Deck 18: State and Local Politics: Maintaining Our Differences

Question 1

A legislative measure placed on a statewide ballot by citizens who have collected a sufficient number of signatures by petition is called

A)a referendum.
B)a recall.
C)a citizens' bill.
D)a charter.
E)an initiative.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

The policy area that accounts for the largest portion of state and local government spending is

A)public education.
B)public welfare.
C)law enforcement.
D)public health and hospitals.
E)garbage collection.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The traditional and most common form of municipal government is the

A)mayor-council system.
B)commission system.
C)city manager system.
D)chief executive officer (CEO)system.
E)None of these answers is correct.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Local government charters,by tradition,

A)are restrictive;they define in detail what local governments can and cannot do.
B)are unwritten,since they derive from common law.
C)require the adoption of a form of government based on separation of powers.
D)are subject to veto by local authorities.
E)are only used in the South.

Question 5

A major drawback of the city manager system is

A)the cumbersome civil service process that is required to remove an incompetent city manager from office.
B)the difficulty a city manager may face in attaining the political support necessary for strong leadership.
C)the lack of adequate professional educational programs for the training of city managers.
D)both the difficulty a city manager faces in attaining the necessary political support,and the cumbersome civil service process required to remove an incompetent city manager.
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 6

Trends in state legislatures during recent decades include

A)longer sessions and increased pay for legislators.
B)expansion in the size and professionalism of legislative staffs.
C)a growing popularity of term limits as a means of restoring a citizen legislature.
D)all of these: longer sessions and increased pay for legislators;expansion in the size and professionalism of legislative staffs;and the growing popularity of term limits as a means of restoring a citizen legislature.
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 7

Which of the following is true of state governorships?

A)Roughly half the states impose a two-term limit on their governors.
B)Roughly half the states restrict their governors to a single term.
C)Governors have lost power in recent decades as a result of the growing complexity of legislative issues.
D)The initiation of the state budget resides with the state legislature in nearly every state,and with the governor in only a handful.
E)The state constitutional model for weak governors no longer applies in any of the states.

Question 8

The Missouri Plan provides for

A)a review of the qualifications of potential judges by a judicial selection commission.
B)the governor to select a judge from a short list of candidates submitted by a selection commission.
C)an approval vote by the electorate after the judge has served a trial period.
D)all of these: a review of the qualifications of potential judges;the governor to select a judge from a short list of candidates submitted by a selection commission;and an approval vote by the electorate after a trial period.
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 9

The largest number of government employees work for

A)the federal government.
B)state governments.
C)local governments.
D)the diplomatic corps.
E)the military.

Question 10

Police power emanates from the ________ Amendment of the U.S.Constitution.

A)Tenth
B)Fifteenth
C)Sixth
D)Fourteenth
E)Fourth

Question 11

The attorney general

A)is directly responsible to the state legislature.
B)is in charge of most of the state bureaucracy.
C)sets priorities for legal action.
D)sets legislative priorities.
E)oversees the formation of the budget.

Question 12

In most instances,the disparity in public spending among a state's school districts is largely a result of differences in

A)the wealth of communities.
B)the allocation of state aid to local schools.
C)the proportion of local schools that are private as opposed to public;where there are a lot of private schools,the unused revenue is diverted to poorer public schools.
D)urban and rural areas.
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 13

The oldest form of local government in the United States is the

A)county government.
B)municipal government.
C)school district.
D)special district.
E)township government.

Question 14

Which of the following is true of constitutional initiatives?

A)Most states use constitutional initiatives as a method of amending state constitutions.
B)They are placed on a popular ballot when two-thirds of the state legislature vote for the proposed initiative.
C)A citizen or group can place a proposed amendment on the ballot in the next election if enough signatures are acquired.
D)If a proposed amendment gets majority support in the election vote,it is then voted on by the state legislature.
E)If a proposed amendment gets majority support in the election vote,it must be approved by the governor to become a full amendment.

Question 15

In most states,the executive branch

A)is led by a single chief executive.
B)divides power among the governor and other executive officials,who are elected separately.
C)has declined in its authority in recent decades.
D)is subordinate to the legislative branch.
E)is led by a governor with a two-year term.

