Question 1

How did the urban reform movement in the early twentieth century change the design of local governments? Do you think the changes have been for the better? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How did the urban reform movement in...

Question 2

Most American cities that have a mayor today,particularly small municipalities,have mayors with

Accepted Answer

A) weak executive powers. 
B) responsibility for developing the city budget. 
C) the power to appoint department heads. 
D) the power to veto acts of their city's council.

Question 3

What institution was born out of the nineteenth century environment of industrialization,urbanization,rapid immigration,and the absence of basic public services?

Accepted Answer

A) Party machines 
B) Wards 
C) Precincts 
D) Direct democracy

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT true regarding urban party machines?

Accepted Answer

A) The local party organizations gained and maintained control of cities by organizing neighborhoods to deliver votes for machine candidates. 
B) Each party boss had to hold an elected office in order to control the machine. 
C) Machines were "quasi­feudal" as they were very hierarchical. 
D) Voters in neighborhoods remained loyal to the machine leaders as they provided them with favors or services.

Question 5

Which of the following defines the limits of local government autonomy and results in less state control over local government affairs?

Accepted Answer

A) Governmental ordinances 
B) Home rule charters 
C) Local law regulations 
D) Charter decrees

Question 6

Which two states do not have counties?

Accepted Answer

A) Alaska and Louisiana 
B) Florida and Georgia 
C) Colorado and Connecticut 
D) California and Nevada

Question 7

Which of the following acts established a Civil Service Commission that began to depoliticize the hiring and firing of many federal employees?

Accepted Answer

A) Hatch Act of 1939 
B) Bland-Allison Act of 1878 
C) Pendleton Act of 1883 
D) Newlands Resolution of 1898

Question 8

Discuss the different ways cities were governed during the nineteenth-century as compared to today? Be sure to assess the major institutional differences.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss the different ways cities were governed...

Question 9

Which system of municipal governance epitomizes a business model of local government?

Accepted Answer

A) Weak mayor-council 
B) Council-manager 
C) Strong mayor-council 
D) Commission

Question 10

Which of the following was an attempt to bring national attention to how various municipal experiments with new political arrangements worked (or failed)?

Accepted Answer

A) Model City Charter 
B) National Political Report 
C) Institutional Data Report 
D) Local Political Charter

Question 11

Which of the following statements is NOT true?

Accepted Answer

A) Urban machines were able to operate cities efficiently. 
B) Urban machines needed an inflated number of public employees to boost their opportunities for handing out jobs as patronage. 
C) Much of the cost of machine-run municipal government was borne by taxpayers. 
D) Urban machines acted as a humanizing force,making life better for masses of immigrants arriving to America.

Question 12

In the nineteenth century,some cities had "clubs" that sought to control a city by organizing supporters in enough neighborhoods so as to win elections.Today,these "clubs" are sometimes called

Accepted Answer

A) pressure groups. 
B) presidential caucuses. 
C) political parties. 
D) national conventions.

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT true regarding urban political machines and elections?

Accepted Answer

A) Machines had to deliver something to voters to get support,although they had few decent-paying jobs to offer supporters. 
B) Machines frequently opposed union efforts at organizing workers. 
C) Machines contributed to the peaceful development of the United States by promoting personality-based and patronage-based politics. 
D) Machines were able to transfer real political power in many cities away from the majority of Catholics to a minority of affluent Protestants.

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT true regarding voter registration and its reforms?

Accepted Answer

A) Many states attempted to combat electoral fraud by requiring that voters personally apply for registration before each election. 
B) As voter registration laws were adopted in the 1900s,statewide voter turnout increased. 
C) Prior to the late 1890s,there was little local regulation of who could vote. 
D) Party machines created innovative methods of offering immigrants 'instant citizenship' to make them eligible for voting.

Question 15

What did Thomas Jefferson promote as a way for Congress to raise money,and as a means to institutionalize his vision of a rural America?

Accepted Answer

A) Land Ordinance of 1785 
B) Taxation Enactment of 1786 
C) Naturalization Act of 1790 
D) Residence Act of 1790

Question 16

During the Progressive Era,numerous championed reforms to improve sanitation,education,and public health at the municipal level.

Accepted Answer

A) public policy organizations 
B) think tanks 
C) political parties 
D) women's clubs

Question 17

Today,many cities outline their governmental powers and those of their local officials in a

Accepted Answer

A) constitution. 
B) statutory amendment. 
C) charter. 
D) legislative hearing.

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT a power of appointed executives in a council-manager system?

Accepted Answer

A) Responsibility for preparing the annual budget 
B) Directing day-to-day operations of city departments 
C) Serving as the council's chief policy advisor 
D) Acting as spokesperson for the community

Question 19

Under which U.S.President did the political philosophy of greater political participation by ordinary citizens spread throughout the country?

Accepted Answer

A) Thomas Jefferson 
B) Andrew Jackson 
C) Abraham Lincoln 
D) Teddy Roosevelt

Question 20

For urban party machines,what was one of the more lucrative perks that they could use to reward their supporters who helped the machine win elections?

Accepted Answer

A) Distributing chickens on holidays 
B) Offering a place to stay at the local party office 
C) Handing out Election Day walk-around money 
D) Awarding public sector jobs

Exam 11: The Structure of Local Governments