Exam 3 review

Question 1

Know what plea bargains are, how they are made, and why they are made.

Answer 1

Plea bargains are agreements between defendants and attorneys, they are a guilty plea in return for a reduced sentence

Question 2

Know the different levels of criminal offenses.

Answer 2

Misdemeanors
Class C, Class B, Class A

Felony
State Jail, Third Degree, Second Degree, First Degree, Capital

*From least to greatest

Question 3

Know how the Texas Department of Criminal Justice is directed.

Answer 3

Directed by a appointed board with 9 members

Question 4

Know what probation is and when it is used.

Answer 4

A suspension of a jail sentence, is used to reduce prison populations for things like good behavior

Question 5

Know what led to the decline in the use of the death penalty.

Answer 5

Texas started allowing life in prison as an alternative to the death penalty.

Question 6

Know how DNA analysis has altered the criminal justice system.

Answer 6

Made conviction a lot more clear, has exonerated wrongfully convicted persons.

Question 7

Know what major reform initiatives have been undertaken in the Texas criminal justice system.

Answer 7

• Addressing the health and welfare of prisoners
• overcrowded prison populations
• drug rehabilitation programs
• adjusting criminal proceedings
• things like bail reform

Question 8

Know what rights are protected by the 6th Amendment

Answer 8

Right to speedy trial by a jury of your peers, and the right to counsel

Question 9

Know what rights are protected in the 5th Amendment.

Answer 9

• Self incrimination,
• cannot be forced to testify against yourself
• double jeopardy-cannot be convinced of life, limb, or property for the same crime twice
• right to a grand jury
• due process of law

Question 10

Know when the death penalty CANNOT be applied.

Answer 10

Cannot be applied to person under 18, persons with a mental disability

Question 11

Know when the double jeopardy rule applies.

Answer 11

Only applies if a verdict has been reached in a trial

Question 12

Know where felony cases are tried in Texas.

Answer 12

District Courts

Question 13

Know what indigent defense is and how much Texas spends on it per capita

Answer 13

Defense of the poor where a lawyer is provided for you, and Texas doesn’t spend as much money on indigent defense compared to other countries

Question 14

Know the difference between a grand jury and a petit jury.

Answer 14

• A grand jury reviews evidence and issues indictments, they formally charge you with a crime
• A petit jury is a jury of guilt determination

Question 15

Know who housed convicts before the state penitentiary system was created.

Answer 15

County Governments

Question 16

Know which level of government sets ballot access policies.

Answer 16

The state government

Question 17

Know what programs Texas uses to administer its healthcare system.
(Does Texas use many programs to administer its healthcare system?)

Answer 17

Texas uses a lot of programs to administer its healthcare system.

Question 18

Know why libertarians favor the private sector over government policy.

Answer 18

They believe that the private sector is more efficient than the public sector.

Question 19

Know the terms: goods, free-market, toll-goods, and the tragedy of commons.
(3 questions)

Answer 19

Goods - Commodities and services that are exchanged

Free-market - Freedom to exchange goods and services and the ability to do so without government interference

Toll-goods - goods that we pay for as we use them, paid for on a per use system

Tragedy of commons - People all participate in the use of something and no one is paying attention to it’s overuse.

Question 20

Know why liberals are comfortable with government intervention policies.

Answer 20

They think that the government is better suited to handle large economic reforms.

Question 21

Know what major America crisis dramatically increased government relief programs.

Answer 21

The Great Depression

Question 22

Know how Medicaid is funded.

Answer 22

Partially funded through the states, federally funded, and funded through a payroll tax.

Question 23

Know what sanctuary jurisdictions are.

Answer 23

A sanctuary jurisdiction is when a state or city government refuses to enforce the policies of the federal government

Question 24

Know the difference between distributive and redistributive policy.

Answer 24

Distributive policy- policy where the government collects payments and resources, and concentrates the benefits into the hands of a relatively select few.

*Redistrubutive policy is not mentioned

Question 25

Know who sets immigration policy.

Answer 25

Federal Government

Question 26

Know how Texas funds school districts.

Answer 26

Per student basis, **gives districts the same amount of money per student**, money comes from state funds from the Permanent school fund, At the Local level- **funds come from the local property taxes**

Question 27

Know the rules under which “stand your ground” applies in Texas.

Answer 27

* To protect yourself * your property * a third party * a third party’s property * has to be done in self defense * does not give you the right to pursue a perpetrator

Question 28

Know the primary criticisms for “safety net programs”, like social security.

Answer 28

* They’re **inefficient** * They **incentivise dependence upon the government** * **People who pay the taxes for these programs often have their own economic struggle**, and it makes it hard when they’re paying for their own struggles and someone else’s.

Question 29

Know the basic arguments for and against school choice programs.

Answer 29

People who **favor** school choice programs argue that it created competition in the school districts and makes the schools better People who **oppose** say that it becomes a disadvantage for poor school districts, when they lose students they will lose more funding

Question 30

Know how the Texas power grid operates.

Answer 30

Independent power grid, called ERCOT *(Electric Reliability Council Of Texas)*

Question 31

Know which products are staples to the Texas economy.

Answer 31

Cotton, cattle, and oil

Question 32

Know how Texas handles state income tax.

Answer 32

We don’t have state income tax | No income tax in the state of Texas

Question 33

Know (from top down) the primary sources of Texas state revenue.

Answer 33

1- Sales tax 2- Federal grants

Question 34

Know which form of taxation generates most state revenue.

Answer 34

Sales tax

Question 35

Know how much sales tax cities collect.

Answer 35

1% of sales tax

Question 36

Know the different types of taxes: sales, excise, franchise, and severance. (3 questions)

Answer 36

**Sales-** Tax on the sale of an item **Excise-** **Tax placed upon specialty items** *(Jewelry, cigarettes, alcohol)* **Franchise-** If the business branches out and opens multiple locations **Severance-** Anything taken from *oil, wood, gas,* **things that we take from the Earth**

Question 37

Know the Spindletop strike.

Answer 37

When Texas made it big in Beaumont, when it comes to **oil**

Question 38

Know the comptroller’s role in the budget.

Answer 38

Estimates the budget, certifies the budget

Question 39

Know what is meant by fiscal policy.

Answer 39

The collective body of decisions and laws which govern state finances.

Question 40

Know the top two spending categories in Texas.

Answer 40

**Education** and **Health and Human Services**

Question 41

Know what the Economic Stabilization Fund is.

Answer 41

Rainy Day Fund, an **emergency fund composed of 10% of all Texas income.**

Question 42

Know what the “Good Roads Amendment” accomplished.

Answer 42

Required that we **used the state gasoline tax** for the **construction and maintenance of roads.**

Question 43

Know what the Texas Constitution requires of the budget.

Answer 43

It requires a balanced budget *(which is balanced every 2 years)*

Question 44

Know what budget problems Texas faces in regard to education.

Answer 44

Problems with the amount of property taxes and how much money per student you should disperse.