POLS 207 Exam 3

Cards (97)

  • What is gross domestic product?
    the total value of all the goods and services produced in the US in a year. It's a measure of the size of the US economy.
  • What are progressive taxes?
    As income goes up, % in taxes goes up. These require people with higher income to pay a larger % of taxes than lower income people.
  • What are regressive taxes?
    As income goes up, % in tax goes down. Take a larger share of the income of low-income groups than from those who have a higher income. Flat taxes are inherently regressive in natural.
  • What are the different sources of tax revenue for both state and local governments?
    -Property taxes (most important revenue for local government)
    -Sales taxes
    -Excise taxes
    -Income taxes
    -Corporate taxes
    -Lottery and gambling revenue
    -User charges
  • How are property tax exemptions used?
    Properties that are used for nonprofit, charitable, religious, educational, and other public purposes are generally tax exempt.
  • Which taxes are considered regressive?
    General sales tax.
    Local property taxes.
  • What are excise taxes?
    Taxes paid on certain specific goods like gas, cigarettes.
  • Why do states look to keep their corporate taxes low?
    To attract new businesses. This will bring more jobs to the state.
  • What is meant by a tax burden?
    Taxes paid as a % of total personal income. Shows how much of a personal burden paying taxes is based on that individual's income.
  • Which level of government is affected the most by limitations on taxation?
    Local governments are affected the most by a limitation on property taxes.
  • How do most Americans feel about taxes?
    These taxes are too damn high! Homeowners oppose property taxes as it really affects them. Individuals that rent a house or apartment are going dislike sales tax more.
  • What are debt ceilings?
    Limits the amount of money a government can borrow to a proportion of the tax base. State constitutions may place restrictions on debts in this form.
  • Different types of bonds
    General obligation bonds: backed by Full Faith and Credit of the government that issues them. Pledges the full taxing powers of the government to pay both the principal and interest due on the bonds. More secure.

    Revenue bonds: not guaranteed by the issue government but instead are backed by whatever revenues the project itself earns. Not backed by taxing powers, so lender face greater risks and raise interest rates.
  • How is academic performance measured?
    Dropout rate, SAT score, educational attainment.
  • What are magnet schools?
    Schools specialize in certain areas of study to improve quality and attract students. Like STEM schools.
  • What are charter schools?
    School operated with public funds by private community groups under a charter from public school districts or other granter agencies.
  • When can money be given to religious educational institutions?
    Certain Supreme Court cases suggest that money can be given to religious schools when it is neutral with respect to religion. As long as the money isn't directly used for the teaching of religion.
  • What are the criticisms of No Child Left Behind?
    It is narrow instead of comprehensive in terms of thinking skills. It's a measure of progress or lack of progress that should not be used to penalize schools but to offer more assistance to schools needing it, and racial leaders believe that tests are racially biased because on average whites do better than blacks.
  • How do states ensure local compliance with state educational policy?
    Bureaucratic oversight, involving state boards of education, state commissioners or superintendents of education and state departments of education.
  • What body typically controls education within a state?
    State boards of education- control everything from teacher certification to textbook selection; mostly elected by governors but voted on by the people.
  • Where do most schools get their revenue from?
    State and federal assistance, private funding, property taxes, and then bonds that are issued to pay for special projects.
  • What do school superintendents do?
    Responsible for the management of the public schools. 3 major responsibilities:
    1.) Sets the agenda for school board decisions
    2.) makes policy recommendations
    3.) implements board decisions.
  • What are the functions of college board of trustees?
    Insulate higher education from the vicissitudes of politics; propose budgetary requests to state legislatures for the universities, the more independent the board of trustees the less likely funding will be distributed in pork barrel fashion.
  • What is tenure?
    Guaranteed permanent employment, especially as a teacher or professor, after a probationary period.
  • Morrill Land Grant Act
    In 1862, the Morrill Land Grant Act provided grants of federal land to each state for the establishment of college specializing in agricultural and mechanical arts. These became as land grant colleges. AKA A&M is one of these.
  • What are Pell grants?
    offer students in good standing a money grant each year, based on the amount their families could reasonably be expected to contribute to their educational expenses. Today, over 9 million students receive Pell grants, worth an average of about $3,000. Grants do not need to be repaid.
  • What is the Lemon test?
    A 3 part test for determining whether a particular state law constitutes establishment of religion and thus violates the 1st amendment. The 3 parts are:
    1. must have secular purpose
    2. as it's primary effect, must neither advance nor inhibit religion
    3. must not foster an excessive government entanglement with religion.
  • Engel v Vitale
    Landmark US Supreme Court case that ruled it is unconstitutional for state officials to compose an official school prayer and encourage its recitation in public schools.
  • What is the poverty rate?
    14.8%.
  • What is the "feminization of poverty"?
    The concept that describes the idea that women represent disproportionate %'s of the world's poor.
  • How do we measure wealth?
    Wealth is the net worth of all one's possessions- home value minus mortgage, auto value minus loan, business value minus debts, money in bank accounts, savings, stock and bonds and real estate.
  • Who is responsible for public welfare?
    US government
  • What is the payroll tax?
    A tax that is levied on and withheld from employee's wages
  • What has been the effect of Social Security?
    Largely responsible for the elderly's "victory" in the war against poverty.
  • Which health programs do state and local governments provide?
    Vaccination and immunization, safeguarding of water supplies, general and specialized hospitals/ health centers/ nursing homes, Medicare (elderly), and Medicaid (poor)
  • What changes occurred with the introduction of the TANF program?
    Federal aid was given to state programs to assist poor families, but it required that individuals could only be on welfare for a total of five years, two max at one time. Caused reductions in the number of people on welfare rolls.
  • What is medicare?
    Federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older, certain young people with disabilities, and people with End-stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure).
  • Which public assistance program do states spend the most on?
    Public education (K-12)
  • Event dropouts
    students who stop attending between 10-12 grades as a % of total attendance.
  • Statues dropouts
    person 18-24 who are not in school and have not graduated from high school as percentage of a persons in that age group