Deck 9: Local Government

Question 1

In Los Angeles, how many people are represented by each member of the board of supervisors?

A) 500,000
B) 1 million
C) 2 million
D) 3 million

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The most important and controversial decisions a county board of supervisors usually makes are on

A) transportation.
B) employment.
C) land-use policy.
D) bond measures.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

In terms of land area, what is the largest county in California?

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

Answer 3

D

Question 4

What states require strict obedience to Dillon's rule?

A) Alabama, Idaho, and Nebraska
B) Texas, California, and Arizona
C) California, Utah, and New York
D) Tennessee, Florida, and California

Question 5

The Brown Act of 1953 did which of the following?

A) restricted the amount of property taxes homeowners pay to the state
B) required open meetings and transparency in the conduct of public business
C) created local agency formation commissions
D) prohibited off-shore drilling within 10 miles of the state coastline

Question 6

What did Dillon's Rule establish?

A) the basic legal framework for relations between state and local governments
B) the basic legal framework for relations between the executive and legislative branches
C) the basic legal framework for relations between the judicial and legislative branches
D) the basic legal framework for relations between the executive and judicial branches

Question 7

In Alpine County, approximately how many people are represented by each member of the board of supervisors?

A) 216
B) 1,010
C) 35,008
D) 105,500

Question 8

Two types of incorporated cities are

A) general law cities and non-Dillon's Rule cities.
B) home rule cities and Dillon's Rule cities.
C) general law cities and charter cities.
D) charter cities and home rule cities.

Question 9

In California, all local elections are

A) partisan.
B) nonpartisan.
C) primaries.
D) likely to result in a recount.

Question 10

In California, what is the general purpose of local governments, such as cities and counties?

A) manage interstate highways, regulate foreign trade, and maintain weapons and training for security agencies such as Homeland Security
B) fight fires, clean streets, and protect the health, safety, welfare, and overall quality of life of all who live within their jurisdiction
C) regulate banks, alcohol and gun sales, print currency, and exchange intelligence information with various law enforcement agencies
D) protect the border, regulate interstate commerce, negotiate with foreign countries, and monitor the sale of prescription drugs, alcohol, and guns

Question 11

One disadvantage of special districts is that

A) they lack the ability to tailor the level and quality of service to citizen demands.
B) people who do not use their services have to pay for them.
C) they cannot respond well because of the large geographic areas they cover.
D) jurisdictions overlap resulting in a duplication of services provided by cities and counties.

Question 12

In general, over the last few decades, voter turnout in California local government elections has been

A) decreasing.
B) increasing.
C) fluctuating.
D) constant.

Question 13

The most common form of local government in California cities is the

A) mayor-council system.
B) council-manager system.
C) commission government.
D) councils of government.

Question 14

How many counties are there in the state of California?

A) 27
B) 30
C) 45
D) 58

Question 15

What are the five most populous counties in California?

A) Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Kern, and Monterey
B) Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, San Bernardino, and Riverside
C) Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Santa Clara, and Sacramento
D) Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, San Bernardino, and Santa Clara

Question 16

The process of municipal incorporations, by which a city is created, is usually initiated by

A) the governor and the supreme court.
B) the mayor and the city council.
C) the county Local Agency Formation Commission.
D) the state legislature and Franchise Tax Board.

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of reform government at the local level?

A) at-large council elections
B) nonpartisan elections
C) city manager plans
D) concurrent elections

Question 18

In California, school districts are governed by

A) county supervisors.
B) locally elected school boards.
C) Congress and the Department of Education.
D) the governor of California and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Question 19

A "sanctuary city" refers to

A) a city that can be used by the state during a war to house and protect immigrants that are seeking political asylum.
B) the process that a city must follow to be sovereign and officially recognized by county, state, and federal governments.
C) a city that has laws to protect city, county, and state workers that expose government corruption.
D) a city that assures equal access to city services regardless of immigrant status.

Question 20

At the local government level the use of referenda

A) are considered illegal.
B) are quite common.
C) are quite rare.
D) requires the governor's approval.

Question 21

Under Proposition 22, passed by the state's voters in November 2010, state lawmakers cannot

A) increase state taxes without the consent of local governments.
B) lower the personal income tax.
C) shift local revenues dedicated to local services to the state.
D) increase corporate taxes without Chamber of Commerce approval.

Question 22

What are the functions of county governments in California and how are they organized?

Question 23

Which California city did NOT declare bankruptcy?

A) Vallejo
B) Stockton
C) San Bernardino
D) Irvine

Question 24

What are the major expense categories for California cities? From what sources do cities receive their revenue?

Question 25

In 2011, what controversial action did the state of California take to help solve the budget crisis?

A) required all businesses regardless of size to pay an additional 20 percent tax on property and sales transactions
B) withheld more than $10 billion in sales tax that was returned to city and county governments
C) terminated the contracts of more than 1,000 state employees
D) terminated the existence of more than 400 community redevelopment agencies

Question 26

What U.S. city was the starting point for the Occupy Movement?

A) Oakland
B) San Francisco
C) New York
D) Washington, D.C.

Question 27

What role do special districts play in California? Cite an example of a special district and its mandated purpose.

Question 28

In order to deal with problems such as air pollution and waste management that affect large geographic areas in California,

A) regional governments have been formed.
B) special districts have been given authority to deal with these types of problems.
C) a council-mayor system has been implemented.
D) secession movements in a number of cities have developed.

Question 29

What were the major roles and functions of California's community redevelopment agencies? Why did the state government eliminate all of these agencies?

Question 30

Explain how Dillon's Rule impacts local governments in California and how it is applied.