Deck 18: State and Local Government

Question 1

Which of the following entities has the power to regulate intrastate commerce?

A) Congress
B) Local government
C) The president
D) National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB)
E) The Supreme Court

Answer 1

B

Question 2

State legislatures have been often criticized for which of the following?

A) Exercising too much power in the regulation of interstate commerce
B) Improper handling of foreign trade
C) Being unprofessional and ineffective
D) Refusing to consider trivial legislation
E) Ignoring the interests of lobbyists

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The constitutional initiative that exists in some states allows which of the following?

A) The governor of the state to call a constitutional convention
B) The state legislature to request that the governor call a constitutional convention
C) The citizens to petition for a constitutional convention
D) Citizens to place a proposed amendment on the ballot without calling a constitutional convention
E) Citizens to vote on proposed U.S. constitutional amendments in general elections

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Your state has just levied a new income tax. What type of power is it exercising?

A) Implied
B) Reserved
C) Inherent
D) Remanded
E) Reprised

Question 5

The state legislature has passed an appropriations bill and sent it on to the governor to sign. The governor approves of most of the bill but wants to veto a particular line of it. Which of the following types of veto can the governor use to do this?

A) Pocket
B) Item
C) Initiative
D) Amicus
E) Recess

Question 6

Which of the following opinions would be consistent with the views of Jacksonian democracy?

A) The governor should appoint most state officers within the executive branch.
B) The more public officials elected, the more democratic the system would be.
C) The state legislature should be unicameral.
D) Only the highly educated should be eligible to hold a governmental office.
E) The legislature should elect the governor.

Question 7

Consider the founders of your state drafting the state's constitution, which is lengthy and very detailed. Why might they feel the need to be so specific in the state constitution?

A) To protect themselves from the exercise of the supremacy clause by the federal government
B) To protect themselves from the overreaching authority of other states
C) Because state courts interpret their constitutions in a much more broad and liberal manner than the Supreme Court interprets the U.S. Constitution
D) To fill gaps left by the very brief federal Constitution
E) To override provisions in the U.S. Constitution

Question 8

According to historians, the length and mass detail of many state constitutions reflect what?

A) Political involvement of citizens during the 1800s
B) Effects of Congress forcing detailed measures on state governments
C) Impact of the feminist movement and its leaders
D) Loss of popular confidence in state legislatures in the late 1800s
E) Impact of reconstruction following the Civil War

Question 9

How many states allow the governor to use the item veto for legislation that does not involve appropriations?

A) 0
B) 12
C) 19
D) 26
E) 43

Question 10

Your state has imposed a new traffic law by setting the speed limit on certain highways within the state to 70 mph. What type of general power allows the state to do this?

A) Police
B) Fiduciary
C) Commerce
D) Federal
E) Military

Question 11

In regard to the U.S. Constitution, which of the following is true of state and local laws?

A) They must be acknowledged by an existing amendment to the U.S Constitution.
B) They must be in opposition to the U.S Constitution.
C) They must take into account future Supreme Court opinions.
D) They must not be in conflict with the U.S. Constitution.
E) They must be approved by the president.

Question 12

Which of the following issues recently addressed by the state of Arizona has resulted in laws that have some aspects that are at odds with federal policies and were found to be unconstitutional?

A) Immigration policy
B) Maximum speed limits on interstate highways
C) Establishing an official language
D) Increasing minimum wage
E) Gun regulation policy

Question 13

Which of the following do all state governments in the United States have?

A) A unicameral legislature
B) A parliamentary system of government
C) A provision allowing citizens to vote to alter state boundaries
D) An executive, legislative, and judicial branch
E) A strong executive branch

Question 14

You are very interested in public service and think you might like to be president some day. You notice that four presidents since the mid-1970s have held this position prior to becoming president. Therefore, you want to develop a career path that includes which of the following elected positions?

A) Vice president
B) Congressional senator
C) Speaker of the House
D) State senator
E) Governor

Question 15

Which of the following is true of the federal system in the United States?

A) The states have most of the power.
B) Local governments create the state governments.
C) Governmental programs are mostly the exclusive responsibility of the federal government.
D) There are 50 separate state governments and one national government.
E) The states are creatures of the national government.

Question 16

What does the Constitution say in Article VI, Clause 2 regarding state and local governmental activity?

A) It is permitted in actions that do not involve the national government.
B) It is unlimited because of fears of a strong national government dating to the Articles of Confederation.
C) It is superior to national law.
D) It is under the oversight of the legislative branch of the national government.
E) It is restricted because of the supremacy of the national government.

Question 17

How would you characterize the power of governors appointed by the Crown during the colonial period?

A) Powerful
B) Weak
C) Federalist
D) Impartial
E) Democratic

Question 18

You live in a state in which the governor rarely travels out of state. The reason is to prevent the lieutenant governor from exercising power while the governor is away. Which of the following scenarios describes how the governor and lieutenant governor were most likely chosen for office?

