Deck 1: New Direction for State and Local Government

Question 1

The organization that sponsors the "Innovations in American Government" awards is

A)the Council of State Governments.
B)the Carnegie Foundation.
C)the Ford Foundation.
D)Microsoft Corporation.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Population trends of the last decade have

A)resulted in population losses for some states, such as Nevada and Arizona.
B)resulted in unprecedented growth in the Midwest and Northeast.
C)resulted in population shifts from the Frostbelt states to Sunbelt states.
D)had little effect on state and local governments.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Increased national-state conflict seems the inevitable result of

A)more capable state and local governments.
B)the federal government's efforts to control the state's ability to respond to change.
C)the states' dependency on federal programs and revenue sources.
D)the state courts' involvement in national-state issues.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

According to your text, the concept of capacity refers to government's ability to respond to change, manage conflict, and

A)allocate fiscal resources.
B)make decisions efficiently and responsively.
C)operate proactively.
D)foster transparency.

Question 5

During what time period were the states characterized as "havens of traditionalism and inactivity"?

A)the 1950s and 1960s
B)the 1960s and 1970s
C)the 1970s and 1980s
D)the 1980s and 1990s

Question 6

According to Census Bureau data, the fastest growing states during the period of 2000 to 2009 were located in the

A)West.
B)Midwest.
C)Northeast.
D)South.

Question 7

What term does your text use to refer to a characteristic of government that is open and understandable, one in which officials are accountable to the public?

A)honesty
B)visibility
C)up-frontness
D)transparency

Question 8

The central argument of the Bowman and Kearney text is that state and local governments

A)are resurgent and have the capacity to play central roles in the U.S.federal system.
B)are not resurgent and are unable to play a central role in the U.S.federal system.
C)are resurgent but lack the capacity to play a major role in the U.S.federal system.
D)have yet to address the real concerns of the American public.

Question 9

Economic downturns and limits on taxing and spending have caused states to

A)continue to depend wholly on federal revenue sharing.
B)implement new and innovative revenue-raising strategies.
C)resist efforts to grant local governments flexibility.
D)continue to depend on federal grants-in-aid as their primary source of revenue.

Question 10

New ideas and programs implemented at the state level

A)are the result of the lobbying efforts of the states.
B)are usually an extension of a federal program already in place.
C)are usually generated by the private sector.
D)are spread rapidly between jurisdictions as states learn from one another.

Question 11

The ability of government to respond effectively to change, to make decisions efficiently and responsively, and to manage conflict is referred to as

A)capacity.
B)capability.
C)resurgence.
D)aptitude.

Question 12

The unofficial region of the United States generally consisting of the Northeast and the Midwest is known as the

A)Sunbelt.
B)Great Lakes region.
C)Snowbelt.
D)Frostbelt.

Question 13

All of the following have contributed to the resurgence of the states except

A)more equitable representation regarding legislative apportionment.
B)the extension of two-party competition.
C)a reduced focus on lobbying efforts.
D)a restructuring of state institutions.

Question 14

State rainy day funds, legalized gambling through state-run lotteries and pari-mutuels, and extension of the sales tax to services are examples of

A)efforts that have generally failed to generate additional revenue.
B)expenditure equity strategies.
C)tax equity strategies.
D)revenue diversification strategies.

Question 15

Daniel Elazar's three distinct political cultures are

A)moralistic, individualistic, and cosmopolitan.
B)moralistic, individualistic, and postmodern.
C)moralistic, traditionalistic, and individualistic.
D)moralistic, traditionalistic, and frontier.

Question 16

Daniel Elazar used the term "political culture" to refer to

A)how people think about their government and the way in which the political system operates.
B)the particular mix of native-born and first-generation Americans.
C)socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic variables that affect political outcomes in the states.
D)the ideology that members of political parties hold toward issues that affect their states and local communities.

Question 17

Fiscal stress refers to

A)the pressures states and local governments face regarding interjurisdictional problems.
B)the pressures states and local governments face regarding interstate conflicts.
C)the pressures created when expenditures are greater than revenues.
D)the pressures created when revenues are greater than expenditures.

Question 18

When states bid against one another for economic development they

A)enhance interstate cooperation.
B)often use tax breaks and regulatory relaxation to attract business and industry.
C)rely on federal guidelines to ensure business incentives are equal between competing states.
D)usually work out agreements that allow other states to share in the economic benefits.

Question 19

According to your text, what defines the U.S.federal system?

A)cooperation and conflict
B)intervention and intrusion
C)capacity and conflict
D)interdependence and autonomy

Question 20

Unfunded mandates imposed by federal legislation

A)are welcomed by the states because they provide much needed guidance.
B)were once a source of considerable irritation to the states but the Unfunded Mandate Act passed by Congress now provides ample federal funds to cover mandates.
C)have eased the tension between the federal government and the states.
D)often create a financial burden for states.

Question 21

A recent exercise conducted to determine the most typical state in the country found which state to be the "microcosm" of the nation?

