Which of the following is the best description of councils of government COGs quizlet?

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Terms in this set (50)

1. What is one benefit of councils of governments (COGs)?

a. They enable governments to coordinate and share information with each other.
b. They provide another basis for governments to raise revenues via taxes.
c. They provide another avenue to manage government services.
d. They provide services that city or county governments cannot provide.
e. All of these are correct.

a. They enable governments to coordinate and share information with each other.

2. Who is the county law enforcement official elected to serve as the process officer for justice of the peace courts and has general law enforcement powers in his or her precincts?

a. Sheriff
b. County judge
c. Constable
d. Precinct judge
e. Mayor

e. Mayor

3. What is the primary source of funding for health and human service programs in Texas?

a. Property taxes
b. Service fees charged to beneficiaries
c. Federal grants-in-aid
d. Medical licensing fees
e. State sales tax earmarked for special programs

c. Federal grants-in-aid

4. For a corporation to secure permission to conduct legitimate business, it must receive a charter from which state official?

a. The governor
b. The secretary of state
c. The lieutenant governor
d. The attorney general
e. The Texas Finance Commission

b. The secretary of state

5. How are social insurance programs different from public assistance programs like TANF?

a. Social insurance programs are funded by taxes paid by beneficiaries or their employers, not the general public.
b. Social insurance programs are means-tested, and only the poorest qualify for aid.
c. Social insurance programs have the primary goal of reducing poverty, not stabilizing the economy.
d. Social insurance programs are available to all, not simply those who qualify.
e. Social insurance programs involve voluntary participation, not participation that is mandated by the government.

a. Social insurance programs are funded by taxes paid by beneficiaries or their employers, not the general public.

6. Federal funds, which account for 36 percent of the TxDOT budget, have allowed the federal government to impose which of the following as a condition for receiving federal aid?

a. Setting a minimum drinking age of 21
b. Adopting uniform fines for traffic violations
c. Forcing intrastate toll roads
d. Setting higher rates for license plate renewals
e. Establishing a motor fuels tax

a. Setting a minimum drinking age of 21

7. Which of the following statements describes the current system of bail in the Texas justice system?

a. The poorest defendants are less likely to be able to gather even the proportional fee charged by bail bond agencies.
b. A majority of Texas jail inmates have yet to be convicted and are simply awaiting trial after failing to raise funds to post bail.
c. Defendants are presumed innocent until found guilty and therefore should have the opportunity to return to their lives while awaiting trial.
d. Some bonded defendants commit further crimes while awaiting trial.
e. All of these are correct.

e. All of these are correct.

8. Why have some counties asked for the office of the county treasurer to be abolished via a constitutional amendment?
a. This request stems from political differences that have occurred in several major urban cities in Texas.
b. This request is presented as a way of increasing supervision over government spending at the county level.
c. This request comes from the fact that the county auditor has taken control over the responsibilities that were once reserved for the county treasurer.
d. This request comes from the fact that the county clerk has taken control over the responsibilities that were once reserved for the county treasurer.
e. This request stems from many recent financial scandals in which county funds were mismanaged by the county treasurer.

c. This request comes from the fact that the county auditor has taken control over the responsibilities that were once reserved for the county treasurer.

9. What is the most significant source of Texas revenues?

a. Investment income
b. Revenue from public lands
c. Federal grants-in-aid
d. State tax revenues
e. Lottery ticket sales

d. State tax revenues

10. Which of the following correctly characterizes Texas's administration of unemployment insurance programs?

a. Relatively few unemployed Texans receive benefits due to the restrictive procedures set out by Texas law.
b. Eligibility for unemployment benefits is limited strictly to the most needy families.
c. Benefits are financed primarily by federal grants-in-aid.
d. Workers and employers often cooperate to ensure that benefits are paid fairly.
e. The Texas Workforce Commission's sole responsibility is administering workers' compensation claims.

a. Relatively few unemployed Texans receive benefits due to the restrictive procedures set out by Texas law.

11. Which of the following arguments most directly supports efforts to achieve tort reform?

a. A court determination of the rightful heirs for property in probate is inherently biased against charitable organizations.
b. Too many people abuse the civil courts as a mechanism to win damages, which raises the costs of doing business.
c. Individuals are at a disadvantage when interacting with professionals and corporations, and a trial is often the only way to find justice.
d. Texans have a fundamental right to a trial by jury, regardless of the circumstances of their complaint.
e. Rising costs and individuals' mounting debts increase the need for homestead protections in Texas law.

b. Too many people abuse the civil courts as a mechanism to win damages, which raises the costs of doing business.

