Texas Government - Test 4

Front 1

Policy Making Process

Back 1

Problem identification

Policy formation

Implementation

Evaluation

Front 2

Problem identification

Back 2

Series of questions to identify the problem:

Is it a problem?

What is the origin of the problem? (poverty/limited income/behavior?)

Ideology plays an important role

Front 3

Policy formation

Back 3

Interest groups (biggest role), legislation (rules and regulations)

Front 4

Implementation

Back 4

Goals, incentives, sanctions put in place, appropriate agency, funding.

Front 5

Evaluation

Back 5

Questions to ask for evaluation

Has policy:

Addressed problem?

Effectively helped?

Been efficient?

If no to any question, go back to formulation process.

Front 6

Rationality

Back 6

You can identify the problem and achieve optimal and efficient solution.

Front 7

Bounded Rationality

Back 7

You can identify the problem and achieve satisfactory solutions, but they may not necessarily be optimal and efficient.

Front 8

Conflicted Federalism

Back 8

Current state between state and national governments; Devolution - responsibilities back to the state and local governments.

Front 9

Centralized Federalism

Back 9

National government imposes policy preferences.

Front 10

Grant-in-aid

Back 10

An amount of money given to a local government, an institution, or a particular scholar;

Federal demands or "strings" are attached to these, such as the state changing the legal drinking age and imposing speed limits.

Front 11

Cooperative Federalism

Back 11

State and National governments work together, this began during the depression and was also known as fiscal federalism.

Front 12

Categorical Formula Grant

Back 12

Grant is applied to specific programs, and a legislative formula is needed to be filled out. This is the most common type of grant-in-aid.

Front 13

Categorical project grant

Back 13

Grant is applied to a specific area, however there is no legislative formula to be filled out.

Front 14

Block grant

Back 14

Grant is applied to a broad policy area, anda legislative formula is needed to be filled out

Front 15

Reserved Powers

Back 15

Powers not delegated to the national government, and is instead reserved to the states (this is brought upon by the 10th amendment).

EX: Electoral laws for state and national offices, determining electoral college votes, power to amend US Constitution, Education requirements, and ordinary daily affairs of the people.

Front 16

Unitary System

Back 16

Centralized power, national government

Front 17

Federal System

Back 17

Divided or layered government, national and state.

Front 18

Concurrent powers

Back 18

Powers shared by both the state and national governments.

EX: Tax powers, police powers, policy powers, establish courts.

Front 19

General revenues fund

Back 19

Primary operating fund, non-dedicated, most taxes and fees (non-tax revenues e.g. fees, fines, licenses, permits)

Front 20

Dedicated fund

Back 20

Dedicated to specific purposes

Front 21

Federal funds budget

Back 21

Grants, payments, reimbursements, matching funds (funds from federal government, addition to state spending).

Front 22

Other funds budget

Back 22

All funds not included form other funds, trust funds, revenue from higher education funds.

Front 23

Regressive tax

Back 23

Affects low-income families more (sales tax, no state income tax, taxes on foods and drugs)

Front 24

Progressive tax

Back 24

Affects high-income families more. (State income taxes, unearned income tax, e.g. stocks interest, taxes on legal and accounting fees

Front 25

Matching funds

Back 25

Funds from federal government, adition to state spending

Front 26

Consumer taxes

Back 26

They rise and fall with the economy, include sales tax and excise tax (luxury tax) on cigarettes and alcohol, among other things.

Front 27

Nontax revenue

Back 27

Fees, fines, licences, permits.

Front 28

Benefit-based taxes

Back 28

Direct benefit from tax (motor fuels tax)

Front 29

Income elastic taxes

Back 29

Rise and fall with economy (consumer taxes, franchise fees)

Front 30

Tax incidence

Back 30

Who actually pays tax

Front 31

Tax shifting

Back 31

Shifting the increase in taxes onto the consumer. From producer to seller to buyer, from landlord to renter

Front 32

Discretionary funding

Back 32

Optional spending, allocated/authorized optional

Front 33

Mandatory spending

Back 33

Does not need authorization, +82% of budget (budget fix, budget constraints)

Front 34

Permanent school fund

Back 34

Public education, primary and secondary schools; payout based on attendance; guarantees school bonds

Front 35

Available School fund

Back 35

Public education (K-12); dedicated funds; done through permanent school fund

Front 36

Permanent University Fund

Back 36

Higher education; proceeds from land, oil and gas sales; distributed to UT and A&M (2/3s to UT and 1/3 to A&M)

Front 37

Higher Education fund

Back 37

Universities not affiliated with UT or A&M systems; funded through general revenue fund

Front 38

National Research University Fund

Back 38

For national research institutions; emerging research university; UT and A&M not eligible

Front 39

State Highway fund

Back 39

Allocate from general revenue fund; most to department of transportation; constructing, maintaining, and policing public roads

Front 40

Economic stabilization fund

Back 40

AKA the rainy day fund; for when revenue drops; hall of "unencumbered" funds from general revenue fund (not allocated); for budget deficits; any other purpose with 2/3s vote.

Front 41

Ability to pay

Back 41

Consumer taxes (sales tax, excise tax)