Test Bank Public Policy In Texas Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Public Policy in Texas

MULTIPLE CHOICE

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

a. policy identification

b. policy setting

c. agenda formulation

d. policy evaluation

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 1

Text Answer Hint: Steps in the Policy-Making Process: The “Policy Cycle”

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

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

a. policy adoption

b. policy implementation

c. agenda setting

d. policy evaluation

Critical Thinking: Comprehension

Difficulty: 1

Text Answer Hint: Steps in the Policy-Making Process: The “Policy Cycle”

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

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

a. policy adoption

b. policy implementation

c. problem identification

d. policy evaluation

Critical Thinking: Comprehension

Difficulty: 1

Text Answer Hint: Steps in the Policy-Making Process: The “Policy Cycle”

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. Which step of the ideal policy cycle is most often skipped?
   1. Problem identification
   2. Policy formulation
   3. Policy adoption
   4. Policy evaluation

Critical Thinking: Comprehension

Difficulty: 2

Text Answer Hint: Steps in the Policy-Making Process: The “Policy Cycle”

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. 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.

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 1

Text Answer Hint: Steps in the Policy-Making Process: The “Policy Cycle”

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. A policy liberalism index is a measure of:
   1. How liberal or conservative a state is on certain policies
   2. How liberal or conservative the voters of a state are
   3. How liberal or conservative the state legislators are
   4. How liberal or conservative the state constitution is

Critical Thinking: Comprehension

Difficulty: 2

Text Answer Hint: Policy Liberalism Index

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. Which state was rated the most liberal in the SPI policy liberalism ranking in 2012?

a. New York

b. New Jersey

c. California

d. Massachusetts

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 1

Text Answer Hint: Policy Liberalism Index

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. Compared to the other states, where did Texas fall in the SPI policy liberalism ranking in 2012?

a. 34th

b. 44th

c. 24th

d. 49th

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 1

Text Answer Hint: Policy Liberalism Index

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. 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.

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 1

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. Texas is considered a pro-business environment because:
   1. It requires labor union membership
   2. It encourages collective bargaining
   3. It promotes corporate subsidies
   4. Its courts are not friendly to plaintiffs who sue businesses

Critical Thinking: Comprehension

Difficulty: 2

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. 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.

Critical Thinking: Comprehension

Difficulty: 2

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. 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

Critical Thinking: Comprehension

Difficulty: 2

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. 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.

Critical Thinking: Comprehension

Difficulty: 1

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. Compared to other states, Texas spends:
   1. More on welfare and less on health
   2. Less on both welfare and health
   3. More on both welfare and health
   4. Less on welfare and more on health

Critical Thinking: Comprehension

Difficulty: 2

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. What is the name of the federal program that

Map 11.1 – Monthly TANF Benefits by State

SOURCE: Ife Finch & Liz Schott, “TANF Benefits Fell Further in 2011 and Are Worth Much Less Than in 1996 in Most States,” Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Nov. 2011 (http://www.cbpp.org/files/11–21-11pov.pdf).

1. According to Map 11.1, which state has the lowest monthly TANF benefit?
   1. Alaska
   2. Texas
   3. Mississippi
   4. California

Critical Thinking: Application

Difficulty: 2

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

Map 11.1 – Monthly TANF Benefits by State

SOURCE: Ife Finch & Liz Schott, “TANF Benefits Fell Further in 2011 and Are Worth Much Less Than in 1996 in Most States,” Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Nov. 2011 (http://www.cbpp.org/files/11–21-11pov.pdf).

1. Based on Map 11.1, which region of the country has the lowest monthly TANF benefits?
   1. The Northwest
   2. The South
   3. The Northeast
   4. The Midwest

Critical Thinking: Application

Difficulty: 2

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. Compared to other states, how does Texas compare to other states with regard to “public welfare” spending?
   1. Slightly below average
   2. Slightly above average
   3. Significantly below average
   4. Significantly above average

Critical Thinking: Comprehension

Difficulty: 2

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. 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.

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 1

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. 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

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 1

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. 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.

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 1

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. The individual mandate is:
   1. The requirement that every person has health insurance
   2. The belief that individual’s should not be dependent on state welfare
   3. The belief that parents should be able to use state funding to pay for private school
   4. The requirement that all welfare recipients be drug tested

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 1

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. Texas has a relatively high poverty rate but low enrollment in Medicaid. This suggests that:
   1. Texans are very healthy
   2. Healthcare in Texas is cheap
   3. The poverty rate is not calculated correctly
   4. Texas has relatively stringent eligibility requirements for Medicaid

Critical Thinking: Comprehension

Difficulty: 2

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

Map 11.2 – Medicaid Expansion by State

SOURCE: National Conference of State Legislatures, “State Decisions on ACA-Related Medicaid Expansion,” January 2016, http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/affordable-care-act-expansion.aspx.

