an individual with the commission of a crime.
question
Interstate Commerce Clause
answer
The constitutional provision giving Congress the authority to "regulated commerce... among the several states."
question
Long ballot
answer
An election system that provides for the election of nearly every public official of any significance.
question
Magistrates
answer
Judicial officers.
question
Matching funds requirement
answer
A legislative provision that the national government will provide grant money for a particular activity only on the condition that the state or local government involved supply a certain percentage of the total money required for the project or program.
question
Medicaid
answer
A federal program designed to provide health insurance coverage to low-income persons, people with disabilities, and elderly people who are impoverished.
question
Medicare
answer
A federal health insurance program for people 65 and older and people with permanent disabilities.
question
Miranda warning
answer
the judicial stipulation that a criminal defendant's confession cannot be admitted into evidence unless police first inform the defendant of the constitutional right to remain silent and to consult an attorney.
question
Misdemeanor
answer
A relatively minor criminal offense, such as a traffic violation.
question
National Crime Victim Survey (NCVS)
answer
A measure of the incidence of crime in the United States based on interviews with people in more than 50,000 households.
question
National Supremacy Clause
answer
The provision found in Article IV of the Constitution that declares that the U.S. Constitution, the laws made under it, and the treaties of the United States are the supreme law of the land.
question
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act
answer
A federal law that requires state governments and local school districts to institute basic skills testing in reading and mathematics for students in grades three through eight, and use of the results to assess school performance.
question
Nolo Contendere
answer
A plea indicating a defendant's decision not to contest a criminal charge.
question
Nonpartisan elections
answer
Election contests in which the names of the candidates, but not their party affiliations, appear on the ballot.
question
Pari-mutuel wagering
answer
A system for gambling on horse and dog racing.
question
Performance-based budgeting
answer
A system of budget preparation and evaluation in which policymakers identify specific policy goals, set performance targets for agencies, and measure results.
question
Permanent School Fund (PSF)
answer
A fund established in the Texas Constitution as an endowment to finance public elementary and secondary education.
question
Plea bargain
answer
A procedure in which a defendant agrees to plead guilty in order to receive punishment less than the maximum for an offense.
question
Police power
answer
The authority to promote the health, welfare, and safety of the people.
question
Probable cause
answer
The reasonable belief that a crime has been committed and that a particular suspect is the likely perpetrator of that crime.
question
Progressive tax
answer
A levy whose burden weighs more heavily on persons earning higher incomes than it does on individuals making less money.
question
Project grant program
answer
A grant program that requires state and local governments to compete for available federal money.
question
Recidivism
answer
The tendency of offenders released from prison to commit additional crimes and be returned behind bars.
question
Robin Hood plan
answer
A reform of the state's school finance system designed to increase funding for poor school districts by redistributing money from wealthy districts.
question
School choice
answer
An educational reform movement that allows parents to choose the elementary or secondary school their children will attend.
question
School Lunch Program
answer
A federal program that provides free or reduced-cost lunches to children from poor families.
question
Sovereignty
answer
The authority of a state to exercise legitimate powers within its boundaries, free from eternal interference.
question
State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
answer
A federal program designed to provide health insurance to children from low-income families whose parents are not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid.
question
Subpoena
answer
A legal order compelling a person's attendance at an official proceeding, such as a trail.
question
Susidence
answer
The sinking of the surface of the land caused by the too-rapid extraction of subsurface water.
question
Sunset review
answer
The periodic evaluation of state agencies by the legislature to determine whether they should be reauthorized.
question
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
answer
Formerly the Food Stamp Program, it is a federal program that provides food vouchers to low-income families and individuals.
question
Tax elasticity
answer
The extent to which tax revenues increase as personal income rises.
question
Tax incidence
answer
The point at which the actual cost of a tax falls.
question
Temporary Assistance For Needy Families (TANF)
answer
A federal black grant program that provides temporary financial assistance and work opportunities to needy families.
question
Texas Teacher Retirement System (TRS) Trust Fund
answer
A pension fund for the state's public school teachers.
question
Uniform Crime Report (UCR)
answer
A record of offenses known to police compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from reports submitted by local law enforcement agencies.
question
Utility district
answer
A special district that provides utilities, such as water and sewer service, to residents living in unincorporated urban areas.
