Term
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Definition
| during a cycle of 12 years, each state agency is studied, and then the legislature decides whether to abolish, merge, reorganize, or retain it. |
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Term
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Definition
| the implementation of public policy by government employees. |
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Term
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Definition
| the ability of the business elite to deal directly with high-ranking government administrators to avoid meeting regulations. |
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Term
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Definition
| hiring, promoting, and firing on the basis of objective criteria such as tests, degrees, and performance. |
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Term
| Demands for the creation of new state agencies come from what groups? |
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Definition
| citizens, lobbyists, and occasionally state leaders. |
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Term
| Do public administrators implement laws without making changes? |
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Definition
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Term
| What three factors are particularly important in determining how successful agencies are in TX? |
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Definition
1. Agency leaders
2. Resources
3. Elite access |
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Term
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Definition
| a popularly elected 15-member body with limited authority over TX's K-12 education system. |
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Term
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Definition
| administers the state's public school system of more than 6,300 schools. |
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Term
| Commissioner of education |
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Definition
| the official who heads the TEA. |
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Term
| Texas essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) |
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Definition
| a core curriculum setting out what students shoul learn. |
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Term
| State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) |
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Definition
| a state program of end-of-course examinations in core subjects. |
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Term
| Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) |
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Definition
| an agency that provides some direction for the state's community colleges and universities. |
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Term
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Definition
| takes care that policies and actions do not discriminate. |
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Term
| Which two state government entities are most important for public schools? |
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Definition
| The SBOE and the commissioner of education. |
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Term
| Executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission |
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Definition
| appointed by the governor with Senate approval, this executive commissioner administers the HHSC, develops policies, makes rules, and appoints the commission's four department |
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Term
| Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) |
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Definition
| replaced Aid for Families with Dependent Children in an attempt to help poor people move from welfare to the workforce. |
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Term
| Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) |
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Definition
| joint federal-state program administered by the state to provide food to low-income people. |
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Term
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Definition
| funded in larger part by federal grants and in part by state appropriations. Medicaid is administered by the state. It provides medical care for persons whose incomes fall below the poverty line. |
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Term
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Definition
| funded entirely by the federal government and administered by the US Department of Health and Human Services. Medicare provides medical assistance to qualified applicants age 65 and older. |
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Term
| Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) |
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Definition
| a state agency headed by three salaried commissioners who oversee job training and unemployment compensation programs |
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Term
| Public Utility Commission |
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Definition
| a three-member body with regulatory power over the electric and telephone companies. |
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Term
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Definition
| the elimination of government restrictions to allow free-market competition to determine or limit the actions of individuals and corporations. |
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Term
| Commissioner of insurance |
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Definition
| appointed by the governor, the commissioner heads the TX Department of INsurance, which is responsible for ensuring the industry's financial soundness and protecting policyholders. |
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Term
| Texas Department of Transportation |
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Definition
| headed by a three-member commission, the department maintains almost 80,000 miles of roads and highways and promotes highway safety. |
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Term
| Texas Parks and Wildlife Department |
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Definition
| Texas agency that runs sta parks and regulates hunting, fishing, and boating. |
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Term
| Texas Commission on Environment Quality (TCEQ) |
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Definition
| the state agency that coordinates TX's environmental protections efforts. |
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Term
| Is the movement in Texas toward more regulation or deregulation? |
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Definition
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Term
| What are some demands state environmental policymakers must balance? |
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Definition
| must balance federal directives, business pressures, and demands from environmental groups. |
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Term
| What are the major issues involved in Homeland Security in Texas? |
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Definition
| Terrorist attacks, border security, and preparedness for natural disasters. |
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