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Which programs do state and local governments provide?
Health care, Vaccinations, Safeguarding of water supplies, Hospitals/health centers/nursing homes, Medicaid and Medicare
Know the impeachment process
Presentation of formal charges against Government official.
House of Reps.- Needs majority Vote
Senate- follows house of Reps with 2/3 vote requirement
Trial would then proceed to the supreme court
Know the executive positions in Texas
Governor
Lieutenant Governor
Comptroller of Public Accounts
Land Commissioner
Attorney General, Agriculture Commissioner
As well as the Texas Railroad Commission, the State Board of Education, and the Secretary of State.
Know the different powers of the governor in Texas
Very minimal Powers
No pocket veto
Know the different types of vetoes.
Pocket Veto: Texas Governor CANNOT do this
"Regular" Veto: Legislature rejects a bill
Line-Item Veto: Rejection of specific items within a bill
What is the role of governors in the budget process?
Create a draft of the state's general appropriations bill, which will provide state agencies and institutions with funding for the following two fiscal years. Must be confirmed by the electorate.
What are executive orders?
a rule or order issued by the president/Governor to an executive branch of the government and having the force of law.
Why is the post-adjournment veto so powerful?
Because the Legislature cannot do anything about it until they are in session again. By then it is likely that the legislature will have other, more pressing issues to deal wit
No Child Left Behind Act?
Established standardized testing to ensure all children within the state were receiving the same education no matter their welfare demographic
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
The sum of all the goods and services produced in the United States in a year is known as the U.S. GDP
What are progressive taxes?
Method of Taxation which increases the taxation amount as the amount available to be taxed increases
What are regressive taxes?
Method of Taxation which tax rate decreases as the taxable amount increases
What are the different sources of tax revenue for both state and local governments?
State: income and sales
Local: property
Why do states look to keep their corporate taxes low?
44 states pay corporate income taxes
Keep it low because the burdens of high taxes are passed to consumers and high taxes drive businesses out of state
Which taxes are considered regressive?
A tax in which the burden falls relatively more heavily on low-income groups than on wealthy taxpayers. The opposite of a progressive tax, in which tax rates increase as income increases.
What are excise taxes?
Selective sales taxes: cigarettes, alcohol, gas
What is meant by tax burden?
taxes paid as a percentage of personal income imposed on citizens
Which level of government is affected the most by limitations on taxation?
Local Government
How do most Americans feel about taxes?
Most citizens feel they are too high and should be lowered
What are the merit and spoils systems?
is the process of promoting and hiring government employees based on their ability to perform a job, rather than on their political connections. It is the opposite of the spoils system, w.hich bases hiring, selection and firing off of personal relationships and network building
What is outsourcing?
obtain (goods or a service) from an outside or foreign supplier, especially in place of an internal source.
Know the different types of bonds
Revenue Bond-A bond backed by a specific revenue stream. Issued by government for specific projects & backed only by whatever revenue the project generates
General Obligation Bond- Bond that can be paid through a variety of tax sources. Holders are relying on the full faith and credit of the issuing municipality. backed by full faith & credit of the government that issues them. Pledges the full taxing powers of the government to pay both the principal & interest due to bonds.
Lenders will be willing to accept lower interest rates on them
How is academic performance measured?
Educational attainment: # of years of school completed
Dropout rate
What are magnet schools?
School emphasizing instruction in particular areas in an effort to improve quality and attract students.
What are charter schools?
School operated with public funds by private community groups under a charter from public school districts or other granting agency.
What are vouchers?
a government-funded voucher redeemable for tuition fees at a school other than the public school that a student could attend free
When can money be given to religious educational institutions?
The Supreme Court is willing to permit some forms of aid to parochial schoolchildren that indirectly aids religion, so long as this is not directly used for the teaching of religion. See Everson v. Board of Education (1947)/Mueller v. Allen (1983)/Cochran v. Board of Education (1930)
How do states ensure local compliance with state educational policy?
1)Bureaucratic oversight, involving state boards of education, state commissioners or superintendents of education, and state departments of education
2)Financial control through state allocation of funds to local school districts
What body typically controls education within a state?
State boards of education- Control everything from teacher certification to textbook selection; mostly elected by governors but voted on by the people in Texas
Where do most schools get their revenue from?
State and federal assistance, private funding, property taxes, and then bonds that are issued to pay for special projects.
What do school superintendents do?
The superintendent is responsible for the management of the public schools. First, the superintendent sets the agenda for school board decisions. Second, the superintendent makes policy recommendations. Third, the superintendent implements board decisions.
Why is zoning important?
They create barriers to expanding high-quality charter schools; they exacerbate socioeconomic segregation; they limit low-income families' school choices
Who is responsible for public welfare?
Federal Government
What is the payroll tax?
A tax that is levied on and withheld from employee's wages.
What has been the effect of Social Security?
Social Security is largely responsible for the elderly's "victory" in the war against poverty. However, this it is a self sabotaging program. When established there were 42 working people for every retired person. There are now 2 working people for every retired person.
Lieutenant Governor
- VERY powerful
- Most have to be elected now
- Many assume the role as the vice president
- Presiding officer of the senate
- Holds the most power in the legislative branch
- Assigns proposed bills to appropriate committees whose compositions were assigned by the Lieutenant Governor as well
Attorney General
- Represents states before the courts
- Chief legal counsel of the state
- Carries a lot of weight in Texas because many of the opinions of the attorney general carry the weight of law until the courts officially make a decision on it
- In charge of lawsuits against the state
- Criminal cases are handled by the district attorneys, not the attorney general
- Issue opinions on constitutional amendments before they are passed
- Have to sign off on the legality of voting ballots
Secretary of State
- VERY different than secretary of state at national level
- Chief elections officer of the state-- make sure the ballots are correct
- If you have control of the secretary of state office, you have some control over elections
Treasurer
- Handles the dispersal of funds
- Manages state accounts
Comptroller
- Chief financial officer of - Texas' bank accounts
- Controls budgets
- Makes economic predictions
Auditor
- Makes sure that the money spent by the state is in accordance with the laws of the state
- Makes sure the budget is legal
- Budget is a policy statement
Ag. Comissioner
- Advocate for farmers and ranchers
- Leads health investigations at factories
- Protects farmers and consumers
- Regulates any kinds of measurements/ scales
- Includes making sure meat scales and gas pumps are accurate
- Does surprise inspections
Land Comissioner
- Anything to do with land
- Can be in committee and give opinions and such but cannot vote
Railroad Comissioner
- 3 member body with staggered terms
- Do NOT regulate railroads anymore- national gov does
- Regulates oil and gas production
- The one government entity in the executive branch that is susceptible to agency capture
How states choose executors
- Comptroller, treasurer, ag commissioner, secretary of state etc.
- Popularly elected in most states