A) They ran for election as a team.
B) They were appointed by the state legislature.
C) The governor was elected by the people, but the lieutenant governor was appointed by the state legislature.
D) The voters elected a governor and lieutenant governor from different political parties.
E) The elected governor was impeached and replaced by the lieutenant governor.

Question 19

Which of the following factors does the text suggest is needed to create a strong governor's office?

A) A town manager system
B) A governor with a strong personality
C) Voter apathy
D) A nonpartisan legislature
E) Active interest groups

Question 20

In nearly all states, the governor has the power of the item veto that allows him or her to do which of the following?

A) Make military installations
B) Veto a bill after the legislature has been dismissed
C) Decrease legislative spending
D) Appoint judges
E) Redraw district boundaries

Question 21

A selectperson is a member of the governing group of a community in which of the following system of government?

A) Town manager
B) Town meeting
C) County
D) Municipal
E) Special district

Question 22

If a state legislator provides only part-time service while holding another job, he or she is known as what kind of legislator?

A) Citizen
B) Partisan
C) Fiscal
D) Lay
E) Executive

Question 23

The political party that is in power wants to remain in control of particular voting districts to ensure that its candidate gets elected. When it is time to redraw the districts, it gives some of the districts very odd shapes in order to give the party a majority in certain districts based on past voting patterns. This is known as which of the following?

A) Partisanship
B) Voter fraud
C) Gerrymandering
D) Malapportionment
E) Constitutional initiative

Question 24

What do advocates of term limits argue?

A) Lawmakers who have spent years in public office are in a position to best represent the interest of voters.
B) Interest groups would not have as much influence with legislators who do not have to finance future campaigns.
C) With term limits, lawmakers will lack the experience to understand state policy.
D) Legislators serving limited terms are more likely to be ideologically motivated.
E) Political corruption is the rule for legislators serving multiple years.

Question 25

Dillon's rule provides which of the following types of interpretation of the legal status of local governments?

A) Federal
B) Global
C) Broad
D) Neutral
E) Narrow

Question 26

If you lived in a state such as Delaware, where the procedure for becoming a state judge is similar to that for a federal judge, which of the following would have to happen for you to become a state judge?

A) You would need to be appointed by the governor and confirmed by the upper chamber of the legislature.
B) You would need to be appointed by the governor and confirmed by the lower chamber of the legislature.
C) You would need to be appointed by the governor and confirmed by both chambers of the legislature.
D) You would need to be nominated by the governor and approved by the voters.
E) You would need to be elected by the voters.

Question 27

You have pursued a court case to the highest appellate court in your state. Which of the following courts are you now in?

A) Trial
B) District
C) Superior
D) Circuit
E) Supreme

Question 28

Which of the following statements is true regarding state ethics and campaign finance reform?

A) The amount of information disclosed about donors varies widely, as does the public's access to the information.
B) The Federal Election Commission oversees state ethics and campaign regulations.
C) States are consistent in how they regulate campaign contributions and the disclosure of donors.
D) Almost all states require candidates to report the amount and purpose of individual expenditures.
E) State reporting requirements have greatly decreased in recent years.

Question 29

Which of the following statements regarding term limits for state legislators is most accurate?

A) All of the states have term limits in place for state legislators.
B) The majority of states do not have laws restricting the number of terms a legislator can serve.
C) Term limits have been found to be unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.
D) Term limits have never been considered for the state level.
E) Current politicians often favor term limits because they would be provided job security.

Question 30

You want to vote in the next election because your community is voting on a school bond issue for your district. A school bond issue would likely be introduced to the voters through which of the following?

A) Recall
B) Proposition
C) Initiative
D) Veto
E) Referendum

Question 31

Why has the American Bar Association (ABA) called for the public financing of judicial campaigns?

A) So that the ABA can approve all nominees
B) As a way to introduce term limits
C) As a way to eliminate term limits
D) So that candidates will not have to get contributions for their campaigns
E) To keep judges from becoming biased

Question 32

What is the chief governmental unit set up by the state to administer state law and business at the local level?

A) County
B) Township
C) Village
D) Special district
E) Municipality

Question 33

In a state legislative district, malapportionment refers to the skewed distribution of which of the following?

A) Incumbents
B) Judges
C) Voters
D) Businesses
E) Funds

Question 34

Which of the following type of issue must be involved in a court case that went through a state's judicial system and is now on the way to the U.S. Supreme Court?

A) A civil issue
B) A criminal issue
C) A partisan issue
D) A nonpartisan issue
E) A federal law issue

Question 35

Which of the following type of court exists between the trial courts of jurisdiction and the supreme court in most states?

A) District court
B) Circuit court
C) Court of appeal
D) Limited court
E) Court of jurisdiction

Question 36

The greatest number of local government units in the United States are in what form?

A) Town councils
B) Special districts
C) Villages
D) Townships
E) Municipalities

Question 37

What is a charter?

