Deck 7: Other Governments

Question 1

Suppose you live in an incorporated city or small town.Who would be your local government representative?

A)a city council member
B)the city manager
C)local agency formation commission member
D)a county supervisor on the board of supervisors

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Do counties receive federal funds?

A)yes
B)no

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Counties supply services for which of these public policy areas?

A)public safety,public assistance,public health
B)education,transit,vital records
C)elections and voting,environment and recreation
D)any of these

Answer 3

D

Question 4

How do counties usually pay for the public services that they provide?

A)The state fully funds all required operations.
B)Sales taxes and fees charged to users of services.
C)income taxes
D)cities

Question 5

Most cities in California,about 70%,have a five-person city council that hires a professional ______ to oversee the city's budget and manage municipal operations.

A)supervisor
B)mayor
C)city manager
D)alderman

Question 6

The largest source of county revenue is ______.

A)sales taxes
B)licenses,fines,and permitting fees
C)rents and leases
D)the state

Question 7

California ranks ______ that contain(s)the highest number of governmental entities in the United States.

A)as the #1 state
B)among the top five states
C)among the top 25 states
D)among the bottom five states

Question 8

An unincorporated area is land governed by a ______.

A)county board of supervisors
B)town or city council
C)special district only
D)regional government only

Question 9

Suppose you live in an unincorporated area of the state.Who would be your local government representative?

A)a city council member
B)the city manager
C)local agency formation commission member
D)a county supervisor on the board of supervisors

Question 10

What are the two largest categories of county expenditures?

A)public ways and facilities
B)recreation and cultural services
C)public assistance and public protection
D)education and health

Question 11

"Municipality" refers to a ______.

A)county
B)region
C)city
D)any government below the state level

Question 12

California is divided into ______.

A)12 very large counties,equal in geographic size and population
B)20 counties,all of which are approximately equal in population
C)32 counties,whose boundaries were redrawn in 1974 to account for shifting populations
D)58 counties,most of which were created in 1879

Question 13

What is the largest county (by population)in California?

A)San Diego
B)Los Angeles
C)San Francisco
D)San Bernardino

Question 14

Which of the following powers do county boards of supervisors possess?

A)legislative
B)executive
C)quasi-judicial
D)any of these

Question 15

The two types of cities and counties in California are ______ and ______.

A)charter;general law
B)county;townships
C)unincorporated;incorporated
D)dependent;independent

Question 16

The average city employee in California earns about ______ annually.

A)$15,000
B)$30,000
C)$65,000
D)$120,000

Question 17

A city that forms its own constitution and grants local government supreme authority over municipal affairs is considered a ______.

A)charter city that operates under the principle of home rule
B)general law city
C)special district
D)constitutional law city

Question 18

What type of political body governs a county?

A)county council appointed by the governor
B)board of supervisors
C)professional county managers with different area specialties
D)a council-manager system

Question 19

Of 482 incorporated cities in California,about ______ of them operate under general law.

A)10%
B)25%
C)50%
D)75%

Question 20

Other than the state,which provides about one-third of county revenues,the largest single source of county revenues is ______.

A)charges for services
B)federal grants
C)property taxes
D)licenses and permits

Question 21

______ fees are charges passed to homeowners by builders who are responsible for funding new infrastructure such as sewers,street lighting,and school construction.

A)Mello-Roos
B)Charter
C)Redevelopment
D)Brown Act

Question 22

What is true about regional planning for issues that affect millions of people living in large areas that encompass many cities and several counties?

A)There's really no way to plan for any large-scale infrastructure projects,so it doesn't happen.
B)The governor is in charge of coordinating regional planning because he heads the administrative branch,in which the relevant state planning agencies operate.
C)Councils of government (COGs such as SANBAG)bring together local elected officials to plan for transportation,housing,water availability,and other types of large-scale,long-term projects.
D)All planning for regions,or large areas covering the state,must be dealt with by the legislature.

Question 23

The Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)is an example of a ______.

A)school district
B)special district
C)council of government (COG)
D)local agency formation commission

Question 24

A city that does not provide its own services but instead enters into an agreement with a neighboring city,private firms,or county to provide essential services is known as ______.

A)an independent municipality
B)a contract city
C)an unincorporated city
D)a furlough town

Question 25

Which of these is not a special district?

