Deck 19: State and Local Government

Question 1

All of the following are provisions found in both the U.S. Constitution and in state constitutions EXCEPT

A) an enumeration of fundamental rights.
B) allowances for direct democracy.
C) a division of powers among three branches of government.
D) an impeachment process.
E) a constitutional amendment process.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

All of these are considered state operating budget expenses EXCEPT

A) building projects.
B) salaries and benefits.
C) utility bills.
D) office supplies.
E) rent.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The dominant shared views among the people of a community regarding the role of government and who should participate in government comprise that community's

A) charter.
B) commission.
C) participation in intergovernmental relations.
D) political culture.
E) ballot initiatives.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

According to Dillon's Rule, local governments

A) are independent entities unto themselves.
B) are arms of the national government.
C) derive powers from the will of the people.
D) can draft and approve their charters independently.
E) are creatures of the state that created them.

Question 5

Which of the following provisions is/are contained in the majority of state constitutions but NOT in the U.S. Constitution?

A) allowances for direct democracy
B) a balanced budget requirement
C) election conduct guidelines
D) provisions for local government creation
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 6

What type of law requires national, state, and local governments to conduct policy-making meetings in public?

A) open access
B) open hearing
C) open meeting
D) open forum
E) open disclosure

Question 7

In states with a strong moralistic political culture, voter turnout tends to be

A) very low.
B) low.
C) moderate.
D) high.
E) near universal.

Question 8

Which of the following is an instrument used in direct democracy that allows citizens to remove an elected official before the end of the individual's term?

A) referendum
B) mandate
C) policy control
D) recall
E) executive system

Question 9

Citizens are typically within the jurisdiction of how many governments?

A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 5
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 10

According to those in a traditionalistic political culture, what is the purpose of government?

A) to leave decision making up to the individual
B) to serve the public good
C) to maintain the status quo
D) to become a socializing agent
E) to provide for those who can't provide for themselves

Question 11

Which of the following demographic demands places the LEAST amount of stress on state and local governments?

A) proportion of children
B) proportion of population in poverty
C) proportion of elderly
D) need for ESL programs
E) number of registered voters

Question 12

Which of the following makes up the largest proportion of local budgets?

A) health and hospitals
B) government administration
C) public safety
D) highways
E) education

Question 13

Texas and Alaska raise so much money from taxes on the extraction of natural resources that they do not have to impose individual income taxes. A tax on the extraction of a natural resource is known as a ________ tax.

A) severance
B) consumptive
C) business
D) capital gains
E) regressive

Question 14

State law frequently offers ________ fundamental rights than the U.S. Constitution and national law guarantee.

A) different
B) broader
C) equal levels of
D) narrower
E) much narrower

Question 15

Which of the following describes the interaction of two or more governments in their collective efforts to provide goods and services to the people?

A) intergovernmental relations
B) national government
C) state and local government
D) concurrent government
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 16

The opportunity granted by state government for citizens to write, adopt, and amend local government charters at the city and county level is known as

A) Dillon's Rule.
B) popular referendum.
C) a charter.
D) home rule.
E) a commission.

Question 17

The day-to-day costs of government operations are covered by its

A) capital budget.
B) operating budget.
C) essential services.
D) local expenditures.
E) local revenue.

Question 18

Which of the following affects the financial resources of a government?

A) diversity of people
B) climate
C) natural resources
D) diversity of political cultures
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 19

How many states constitutionally require balanced yearly budgets?

A) 39
B) 44
C) 46
D) 49
E) all 50 states

Question 20

As of 2015, which of the following takes up the largest amount of state expenditures?

A) intergovernmental expenditures
B) education
C) hospitals and health
D) public welfare
E) utilities

Question 21

Besides raising revenue, which of the following is an additional goal of excise taxes?

A) to encourage shoppers to buy products in-state
B) to reduce the need to collect personal income taxes
C) to preserve a scarce product
D) to promote competition among industries
E) to decrease consumption of a product

Question 22

Which of the following tends to be the most criticized tax because it increases on an almost annual basis?

A) income tax
B) sales tax
C) property tax
D) business tax
E) excise tax

Question 23

All of the following are authorities explicitly granted to the states by the U.S. Constitution EXCEPT

A) conducting national elections.
B) conducting local elections.
C) determining the process of selecting electors for the Electoral College.
D) redrawing House districts after congressional reapportionment.
E) ratifying amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

Question 24

Which of the following statements about the collection of sales taxes on Internet and online purchases is FALSE?

A) States can only require companies that have a physical presence in a state to pay sales tax.
B) Federal requirements on state sales tax have caused many states to lose urgently needed tax revenue.
C) States are vigorously lobbying for changes to federal law so that they can collect taxes on Internet and online purchases.
D) If an Internet vendor is not required to collect sales tax on a purchase, the purchaser is exempt from paying any sales tax.
E) As the volume of Internet sales continues to increase, the amount of state sales tax revenue decreases.

Question 25

Unlike the president, most state governors have which of the following tools to help them balance the state budget?

A) ability to draft an executive budget
B) authority to implement programs funded by the state budget
C) the line-item veto to eliminate funding lines in appropriation bills
D) the ability to propose new taxes to raise revenue
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 26

Increases in local property tax rates take place through an annual

A) grant process.
B) vote.
C) petition to state government.
D) collections process.
E) allocation changes process.

Question 27

Since 1960, which position has served as the primary training ground for presidents?

A) U.S. senator
B) U.S. congressman
C) vice president
D) state governor
E) state lieutenant governor

Question 28

In general, how long is the term of office for state representatives?

A) two years
B) three years
C) four years
D) five years
E) six years

Question 29

In general, how long is the term of office for state senators?

A) two years
B) three years
C) four years
D) five years
E) six years

Question 30

Which of the following statements about state legislators is accurate?