1. According to Map 11.2, which of the following states is currently working on implementing an alternative to Medicare expansion?
   1. Kentucky
   2. New Mexico
   3. New Hampshire
   4. Texas

Critical Thinking: Comprehension

Difficulty: 2

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

Map 11.2 – Medicaid Expansion by State

SOURCE: National Conference of State Legislatures, “State Decisions on ACA-Related Medicaid Expansion,” January 2016, http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/affordable-care-act-expansion.aspx.

1. Based on Map 11.2, which region of the country was more likely to follow federal government recommendations to expand Medicaid coverage?
   1. The Pacific states
   2. The Deep South
   3. The Midwest
   4. New England

Critical Thinking: Application

Difficulty: 2

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. 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

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 1

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. 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

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 1

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. 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

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 1

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. 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

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 2

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. A Robin Hood Plan:
   1. Provides healthcare for low-income families
   2. Requires larger companies to subsidize small businesses
   3. Takes money from rich school districts and distributes it to poor school districts
   4. Uses inheritance taxes to pay for welfare programs

Critical Thinking: Comprehension

Difficulty: 2

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. Higher education in Texas:
   1. Is primarily funded by tax dollars
   2. Is primarily funded by tuition and fees
   3. Is funded by an even mix of tax revenue and tuition
   4. Is primarily funded by federal grants

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 1

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. 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.

Critical Thinking: Comprehension

Difficulty: 2

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. 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

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 1

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. 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.

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 1

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. Texas schools such as Texas Tech and the University of Houston:
   1. Do not receive any funds from the state
   2. Are funded by the Permanent University Fund
   3. Are prohibited from accepting private donations
   4. Are funded by the Higher Education Assistance Funds

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 1

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. 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

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 1

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. The Top Ten Percent Rule aims to:
   1. Equalize funding in public K-12 schools
   2. Increase minority enrollment in Texas universities
   3. Make it easier for low income families to purchase better healthcare coverage
   4. Provide pay raises for outstanding teachers

Critical Thinking: Comprehension

Difficulty: 2

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. 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

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 2

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. 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

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 1

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. Undocumented immigrants in Texas are still eligible to receive:
   1. Food stamps
   2. K-12 education
   3. Welfare
   4. Public housing

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 1

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

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

a. $20

b. $78

c. $100

d. $140

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 2

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. 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.

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 1

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. In 2015, the Supreme Court ruled that state bans on same-sex marriage violated the Fourteenth Amendment in which case?
   1. Obergefell v. Hodges
   2. Loving v. Virginia
   3. Grutter v. Bollinger
   4. Shelby County v. Holder

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 1

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. Which 2013 Supreme Court decision ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act violated the equal protection and was unconstitutional?
   1. Obergefell v. Hodges
   2. United States v. Windsor
   3. Lawrence v. Texas
   4. Bowers v. Hardwick

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 1

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. 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 these answers are correct.

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 1

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. 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.

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 1

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. 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

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 1

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. 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

Critical Thinking: Application

Difficulty: 2

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. 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 these answers are correct.

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 2

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. Accord to Texas water law and policies:
   1. Surface water is publicly owned and groundwater is private property
   2. Surface water and groundwater are both publicly owned
   3. Surface water and groundwater are both private property
   4. Surface water is private property and groundwater is publicly owned

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 2

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

1. 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.

Critical Thinking: Knowledge

Difficulty: 1

Text Answer Hint: Public Policy Areas in Texas State Government

Topic: Public Policy in Texas

Texas Standards: Texas LO-8. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.

ESSAY

1. List the steps in the policy-making cycle. Are all the steps needed in all policy making? Explain.
2. Discuss policy liberalism indices and how they can be used to compare the 50 states.
3. In what ways is regulatory policy in Texas friendly to business? Does this mean it is also unfriendly to labor? Explain.
4. How does per capita welfare spending in Texas compare to that of the other 49 states? How do you explain Texas’s relative ranking?
5. What are the main provisions of the Affordable Care Act? How did Governor Rick Perry react to its passage?
6. How are school districts financed in Texas? Why is this funding controversial?
7. Define the “10 percent rule.” Argue for or against its fairness to students.
8. 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?
9. 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?
10. How does the state of Texas regulate abortion? What are the key rules that define the circumstances and conditions for obtaining the procedure?
11. 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.