Final Exam 5 Flashcards
The origins of Modern Welfare Policy Lie is in
the New Deal of the 1930’s
Supporters of vouchers argue that __________; while opponents argue that __________.
parental choice among schools would promote competition, and enhance achievement ; vouchers take needed funnels from inferior schools and may create a stratification of schools.
Around three - quarters of individuals on Medicaid in Texas are
non disabled children
The debate over public education in Texas goes back to the
break with Mexico
On effective way to improve public education in Texas that a majority of Democrats, Republicans, and Tea Party supporters would accept is
higher pay for teachers
Pleasy v. Ferguson (1896)
a Supreme Court case in which upheld Jim Crow Laws with doctrine “Separate, but Equal” later overturned through Brown v. Board of Education
In 2016, Texas Supreme Court held that the existing system for funding public schools met the minimum constitutional provinces for
general diffusion of knowledge
In 2018, how many students enrolled in school are in Texas?
5 million
______ refers to the idea that policy makers formulated and implemented policy that addresses problems in an optional manner or efficient manner.
rationality
Which U.S Supreme Court case overturned Plessy v. Ferguson, ruling that state-imposed segregation in schools, isolated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment?
Brown v. Board of Education
In the 1973 San Antonio v. Rodriguez case, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that states such as Texas
are not required to sub size poorer school districts under the Equal Protection Clause
Welfare reforms are measured along which two dimensions?
The number of people on welfare and the success of getting people into the workforce
One of the controversies aiming out of the Medicaid Women’s Health Program in Texas involved
The program and the costs of birth control, health screenings, and family exams.
What is the State of Texas Access Reform (STAR) program?
targeted at non-disabled children, low income families, and pregnant women
Which government entity administered and determined the benefit levels for Aid for Dependent Children, Old Age Assistance, and Aid for the Blind?
state
Which agency is responsible for administering and coordinating the major welfare and antipoverty programs in Texas?
the Texas Health and Human Services Commission
In March 2010, Congress passed ______, substantially altering the nation’s health care system.
the Affordable Care Act
Refers to the idea that policy will be developed that will maximize the output of government with a minimum commitment of resources.
Optimality or efficiency
Since policy makers do not have enough time or resources to make a fully rational or optimal decision, they may therefore try to ______.
satisfice
Which of the following in the policy making cycle occurs last?
policy evaluation
Since the late 1960s, de facto segregation
Was still a problem in urban public schools with a large minority population
In 2016, approximately what percentage of Texans lived below the poverty line?
15
The three main issues that have shaped education policy in Texas over the last 50 years have been
Funding, desegregation, and educational excellence.
Which of the following helps explain why the push to use testing and accountability as tools to reform the educational system in Texas was successful?
at-risk students and their better-off peers.
- low levels of per-student spending
- relatively high levels of economically disadvantaged and at-risk students
- high dropout rates
The generally accepted standard by which poverty is measured in the United States is the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services poverty index.
In 1965, Congress created the Medicaid program, a state federal program to
Provide healthcare for the poor
Texas determines which children are eligible for reduced-price or free lunch at school based on
- offer enrichment for at-risk children/teenagers after regular school day
- program must be offered in area where AT LEAST 50% of children are eligible for free/reduced-price meals based on school data
Unless legally exempt, in order to receive benefits through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, recipients must
able-bodied poor w/ children to support and poor pregnant women with work requirements
Coordinated through categorical eligibility with SSI and Medicaid
Income eligibility set by states, more than half of the states set an initial income limit at 50% or below the Federal Poverty Level
Families w/ kids
Must satisfy working requirements to maintain eligibility
This did not mean getting a job…it meant complying with the personal responsibility plan that included work activities
lots of things other than working counted to satisfy the “work related activities” requirement
Under the separate but equal doctrine in the 1920s and the 1930s, the amount of money Texas spent on black students was ______ the amount spent on white students in public schools.
Lower than
Which of the following makes decision to grant parole?
the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles
A major criticism of the grand jury is that it
is that it usually hears only what the prosecutor chooses to let it hear and that it serves as a “rubber stamp” for the prosecutor’s decision.
If a person cannot provide bail on his or own or cannot pay a bondsman, the accused can possibly be released
on personal recognizance.
In Texas, the legal standard of proof “beyond a reasonable doubt” is used in which type(s) of cases?
criminal cases both felony and misdemeanor
When thinking about the total number of people in state prisons across the United States, which of the following is true?
A large percentage of the admissions to prison each year are parole violators
the percentage of inmates serving time for violent offenses has declined while the number incarcerated for drug offenses has increased substantially.
Drug and alcohol treatment programs throughout the criminal justice system in Texas began during the administration of which governor?
Ann Richards
The Sandra Bland Act requires which of the following?
legislation in response to the arrest and jailing of Sandra Bland, who died in jail;the law requires independent investigation of jail deaths and alternatives to jailing those with mental or substance abuse problems.
