Deck 12: Local government in texas: cities, towns, counties, and special districts

Question 1

The commission form of government combines the functions.

A) executive, legislative, and judicial
B) legislative, administrative, and judicial
C) executive, legislative, and mayoral
D) executive, judicial, and mayoral
E) executive, legislative, and administrative

Answer 1

E

Question 2

The two major limit-setting authorities over cities, counties, school districts, and special districts are the

A) commissioners courts and the Texas Constitution.
B) Texas Supreme Court and the legislature.
C) Texas Constitution and the legislature.
D) Texas Constitution and the Court of Criminal Appeals.
E) Texas Supreme Court and the Texas Constitution.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The type of election used in most cities has historically benefited

A) lower social and economic groups.
B) minorities and women.
C) higher social and economic groups.
D) no specific group.
E) middle income groups.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The is usually a voting member of city council but has few other duties in the council-manager form of city government.

A) mayor
B) city manager
C) city commissioner
D) comptroller
E) city judge

Question 5

A notable feature of city elections in Texas is the use of

A) single-member districts.
B) multimember districts.
C) the all-city system.
D) party labels.
E) the at-large system.

Question 6

Why did the commission type of city government come about in 1900 in Galveston?

A) After being ceded to Texas from Louisiana, the people of Galveston opted to keep the commission form of government, a product of the French influence in Louisiana politics.
B) Following a major hurricane which devastated the city, the government proved incapable of responding and the commission was designed to be more responsive to the people.
C) The Galveston government was in massive debt at the end of the 19?? century brought on by an ineffective legislature and inexperienced mayor and was replaced with the commission.
D) A fire which could have been prevented had the legislature invested in fire equipment destroyed the city and because of this, the citizens voted to create a more responsive government.
E) The mayor and several members of the city council had been involved in bribery and fraud in connection with city projects and when indicted the government collapsed.

Question 7

In the mayor-council form of government,

A) the council is chosen by a popularly elected mayor who exercises executive control.
B) the city council chooses the mayor out of its membership every 6 months.
C) the mayor is the executive but shares legislative power with the city council.
D) the legislative function is assigned to the city council and the executive function to the mayor.
E) the city council has legislative authority but can be disbanded at an time by the mayor.

Question 8

In a place system, candidates

A) file for a specific council seat and run citywide for positions.
B) run citywide for council seats; the candidates with the most votes win.
C) run for a council seat within a district and are voted by the constituents of the district.
D) for city council are elected through a double ballot system.
E) file for city council and are chosen by party leaders.

Question 9

In a council-manager form of government

A) there is a key distinction between policymaking and administration.
B) city elections are partisan but the policymaking is noticeably nonpartisan.
C) political leadership is equally dispersed amongst its members.
D) oversight and review of policies and budgets is minimal.
E) the legislative and administrative functions of government are combined.

Question 10

Almost every Texas city elects its council in elections.

A) primary
B) nonpolitical
C) special
D) nonpartisan
E) partisan

Question 11

The state has granted Texas cities range of discretionary power over organizational structure and local public policy.

A) a very limited
B) an unlimited
C) a wide
D) no
E) an inconsistent

Question 12

The prevailing constitutional theory on the relationship of local governments to the state is the
System.

A) confederation
B) federalism
C) unitary
D) populist
E) subordinate

Question 13

The greatest flaw with the commission form of city government is

A) its reliance on a city manager to run the city.
B) the lack of a single chief executive, so that no one is in charge.
C) its reliance on partisan elections.
D) the domination of the various departments by an authoritarian chief executive.
E) its administrative inefficiency and partisan battles.

Question 14

Which is a factor that helps to determine the overall effectiveness of city managers?

A) The relationships they have with the local county government.
B) Their ability to exceed their mandated authority.
C) The ability they have to nullify legislation produced by the legislature.
D) The margin by which they win in an election.
E) Their relationships with the city council.

Question 15

The majority of cities in Texas are _________cities while the most common form of city government is _____.

A) general law; mayor-council.
B) home rule; commission.
C) general law; council-manager.
D) incorporated; mayor-council.
E) home rule; council-manager.