A) A document issued by a government that grants rights to a person, a group, or a corporation to carry out specific activities
B) A power of a state or local executive during times of martial law
C) A policy that allows city-county consolidated governments
D) A ruling by a state's supreme court that allows citizens to indict city officials
E) An electoral device whereby statutes are referred by the legislature to voters for approval or disapproval

Question 38

If you want to contest the outcome of a case heard before a trial court, which of the following courts will you go to next?

A) A court of limited jurisdiction
B) A court of general jurisdiction
C) A probate court
D) An intermediate appellate court
E) The state supreme court

Question 39

All states have major trial courts that are sometimes referred to as which of the following types of courts?

A) High
B) Supreme
C) Intermediate
D) Appellate
E) District

Question 40

What are the two types of trial courts?

A) Limited jurisdiction and general jurisdiction
B) Limited jurisdiction and original jurisdiction
C) Original jurisdiction and general jurisdiction
D) Original jurisdiction and appellate
E) Probate and municipal

Question 41

The increased cost of which of the following was a major factor in causing budget problems for states in the 2000s?

A) Health care
B) Transportation
C) Election administration
D) Technology
E) Import taxes

Question 42

In the 1990s, most states increased spending for education, health care, and which of the following?

A) Criminal justice
B) Highways
C) Public services
D) Public transportation
E) Social welfare

Question 43

If a municipality is governed using the most common and oldest form of municipal government, what type of plan is it using?

A) Mayor-council
B) Mayor-administrator
C) Council-manager
D) Commission
E) Council-commissioners

Question 44

State and local governments have high expenditures for education. How does that compare to the federal government's educations allocation?

A) The federal government allocates no funds for public education.
B) The federal government allocates matching funds for public education.
C) The federal government allocates more than 45% of its budget to education.
D) The federal government allocates less than 5% of its budget to education.
E) The federal government allocates the majority of the funds for elementary and secondary education.

Question 45

What is the largest expense at the state level of government?

A) Education
B) Parks and recreation
C) Police
D) Highways
E) Welfare

Question 46

Which of the following is likely true about a city that uses the mayor-administrator form of government?

A) It is a large city that lacks a strong mayor.
B) It is a small town governed by a town council.
C) It has a New England town hall government.
D) It is a rural area with a small population.
E) It is a largely suburban area that must conform with urban municipal code.

Question 47

As states began to recover from the 2008-2009 recession, states that had budget surpluses faced which of the following problems?

A) How to avoid a cut in funding by the federal government
B) What services to restore
C) Which companies to dissolve
D) When to increase taxes
E) How to address entitlement programs

Question 48

Which of the following is considered the biggest detriment to the commission and council-manager forms of government?

A) No one is assigned to oversee the city council.
B) The voters are not well represented by the elected officials.
C) They are used by almost all municipalities, so it is difficult to change them.
D) The elected officials are typically partisan.
E) There is not a single, strong political executive leader.

Question 49

Discuss the relationship of state laws and constitutions to the U.S. Constitution and federal law.

Question 50

With the exception of Vermont, all states are required to do which of the following?

A) Run a budget deficit
B) Have voters approve their budget
C) Submit a budget to Congress
D) Balance their budget
E) Earmark funds for welfare in the budget

Question 51

A tax on the value of real estate is called what type of tax?

A) Excise
B) Income
C) Inheritance
D) Sales
E) Property

Question 52

Which of the following became a popular method for states to generate revenue beginning in the 1980s?

A) Interest income
B) A state lottery
C) State-owned banks
D) State-owned tobacco
E) Tuition increases to state schools

Question 53

Explain what is meant by a weak executive, and discuss ways to strengthen a state's executive branch.

Question 54

Outline the differences between an initiative, a referendum, and a recall, and explain their purpose within state government.

Question 55

The state legislators are looking to increase revenue in your state to fund required programs. Because it generates the most income for states, what type of tax will they most likely try to raise?

A) Income
B) Farm subsidy
C) Gasoline
D) General sales
E) Property

Question 56

Discuss the roles and results of gerrymandering and malapportionment in state legislatures.

Question 57

Which of the following most accurately identifies who receives income from the revenues generated from municipal utilities such as water and electric power?

A) Federal government
B) State government
C) Local government
D) Federal and state governments
E) State and local governments

Question 58

Describe a sample state court system, including the various tiers, their responsibilities, and types of courts in each.

Question 59

You live in an area that is not located within the boundary of a municipality. What type of area is this?

A) Unorganized
B) Differentiated
C) Unincorporated
D) Rural
E) District

Question 60

If you work as the professional chief executive for a city that uses the council-manager form of government, what is your title?

A) Mayor
B) City manager
C) Executive councilor
D) Commissioner
E) State representative

Question 61

Explain the process of consolidation in government and the reasons for it.

Question 62

Explain the ways that judges are elected or appointed in the different states, and describe the advantages and disadvantages of each method.

Question 63

Discuss the sources of revenue and the expenditures for state and local governments.

Question 64

Explain the differences between Dillon's rule and Cooley's rule as related to local government.