Texas Government Common Assignment
Critical Thinking Component
Please note that the structure of this assignment differs from the other written assignments in this course. You must complete all sections of this assignment; I recommend completing the Visual Literacy Component First. The graphs for this component are included in the attached PDF Document.

1. Compare the budget of the state of Texas and the budget of the state of Massachusetts. How are the states similar in how they spend money and how are the states different? How would you expect life to be different in Massachusetts compared to Texas based on how the governments spend their money? Base your arguments on the multiple sources provided and not your own “guess.” (CT 1 and CT2)

2. Life in Texas and Massachusetts can be very different, but that does not make one superior to the other. Which state is more suitable to live in is determined by how one defines a “quality” life. What factors do believe would lead to a high quality of life? How you rate different life factors can be your opinion, but the factors you use should be based on research. How do you think living in Texas, and spending by the Texas state government, influence your perspective on what is a “quality” life? (CT 3 and CT 4)

3. Looking back at spending by the states of Texas and Massachusetts what would happen if each state changed its spending priorities. How would you expect altering state spending would harm or enhance the quality of life for people living in that state? Be sure to mention specific spending changes and base your argument on how you would define quality of life. (CT 5)

Texas Government Common Assignment

Visual Literacy Component

1. Describe what the graphs look like visually. Pretend that the reader is not able to see the graphs and give as much detail as possible. (VL 1)

2. What information are the graphs presenting? What are the graphs telling you about? Take the information that is presented visually and communicate it to the reader in written form. (VL 2)

3. What does the information in these graphs mean for the government of Texas versus the government of Massachusetts? How would the residents of each of the states be affected by the information presented in the graphs? (VL3)

Texas Government Common Assignment – Articles

“Why Texas Is Our Future” Time Magazine article

“Why Greg Abbott Says Texas Is the Top Technology State in the US” CNBC article

“Massachusetts Is the Best State in the Union” Slate article

Massachusetts The Best State in nation according to US News & World Report” CBS Boston news article

Visual Literacy Component Reference Graph #1

Visual Literacy Component Reference Graph #2