A)vector control
B)local agency formation commission
C)redevelopment agencies
D)water districts

Question 26

All city and county governments must provide advance notice of all meetings,hold meetings open to all visitors,and publicly disclose the proceedings of all meetings--as required by which state law?

A)the Ralph M.Brown Act
B)the General Law Act
C)the Fair Political Practices Act
D)Proposition 13

Question 27

Another word for a law passed by a city council is ______.

A)initiative
B)administrative mandate
C)proviso
D)ordinance

Question 28

The (Ralph M. )Brown Act ensures that public meetings will be ______.

A)either held open or kept closed at the discretion of the city council
B)open to the public,but there is no requirement that the time and place be advertised
C)open to anyone,with advance notice of the meetings,and disclosure of the proceedings
D)cancelled if at least 10 members of the public do not show up

Question 29

Which of these categories of expenditures is among the most expensive for both counties and cities?

A)parks and recreation
B)education
C)road maintenance and transportation
D)public protection

Question 30

School districts are governed by ______.

A)city councils
B)county boards of supervisors
C)five-member boards of education
D)the state superintendent of public instruction

Question 31

The largest single source of city revenues is ______.

A)fines and forfeitures
B)bonds
C)property taxes
D)charges for services

Question 32

To help plan and set policy with respect to many aspects of city life,from recreation to identifying transportation needs,council members often rely on appointed ______ to assist them with making policy recommendations.

A)local agency formation commissions
B)receivers
C)boards and commissions
D)business leaders

Question 33

About ______ special districts exist in California,and ______ of them operate independently of counties or cities,with their own elected boards of governors.

A)500;half
B)1,000;half
C)4,700;two-thirds
D)5,000;none

Question 34

Generally speaking,what is the largest category of city expenditures?

A)public safety
B)transportation
C)public utilities
D)general government expenses

Question 35

A regional governmental organization that provides a forum for local city and county leaders to plan for future,common needs such as transportation,housing,and water is called a ______.

A)special district
B)council of government (COG)
C)federal agency
D)LAFCO

Question 36

How do local governments typically finance large construction projects,such as retrofitting hospitals to be safe in earthquakes,fixing aging community facilities,or expanding schools?

A)by getting jumbo loans from a bank
B)by selling bonds that must be paid back with interest
C)by raising taxes to pay for each project
D)by contracting with developers and then charging fees to users of the facilities

Question 37

If about 70% of the money K-12 schools receive comes from the state's general fund budget,from where does the rest come?

A)almost solely from the federal government,through the Department of Education
B)mostly from the federal government,property taxes,and local school bonds
C)exclusive contracts with private companies and vendors
D)mostly private donations to school foundations

Question 38

Proposition 98 guarantees a minimum funding level for state education;every year,approximately ______ of the state budget is spent on K-14 education.

A)5%
B)10%
C)25%
D)40%

Question 39

If a group of people living in an unincorporated area want to form a city,to which government entity must they appeal?

A)the state legislature
B)the secretary of state
C)a local agency formation commission (LAFCO)
D)the county board of supervisors

Question 40

How are most special districts funded?

A)by the state
B)through special assessments (fees levied)on property owners
C)income taxes
D)sales taxes levied by counties

Question 41

What does the federal government help the state of California pay for?

A)nothing
B)medical care,education,low-income housing,transportation,and more
C)100% of the cost to house prison inmates who are undocumented immigrants
D)regional governments because they coordinate policy that involves the federal government

Question 42

Which piece of legislation makes California the first government to establish a combination of regulations and market mechanisms to curb greenhouse gas emissions?

A)AB 32
B)the Ralph M.Brown Act
C)Proposition 98
D)the 2010 Budget Act

Question 43

Which of these is a convenient instrument for enticing states to comply with the wishes of Congress?

A)grants of federal funds
B)unfunded mandates
C)Mello-Roos fees
D)none of these

Question 44

Unlike the state legislature,county boards of supervisors have legislative,executive,and quasi-judicial powers,with the authority to create,pass,and implement local laws,as well as hear decision-making appeals (such as disputed land use decisions,e.g. ).

Question 45

Cities cannot declare bankruptcy,no matter how dire their finances become.