12. How does the comptroller of the public accounts annual report limit the Texas legislature?

a. The legislature cannot borrow money without the comptroller's permission.
b. The legislature can appropriate no more than the amount of revenue the comptroller predicts for the following year.
c. The legislature cannot accept federal grants that are not approved by the comptroller.
d. The legislature appropriates funds to each agency following the guidelines set by the comptroller.
e. All of these are correct.

b. The legislature can appropriate no more than the amount of revenue the comptroller predicts for the following year.

13. Which of the following are the most common types of special districts in Texas?

a. Multiple function districts
b. Single-service districts
c. Weed control districts
d. Airport authorities
e. Mosquito control districts

b. Single-service districts

14. What is the overall goal of school accountability initiatives?

a. To maintain funding equity among all schools
b. To ensure that students become involved in extracurricular activities
c. To use standardized measures to rate school performance
d. To discourage harmful competition between school districts
e. To create uniform school taxes throughout the state

c. To use standardized measures to rate school performance

15. Which of the following has become a supplement for TxDOT funding as maintenance and construction costs have outgrown the department's original funding sources?

a. Local property taxes
b. Oil and gas severance taxes
c. A diverted portion of the Texas sales tax
d. Excise taxes on alcohol and tobacco
e. All of these are correct.

b. Oil and gas severance taxes

16. Which of the following statements most directly supports the use of social welfare programs?

a. Welfare programs are administered strictly to ensure that only a small portion of low-income people are eligible for benefits, but there is extensive cheating.
b. Welfare programs may prevent starvation, but structural conditions of poverty remain.
c. In a strong economy, jobs are available and social welfare programs discourage able-bodied workers from pursuing them.
d. Poverty is a systemic problem beyond the control of individuals, and limiting the effects of poverty on children is the best way to give them a chance at escaping poverty in their own lives.
e. Poverty results from poor individual decision making and lack of social capital.

d. Poverty is a systemic problem beyond the control of individuals, and limiting the effects of poverty on children is the best way to give them a chance at escaping poverty in their own lives.

17. Which of the following is considered a city user fee?

a. Sales taxes
b. Gambling taxes on winnings
c. Property taxes
d. Ambulance service fees
e. All of these are correct.

d. Ambulance service fees

18. What are the two largest Texas cities with a mayor-council form of government?

a. El Paso and Dallas
b. Houston and Pasadena
c. Fort Worth and Dallas
d. Austin and Houston
e. Fort Worth and Pasadena

b. Houston and Pasadena

19. In what way does Texas educational politics influence public schools nationwide?

a. Political battles over teacher pay, which drive down teacher salaries in most other states
b. The development of standardized, curriculum-based assessments used nationwide
c. Texas's influence on textbooks as publishers compete for a share of the state's huge market
d. Texas's system of state-dominated decision making and the subsequent decline in power of local school districts
e. All of these are correct.

c. Texas's influence on textbooks as publishers compete for a share of the state's huge market

20. What term is used for the individual who files suit in a civil case?

a. Prosecutor
b. Plaintiff
c. Defendant
d. Respondent
e. Indictment

b. Plaintiff

21. Which of the following best explains why local taxes in Texas are higher than in most other states?

a. Texas is a high tax state.
b. Local governments are forbidden from using the sales tax.
c. State law requires local compliance with state standards without providing funding.
d. Hidden taxes make up a bulk of the taxation efforts of local governments.
e. Texas's strong economy means that Texans have high rates of personal property ownership.

c. State law requires local compliance with state standards without providing funding.

22. What might explain why criminal justice efforts in Texas seem to have little deterrent against crime?

a. Texas is a state that uses the death penalty.
b. Texas has one of the highest incarceration rates in the nation.
c. Only about 20 percent of reported crimes lead to an arrest.
d. The juvenile justice system operates through the civil courts.
e. Plea bargains are the most typical result of any criminal proceeding.

c. Only about 20 percent of reported crimes lead to an arrest.

23. Which of the following best describes the relationship between labor unions and the state of Texas?

a. Texas has some of the most lenient labor laws in the country.
b. Texas allows closed shop agreements but forbids union shop agreements.
c. Texas is considered inhospitable to unions because of its right-to-work laws.
d. Texas has refused to pass any right-to-work laws in the state.
e. Texas policy generally benefits unions at the expense of corporations.

c. Texas is considered inhospitable to unions because of its right-to-work laws.

24. Why can't the state be assured that raising the tax rates will increase tax revenues?

a. Higher taxes may discourage the use of taxed goods.
b. Tax rates are capped by national law.
c. Tax rates do not affect the tax base.
d. Taxation can result in the overuse of a taxed resource.
e. Higher taxes cannot be supported by the state economy.

a. Higher taxes may discourage the use of taxed goods.

