Deck 11: Local Government in Texas

Question 1

The concept that the national government sets up policy guidelines and then expects the state government to pay for the programs is known as ______.

A) unitary federalism
B) equality federalism
C) legislative federalism
D) administrative federalism
E) dual federalism

Answer 1

D

Question 2

City governments are one example of local governments in Texas. Other than city governments, all of the following are also examples of local governments EXCEPT ______.

A) legislative districts
B) independent school districts
C) municipal utility districts
D) airport authorities
E) community college districts

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Dillon's Rule describes a principle that assumes ______ to be a creature of ______.

A) state government; federal government
B) local government; state government
C) local government; federal government
D) federal government; state government
E) state government; local government

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following describes city charters correctly?

A) The state issues a single charter that city voters may adopt for their cities.
B) Charters define the power of elected officials in general law cities.
C) Home rule city voters approve of their city's charter.
D) Charters can allow cities to provide functions even if contrary to state law.
E) City charters are nullified if a city's population falls below 5,000.

Question 5

Which of the following is characteristic of county governments in Texas?

A) At the center of county government is that county's justice of the peace.
B) All counties use a patronage system when hiring employees to assist county officials.
C) Elected officials include the commissioners court.
D) The commissioners court hears cases with a judge and jury.
E) County budgets are proposed by the comptroller.

Question 6

For what kind of cases do justices of the peace and constables serve as judicial officers?

A) minor criminal cases
B) major criminal cases
C) major civil cases
D) federal civil cases
E) probate cases

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT a form of city government found in Texas?

A) commissioners court
B) weak mayor-council
C) council-manager
D) strong mayor-council

Question 8

Whereas home rule cities ______, general law cities ______.

A) tend to be the smaller cities in Texas; tend to be the larger cities in Texas
B) may adopt any of the three forms of city government; are often too rigid to adapt to the demands of population growth
C) are more tightly regulated by the state; are given more freedom by the state
D) are unlimited in local authority; have a short list of powers
E) elect mayors; have all of their officials appointed by state government

Question 9

Which of the following is an example of a major political issue being dealt with by city governments?

A) reframing the Electoral College votes from each city
B) zoning and planning policies
C) the appointment of judges to state and county courts
D) election or appointment of council members to the state legislature
E) the hiring of school district superintendents

Question 10

Property taxes play what role in county and state income?

A) They permit the state to avoid the use of income taxes.
B) They permit the state to avoid the use of excise taxes.
C) They are the second-highest source of revenue for counties, just behind traffic tickets.
D) Counties obtain tax revenue solely through the property tax.
E) County property tax rates are usually the highest that residents pay.

Question 11

Machine politics refers to ______.

A) local party bosses who use the merit system for jobs and benefits
B) the lack of attention paid to party politics by the general populace
C) the requirements of formal training and qualifications for jobs and benefits
D) local party bosses who use the patronage system for jobs and benefits
E) the increasing automation of city utility functions

Question 12

According to the authors, all local governments exist as an arm of the state government. Which of the following is most related to this idea?

A) Dillon's Rule
B) Article III of the U.S. Constitution
C) cooperative federalism
D) concurrent powers
E) the Charter Act

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT a type of city election found in Texas?

A) at-large
B) at-large by place
C) single-member district
D) cumulative voting
E) multimember district

Question 14

The governing body for Texas counties is the ______.

A) commissioners court
B) justice of the peace
C) national government
D) municipal governments
E) council of county managers

Question 15

Which of the following accurately describe a merit or civil service system appointment in government jobs?

A) qualifications and formal training
B) political patronage
C) election by the populace
D) appointment by the president of the United States
E) primarily offered by gubernatorial commission

Question 16

Elections in which candidates' names and party affiliations appear on the ballot are called ______.

A) primary elections
B) general elections
C) partisan elections
D) caucuses
E) involuntary elections

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT a service provided by municipal utility districts?

A) water
B) sewer
C) public education
D) health care

Question 18

Which of the following forms of city government is the most commonly found in Texas?

A) weak mayor-council
B) council-manager
C) strong mayor-council
D) commissioners court
E) tribunal form

Question 19

In which type of city election do voters cast the same number of votes as the number of seats on the council?

A) at-large
B) at-large by place
C) single-member district
D) cumulative voting
E) multimember district

Question 20

Regarding the history and function of county government, which of the following is NOT correct?

A) The Texas county system is rooted in the French system used in the Louisiana Territory.
B) Counties perform at least six basic functions for the state government.
C) Names of counties sometimes reflect geographic features of that given county.
D) Names of counties sometimes reflect unique cultural features of that given county.
E) Counties cover all of Texas and do not overlap.

Question 21

How many community college districts exist in Texas?

