Chapter 14 – Public Policy in Texas

Public Policy in Texas Learning Objectives 14.1 Identify the phases of the policy process in Texas 14.2 Describe the social welfare programs Texas administers 14.3 Analyze the role of the state in border issues and immigration 14.4 Evaluate the challenges facing Texas’s education system. 14.5 Assess the funding, affirmative action and other issues in higher education 14.6 Outline Texas’s transportation policy and future challenges 14.7 Explain the state’s environmental and energy policy

Public Policy Priorities and Process Triggering Factors Agenda Setting Placement of an issue onto the public agenda Policy Creation Policy Adoption and Implementation Policy Evaluation and Assessment

Health Care and Welfare Medicare Medical coverage for persons over 65 Medicaid Medical coverage for low-income Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Social Security Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Means tested program Unemployment benefits Workers’ Compensation

Immigration and Border Security Economic Impact Public Opinion and State Laws Deportations and Border Security

Education Sources of K-12 Funding School Finance Permanent School Fund Foundation School Fund Available School Fund School Finance Teacher, Student, and School Performance Diversity in Public Education Vouchers Special Education Bullying

Higher Education Funding Community Colleges Standards Permanent University Fund (PUF) Community Colleges Standards Affirmative Action

Transportation Affect all Texans Several cities ranked near top for worst commutes More than a million Texans commute Source of funds Motor vehicle registration fees Federal highway funds Sales tax on motor oils Part of gas taxes

Energy and the Environment Water Texas Water Development Board Water Control and Ownership Capture: groundwater is owned by the landowner of the property above the groundwater Water and Air Pollution Energy Sources Largest electricity consumer of any state

Texas Takeaways What are the four phases of policy making process? Triggering factors, agenda setting, policy creation, policy adoption and implementation, and policy evaluation and assessment How does agenda setting work? Agenda setting is when policymakers ask whether or not a problem is important enough to address Medicare is a national social insurance program for older Americans funded by a payroll tax, premiums, and surtaxes and administered by the federal government. Medicaid is medical coverage for low income Texans provided by the federal government

Texas Takeaways Seventy percent of Texas’s foreign-born population are from Latin America Texas has approximately 1.5 million undocumented immigrants Since 1984, school districts have sued the state seven times over perceived inadequate funding Vouchers are programs that provide a student with authorization for government funding to be used at a private school Funding for campuses of the University of Texas and Texas A&M University comes from the Permanent University Fund

Texas Takeaways Local taxes and the state legislature stream funds into Texas community colleges The main source of highway funds are from motor vehicle registration fees, federal highway funds from the national government, the sales tax on motor oils, and some part of the motor fuels (gas) taxes The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) provides loans to local governments for water projects, administers water funds, and facilitates the transfer and sale of water and water rights throughout the state Capture is water above the ground that is owned by the landowner of the property