Question 1

Issues are placed on the public policy agenda as a result of
A) the attention of elected officials such as legislators and the governor
B) attention by the media
C) mandates by higher level governments
D) all of the above

Accepted Answer

All the options listed can contribute to placing issues on the public policy agenda, including attention from elected officials, media coverage, and mandates from higher-level governments.

Question 2

A _____ is an action by a higher level unit of government which forces a lower level unit of government to take a particular policy action.
A) decree
B) administrative order
C) executive edict
D) mandate

Accepted Answer

A mandate is an authoritative command or instruction from a higher level of government that requires a lower level of government to implement a specific policy or action.

Question 3

In which of the following areas of public policy has the state of Texas been forced to take actions because of federal court orders?
A) prison reform
B) higher education
C) public school finance
D) all of the above

Accepted Answer

Federal court orders have mandated Texas to take actions in all these areas: prison reform, higher education, and public school finance, to address issues such as overcrowding, discrimination, and funding disparities.

Question 4

Which of the following has created public policy problems for the state of Texas?
A) urbanization
B) environmental concerns
C) demographic change
D) all of the above

Accepted Answer

All of the mentioned factors—urbanization, environmental concerns, and demographic change—have contributed to public policy challenges in Texas, affecting infrastructure, resource management, and social services.

Question 5

Whenever the government attempts to alleviate the problems of the poor by taking money from the wealthy and providing benefits for the poor, it is engaging in ___________ actions.
A) progressive public policy
B) redistributive public policy
C) regressive public policy
D) none of the above

Accepted Answer

Redistributive public policy involves reallocating resources from the wealthy to the poor to address economic inequalities.

Question 6

Poverty in Texas is largely centered among
A) people who live in South Texas
B) children under the age of 14
C) the elderly
D) all of the above

Accepted Answer

Poverty in Texas affects multiple demographics, including people in South Texas, children under 14, and the elderly, making all the options correct.

Question 7

Which of the following programs is designed to provide assistance to the aged, blind, and disabled?
A) Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
B) Social Security Supplemental Security Income
C) Medicaid
D) Food stamp program

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following programs is designed...

Question 8

The agency recently created to coordinate the state's programs of assistance is the
A) Texas Department of Welfare
B) Department of Health and Human Services
C) Texas Workforce Commission
D) Texas Department of Public Assistance

Accepted Answer

The Department of Health and Human Services is typically responsible for coordinating state programs of assistance, including health and welfare services.

Question 9

The workfare approach to public assistance limits a person to no more than ____ years of public assistance.
A) one
B) three
C) five
D) ten

Accepted Answer

The workfare approach to public assistance limits a person to no more than three years of public assistance.

Question 10

The program that was established to provide health insurance for the families of the working poor was the _________ program.
A) Aide for Families of Dependent Children
B) Temporary Assistance to Needy Families
C) Medicaid
D) Children's Health Insurance Program

Accepted Answer

The answer of The program that was established to provide...

Question 11

Which of the following is not true concerning recent efforts in public assistance in Texas?
A) a sharp drop in the number of welfare recipients has occurred
B) Texas is not spending all of the federal money to which it is entitled
C) educational programs for persons who have learning disabilities have been increased
D) the state's revenue is frequently on a down-turn when those who need assistance are on the increase

Accepted Answer

Educational programs for persons with learning disabilities have not necessarily been increased as part of recent public assistance efforts in Texas.

Question 12

The cost of funding buildings and other facilities for institutions of higher education outside of the University of Texas and Texas A&M systems was provided by constitutional amendment in 1984 by the creation of the
A) Foundation School Fund
B) Permanent University Fund
C) Higher Education Assistance Fund
D) Highway Fund

Accepted Answer

The Higher Education Assistance Fund was created by a constitutional amendment in 1984 to provide funding for buildings and other facilities for institutions of higher education outside of the University of Texas and Texas A&M systems.

Question 13

To meet the additional costs of increased enrollment, faculty salaries, and inflation, colleges and universities in Texas have had to depend on
A) increased federal assistance
B) increased tuition and fees paid by students
C) increased funding by the state
D) increased private foundation funding

Accepted Answer

Colleges and universities in Texas have primarily relied on increased tuition and fees paid by students to cover additional costs related to enrollment, faculty salaries, and inflation.

Question 14

In 1992, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) filed a court case in which it alleged that Texas discriminated against Mexican American citizens by which action?
A) denied Hispanic students admission to the University of Texas
B) provided reduced amounts of financial aid to Hispanic students as compared to Afro American students
C) systematically provided fewer educational opportunities for Hispanics by under funding colleges and universities in South Texas
D) forced Hispanic students to take admissions exams in English

Accepted Answer

LULAC alleged that Texas systematically provided fewer educational opportunities for Hispanics by underfunding colleges and universities in South Texas, which disproportionately affected Mexican American citizens.