A) ten
B) five
C) eighty
D) fifty

Question 22

A special government that provides water and sewer services is called a(n) ______.

A) intergovernmental agency
B) ISD
C) municipal utilities district
D) home rule city

Question 23

All local governments are ______ the state government.

A) autonomous from
B) dominated by
C) cooperative with
D) equal to

Question 24

The cost of local government is ultimately passed on to ______.

A) corporations
B) nonprofits
C) citizens
D) interest groups

Question 25

Home rule cities can choose all of the following EXCEPT ______.

A) their election system
B) their form of government
C) the organization of their government
D) the state to which they belong

Question 26

According to the authors, property tax is a burden on ______.

A) children
B) taxpayers
C) retirees
D) corporations

Question 27

What is the purpose of counties?

A) to carry out the functions outlined by the state legislature
B) to provide education
C) to provide water and sewage
D) to respond to the evolving demands of citizens

Question 28

Special election voter turnout is often ______.

A) high
B) low
C) unpredictable
D) extremely high

Question 29

What form of government provides services such as cemetery maintenance and trash collection to Ohio residents who are not in a city or town?

A) whichever city government is closest to the resident
B) county government
C) township government
D) state government

Question 30

Municipal bonds are used to ______.

A) raise money for the city
B) secure a tax rate
C) fund annexation
D) pay back the state government

Question 31

Annexation is a tool for ______.

A) education
B) evading mandates from the state legislature
C) economic development
D) combining school districts

Question 32

What is the goal of a general services district?

A) combatting racial bias
B) providing uniform services
C) reducing corruption
D) increasing revenue

Question 33

The Board of Trustees for an independent school district may do all of the following EXCEPT ______.

A) oversee construction of schools
B) sell bonds to finance projects
C) collect property taxes to fund operations
D) raise property taxes without voter approval

Question 34

Special districts are useful because ______.

A) they take focus off mayors
B) they have more money than other governments
C) they can coordinate across multiple jurisdictions
D) they can be abolished at any time

Question 35

New laws require that homeowners associations in Texas have ______ records.

A) open
B) closed
C) private
D) digital

Question 36

The Board of Trustees for an independent school district may establish all of the following guidelines EXCEPT ______.

A) hiring of teachers and administrators
B) curriculum decisions
C) discipline policies
D) whether or not to follow state standards

Question 37

Which of the following statements regarding Texas counties is NOT true?

A) The smallest county in Texas by population is Loving County, with eighty-two people.
B) Brewster County has the largest geographic area, larger than Connecticut and Rhode Island combined.
C) Historically, county boundaries were drawn so that a county's citizens could travel to the county church and return home in a single day.
D) New counties may not be smaller than 700 square miles.

Question 38

Special districts are created when ______ petition for their creation.

A) corporations
B) legislators
C) city councils
D) citizens

Question 39

______ laws restrict what one may do with their property.

A) Use
B) Home
C) Zoning
D) Family

Question 40

Which type of government is allowed flexibility in its form?

A) county
B) municipal utility district
C) city
D) school district

Question 41

Which official maintains county records?

A) the county sheriff
B) the auditor
C) the county judge
D) the county clerk

Question 42

The elected county official who oversees county law enforcement is the sheriff.

Question 43

In fiscal federalism, one method by which the national government provides money is in the form of grants.

Question 44

Privatization is the process in which ______.

A) government sells off services to be operated by a private company
B) private citizens withdraw from public life
C) former mayors retire from public service
D) public opinion swings against government

Question 45

Which organization develops job definitions at the county level?

A) the Texas Ethics Commission
B) the County Civil Service Commission
C) the county commissioners court
D) the county party convention

Question 46

An ordinance is a law enacted by a national government.

Question 47

Common schools no longer exist in the state of Texas.

Question 48

The battle to overturn the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) illustrates that state legislators appear unwilling to let local communities pass LGBT antidiscrimination laws.

Question 49

When the federal government sets up guidelines and expects the state to pay for enforcement, this is called ______.

A) fiscal federalism
B) unfunded federalism
C) administrative federalism
D) cooperative federalism

Question 50

The state of Texas uses civil townships as a type of local government.

Question 51

Discuss the difference between administrative federalism and fiscal federalism.

Question 52

Discuss the differences between a general law city and a home rule city. What are the strengths and weaknesses of each?

Question 53

What are the three basic forms of city government in Texas? Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Question 54

The "council" or "commission" form of government in Texas often refers to the ______ mayor-council system.

A) absent
B) strong
C) appointed
D) weak

Question 55

Discuss the difference between privatization and contract outsourcing.

Question 56

Local party bosses are associated with ______.

A) machine politics
B) stem politics
C) state politics
D) municipal politics