A)Mississippi
B)West Virginia
C)Wisconsin
D)New York

Question 22

During the 1980s, states experienced a "resurgence" and by the 1990s they became more reactive rather than proactive in dealing with the complexities of governing.

Question 23

The theme of the Bowman and Kearney textbook is that states and localities have the capacity to play central roles in the federal system.

Question 24

Interstate cooperation fosters a healthy climate for joint problem solving among the states.This type of cooperation is illustrated in the states working together to sue some of America's largest corporations to recover the Medicaid costs of treating tobacco-related illnesses, or to fight unfair business practices like the Microsoft antitrust suit.

Question 25

The study of state and local government tends to receive less attention than national politics partly because scholars and journalists tend to focus on glamorous imperial presidents, a rancorous and gridlocked Congress, and an independent and powerful Supreme Court.

Question 26

As a rule, state governments prefer to increase user charges, gasoline taxes, and so-called sin taxes on alcohol and tobacco and only reluctantly raise sales and income taxes.

Question 27

The unique characteristics of the fifty states, as described in your text, are

A)openness, independence, and diversity.
B)diversity, competitiveness, and resiliency.
C)openness, accommodation, and interdependence.
D)diversity, independence, and innovation.

Question 28

Which of the following statements regarding "culture wars" is NOT true?

A)The issues in a culture war are highly salient to people.
B)Culture war issues elicit passionate reactions from people.
C)Political activism related to culture wars follows conventional forms.
D)Culture war issues tend to mobilize people across different neighborhoods and racial and ethnic groups.

Question 29

Over the past thirty years, state governments have become more dependent on the federal government for revenues.

Question 30

The concept of government functioning efficiently refers to the government accomplishing what it sets out to do.

Question 31

In a recent study of state government performance, the highest overall scores went to Utah, Virginia, and Washington (each state received a grade of A-).

Question 32

When political conflicts emerge from deeply held moral values on issues such as gay rights, abortion, or pornography it is informally known as

A)culture wars.
B)moral hostility.
C)societal warfare.
D)divided conflict.

Question 33

The Mayor of Portland, Oregon became the first local official to commit his city to a plan to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases to combat global warming.

Question 34

The authors of the text conclude that revitalized state and local governments are

A)becoming less proactive in their approach to new problems.
B)taking charge and producing results.
C)becoming less resilient in the face of ongoing challenges.
D)surviving, but having to take a back seat to the national government.

Question 35

The first Amber Alert system to broadcast information about abducted children is an example of a federally initiated program adopted by the states.

Question 36

The concept of capacity refers to government's ability to respond effectively to change, make decisions efficiently and responsively, and manage conflict.

Question 37

Among the factors that contributed to state resurgence are reformed constitutions and institutions, and the presence of active state and local lobbyist organizations at the national level.

Question 38

Federalism is a system of government in which powers are divided between a national government and regional governments.

Question 39

Elazar's "moralistic" political culture is one in which people believe that

A)no political action should occur without clear support from the public.
B)politics is a marketplace in which people participate out of private motivations.
C)politics should function to maintain an existing order established by community elites.
D)politics should be an effort to establish a good and just society.

Question 40

States have become increasingly innovative in devising ways to enhance their revenue systems.

Question 41

The unofficial region of the United States generally comprising the South and West is known as the Sunbelt.

Question 42

The pure forms of political culture presented by Daniel Elazar continue to characterize the political cultures found in most states today.

Question 43

Diversity, competitiveness, and resiliency are unique characteristics of the fifty-state system under federalism.Explain how each contributes to the states' role within the federal system.

Question 44

Among the cities that experienced the largest population losses between 2000 and 2009 was New Orleans, Louisiana.

Question 45

In the last forty years, the states have increased their capacity for problem solving in a number of ways.Discuss some of the ways in which state capacity has increased.

Question 46

Culture wars have become a significant and controversial part of the political landscape at all levels of government.Describe what culture wars involve and why they have become so important in recent years.

Question 47

Population growth and migration can have significant economic and political consequences for states.

Question 48

Define the concept of political culture.Why is it important to understand political culture, and how does it affect politics in the states and local governments? Using Daniel Elazar's categories of political culture, explain the category into which your state falls, and list several contributing factors behind that categorization.

Question 49

The devastation of Hurricane Katrina caused New Orleans to lose more than half (about 54 percent)of its population.

Question 50

Tension between the national and non-national governments is minimal in a federal system.

Question 51

Current U.S.Census figures put the Anglo population at 74 percent, the African American population at 13 percent, the Latino population at 15 percent, and the Asian population at 4 percent.

Question 52

In the area of economic development, interjurisdictional conflict is not a common problem.

Question 53

Battlegrounds in the "culture wars" include policy issues such as abortion, gay marriage, pornography, displaying the Ten Commandments in public buildings, and prayer in schools.

Question 54

The populations of Nevada and Arizona outpaced other states between 2000 and 2009.