25. Why are search warrants sometimes not required?

a. To enable more effective prosecution of gang members
b. To limit defense attorneys' ability to appeal sentencing
c. To speed up the investigation process
d. To allow law enforcement to protect their own safety
e. To provide opportunities for accused criminals to make plea bargains

d. To allow law enforcement to protect their own safety

26. Next to the county judge, which county officer is usually the most powerful?

a. Comptroller
b. Tax assessor-collector
c. Sheriff
d. Constables
e. County auditor

c. Sheriff

27. In a council-manager form of government, who is responsible for both executing council policies and managing the day-to-day operations of city government?

a. Elected city council members
b. The mayor
c. The city manager
d. The presiding officer of the city council
e. Both the presiding officer and the city manager

c. The city manager

28. Which of the following education policies reflects the desire of some legislators to introduce market forces into the public education system?

a. The use of standardized measures of performance to rank schools competitively
b. The introduction of merit pay for teachers and administrators who improve student test outcomes
c. The growth of charter schools as a state-funded option from which families choose
d. Efforts to create a state-funded voucher program for private and parochial school tuition
e. All of these are correct.

e. All of these are correct.

29. Why do businesses or individuals who violate regulatory laws (like professional licensing requirements) find themselves in civil courts, not criminal courts?

a. Lawsuits over professional negligence clog the criminal justice system.
b. Closed-shop rules are banned; therefore, arbitration for labor groups is the only option.
c. Most business regulations are civil rather than criminal.
d. Texas is a business-friendly state that generally avoids subjecting corporations to legal liability.
e. Probate courts were established just for this purpose.

c. Most business regulations are civil rather than criminal.

30. Who has the power to grant clemency?

a. The attorney general
b. The governor
c. The presiding judge
d. The prison warden
e. The Supreme Court

b. The governor

31. Which social service program is designed to provide direct financial aid to children whose parents are incapable of providing for their children's basic needs?

a. The Children's Health Insurance Program
b. The Affordable Care Act
c. Temporary Assistance to Needy Families
d. Medicaid
e. Texas Workforce Commission

c. Temporary Assistance to Needy Families

32. Which of the following arguments can be made against the use of benefits-received taxes?

a. It is important that taxation does not unfairly disadvantage those who create economic growth for the state.
b. Society benefits when public policy discourages the use of alcohol and tobacco.
c. Most government services should be available to those who are willing to pay for them.
d. Those who receive the largest share of the benefit should be obligated to pay the largest share of the cost.
e. Many state services are provided to ensure that those least able to pay can still benefit from public goods.

e. Many state services are provided to ensure that those least able to pay can still benefit from public goods.

33. Why have Texans resisted efforts to implement mass transit?

a. Because the state's low highway death rate does not encourage motorists to seek mass transit
b. Because most Texans do not believe that automobiles contribute to pollution or climate change
c. Because Texans' strong cultural individualism makes them reluctant to give up their automobiles
d. Because mass transit efforts in other parts of the country have largely failed to win public acceptance
e. Because fuel costs are too high to make such a project profitable

c. Because Texans' strong cultural individualism makes them reluctant to give up their automobiles

34. In what way could the juvenile justice system best serve to reduce crime rates?

a. Strengthen punishments to serve as a stronger deterrent
b. Focus on serving female juveniles in a more effective way
c. Focus on mental health services and vocational training for juveniles
d. Segregate services among juveniles of different backgrounds to reduce conflict
e. Relocate facilities to provide more services to rural communities

c. Focus on mental health services and vocational training for juveniles

35. Which reform could address the inefficiency of special districts?

a. Increase the number and give them defined jurisdictions
b. Increase the funding of special districts
c. Increase the number of board members
d. Place term limits on board members
e. Consolidate small special districts

e. Consolidate small special districts

36. Which of the following changes to the Texas Social Studies curriculum is evidence that the actions of the State Board of Education are heavily influenced by politics?

a. The inclusion of conservative leaders like Phyllis Schlafly and Newt Gingrich
b. The downplaying of slavery as a major cause of the Civil War
c. The emphasis on the benefits of free enterprise throughout the curriculum
d. The description of the United States as a "constitutional republic," not a "democratic society"
e. All of these are correct.

e. All of these are correct.

37. How does a grand jury compare to a petit jury?

a. The grand jury determines whether sufficient evidence exists to proceed to trial, whereas the petit jury determines guilt or innocence.
b. The grand jury requires the participation of the defendant, whereas a petit jury often works only with the prosecutor.
c. The grand jury is made up of trained legal experts, whereas petit juries are composed of average citizens.
d. The grand jury involves fewer people than does the petit jury.
e. The grand jury is used in misdemeanor cases, whereas petit juries are used in felony cases.

a. The grand jury determines whether sufficient evidence exists to proceed to trial, whereas the petit jury determines guilt or innocence.