Question 15

Among the issues cited by the authors of the textbook as reasons for the problems with the legislature were all but one of the following. Which one was that?
A) higher education had an image problem
B) the legislature was funding higher education at less than the enrollment growth rate
C) higher education was steadily being privatized by encouraging the selling of long- standing university operations to private corporations
D) colleges and universities were failing to produce students who could pass literacy exams

Accepted Answer

The answer of Among the issues cited by the authors...

Question 16

As a result of the Supreme Court decision in Hopwood v. State, Texas was forced to
A) admit unqualified minority students into its professional schools
B) eliminate affirmative action programs designed to admit minority students into the major universities of the state
C) provide lower tuition for minority students
D) require standard admissions exams for all students

Accepted Answer

The Hopwood v. State decision led to the elimination of affirmative action programs in Texas, affecting the admission of minority students into major universities.

Question 17

Which of the following was not a focus of the "Back to Basics" proposals presented by the Chancellors of the six public university systems in Texas?
A) increasing the partnerships between higher education and public schools
B) increased efforts to help at-risk students who were most likely to "stop out"
C) increase the number of teaching assistants and less-experienced faculty to reduce costs
D) establish a more stable source of state funding for the state's colleges and universities

Accepted Answer

The "Back to Basics" proposals did not focus on increasing the number of teaching assistants and less-experienced faculty to reduce costs. Instead, they aimed at improving partnerships, supporting at-risk students, and securing stable funding.

Question 18

Which of the following statements more closely reflects the actions of the Texas legislature in the sessions of 2003 and 2005?
A) the legislature increased funding to accommodate increased enrollment and inflation costs
B) the legislature gave the colleges and universities permission to increase tuition and fees
C) the legislature established a funding formula to provide for future revenue needs of the colleges and universities
D) the legislature established a dedicated tax to pay for future college and university costs

Accepted Answer

In the sessions of 2003 and 2005, the Texas legislature allowed colleges and universities to set their own tuition rates, effectively giving them permission to increase tuition and fees.

Question 19

Which of the following have contributed to the importance of environmental issues in Texas?
A) the state's history of living off of the environment by using its minerals, land, and water
B) the state's often hostile climate with floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and occasional earthquakes
C) the indifference of the population to environmental concerns
D) all of the above

Accepted Answer

Texas's reliance on natural resources, its challenging climate, and varying public attitudes have all contributed to the prominence of environmental issues in the state.

Question 20

Under normal conditions, which of the following is true?
A) for every twenty miles west, rainfall decreases by about one inch per year
B) for every twenty miles east, rainfall decreases by about one inch per year
C) for every mile north from the border with Mexico, rainfall increases by about one inch
D) all sections of the state receive equal amounts of rainfall

Accepted Answer

Rainfall generally decreases as one moves westward in the United States due to the rain shadow effect of mountain ranges and the general west-to-east movement of weather systems.

Quiz 11: Issues in Public Policy

Issues are placed on the public policy agenda as a result of

A _____ is an action by a higher level unit of government which forces a lower level unit of government to take a particular policy action.

In which of the following areas of public policy has the state of Texas been forced to take actions because of federal court orders?

Which of the following has created public policy problems for the state of Texas?

Whenever the government attempts to alleviate the problems of the poor by taking money from the wealthy and providing benefits for the poor, it is engaging in ___________ actions.

Poverty in Texas is largely centered among

Which of the following programs is designed to provide assistance to the aged, blind, and disabled?

The agency recently created to coordinate the state's programs of assistance is the

The workfare approach to public assistance limits a person to no more than ____ years of public assistance.

The program that was established to provide health insurance for the families of the working poor was the _________ program.

Which of the following is not true concerning recent efforts in public assistance in Texas?

The cost of funding buildings and other facilities for institutions of higher education outside of the University of Texas and Texas A&M systems was provided by constitutional amendment in 1984 by the creation of the

To meet the additional costs of increased enrollment, faculty salaries, and inflation, colleges and universities in Texas have had to depend on

In 1992, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) filed a court case in which it alleged that Texas discriminated against Mexican American citizens by which action?

Among the issues cited by the authors of the textbook as reasons for the problems with the legislature were all but one of the following. Which one was that?

As a result of the Supreme Court decision in Hopwood v. State, Texas was forced to

Which of the following was not a focus of the "Back to Basics" proposals presented by the Chancellors of the six public university systems in Texas?

Which of the following statements more closely reflects the actions of the Texas legislature in the sessions of 2003 and 2005?

Which of the following have contributed to the importance of environmental issues in Texas?

Under normal conditions, which of the following is true?