Question 16

___________ would be considered an aspect of a strong mayor.

A) Exercising veto authority over the budget
B) Independently elected city administrators
C) The power to remove city officials with approval of the city council
D) Limited budgetary authority
E) Sharing power with the city council over city administration

Question 17

State governments grant to local governments

A) power, functions, and funding.
B) functions, responsibilities, and funding.
C) responsibilities, power, and funding.
D) responsibilities, power, and functions.
E) funding, functions, and powers.

Question 18

What characterizes the history of most cities in Texas with respect to their government?

A) Many have functioned under more than one form of government for a variety of reasons.
B) Most cities have progressively lost autonomy to the state through the revocation of city charters.
C) Many have been eliminated over the years due to annexation by counties.
D) Most cities in Texas have only recently adopted the mayor-council form of government.
E) Most cities were once home rule before transitioning to general law.

Question 19

Why is the strong mayor form of government found in only one major city in Texas?

A) Multiple mayors were embroiled in scandals in the 1970s leading to a move away from this system.
B) This form of government only came about recently in the 1990s.
C) Cities have been moving away from this and towards more fragmented forms of government.
D) It is a difficult system of government to devise a charter for.
E) Texas has a tradition of decentralized government that didn't allow this system to take root.

Question 20

The rule is the prevailing theory defining the relationships of states and local governments, a relationship in which local governments are fundamentally administrative subdivisions of the state and have no rights except for those granted to them by the state.

A) Perry
B) Dillon
C) Richards
D) Houston
E) Jefferson

Question 21

Your text says that one writer calls the county clerk's office the

A) most important office in the county.
B) dumping ground for miscellaneous functions of the state.
C) right hand of the county judge.
D) career refuge of the incompetent.
E) internal revenue service of the county.

Question 22

The bonds issued by a city are secured by its

A) taxing power.
B) judicial courts.
C) manager.
D) mayor.
E) general assets.

Question 23

Although cities are required by law to balance their operating budgets, many municipal construction projects are financed by loans through the issuance of

A) referenda bonds.
B) limited agenda bonds.
C) general obligation bonds.
D) county bonds of indebtedness.
E) municipal bonds.

Question 24

What was the purpose of the Optional Road Law of 1947?

A) It relieved the county commissions of road construction and maintenance by delegating it to a county engineer.
B) It shifted authority from the state government to the county government to administer road construction and maintenance within the county.
C) It gave the county government the authority and power to set up a toll system on county highways for the purpose of generating revenue.
D) It provided county commissions with the option of receiving state financial assistance for new road construction as part of a statewide infrastructure renovation.
E) It allowed county governments to focus on issues such as education by providing them the option to transfer road construction and maintenance duties to the state government.

Question 25

The structure of Texas county government has held back the efforts of counties to respond to a growing need for public service.

A) small
B) rural
C) urban
D) all
E) large

Question 26

The population characteristics of Texas cities change over time, and major metropolitan areas have experienced a(n) to the suburbs.

A) "Hispanic flight"
B) "white flight"
C) "African American flight"
D) "senior's flight"
E) "affluent flight"

Question 27

A law or regulation enacted by a higher level of government that compels a lower level of government to carry out specific actions is a(n)

A) executive order.
B) requirement.
C) ordinance.
D) mandate.
E) civil law.

Question 28

In small rural areas, the primary law enforcement officer for the entire county is the

A) police chief.
B) county captain of the Texas Rangers.
C) sheriff.
D) adjunct general of the county
E) constable.

Question 29

The _______ is responsible for issuing various licenses required by state law such as a marriage license.

A) county judge
B) district clerk
C) county clerk
D) precinct commissioner
E) constable

Question 30

Citizens can petition their city council for a rollback election

A) to prevent the city from embarking on a certain project.
B) to nullify any tax increase of more than 8 percent in a given year.
C) in an attempt to recall a mayor who has underperformed.
D) to prevent a budget from being passed that will negatively affect the city.
E) to nullify any changes in taxation policy from a former administration.

Question 31

What resulted from reformist efforts in the 1970s at eradicating the spoils system that is historically associated with Texas county courthouses?