Question 16

Dillon's rule

A)establishes the sovereignty of the states.
B)holds that local governments are creatures of the states.
C)requires local governments to act within constraints placed on them by Washington.
D)invalidates a narrow interpretation of the Constitution's interstate commerce clause.
E)invalidates state police power.

Question 17

Compared to the U.S.Constitution,state constitutions are typically

A)longer and less flexible.
B)shorter and more flexible.
C)longer and more flexible.
D)shorter and less flexible.
E)older.

Question 18

A major reason why state and local governments are constrained in their ability to generate revenue through taxation is

A)an insufficient tax base.
B)competition from other states and localities.
C)federal government restrictions on state and local income tax rates.
D)judicial restrictions on state and local income tax rates.
E)inadequate enforcement staff.

Question 19

With regard to their legislative branch of government,

A)states are required by the Constitution to have a bicameral legislature.
B)states are not required by the Constitution to have a bicameral legislature,but all of them do so.
C)all but one of the states have a bicameral legislature.
D)all states have a bicameral legislature,with the exception of those admitted to the Union since the Twentieth Amendment,which allows the choice of a unicameral legislature.
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 20

The broad power of state governments to regulate health,safety,and morals of the citizenry is called

A)express power.
B)police power.
C)public welfare power.
D)implied power.
E)commerce power.

Question 21

The chief instrument by which a state governs its local units is the

A)ordinance.
B)county.
C)constitution.
D)civil code.
E)charter.

Question 22

Townships differ from municipalities in that townships

A)are composed of county subdivisions.
B)have a greater population density.
C)do not have lawmaking power.
D)are governed by a council of elected officials.
E)are mostly governed by city managers.

Question 23

States spend the largest part of their revenue on

A)highways.
B)health care.
C)public welfare.
D)public safety.
E)public education.

Question 24

Cooley's rule

A)strengthens the ability of states to determine the course of education policy in a locality.
B)prevents local governments from having amendments to their charters be subject to state vetoes.
C)determines that local governments can be abolished by states with just cause.
D)is the general principle that describes the relationship between state power and localities.
E)is the guiding principle of home rule.

Question 25

Which of the following is true of local elections?

A)Most communities have an elected town or city council,which then appoints a mayor.
B)In most states,no party labels appear on the ballot.
C)Most school boards are appointed but are then subject to approval by local ballot.
D)Voting in local elections is subject to registration laws developed by the county or municipality.
E)Turnout for local elections in most states hovers around 40 percent.

Question 26

About three-fourths of local revenue comes from

A)sales taxes.
B)excise taxes.
C)personal income taxes.
D)property taxes.
E)lottery profits.

Question 27

Upwards of ________ percent of the nation's legal cases are decided in state courts.

A)95
B)70
C)50
D)25
E)10

Question 28

Which of the following is true about school districts in the U.S.?

A)Most districts are run by the mayor or city council.
B)Most districts in the U.S.resemble comparable districts found in Europe.
C)Most districts are run by local,independent school boards.
D)Most districts are run by administrators appointed by state governments.
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 29

The longest state constitution still in effect today belongs to the state of

A)Vermont.
B)Alabama.
C)Louisiana.
D)Maine.
E)Idaho.

Question 30

Which of the following is NOT a form of municipal government?

A)weak mayor-council system
B)commission system
C)cabinet system
D)city manager system
E)strong mayor-council system

Question 31

Which of the following is true of the city manager system?

A)The system was pioneered during the Progressive Era.
B)The manager cannot be fired by the city council.
C)The system is most common among larger cities.
D)The system was pioneered during the 1960s.
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 32

States with intense political party competition are more likely to

A)pursue policies that benefit a wider range of groups.
B)have lower rates of voter turnout.
C)ignore the poorest groups.
D)have corrupt bureaucrats.
E)have corrupt judges.

Question 33

The state of Wisconsin recently staged a(n)________ for its Republican governor,Scott Walker.

A)occupy protest
B)by-election
C)vote of confidence
D)recall election
E)ballot initiative

Question 34

The Fifteenth Amendment

A)preserved the control by states over education policy.
B)protected states from undue policy influence by the federal government.
C)prohibited states from denying suffrage on the basis of race.
D)compelled states to respect the laws of other states.
E)gave the federal government the authority to regulate commerce between states.