Question 46

City council and county board of supervisors elections are nonpartisan,meaning that candidates' party affiliation does not appear next to their names on the election ballot.

Question 47

Cities provide essential public services that may overlap or supplement the services that counties provide.

Question 48

Compared to other states,California has very few governmental entities at the state and local levels combined.

Question 49

Counties typically do not have their own public safety and protection forces;they rely on cities to supply police,fire,and emergency services.

Question 50

Congress wrote what law (in 1988)that restricts the scope of tribal gaming and defers regulatory authority over tribal gaming to the states?

A)the Brown Act
B)the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA)
C)the Indian Civil Rights Act
D)Proposition 5

Question 51

How many federally recognized Native American tribes are there in California?

A)10
B)50
C)110
D)1,000

Question 52

Counties rely heavily on property taxes to fund their operations.

Question 53

What are parcel taxes?

A)taxes on packages that are sent between residents within a county
B)special commercial-only property taxes that are not subject to Prop 13 limitations
C)a voter-approved tax based on a property's square footage or other characteristic,used to cover infrastructure projects
D)paycheck taxes now being raised to cover unfunded liabilities for state employees

Question 54

The number of counties in California changes about every 20 years to accommodate population change.

Question 55

Regular trash pickup,cemeteries,bus routes,sewage treatment,street lighting are the types of services either provided by or directly managed by state government.

Question 56

On average,about one-third of county expenses are devoted to public protection-related services.

Question 57

California's Native American tribes are considered sovereign entities;in California they are governed by ______.

A)their own tribal councils;each tribe has its own council
B)councils that retain executive,legislative,and judicial powers
C)one "super-council" that governs all tribes
D)California state government and the federal government

Question 58

The idea that the states and the federal government share authority for governing citizens is ______.

A)separation of powers
B)joint powers authority
C)federalism
D)collaborative government

Question 59

Counties are subdivisions of the state that exist to fulfill state government programs and mandates.

Question 60

AB 32 has gained much attention for being the world's first law establishing ______.

A)state-run sustainable salmon fisheries
B)immigrant rights
C)regulations on a cap-and-trade system to curb greenhouse gas emissions
D)a tax on fatty foods

Question 61

The state lottery provides a tiny fraction (about 1.5%)of public schools' funding.

Question 62

More than half of the state's slot machines are in tribal-run casinos located in three Southern California counties (San Diego,San Bernardino,and Riverside).

Question 63

State lottery funds contribute a large portion of most school districts' annual budget.

Question 64

School board members are elected in highly partisan elections;they tend to be hotly contested between Democrats and Republicans.

Question 65

Unlike the state legislature,city councils have legislative and executive powers,with the authority to create,pass,and implement local laws.

Question 66

If any tribal gaming revenue is to be used to cover local infrastructure needs,the amounts must be negotiated by the tribe and local governments and voluntarily agreed upon--not unilaterally imposed by local or state government.

Question 67

Charter schools are private schools that operate on public property.

Question 68

Gaming compacts that are negotiated between Native American tribes and the governor are typically subject to statewide voter referenda,and sometimes they are rejected by voters.

Question 69

All told,annual federal expenditures of all types--to individuals,institutions,and governments--in California exceed an estimated $375 billion.

Question 70

Elected officials who serve on some city councils and county boards of supervisors face term limits,because there is no state law regarding term limits for local officials.

Question 71

Charter schools are public schools that operate independently of a school district,and are free to all students.

Question 72

California's Native American Indian Tribes are sovereign entities and governed internally,but they are subject to federal law.

Question 73

Tribal gaming has almost eliminated poverty among Native Americans in California.

Question 74

If a city has a strong mayor form of government,then there is no need to hire a city manager.

Question 75

Legally,Native American tribes must pay in full for the costs on local governments that their gaming enterprises may impose,such as wear and tear on roads,added police protection and traffic controls,air pollution,or waste disposal.

Question 76

Cities often borrow money by issuing ______ that must first be approved by local voters.

Question 77

Nationwide,particularly in California,donations by tribes to political campaigns have favored Democrats.

Question 78

No state can collect taxes from tribal nations.

Question 79

The only California city that is also a county is ______.

Question 80

Why is there an abundance of subgovernmental entities (such as special districts)in California?