pols 207 exam 3

GDP

the total value of all goods and services produced in the US in one year

GDP is a measure of

the size of the economy

progressive tax

tax that requires high income groups to pay a larger percentage than low income groups

regressive tax

tax that takes a larger share of income from low income groups than from high income groups

sources of tax revenue (7)

local property taxes, state sales taxes, selective sales taxes, state income taxes, corporate taxes, lottery and gambling revenue, user charges

local property tax

largest source of revenue for local governments, usually regressive

state sales tax

most important source of revenue for state governments

selective sales taxes

cigarettes, alcohol, gas; varies a lot by state

state income tax

imposed by 43 states, may be progressive or flat with various exemptions

TX doesn't have

income tax

corporate taxes

44 states; popular with voters but not with businesses

lottery and gambling revenue

administrative costs take 50%

user charges

fastest growing source of state and local revenue

property tax exemptions categories

nonprofit, charitable, religious, educational

most controversial tax exemptions

given to industry to entice them to region

taxes considered regressive

local property taxes

excise taxes

selective sales taxes on cigarettes, alcohol and gas

sin taxes

taxes on alcohol and cigarettes

why do states keep corporate taxes low?

burden of high taxes is passed to consumers & high taxes drive businesses out of the state

tax burden

taxes paid as a percentage of income; due to differences among state income levels

states with the highest _ are not necessarily the states with the highest _

levels of taxation, tax burdens

what level of government is affected the most by limitations on taxation?

local

local government limits on taxation

property tax, personal income tax, state expenditures, prohibition on specific taxes, exemptions and special treatment

most americans think taxes are

too high

debt ceiling

limits the amount of money a government can borrow to a proportion of the tax base

general obligation bond

backed by the full faith and credit of the government that issues them. Pledges the full taxing powers of the government to pay both the principal and interest due on the bonds. More secure, so lenders are willing to accept lower interest rates on them

two main types of bonds

general obligation and revenue

revenue bonds

issued by government for specific projects and backed only by whatever revenue the project generates

industrial development bond

issued by a municipality to obtain funds to purchase land and build facilities for private business

pollution control revenue bond

issued by a municipality to obtain funs to provide industries with air and water pollution control facilities

single family mortgage revenue bond

government bond sold to assist home buyers, builders and developers

hospital revenue bond

government bond sold to assist private and public hospitals

essential function bond

government bond sold to assist traditional services such as road maintenance, schools, law enforcement, prisons, parks, government offices

non essential function bond

government bond sold to assist services not undertaken by all governments such as mass transit, airports, housing, hospitals

private activities bond

government bond sold to assist industrial development projects performed by the private sector

how is academic performance measured

inputs, outputs, educational attainment, dropout rate, SAT scores

input

resources expended on education

output

measures of what pupils are learning

educational attainment

measured by years of school completed rather than knowledge

event dropouts

persons recorded as ending school during 10,11,12 grades as a percentage of total attendance--very low, nearly 3%

status dropouts

persons aged 18-24 who are not attending and have not graduated high school; national rate %13

high school graduation rate

number of high school graduates as a percentage of 9th graders 4 years earlier; 78% nationwide

magnet school

schools emphasizing instruction in particular areas to improve quality and attract students

charter school

schools operated with public funds by private community groups under a charter from public school districts or another granting agency

when can money be given to a religious educational institution?

When scholarship program money is given to students from a program that is neutral with respect to religion & providing money for things that don't advance religion

criticisms of NCLB

low test results should be used to help schools not punish them

how do states ensure compliance with educational policy?

bureaucratic oversight and allocation of funds to school districts

who controls education in a state?

State boards of education controls everything from teacher certification to textbook selection; mostly elected by governors but voted on by the people in TX

where do schools derive revenue?

funding generally linked to property taxes; creates inequality since states vary

school superintendent

CEO of school district; may be elected or appointed

functions of college boards of trustees

governing body of state's universities, insulate education from political fluctuation, consolidate budget requests, determine system priorities, present budget to governor and legislature

tenure

ensures faculty members who have demonstrated competence in position for 3/7 years cannot be dismissing without "cause"

tenure grounds for termination

a serious infraction of established rules or dereliction of duty, requires open hearing

Morrill Land Grant Act

provides grants of federal land for colleges specializing in agriculture and mechanical arts; land grant colleges

Pell grants

offer students in good standing a money grant each year, based on the amount their families could reasonably be expected to contribute to their educational expenses; don't have to be paid back

Lemon test

A three part test for determining whether a particular state law constitutes establishment of religion and thus violates the first amendment

1) have a secular purpose

2) neither advance nor inhibit religion

3) must not foster "excessive religious entanglement"

Engel v. Vitale

landmark United States Supreme Court case that ruled it is unconstitutional for state officials to compose an official school prayer and encourage its recitation in public schools

poverty rate

46 million, official rate between 11-15%

feminization of poverty

the concept that poverty is most common among females and families with female heads

measuring wealth

net worth

net worth

home value minus mortgage, auto value minus loans, business value minus debt, money in bank accounts, real estate

who is responsible for public welfare

federal government gives money to the state

payroll tax

tax on employee wages; used for unemployment compensation programs

Social Security has

reduced welfare problems for state and local governments

what health programs do state and local governments provide?

mainly concerned with prevention, provide both general and specialized hospitals; subsidize private hospitals

TANF program

reflects philosophy of devolution of responsibility for cash assistance to the states

Medicare

federal health insurance for elderly; financed through payroll taxes and general tax revenue

what public assistance program do states spend the most on?

Medicaid; states pay 45%