POLS 2306: Texas Government and Politics Dr. Michael T. Smith Fall Semester 2020 Exam #3 Study Guide This study guide provides a list of the major topics you are expected to know well in advance of your third exam in this course following a brief discussion of the exam format. Exam Format: The exam will be taken on Blackboard, which utilizes the Respondus Lockdown Browser application. You are required to download and install the Respondus Lockdown Browser software to your computer or iPad in advance of the exam in order to take the exam at the assigned date and time. Most of you have already done this, but know that exceptions to taking the exam on Respondus will be very few and in cases of demonstrated need. Respondus Lockdown Browser will monitor your activity on your computer while taking the exam, and prevent you from using any other program on your computer until you are finished with the exam. It will also provide video/audio monitoring while you complete the exam, so please make sure that a) you are aware and understand that you will be monitored in this way and b) that you set up your web camera and microphone appropriately, so that there is no delay in you starting the exam. There are directions that are easy to follow when you log in to take the exam. The exam will again consist of a mixture of multiple choice and short-answer (essay) questions. You will have one and a half hours to complete the exam, which must be completed in one sitting. The exam availability period will begin on December 1st at 12:01am and continue through the end of the day on December 2nd (11:59pm). Exam Content: This exam covers all course content that aligns with chapters 10 through 13 of your course textbook, as well as any in-class material and discussions since our second exam. In particular, the following topics are particularly important and will provide in some way the basis for most of the questions on the exam. This list in not exhaustive (you should study widely), but provides a solid foundation on which to base your studying: Chapter 10 - Three major forms of local government: what are they, what are their main features, etc. - History of county formation, why there are so many across state - Functions of county, city, special purpose district governments - Identify major elected offices at county and city levels of local government - Challenges for county government: relevance of county size, accountability - General-law/Home-rule distinction - Preemption: what is it, why relevant for city governments - City government: three major forms, identify distinctions between each - Special purpose districts: two major types - Responsibilities of school districts vs. non-school special purpose districts Chapter 11 - Public finance: basic definition, how relevant for Texas - Basic familiarity with Texas state government funds - Taxation: are taxes in Texas high? Low? Discussion of why - Identify major sources of revenue for state of Texas - Income tax debate: progressive vs. regressive - Federal revenue: characteristics, significance for budget - Revenue, funds, appropriation: three ‘stages’ of public finance - Constitutional requirements re: budget creation, balancing, spending limits, debt limits - Legislative Budget Board: role in budget-making process - Budgeting process: Estimation and planning, legislative process (be aware of dynamics of both) - Role of the comptroller, budget certification, and implications - Budget deficits and surpluses: how created, why a problem in Texas Chapter 12 - Public policy: how defined? - Identify steps in policymaking process, details of each step - Systemic agenda: what is this, why important - Legitimation: what is this, why important - Public policy and rationality debate: why presuming rationality in public policymaking problematic, according to lecture - Bounded rationality: what is this, why important for chapter - Education Policy: history, especially history of desegregation, nature of funding, complications and challenges related to budget and student performance - Welfare Policy: Scope of problem of poverty, history of welfare programming in Texas - Medicaid: what is it, why important for both welfare policy and health care policy Chapter 13 - Policing: police departments (identify various types), Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, and controversies of policing in Texas - Criminal Justice: types of crimes in Texas (distinguish between felony/misdemeanor) - Types of punishment: probation, parole, imprisonment - Criminal justice process: arraignment, bail, indictment, pre-trial, plea bargaining, trial and sentencing - Does system create criminals? What does book say - District/County attorneys - Dynamics of criminal defense: assigned counsel, public defender - Prison system: history, corrections, death penalty dynamics - Concealed/Open-Carry debate - Criminal justice system reform – discussion provided by textbook Wrap-Up Material - Professor Smith will discuss the election results for Texas and a variety of other ‘wrap-up’ topics during the final substantive week of class (the week of Thanksgiving)