A) The hiring of employees in county government was delegated to the sheriff.
B) Law was enacted that forced counties with over 200,000 people to create a civil service system.
C) All hiring of staff had to meet with the unanimous approval of the county commissioners.
D) Laws were enacted that forced all counties to create a civil service system.
E) The hiring of employees in county government was delegated to the district attorney.

Question 32

What characterizes the organizational structure of Texas county government?

A) They vary widely from county to county but all have few implied powers.
B) They are tightly organized with a relatively high degree of power and autonomy.
C) They are highly fragmented with relatively few implied powers.
D) They are slightly fragmented though some have significant powers.
E) They are tightly organized with relatively few implied powers.

Question 33

What are Texas cities primarily dependent on for revenue?

A) City governments rely heavily on revenue generated by city owned facilities.
B) Direct aid from the federal government in the form of bonds.
C) Money generated through the municipal income tax.
D) City governments rely heavily on regressive taxes such as the property tax.
E) Money distributed by the state and county governments.

Question 34

Why was the appraisal district created?

A) It was meant to remove the tax appraisal powers of the sheriff and place them in a single independent office.
B) It was meant to assist the tax assessor collector who in many counties had become overburdened by the 1970's.
C) It was primarily intended to be a cost cutting measure by combining the tax office with the appraisal office.
D) It was meant to enhance the professionalism of tax appraisals and move towards greater consistency across the state.
E) It was created to limit the powers of the precinct commissioners by creating an office that would be headed by a popularly elected official.

Question 35

The presiding officer of the commissioners court is the _______ who is joined by ___ county commissioners.

A) county mayor; four
B) district attorney; three
C) county judge; four
D) county manager; three
E) high commissioner; four

Question 36

What was a primary goal in establishing independent school districts?

A) To shift responsibility to county governments while decreasing the financial burden of the state.
B) To ensure financial equality in schools across the state.
C) To shift responsibility for the schools from politicians to educators and reduce costs.
D) To depoliticize education and shift responsibility for it away from county or city government.
E) To ensure every child received an education derived from a single curriculum.

Question 37

____________ can provide funding for revenue bonds a city can use.

A) A city-owned parking garage
B) An estate tax
C) A municipal bank or credit union
D) Tolls on a state highway
E) A tax on imports from other states

Question 38

Special districts are units of local government created by the to perform specific functions.

A) city
B) county
C) state
D) courts
E) governor

Question 39

The Texas Constitution gives the county judge some judicial duties

A) and requires that he be a lawyer.
B) but does not require him to be a lawyer.
C) so that he may preside over the district court.
D) and requires legal training, but not a law degree.
E) and requires four years of law experience.

Question 40

The state's legal interests in both civil and criminal matters are represented at the local level by

A) the county, district, and assistant state attorneys.
B) the district, criminal district, and assistant state attorneys.
C) the assistant state, county, and criminal district attorneys.
D) the criminal district, civil district, and county attorneys .
E) the county, district, and criminal district attorneys.

Question 41

The strong mayor form of city government may be out of favor because a strong mayor often was connected with urban political machines, ward politics, and political corruption.

Question 42

Some tools that cities use to enhance the economic development in their area are

A) tax abatements, lowered utility bills, and establishing trade, and commerce offices in "sister cities."
B) tax abatements, tax referrals, enticing company officials with sweeteners, and housing assistance.
C) lowered utility bills, tax referrals, and establishing recharge zones to prod deteriorating areas into enhancing economic services.
D) establishing relationships with "sister cities", tax referrals, reduced utility bills, and finding employment for out of work residents.
E) wooing foreign firms with cheap labor in enterprise zones where the minimum wage is waived, tax abatements, and reduced utility bills.

Question 43

Some areas, particularly in West Texas, still have a lot of elbow room, but most Texans live in cities.

Question 44

Of the eight largest cities in Texas, only Houston and Dallas have minority populations exceeding 50 percent.

Question 45

The most important decision that a school board makes is the appointment of the

A) principal of each campus.
B) director of academic programs.
C) football coach.
D) school superintendent.
E) head of the board.

