Public Policy Questions
Explore questions in the Public Policy category that you can ask Spark.E!
The ________ is a dedicated fund established by the constitution for the support of public education in the state.a. Permanent University Fund b. Available School Fund c. National Research University Fundd. state lottery
When you pay your motor vehicle registration fees, the money goes into which fund? a. User Fee Fundb. Department of Motor Vehicles Fund c. Road Maintenance Fundd. State Highway Fund
Which of the following categories of taxes contributes most to the Texas treasury?a. oil and natural gas production b. franchise c. motor vehicle sales and rentalsd. Sales
The main purpose of the Permanent School Fund is toa. buy textbooks for Texas children.b. fund primary and secondary schools in the state.c. fund universities and community colleges in the state.d. fund the two main universities in Texas: the University of Texas and Texas A&M.
Overall, the tax system in Texas is generally considered to be regressive, which means thata. the tax burden consumes a greater percentage of income received by lower-income individuals.b. the tax burden consumes a greater percentage of the income earned by higher-income individuals.c. everybody pays the same percent of his or her income in taxes.d. the more income one has, the larger the percentage of it that goes to pay taxes.
Federal matching funds area. state monies going to support the federal government in its efforts to reduce the deficit.b. monies going to a state based on a state spending for a program.c. always distributed to states without any strings attached.d. only awarded to states that have an income tax.
Which of the following made it unlikely that Texas will enact a personal income tax in the near future?a. The Texas Constitution was amended in the 1990s to require that the voters approve of the creation of a state income tax, and that any money generated from it be used to support public education.b. The Texas Constitution explicitly prohibits a personal income tax, and does not include any provision for creating a personal income tax.c. The Texas Supreme Court ruled that the personal income tax that had been in place previously violated the Texas Constitution. Once a law has been declared unconstitutional by the Texas Supreme Court, it cannot be reintroduced.d. The creation of any new forms of revenue, including a personal income tax, would require the support of three-fourths of both chambers of the legislature. In the current partisan polarized environment, it is nearly impossible to reach this threshold.
Texas spending on a per capita basis isa. about even with the national average.b. much higher than the national average.c. much lower than the national average.d. among the highest, particularly in education.
In 1978, the Texas Constitution was amended (Article 8, Section 22), so that if the economy of the state shrinks, a. appropriations can stay the same, as long as the budget balances.b. appropriations have to shrink as well. c. appropriations have to increase to stimulate the economy.d. the comptroller and the governor have the sole authority to decide how to deal with this kind of economic issue.
What is the argument commonly used by supporters of a state income tax?a. It will probably be quite regressive.b. It is a fairer but highly unreliable source of revenue.c. It makes Texas more attractive to businesses that are considering relocating from out of state.d. It is a fair and more reliable source of revenue.
Who pays the greatest portion of their income in property taxes?a. business owners b. wealthy homeowners and renters c. poor homeowners and rentersd. Renters
Next to revenue generated by state taxes, the second-largest source of state revenue comes froma. the Texas lottery. b. gasoline taxes. c. the federal government.d. borrowing.
A ________ is a tax on the market value of oil produced in the state.a. general sales tax b. selective sales tax c. severance taxd. hidden tax
Compared to other states, Texas tends to spend a relatively small amount of money on programs that are jointly funded by the state and federal governments. Because of this,a. Texas is ineligible for any matching funds because they are distributed only to the largest contributors. b. the amount of money that Texas receives in matching funds and grants from the federal government is relatively low as compared to other states. c. Texas receives a higher than average amount of money from the federal government in grants and matching funds compared to other states.d. Texas shares a pool of funds with other states that are designated as "low-level" contributors.
________ budget is comprised of funds for dedicated revenues that target money for specific purposes.a. General Revenues Fund b. General Revenue-Dedicated Fundsc. Federal Fundsd. Rainy Day Funds
What is the most important single tax financing Texas government?a. income b. sales c. propertyd. Gasoline
Federal funds appropriated in Texas generally area. widely disbursed across numerous state agencies.b. concentrated in one agency.c. concentrated in a few state agencies.d. determined at each annual legislative session.
What determines the amount of tax revenue generated from oil and natural gas produced in Texas?a. the minimum wage and unemployment rateb. market price and the amount producedc. federal regulations and excise taxes imposed by the federal governmentd. pipeline construction and environmental issues
Texas has a reputation of being a ________ state.a. "low service, high tax"b. "low service, low tax"c. "no services, low tax"d. "high service, high tax"
Insurance occupation taxes are levied ona. insurance premiums. b. the cost of insurance licensing exams. c. the salaries of insurance brokersd. insurance benefits paid to claimants.