Deck 11: Local Government: Function Follows Form

Question 1

An elected executive and an elected legislature are found in which of the following?

A) commissioner system of government
B) city manager system of government
C) town meeting system of government
D) mayor-council system of government

Answer 1

D

Question 2

______ are a type of government created for a single purpose.

A) Town meetings
B) Council-manager systems
C) Special districts
D) Mayor-council systems

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following types of local government is incorporated under state law to provide governance to a defined geographic area and is generally more compact and more densely populated than counties?

A) wards
B) neighborhoods
C) municipalities
D) provinces

Answer 3

C

Question 4

______ are, within themselves, unitary systems.

A) Congressional districts
B) States
C) Regions
D) Time zones

Question 5

What type of political jurisdiction is created from the bottom up?

A) city
B) county
C) state
D) national

Question 6

______ systems concentrate executive and legislative powers into a single elected body.

A) Mayoral
B) Manager
C) Commission
D) Ad hoc

Question 7

Counties in Louisiana are called which of the following?

A) arcades
B) boroughs
C) grids
D) parishes

Question 8

Approximately how many special districts are there in the United States?

A) less than 1,000
B) between 1,000 and 10,000
C) between 10,000 and 50,000
D) more than 50,000

Question 9

Special districts do not encompass ______.

A) education
B) transportation
C) resource distribution
D) the National Guard

Question 10

______ is/are generally beyond the responsibility of local government.

A) law enforcement
B) schools
C) utilities
D) elections

Question 11

Geographical subdivisions known as counties are referred to as ______ in Alaska.

A) districts
B) parishes
C) boroughs
D) localities

Question 12

______ tend to cause problems with holding effective town hall meetings.

A) Large populations
B) The availability of telecommunications
C) The lack of union involvement
D) Sociodemographics

Question 13

Which of the following are you unlikely to find at the local county courthouse?

A) district attorney
B) coroner
C) sheriff
D) mayor

Question 14

Most interaction citizens have with government happens at the ______ level.

A) local
B) state
C) federal
D) international

Question 15

Which of the following is has no influence on the size and scope of local government in a state?

A) political culture
B) political history
C) philosophy on role of government
D) interest group politics

Question 16

Geographical subdivisions known as counties are referred to as ______ in Louisiana.

A) districts
B) parishes
C) boroughs
D) localities

Question 17

______ elections tend to have the lowest voter turnout.

A) Local
B) State
C) National
D) International

Question 18

Municipalities are generally distinguished from ______ corporations.

A) localities by being more compact and by their status as independent
B) counties by being more compact and by their status as independent
C) counties by being less compact and by their status as dependent
D) counties by being more compact and by their status as dependent

Question 19

______ states have a particularly weak tradition of active civic participation.

A) Southern
B) New England
C) Northern
D) Pacific Northwestern

Question 20

Legislative and executive powers are separated in ______ form of local government.

A) a commission
B) a council-executive
C) a county-commission
D) a county-administrator

Question 21

In ______, townships are the traditional form of local governance.

A) the South
B) New England
C) the Midwest
D) the Pacific Northwest

Question 22

The U.S. county with the smallest population is located in ______.

A) Delaware
B) Hawaii
C) New Hampshire
D) Wyoming

Question 23

The suffix -shire comes from the ______ tradition.

A) English
B) German
C) Dutch
D) Swedish

Question 24

______ are generally lined up with city council electoral districts.

A) Municipalities
B) Parishes
C) Neighborhoods
D) Wards

Question 25

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. ______ tend to be more "general purpose" forms of government.

A) Cities
B) Counties
C) Congressional districts
D) States

Question 26

Rhode Island and ______ are the only states that have no county governments.

A) Connecticut
B) Hawaii
C) New Mexico
D) Maine

Question 27

Professional executives who manage the day-to-day operations of government are known as ______.

A) mayors
B) commissioners
C) directors
D) administrators

Question 28

In a ______ system, the mayor has a largely ceremonial position.

A) weak-mayor
B) strong-mayor
C) mayor-council
D) mayor-executive

Question 29

What was the first major U.S. city to create a position for a strong manager?

A) Denver, Colorado
B) Dayton, Ohio
C) Dallas, Texas
D) Des Moines, Iowa

Question 30

A ______ is to a municipality as a legislature is to a state.

A) city council
B) city manager
C) mayor
D) commission

Question 31

______ are corporations.

A) Counties
B) Cities
C) States
D) Townships

Question 32

A ______ tends to be the most politically powerful and influential form of local government.

A) township
B) city
C) state
D) county

Question 33

One drawback of ______ governments is that power and leadership are very diffuse.

A) town meeting
B) council-manager
C) commission
D) mayor-council

Question 34

In some states, ______ are geographical subdivisions of counties with little power.

A) cities
B) neighborhoods
C) townships
D) parishes

Question 35

In the twentieth-century, ineffectiveness and corruption were the reasons many counties shifted away from ______.

A) town councils
B) executive leadership
C) commissions
D) appointed administrators

Question 36

In a ______ system, the mayor is roughly equivalent to the municipal-level governor.

A) weak-mayor
B) strong-mayor
C) mayor-council
D) mayor-executive

Question 37

The elected executive in a municipality is known as a ______.

A) city council member
B) city manager
C) commissioner
D) mayor

Question 38

If you find yourself in a county where the executive, legislative, and administrative powers are vested in elected commissioners, you have found ______ system.

A) a council-executive
B) a county commission
C) an executive commission
D) a county council

Question 39

Under what kind of system is a mayor roughly the municipal equivalent of a governor?

A) weak-mayor system
B) strong-mayor system
C) mayor-council system
D) mayor-executive system

Question 40

______ governments are historically rural governments that help conduct state government business.

A) Township
B) City
C) State
D) County

Question 41

Describe Dillon's Rule and its effects.

Question 42

People tend to trust state government more than local government.

Question 43

Governments below the state level tend to be well organized.

Question 44

What is the difference between ward, or district, elections and at-large elections?

Question 45

Discuss the three basic forms of local government.

Question 46

What is home rule? Why do localities encourage state legislatures to adopt home rule statutes?

Question 47

Discuss the three types of city-level government.

Question 48

State governments can abolish county governments.

Question 49

What is the difference between a strong-mayor and a weak-mayor system?

Question 50

States and localities are in a unitary relationship, with localities dependent on states for power.

Question 51

In terms of political system, states and localities share a confederal relationship.

Question 52

What is the difference between general act charters and special act charters?

Question 53

Local governments are evenly dispersed geographically.

Question 54

What is a special district, and why would a locality choose to create one? Provide two examples.

Question 55

At-large elections are elections in which city or county voters vote for council or commission members.

Question 56

City councils tend to dominate in a weak mayor system of government.

Question 57

A mayor-council form of government blends executive and legislative powers.

Question 58

The council-manager system of government is an attempt to separate political and administrative functions.