38. What is the governing body of the county?

a. City council
b. Special district
c. Colonias
d. Commissioners court
e. Constables

d. Commissioners court

39. The exclusionary rule prevents which of the following?

a. Double jeopardy in criminal cases
b. Use of illegally obtained evidence against the accused
c. Due process of law
d. A trial without a jury
e. The use of coerced confessions

b. Use of illegally obtained evidence against the accused

40. Which law has been passed by the legislature and is written in codebooks?

a. Judge-made
b. Precedent
c. Common
d. Statutory
e. Procedural

d. Statutory

41. What is a home rule city?

a. It is an incorporated community with a population of 5,000 or less.
b. It is city with a population of over 5,000 that can adopt its own charter and structure its local government as it deems necessary.
c. It is a city that has a population greater than 100,000 and does not have to abide by state laws; rather, it can create its own laws.
d. It is a community that has become unincorporated and can raise revenues via taxes that it can keep rather than share with the state.
e. It is a city that elects all of its officers, and it exercises complete autonomy from the state.

b. It is city with a population of over 5,000 that can adopt its own charter and structure its local government as it deems necessary.

42. Which of the following instances would find the accused in federal court?

a. A crime that involves smuggling across state lines
b. A crime involving the murder of three or more people
c. A crime in which individuals enter a jewelry store to steal its inventory
d. A crime in which a boat captain is found to have kept undersize fish
e. A crime involving petit larceny

a. A crime that involves smuggling across state lines

43. Which of the following might explain why a defendant chooses to waive his or her right to a jury
trial?

a. The jury selection process results in a jury with many members who would identify closely with the defendant.
b. The defendant is a member of a group that faces significant prejudice in the community where the crime took place.
c. The defendant is a sympathetic character, and many prospective jurors do not think the action should be considered a serious crime.
d. A grand jury indictment is sufficient to prove guilt.
e. The defendant believes that his or her procedural rights may have been violated and plans to appeal.

b. The defendant is a member of a group that faces significant prejudice in the community where the crime took place.

44. Which of the following statements would most likely be made by an opponent of gun regulations?

a. Mental health concerns can become crises if the afflicted individual has access to a gun.
b. Most gun crimes are committed with guns that were acquired illegally.
c. Gun suicide rates are much greater than gun homicide rates.
d. Open-carry laws generally make public places more volatile and less safe.
e. Most gun owners lack the necessary training to use a gun effectively in self-defense.

b. Most gun crimes are committed with guns that were acquired illegally.

50. Which of the following generalizations is most accurate of states with capital punishment such as Texas?

a. Their murder rate has remained about the same since instituting the death penalty.
b. Their murder rate has been almost eliminated since instituting the death penalty.
c. Their murder rate has been consistently higher than that of states without the death penalty.
d. Their murder rate has been consistently lower than that of states without the death penalty.
e. Their murder rate is generally proportionate to their population size as compared to other states without the death penalty.

c. Their murder rate has been consistently higher than that of states without the death penalty.

45. What process have Texas cities used to limit the sale of beer and wine, to decide whether to freeze property taxes for seniors and people with disabilities, to increase the minimum wage, and to decide whether to place a cap on property tax rates?

a. Referendum
b. Recall
c. Initiative
d. Mandate
e. Constitutional amendment

c. Initiative

46. What is the benefit of the unit road system?

a. The day-to-day responsibility of the roads is in the hands of commissioners who must be accountable to the public.
b. The day-to-day responsibility of the roads is in the hands of professional engineers who have technical expertise.
c. The decisions must be approved by the auditor at each step, so it leads to greater cost efficiency.
d. It forbids tolls collected on roadways to be used for anything other than road repair.
e. It ensures that funding for highways is distributed in an equitable fashion.

b. The day-to-day responsibility of the roads is in the hands of professional engineers who have technical expertise.

48. In what way do elected county officials hire county employees?

a. Using the spoils system
b. Using the merit system
c. Using assessment tests
d. Using civil service performance reviews
e. In a nonpartisan, nonpolitical fashion

a. Using the spoils system

49. Which political association generally supports tort reform?

a. The Republican Party
b. Consumer Advocacy Groups
c. The American Civil Liberties Union
d. The Texas Trial Lawyers Association
e. Plaintiffs' associations

a. The Republican Party

47. How does the arraignment process protect the rights of the accused?

a. The Texas Constitution guarantees the right to bail immediately after arrest in most cases.
b. Informed of the charges against them and their basic rights, the accused can begin developing an adequate defense.
c. By requiring probable cause, this process ensures that searches are not conducted in a way that is
abusive.
d. This step eliminates the need for bail and allows defendants to be released until trial.
e. It standardizes the quality of attorneys for all defendants.

b. Informed of the charges against them and their basic rights, the accused can begin developing an adequate defense.

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