POLS207 Exam 3 Quizlet

by ddfafasdf

HOA's are what level of local government?

semi-official

They exercise some powers of local government but they are not really a part of local government

Why do Texans put up with HOAs?

maintain property values

Texas ranks ___ in number of local governments

2nd

Dillons Rule

regardless of the type of government, all local governments are creatures of the state government, and only have powers granted to them by the state.

Why does Dillon's Rule pose a problem in state government?

The state can take away the powers of the local governments.

When local level governments disagree or vote against an initiative that the state government agrees with

Why are local governments at more risk of being subject to corruption?

There are no factions to oppose each other to reveal corruption on a local level

Merit based civil service system is present in

only 9 in 254 counties

Governing Counties are led by?

Led by a commissioners court of 4 elected officials in 4 precincts

Commissioner's responsibilities

Roads and bridges in their district

Establishing policies for sale of alcohol

Oversee all aspects of county government

What is one major issue with privatization in county finance and operations?

counties abandon support of basic necessities and turn to private companies to save money, leads to a lack of a tax base to support these services publicly

Who carries Tax burden in TX?

Property owners

Who pays for the infrastructure in TX?

Citizens

Why does TX rely on Sales Tax?

absence of state income tax, highest of any state at 8.25%

Economic development corporations (EDC)

Designed to stimulate economic activity in local government

Buys up abandoned property and hold it in case new development interest arises

Trade-off of EDC

Needs to maintain the abandoned land without any revenue source, losing money in the process

Special Districts

Independent school districts - education

Airport Authorities - manage and run airports

Hospitals - healthcare

Municipal utility districts(MUD) - stormwater and runoff maintenance

College Districts - oversee higher education

Conditions for formation of city

• 200 people - exact boundaries and negotiate with county for services

• Get 10% of registered voters of the proposed cities

  Placed on the ballot in the next county election

• Once established, a city is permanent unless majority vote to dissolve it

City Charters

Legal document establishing a city as a local governing body

Annexation

Take over surrounding area and incorporating it into a county

Cities cannot take over other cities

Ordinances

Standards that cities establish

"Can't put signs here"

"Grass must be cut to x height"

What did lack of proper zoning do to Houston?

Causes infrastructure to be in weird places

Why traffic is congested

Also why there's so many downtowns

Fracking in Denton and Dallas

caused small earthquakes

Denton was the first to ban, but state overrode the decision

Environment and communities affected

Fiscal Policy

Fiscal Policy - Interest rates and supply of money available

(Federal reserve does this, states and congress do not have a say.)

Monetary Policy

used to manage economic fluctuations and price stability

Agenda Setting

finding what is wrong or any problems with the state

Policy Formation

creating a solution

Policy adoption

actually using the policy you created

Policy Implementation

enacting said policy

Policy Evaluation

Determining if the policy accomplished its intended goals

3 Types of Fiscal Policy

Redistributive - taking from one group to give to another

Distributive - cost is widely dispersed

Regulatory - individuals and corperations

Redistributive Policy

Income Tax

School Tax

Distributive Policy

Sales Tax

Idea behind affordable care act

Regulatory Policy

Regulation of individuals and corporations

Subsidies

incentives to purchase goods/services to support businesses

What important Texas taxation change occurred in 1961?

General sales tax - 6.25% increased to 8.25% - made up 58% tax revenue.

On goods and services sold

Food exempt except for candy, soda, prepared food.

Gas Tax

20 cents (TX) and 18.4 cents (U.S) - not raised since 1992 - 7% state revenue

Severance Tax

Tax on oil/gas production - 4% state revenue

Franchise Tax

tax on profits or assets - 6.5% state revenue Assessed even if business isn't profitable

Sin Tax

5.5% revenue, tax on alcohol, adult videos, and cigarettes

what government does Property Tax finance and why

state capped tax leaves local government even more dependent - finances local governments

Why is finding oil not a good prospect for TX Counties?

Booming oil/gas production leaves counties with maintenance burdens for roads because the revenue goes to the state.

The counties get nothing, thus finding oil is not a great prospect.

Ad Valorem Tax

Tax levied on the assessed value of real and personal property

Why are flat taxes regressive?

The poorer pay a greater percentage of their wealth on this tax

Where does most of the state budget come from?

1/3 to 1/2 of the state budget comes from the federal government.

True or False: Texas is a receivership state

True

Meaning it receives more money from the federal government than it pays

"pay as you go" system

a fiscal discipline, adopted by Texas and many other states, that requires a balanced budget and permits borrowing only under a very few circumstances

exceed budget by $200,000 ONLY in cases of invasion rebellion, or war.

Economic Stabilization Fund (ESF)

fund established by constitutional amendment in 1988 to provide funds for the state during times of financial stress, commonly known as the Rainy Day Fund

State pulls out of this fund which is like a "piggy bank"

Fiscal year for State government

Sept.1 - Aug.31

Tax expenditures

reduction in taxes for certain time periods or businesses

Ex. Tax free holidays

What do Subsidies attempt to do

super bowl, formula one racing, etc.
Try to attract these to the state to create tourism which brings money into the state economy

Religious Freedom Restoration Acts (RFRA)

says due to religious freedom, this should allow businesses to discriminate based on sexual orientation

Case of Hobby Lobby

TX says Every employer over 20 employees must provide health insurance, contraception must be covered. Hobby Lobby refused.
Hobby Lobby won the suit and got exempt from this, stating "their religious ideology prevents funding of contraception."

Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF)

$555 million Tries to attract business and industry to the state

Specifically gun manufacturers

Where do subsidies go?

companies that move HQs to Texas to promote further development

4 Pillars of the TX Economy

Oil and Gas production/refinement - 27% of American consumption

Defense Contracting (lockheed, raytheon, etc.)

Beef production

Tech/Information sector

Texas is an _________ producing state.

energy

Fracking

the injection of millions of gallons of water /chemicals into shale formations forcing natural gas to the surface

TX Accounts for __________ of natural gas production in the US and __________ of reserves

a third, quarter

Downsides of Fracking

Releases benzene into the air and water

Water consumption rises and oil/gas companies pay the same rates as citizens

Earthquakes

Rule of Capture

property owners own the water beneath property and are free to use and extract as long as they have the means

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)

The state agency that coordinates Texas's environmental protection efforts.

Texas "flexible" permits

Allows measures of pollution an across entire facility instead of at major pollution points

Causes lower PPM and PPB, allowing Texas to dump more pollutants in the air, and stay under the cap

Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)

created in 1991

Roads: Public-Private Partnerships

Private contractors build roads, collect tolls
Allows legislators to increase citizen fees, claim no raised taxes

Roads the state would not be able to afford

Growing public opposition to toll road proliferation

What is one reason Texas uses public-private partnerships in transportation policy?

Private contractors build roads and collect tolls, allowing legislators to increase citizen fees without claiming they raised taxes, and enabling the construction of roads the state could not afford otherwise.

True or False: TX Lags in mass transport systems

True

TXDOT charged with developing statewide plan

How does the education policy affect society beyond the classroom?

Strengthens the economy

Provides workers

Leads to innovation

Creates an engaged citizenry

Gilmer-Aiken Act (1949)

12 years of school

175 days a year

Establishes State board of education (SBOE) changed from appointments to elected

Permanent School Fund (PSF) - $29 billion

Delgado v. Bastrop ISD - 1948

US Federal District court ruled the segregation of Mexican American students was illegal

League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)

Filed suit in 2014 regarding the segregation of latino students

Continues to sue because TX has segregated Latino students into Mexican schools that don't speak Spanish

TX passes state wide curricula similar to Common Core

1981

1993 "Robin Hood" plan

Redistributes property tax from wealthier schools to poorer ones

Why didn't the "Robin Hood Plan" work?

It failed to address the root cause of poorer performing schools, and Higher performing schools with more funding that was taken also had to cut fundings to several things

Why did over 600 Independent School Districts (ISDs) sue the state of Texas in 2012?

They sued the state for failing to provide a "free and efficient" system of public schools, as required by the Texas Constitution.

What event prompted the 2012 school finance lawsuit in Texas?

The Texas Legislature cut $5.4 billion from public education funding in 2011, forcing districts to raise property taxes to make up for the shortfall. (unconstitutional)

Education Reform Act of 1984 (NCLB)

Requires teachers and administrators to be competent

Student testing on subjects, including the exit exams

"no pass, no play" sports to anyone with below a 70

Why did NCLB lead to cheating by teachers and administrators?

Funding and raises are tied to performance on the tests, state officials are reluctant to investigate, and tests pressures student to cheat

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB)

Oversees Universities and colleges

Nine citizens appointed by the governor to serve 6 year terms

Sets statewide policies for colleges and universities Manages the agency between quarterly meetings

Sets statewide policies for colleges and universities(not curriculum)

Board of Regents

Oversees individual universities and systems 9 members appointed by the governor. Includes a non-voting student member

UT vs Texas Governors - Figuerroa vs. Perry (regents)

Power struggle between UT leadership and Governor Rick Perry's appointees over control

(Permanent University Fund - PUF)

The PUF is money set aside in the state constitution to benefit the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University

What happened to loans beginning in the 1970s?

Loans were privatized, but regulated
Due to deregulation in the 1990s, Sallie Mae became a private entity and costs of higher education and debt exploded

Health and Human Services programs

provide foods, shelter, health care to millions.

Texas expenditures on HHS

$42 billion per year through 68 different agencies

TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)

Financial assistance and support services to low-income families

Lone Star Card (Food Stamps) and Medicaid benefits

Average $73 per month per recipient

Have to be free of alcohol and drug abuse

Seek/maintain employment

Ensure children attend school

Participate in other classes as requested

SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)

provides low-income individuals and families with funds to purchase food

Cannot be used for hot, ready to eat foods, cigarettes, alcohol, cosmetics, and paper goods

Must work 20 hours a week

Assists 1.4 million families -> 3.3 million

Texans

274 per month per family

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

Program that provides help for nutrition and health care to low-income women, infants, and children up to age 5

Provides nutritious food, health care referrals, and nutrition education

1982 - Plyer v Doe

Opted to ban undocumented children from public schools

Unsuccessful because TX constitution states "every child in TX shall be provided a K-12 education.

2001 - Texas Dream Act

In state tuition provided if you have been in TX for 3 years, and are seeking legal residence.

They are NOT paid Pell grants, financial aid, etc. They pay their way through the system.

TX profit from illegal immigration

$1.5 billion

Provide $400million to the state

Illegal immigrants do not collect any benefits that citizens have.

They pay into these programs but don't receive benefits.

Absence of immigrants would cost what to TX?

$69.3 billion, $30.8 billion in GSP (Gross State Product) = 400,000 jobs unfilled.