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Chapter 12

Public Policy and Administration

Brown/Langenegger/Garcia/Biles/Rynbrandt/Reyna/Huerta, Practicing Texas Politics, 17th Edition. © 2020 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Making Public Policy in Texas (1 of 4)

Public policy: What government does or does not do to and for its citizens.

Models of Policymaking

Institutional model – structure and processes

Group model – interests of groups involved

Elite model – preferences of social and economic elites

Rational model – weigh costs and benefits

Incremental model – new policies are only modifications of existing policies

Participatory democratic model - an informed public shows interest, knowledge, and participation in civic life (levels which tend to be low in TX)

LO 12.1 Describe how public policy is made in Texas.

Making Public Policy in Texas (2 of 4)

The Institutional Context

Organization of executive branch has major effect on public policy

Decentralization means there is not one person responsible

Many largely independent agencies

Governing boards not full-time

Making Public Policy in Texas (3 of 4)

The Institutional Context (continued)

Bureaucracy and Public Policy

Agencies must make decisions about how to implement laws

Agencies must work with state leaders, state agencies, and lobbyists

In TX, three factors determine agencies’ success:

Vigor and vision of agencies’ leadership

Agencies’ resources

Elite access

Education (1 of 6)

Public Schools

Texas has not served minority and less-affluent students as well as Anglo (white) students

Approximately 1,000 I S Ds and 200 charter operators

Regulated by Texas Education Agency and State Board of Education

State authorities have a say in public school administration from what is taught to how it is financed.

Education (2 of 6)

Public Schools (continued)

Vouchers (“school choice”) have not been enacted

Homeschooling a legal alternative to public school

Charter schools, an alternative to traditional public schools?

Charter schools less limited by TEA rules

Responsible to the state but not the local school district

Effectiveness of charter schools in improving student performance disputed

Education (3 of 6)

Public Schools (continued)

Testing

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (T E K S)

State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (S T A A R)

National Assessment of Educational Progress (N A E P)

Opposition

Social conservatives concerned about losing local control

African American and Latino critics charge tests are discriminatory

Educational critics worried about “teaching to the test”

Variations in rankings based on evaluations used

Education (4 of 6)

Colleges and Universities

105 public and 42 private institutions

Three Texas research universities have achieved prestigious tier-one status

Rice (private)

University of Texas at Austin (public)

Texas A&M in College Station (public)

Texas needs more tier-one research universities for highly qualified students

Education (5 of 6)

Other higher education issues:

Funding and access to diverse population

Equal opportunity: Ensures that policies and actions do not discriminate on factors such as race, gender, ethnicity, religion, or national origin.

Affirmative action: Takes positive steps to attract women and members of racial and ethnic minority groups; may include using race in admission or hiring decisions.

Top 10 percent rule: Texas law gives automatic admission into any Texas public college or university to those graduating in the top 10 percent of their Texas high school class, with limitations for the University of Texas at Austin.

Health and Human Services (1 of 5)

Recent statistics show up to 18% of Texas children at poverty level

TX has the highest percentage of people without health insurance in the nation

Texas chose not to accept expansion of Medicaid

Medicaid: Funded in large part by federal grants and in part by state appropriations, Medicaid is administered by the state. It provides medical care for poor persons.

Evolution of social services

Privatization

Performing poorly

Health and Human Services (2 of 5)

Human Services Programs

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

Provides financial assistance to the very poor in an attempt to help them move from welfare to the workforce.

Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP)

Joint federal-state program administered by the state to provide food to low-income people.

Health and Human Services (3 of 5)

Health and Mental Health Services

Medicaid and CHIP cover 4.6 million Texans

Without expansion of Medicaid, Texas remains a leader in the number of uninsured

For participating states, the federal government pays the entire cost for the first three years and then at least 90% beyond that.

Opting out of Medicaid expansion cost Texas $100 billion

Medicare

Funded entirely by the federal government

Federal program for those aged 65+

Health and Human Services (4 of 5)

Department of State Health Services (DSHS)

Public health planning and enforcement of state laws

W I C

Educates Texans on infectious diseases

Ebola, Zika, A I D S, S T Ds

Public mental health programs

Texas has ranked 48th – 50th among the 50 states for per capita funding for mental health programs. 2017 session initiated a community grant program, but the state is still well below other state’s efforts.

State hospitals – outdated, understaffed, deteriorating

Community out-patient services (shortage of programs)

Health and Human Services (5 of 5)

Employment

Texas Unemployment Compensation Act

Workers’ Compensation

A system of insurance that pays benefits to workers injured or made ill by their work.

Texas is the only state that does not require employers to provide workers’ compensation insurance

Funding of Health and Human Services

Health and human services programs are at a disadvantage in Texas for two reasons.

The state’s political culture values individualism, self-reliance, and business interests; anything suggesting welfare is difficult to fund at more than a minimal level.

The neediest Texans lack the organization and resources to compete with special interest groups representing the business elite and the middle class.

Thus, the Lone Star State provides assistance for millions of needy Texans, but at relatively low benefit levels, and many people are left out

Economic and Environmental Policies (1 of 5)

Economic Regulatory Policy

Business regulation

Railroad Commission of Texas

Regulates oil and gas industry

“Agency capture” - a situation in which the regulated industry exerts excessive influence over the agency intended to regulate it.

Hydraulic fracking

Public Utility Commission

Telephone and electric power bills

Economic and Environmental Policies (2 of 5)

Insurance Regulation

Deregulation in 2004

In 2018, Texas homeowner insurance consistently high

In 2018, Texas had 10th highest car insurance rates in the nation

Economic and Environmental Policies (3 of 5)

Business Promotion

Highways

TX Department of Transportation - Successful at lobbying for funds

Tourism, Parks, and Recreation

Tourism third largest industry

TX ranked 49th in state money spent on parks

1993 law stated sales tax from sporting goods was to go to state historic sites and parks, but it has not

Only 40% of the stated tax revenue has complied with the law

November 2019, constitutional amendment passed requiring the legislature to follow the law

Economic and Environmental Policies (4 of 5)

Environmental Regulation

Texas is among the most polluted states

Conflict between state and federal regulations

Pressures from businesses versus environmentalists

Air and Water

TX Commission on Environmental Quality (agency capture)

Conflicts over who controls water

Growing population - desire to build lakes and pipelines

Maintenance of quality and quantity of underground water

Economic and Environmental Policies (5 of 5)

Environmental Regulation (continued)

Hazardous Waste

N I M B Y

Growing amount of low-level radioactive waste

Dumpsite in Andrews County

Only radioactive waste dump in nation

Immigration

Treatment of undocumented immigrants

84(R) HB11 (2015) passed as an attempt to boost border security and increase penalties for human smuggling

2001 law extends in-state college tuition to students without lawful immigration status

Influence of business interest groups seeking immigrant labor and an educated workforce

DACA still in effect, but under review by the U.S. Supreme Court

Approximately 115,000 Texans are protected under DACA

Immigration Policy - DACA

Approximately 115,000 Texans are protected under DACA (Differed Action for Childhood Arrivals).

1) Fill out part one on your response sheet: What do you think about DACA before watching the video?

2) Watch the video.

3) What do you think about DACA now?

4) Share your responses in your small group.

https://www.pbs.org/video/supreme-court-considers-whether-daca-termination-was-legal-1573600257/