A) There is less diversity of gender, ethnicity, and race among state legislators than among federal legislators.
B) There is no correlation between the racial and ethnic diversity of a state and the composition of its legislature.
C) All state legislatures have the same primary function.
D) The majority of state legislators serve on a full-time basis.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 31

Besides federal grants-in-aid, which of the following provide the largest source of state revenue?

A) sales taxes
B) fees and charges
C) licenses and permits
D) individual income taxes
E) corporate income taxes

Question 32

Which of the following provide(s) the largest source of local government revenue?

A) intergovernmental revenue
B) licenses and charges
C) corporate taxes and charges
D) excise and severance taxes
E) property taxes

Question 33

In all states but Nebraska the state legislature is

A) appointed by the governor.
B) elected every six years.
C) bicameral.
D) unicameral.
E) based on proportional representation.

Question 34

Since 1960, which of the following prior positions has been the second-most common for presidents?

A) U.S. senator
B) U.S. congressman
C) state treasurer
D) state governor
E) state lieutenant governor

Question 35

Political scientist Joel Lieske described social agents that influence political culture, including

A) the local economy.
B) the distribution of income.
C) natural resources.
D) the life cycle.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 36

Who is responsible for the implementation of public policy?

A) the executive branch
B) the legislative branch
C) the judicial branch
D) the state legislature
E) the United States Congress

Question 37

Which city was the first government in the United States to impose a tax on fossil fuel-generated electricity?

A) Austin, Texas
B) San Francisco, California
C) Seattle, Washington
D) Boulder, Colorado
E) Santa Fe, New Mexico

Question 38

In 2018, how many of the 50 state governors were women?

A) 1
B) 6
C) 14
D) 19
E) 27

Question 39

Of the following presidents, which one had NOT been a governor?

A) Ronald Reagan
B) George W. Bush
C) Bill Clinton
D) Jimmy Carter
E) Barack Obama

Question 40

In a plural executive system, the authority of the elected officials is

A) weakened.
B) specific.
C) shared.
D) specialized.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 41

Which political and social movement succeeded in persuading 25 states to adopt some form of direct democracy between 1898 and 1918?

A) the Populist movement
B) the Whig movement
C) the Know-Nothing movement
D) the Progressive movement
E) the "Bull Moose" movement

Question 42

Most local school districts are what type of local government structure?

A) special-purpose government
B) commission-administrator government
C) council-mayor government
D) council-executive government
E) township government

Question 43

In rural areas, public safety, road repairs, and library maintenance are most likely provided by which unit of government?

A) municipal
B) county
C) township
D) commission
E) council of governments

Question 44

Most county and township governments are which form of general-purpose government?

A) strong mayor
B) council mayor
C) council-manager
D) commission
E) council of governments

Question 45

Explain Dillon's Rule and discuss its key features.

Question 46

In states in which judgeships are granted through an electoral process, judges are usually selected through which type of election?

A) partisan
B) contention
C) merit selection
D) nonpartisan
E) primary

Question 47

Through which of the following procedures can citizens bypass their elected officials to create and approve laws?

A) popular referendum
B) recall
C) legislative referral
D) initiative
E) legislative referendum

Question 48

Which of the following best describes the jurisdiction of state trial courts?

A) appellate
B) mandatory appellate
C) original
D) panel
E) bench

Question 49

In most states, if a governor is unable to complete his or her term in office, the ________ takes over as governor.

A) secretary of state
B) lieutenant governor
C) treasurer
D) attorney general
E) auditor

Question 50

Identify and discuss key features of a traditionalistic political culture.

Question 51

Which state has the most school districts?

A) New York
B) Florida
C) California
D) Texas
E) Pennsylvania

Question 52

Appellate courts do all of the following EXCEPT

A) review the legality of trial court decisions.
B) determine guilt in a criminal case.
C) ensure due process through review of lower court decisions.
D) determine whether lower court judges made the right decisions.
E) ensure the fairness of lower court procedures.

Question 53

What type of election is faced by judges who are selected through the merit selection process?

A) partisan
B) nonpartisan
C) primary
D) retention
E) They are appointed and do not participate in elections.

Question 54

Which region of the country overall provides for the greatest use of direct democracy?

A) West
B) Midwest
C) South
D) Mid-Atlantic
E) Northeast

Question 55

Self-governing political jurisdictions that are created by states to provide goods and services to densely populated areas are known as

A) municipal governments.
B) special-purpose governments.
C) townships.
D) county governments.
E) commissions.

Question 56

Identify and discuss key features of an individualistic political culture.

Question 57

All of the following are ways that general-purpose governments try to lighten their workload EXCEPT

A) by creating a special-purpose governments.
B) by joining a Council of Governments.
C) by consolidating services.
D) through the establishment of collaborative relationships with other local governments.
E) by hiring a council-manager.

Question 58

The form of general-purpose government found in a majority of cities is comprised of an elected body with legislative and executive powers and a(n)

A) weak mayor.
B) strong mayor.
C) council-manager.
D) independent commission.
E) council of governments.

Question 59

In which of the following is a recall action most likely to occur?

A) federal government
B) state government
C) municipal government
D) federal executive branch
E) Recall actions are common in all of these.

Question 60

In which type of state court is there the greatest probability of a jury trial?

A) minor trial court
B) major trial court
C) intermediate appeals court
D) court of last resort
E) None of these courts use jury trials.

Question 61

What is direct democracy and how is it used in state and local governments?

Question 62

Define a plural executive system and explain its impact on gubernatorial authority.

Question 63

Outline and compare the three basic structures of general-purpose local governments.

Question 64

What is a balanced operating budget, and what are some examples of typical expenses?

Question 65

Explain the key features of municipal governments and townships.