Identify two policy decisions that are normally made at the state level. For each, write a sentence explaining what choices state governments are making.

The state has many responsibilities. Two responsibilities are maintaining state roads and maintaining public schools. States decide how much money to spend on state highways and how this money will be spent. States also set the rate of pay for state highway workers. They decide paving and maintenance schedules for state roads. States are primarily responsible for state roads, not city streets.
While the federal government has taken on more responsibility in this realm in the form of mandated testing, states are also in charge of maintaining school systems. States, in accordance with federal guidelines, set the standards for teachers and what curriculum will be used in classrooms. States set licensing standards for teachers, and they allocate funding for both secondary schools and universities. States also set the schedule for standardized testing and often select the vendor who will supply the standardized tests. This ensures that students across the state will be evaluated using the same standards, even though the quality of the education may vary from district to district.
Both of these powers of the state government would not be possible without state taxes. States set their own levels of taxes to fund government. States fund public works projects as aid distribution. While states receive some money from the federal government (and direction as to how this money should be spent), it is often left up to the individual states to decide how to manage the funds and spend them most wisely.