Question 1

Leadership is not directly related with governance. It does not really make any difference between an effectively functioning government and one that lurches from one crisis to another.

Accepted Answer

Leadership is directly related to governance as effective leadership can significantly influence the functioning of a government, determining whether it operates smoothly or faces constant crises. Leadership qualities such as vision, decision-making, and the ability to unite and motivate people are crucial for effective governance.

Question 2

Elite theory suggests that multiple open competing groups possess power and rule society.

Accepted Answer

Elite theory posits that a small, concentrated group of elites holds power and rules society, rather than power being distributed among multiple competing groups.

Question 3

Which of the following became more important as a result of the Progressive era, during which reformers sought to avoid the corrupt and inefficient partisan political machines that controlled many American cities?

Accepted Answer

The Progressive Era emphasized professional management and efficiency in government, leading to the adoption of the city manager system, where a professional manager is appointed to run the city, reducing the influence of political machines.

Question 4

Local legislatures include city councils, county commissioners, and town boards of aldermen but not school boards, special purpose districts, and authorities.

Accepted Answer

Local legislatures such as city councils, county commissioners, and town boards of aldermen are indeed part of local government structures. However, school boards, special purpose districts, and authorities also constitute forms of local governance, although they might focus on more specific areas of public service or administration.

Question 5

Council members elected by districts report more factionalism and less unanimity than do their counterparts elected at large.

Accepted Answer

Council members elected by districts often represent more localized interests, leading to increased factionalism and less unanimity compared to those elected at large, who tend to represent broader, more general interests.

Question 6

The International City/County Management Association (ICMA), the city manager's professional association, says that city managers should

Accepted Answer

City managers are encouraged to build political capacity to assist elected bodies in framing community issues, as their role is crucial in helping the governing body function effectively.

Question 7

Female mayoral candidates experience more difficulties raising money and gaining newspaper endorsements than male candidates.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Female mayoral candidates experience more difficulties raising...

Question 8

The number of local elected officials who are gay or lesbian has

Accepted Answer

The number of local elected officials who are gay or lesbian has increased to more than 200 in recent years.

Question 9

Latinos, the fastest growing segment of American society, have increased their share of elected offices in the same proportion as their growth in population.

Accepted Answer

Although Latinos are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population, their representation in elected offices has not increased at the same rate as their population growth.

Question 10

The penetration of government's domain by private and non-profit economic interests in American communities is deep.

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon, often referred to as the privatization of public services or public-private partnerships, has become increasingly common in American communities. It involves private and non-profit entities playing significant roles in areas traditionally managed by government, such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure development, thereby penetrating the government's domain deeply.

Question 11

Regime refers to the informal arrangements that surround and complement the formal workings of government authority.

Accepted Answer

Regime refers to the informal arrangements that surround and complement the formal workings of government authority.

Question 12

The increased success of blacks in mayoral elections has led some observers to talk of deracialization , or the de-emphasis of race as a campaign issue to attract white voters.

Accepted Answer

Deracialization is a strategy where candidates, including those who are black, may de-emphasize race or racial issues in their campaigns to appeal to a broader electorate, including white voters, aiming to increase their chances of success in elections. This approach has been observed in various mayoral elections where black candidates have sought to attract a diverse voter base.

Question 13

City managers grew in importance as a result of the

Accepted Answer

The Progressive era is known for its efforts to reform city governments to avoid corruption and inefficiency, leading to the rise of city managers as a way to professionalize and depoliticize city administration.

Question 14

The new pragmatism among America's big-city mayors can be described as all of the following except

Accepted Answer

The answer of The new pragmatism among America's big-city mayors...

Question 15

Two considerations define the environment in which public officials operate: electoral accountability (keeping the majority of the public satisfied)and systemic power (the unequal distribution of economic, organizational and social resources).

Accepted Answer

Electoral accountability refers to the need for public officials to keep the majority of their constituents satisfied to secure re-election, while systemic power acknowledges the reality that power within a society is not evenly distributed, affecting how decisions are made and whose interests are prioritized.

Question 16

The decisional method is a technique for studying community power in which researchers identify key issues and the individuals who are active in the decision-making process.

Accepted Answer

The decisional method indeed focuses on identifying key issues within a community and the individuals who play significant roles in making decisions about those issues, thereby revealing the distribution of power within the community.

Question 17

The reputational approach is a method for studying community power in which researchers ask informants to name and rank influential individuals.

Accepted Answer

The reputational approach involves asking community members to identify and rank individuals they perceive as influential, thus providing insights into the power structure of the community based on the reputations of its members.

Question 18

Pluralist theory suggests that a small number of people hold a disproportionate amount of political power and therefore rule society.

Accepted Answer

Pluralist theory argues that power is distributed among many groups, including businesses, labor unions, environmentalists, and others, which compete and negotiate to influence political outcomes, rather than being concentrated in the hands of a few.

Question 19

In his famous study of New Haven, Connecticut, Robert Dahl concluded that groups, rather than elites, dominated politics in the city.

Accepted Answer

Robert Dahl's study of New Haven, Connecticut, in his book "Who Goverves?" concluded that politics in the city was dominated by a plurality of groups rather than by a single elite or set of elites, challenging previous elite theory models of governance.

Question 20

The terms that project images of leadership in local government circles today include initiative , inventiveness , risk taking , high energy level , persistence , entrepreneurship , innovation , and  vision .

Accepted Answer

These terms are indeed associated with leadership in local government (as well as in other contexts) because they describe qualities that are essential for leading effectively, driving change, and addressing community needs innovatively and proactively.

Quiz 11: Local Leadership and Governance

Leadership is not directly related with governance. It does not really make any difference between an effectively functioning government and one that lurches from one crisis to another.

Elite theory suggests that multiple open competing groups possess power and rule society.

Which of the following became more important as a result of the Progressive era, during which reformers sought to avoid the corrupt and inefficient partisan political machines that controlled many American cities?

Local legislatures include city councils, county commissioners, and town boards of aldermen but not school boards, special purpose districts, and authorities.

Council members elected by districts report more factionalism and less unanimity than do their counterparts elected at large.

The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) , the city manager's professional association, says that city managers should

Female mayoral candidates experience more difficulties raising money and gaining newspaper endorsements than male candidates.

The number of local elected officials who are gay or lesbian has

Latinos, the fastest growing segment of American society, have increased their share of elected offices in the same proportion as their growth in population.

The penetration of government's domain by private and non-profit economic interests in American communities is deep.

Regime refers to the informal arrangements that surround and complement the formal workings of government authority.

The increased success of blacks in mayoral elections has led some observers to talk of deracialization , or the de-emphasis of race as a campaign issue to attract white voters.

City managers grew in importance as a result of the

The new pragmatism among America's big-city mayors can be described as all of the following except

Two considerations define the environment in which public officials operate: electoral accountability (keeping the majority of the public satisfied)and systemic power (the unequal distribution of economic, organizational and social resources).

The decisional method is a technique for studying community power in which researchers identify key issues and the individuals who are active in the decision-making process.

The reputational approach is a method for studying community power in which researchers ask informants to name and rank influential individuals.

Pluralist theory suggests that a small number of people hold a disproportionate amount of political power and therefore rule society.

In his famous study of New Haven, Connecticut, Robert Dahl concluded that groups, rather than elites, dominated politics in the city.

The terms that project images of leadership in local government circles today include initiative , inventiveness , risk taking , high energy level , persistence , entrepreneurship , innovation , and vision .