Question 35

The Anaconda Copper Company was a dominant interest group in the state of

A)Montana.
B)West Virginia.
C)New Hampshire.
D)Nevada.
E)Missouri.

Question 36

________ has the only unicameral legislature in the states.

A)Minnesota
B)Indiana
C)Nebraska
D)New Mexico
E)Rhode Island

Question 37

Many states use the sales tax,which

A)places a relatively heavy burden on lower-income citizens.
B)is usually applied to mortgage payments,which bring in the largest percentage of revenue from sales taxes.
C)accounts for about half of state revenue for all states combined.
D)is a progressive tax.
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 38

According to the U.S.Constitution,the states

A)cannot interfere with the lawful exercise of national authority.
B)must provide their citizens with a republican form of government.
C)must comply with legitimate national laws.
D)must respect the laws of other states.
E)All these answers are correct.

Question 39

The sale of hard liquor in Utah was opposed for many years because of

A)philosophical conflicts between the governor and the state's legislature.
B)the large numbers of Mormons who objected to liquor sales.
C)the argument that liquor tax revenue would be insufficient to pay for the social costs of drunk driving.
D)philosophical conflicts between the state legislature and state supreme court.
E)the objections of wine and beer distributors to the sale of hard liquor.

Question 40

Unlike the nation's chief executive,most state chief executives have the power to

A)initiate the budget.
B)head the bureaucracy.
C)appoint judges.
D)use the line-item veto.
E)appoint blue-ribbon panels.

Question 41

When the legislature submits proposals to the voters for approval or rejection,it is called

A)a recall.
B)an initiative.
C)a referendum.
D)a registration system.
E)Dillon's rule.

Question 42

Regarding the judicial branch in each state,it is true that

A)each state has its own separate court system.
B)the states have both trial courts and appellate courts.
C)most states have district-level courts and a supreme court.
D)states vary in their methods of selecting judges.
E)All these answers are correct.

Question 43

Which is a true statement about the commission system of municipal government?

A)Each commissioner is a member of the local council,and has executive and legislative functions.
B)It has gained favor in recent decades.
C)It tends to have very strong chief executives.
D)Most large cities in the U.S.employ this governing system.
E)All these answers are correct.

Question 44

Explain the major sources of revenue for both state and local governments,and address the major constraint upon their ability to generate revenue.

Question 45

The Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations noted that state legislatures

A)have become less functional in recent years.
B)were less accountable to the public than ever before.
C)were equipped with greater information handling capacity than their predecessors.
D)were less representative than ever before.
E)were less efficient than ever before.

Question 46

Explain how the strength of competition between the major parties affects state and local public policy.

Question 47

In most states,judges are

A)appointed by the governor.
B)appointed by the legislature.
C)elected by the people.
D)appointed by a special judicial selection commission.
E)appointed by the state supreme court.

Question 48

Describe how the quality of justice compares across state court systems.

Question 49

Instead of counties,________ has parishes and ________ has boroughs.

A)Louisiana;Alaska
B)Washington;Oregon
C)Maine;New Hampshire
D)South Carolina;Florida
E)Montana;Wyoming

Question 50

With programs such as TANF and food stamps,

A)states have discretionary authority over benefit and eligibility levels,but must operate within federal guidelines.
B)states have discretionary authority over benefit and eligibility levels and are not subject to federal guidelines.
C)states have discretionary authority over benefit levels but not eligibility levels,which are set at the federal level.
D)states have discretionary authority over eligibility levels,but not benefit levels,which are set at the federal level.
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 51

Identify and describe the four forms of municipal government.

Question 52

Of the executive officials other than the governor,typically the most powerful is the

A)attorney general.
B)state treasurer.
C)secretary of state.
D)lieutenant governor.
E)education commissioner.

Question 53

Which of the following is true concerning state governors?

A)All early state constitutions provided for strong governors.
B)In a few states,the governor serves a one-year term.
C)The governor is typically the state's most visible and widely known official.
D)In most states,the governor is the only elected executive official.
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 54

The most expensive welfare program in the United States is social security,a program run by the

A)federal government.
B)states.
C)states and local governments together.
D)federal government and the states as partners.
E)federal,state,and local governments together.