Regarding the rules of community supervision (probation) requirements, what are the results of compliance versus violation?
A criminal in compliance will likely receive an early release of up to one-third the term, while a criminal in violation may be sent to jail for the remainder of his or her sentence.
According to the Texas Forensic Science Commission, which of the following is junk science and should not be used as evidence in a criminal trial?
testimony that connects bite marks to a specific defendant’s teeth
Even if you are not sentenced to jail time, how is your freedom of movement restricted if you are convicted of a drug related offense?
probation/ticket/citation
How are people selected to serve on grand juries in Texas?
A grand jury commission
Texas has more verified ________ than any other state.
wrongful convictions
For which type of offenses are Texas prison inmates most likely to be imprisoned?
violent crimes
______ is a punishment where, instead of jail or prison sentence, an offender remains in the community with the understanding that the offender will meet certain requirements that are imposed by the court.
Probation
In Texas, felony juries are composed of _____ people and misdemeanor juries are composed of ______.
12;6
The prison population reached its highest level in which year?
2010
In the state of Texas, which race/ethnicity is most likely to be on death row today?
African American
What are plea bargains used to do?
clear a crowded district court docket by negotiating guilty pleas in criminal cases
In the state of Texas, what is the policy for felons’ right to vote?
Felons are allowed to vote upon full discharge of their sentences. Felons are allowed to vote only upon governor approval. Felons are allowed to vote only if their convictions involved crimes lesser than third-degree felonies.
After you are arrested and taken to jail, you must appear before a judge and be told what charges you are being accused of and reminded of your right to an attorney and right to remain silent. What is this process called?
Miranda Rights
If sentenced by a judge to probation you would most likely have to do which of the following?
report to probation officer monthly (felony); send a form each month by mail (misdemeanor)
______ are less serious crimes.
misdemeanor
The most prison prone group in society is between the ages of
20 and 29.
It is often quite difficult for people to readjust to life after prison because
length of time in prison and lack of employment
Grand juries do not find people guilty of a crime but instead will
vote a “true bill.”
If you are convicted of a misdemeanor in Texas,
you will be facing 6 people on jury at your trial; maximum $4000 fine and one year jail time
A(n) _______ is a common method prosecutors use to maintain high conviction rates.
plea bargain between the defendant and the state.
The Texas Groundwater Act is responsible for
Enabled the establishment of local groundwater management districts
It is estimated that undocumented immigrants paid ____ in state and local taxes in 2014.
$11.7 billion
Which argument is made by supporters of a physical wall separating the United States and Mexico?
illegal immigrants
In the case of Edwards Aquifer Authority v. Burrell Day and Joel McDaniel (2012), farmers argued that
that Texas regulatory authorities had the power to regulate the use of water drawn from an aquifer in the public interest, but it may have to pay individuals with a property stake in that water any damages that incurred by the regulation
What are sanctuary cities?
a place that does not turn over illegal immigrants to customs officials.
Although the use of toll roads allowed roads and highways to be built _______, they are _______.
ncrease the number of toll roads but not increase the tax revenue for highways
The Texas Water Development Board is responsible for
the focus on conservation and expanding and developing available surface water.
Monies from the Available University Fund (AUF) can be used for which of the following purpose?
support maintenance
Which agency is responsible for developing a standardizing core curriculum used at all public colleges and universities in Texas?
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Why did Texas build reservoirs through the state?
flood control, with water supply as a secondary benefit.
The first publicly supported junior college in Texas was established in
Wichita Falls, 1922
The high speed bullet train project currently under development would connect which two cities in Texas?
San Antonio; Austin
______ have recently been used to pay for maintenance and construction of roads and highways.
taxes
Water policy in Texas is based on
anyone able to capture water by pumping out of ground owns the water
Which of the following is the statement of the total length of a road or a segment of a road?
centerline miles
Taken together, the sprawling cities and ______ make it difficult to develop public transportation in most areas in Texas.
financing
Many sheriffs opposed SB 4 because
enacting penalties for local police and sheriffs who refused to cooperate with federal authorities.
Community colleges are supported in part by ________.
property taxes raised by the local district
The Water Rights Adjudication Act created
Legislation essentially merged the various water rights doctrines dating back to the nineteenth century into a unified water permit system.1967 act granted state lots more power to control and manage surface water.
Having a widespread transportation system is challenging for Houston because
they have poorly defined boundaries, urban economy
Normal schools were established in order to
The schools are an essential when it comes to the growth of our country and the people in it.
The lack of funding and teachers for schools.
How many major water reservoirs are currently in Texas?
196
According to the Texas Dream Act,
Allows certain undocumented immigrants who were brought to Texas as children to pay instate tuition at Public Colleges
More than one-half of the water in Texas comes from
aquifers
Which agency is responsible for monitoring land crossings between Texas and Mexico?
Homeland Security