Question 46

Most Texas cities have home rule which places more restrictions on them than general laws cities.

Question 47

The few cities in Texas that presently use the unmodified form of commission government generally have three commission members: a mayor and two commissioners.

Question 48

The mayor-council form of government is the most common form of city government in Texas.

Question 49

The fundamental document that governs a home rule city is its charter.

Question 50

School districts are governed by school

A) commissions.
B) boards.
C) governance groups.
D) superintendents.
E) agencies.

Question 51

Annexation and extraterritorial jurisdiction allow cities to

A) expand their jurisdiction into smaller towns to control development in those areas.
B) expand their boundaries into unincorporated areas to control development.
C) expand their boundaries into unincorporated areas to form a green belt around the city.
D) contract their boundaries so they no longer have to provide services to the affected areas.
E) contract their boundaries around smaller towns so that the towns have room to grow.

Question 52

Since the founding of the nation, Americans have expressed limited belief in the right to local self government.

Question 53

A __________ district can be created at the urging of property owners in a city to address a wide range of upgrades from libraries to sidewalks.

A) property enhancement
B) economic development
C) public improvement
D) revenue bond
E) special development

Question 54

Since special districts can be created by the legislature, it is easier to create another layer of government than it is to change the powers of existing governments by

A) amending the state constitution.
B) calling special sessions of the legislature.
C) electing new individuals to government offices.
D) overriding the governor's veto of those changes.
E) creating new statutes to split authority.

Question 55

Rather than creating an orderly, comprehensive educational system that assured a good education to every Texas child, the state decided to allow the creation of

A) 181 county educational districts.
B) one-room schools.
C) regional schools.
D) private schools.
E) community schools.

Question 56

Privatization gives cities options for

A) dealing with ceilings on bond debts for capital improvements by renting facilities from private contractors.
B) new leaders for the government because they are having trouble finding candidates to run for office.
C) tax collection by allowing them to collect fees for services not allowed by the Texas Constitution.
D) city management, then the city councils can spend their time developing new ordinances instead of worrying about administrative duties.
E) dealing with disagreements and conflicts with county and other city governments.

Question 57

In areas surrounding large Texas cities, population growth has forced both cities and counties to wrestle with

A) central city paralysis.
B) urban decay.
C) urban sprawl.
D) private property disputes.
E) city boundary disputes.

Question 58

In the council-manager form of city government the city council is chiefly responsible for developing public policy.

Question 59

Despite the partisan characteristics of city election systems, partisanship and party affiliation play no role in city elections.

Question 60

____________ is one of the recommendations being made to modernize county governments in Texas.

A) Allowing general law rule
B) Granting authority to ignore city ordinances
C) Increasing the powers of the sheriffs office
D) Eliminating the civil service system
E) Creating an office of county administrator

Question 61

Contrast the mayor-council and council-manager forms of city government.In your opinion, which provides the most responsive and professional government? Defend your answer.

Question 62

Discuss what you consider to be the three most serious problems facing local governments in Texas.
What solutions do you recommend? Describe and justify your recommendations.

Question 63

Some special districts have been designated to serve specific geographic areas such as river basins that traverse several local jurisdictions.

Question 64

The Texas Constitution stipulates that all county judges must have law degrees.

Question 65

What do you consider to be the most important problems and inequities in public education today?
How have historical patterns in local school administration contributed to the existence of those problems and inequities? What are some recommended solutions?

Question 66

The name "commissioners court" is somewhat confusing because it has no judicial functions.

Question 67

Briefly describe the structure of county government in Texas, including the primary functions and responsibilities of each elected office.What are the biggest issues facing county governments today and what steps have been taken to remedy them? Have they been effective?

Question 68

A special district is governed by a board, either appointed by other governmental units or elected in partisan elections.

Question 69

What are five of the solutions given in the text for the problems of local governments in Texas? Which one would you support? Why?

Question 70

Describe the basic structure of the different forms of city government and explain the primary differences among them.Under which form would you prefer to live? Why?

Question 71

Because many small governments have limited tax bases and staffs, they enter into contracts with larger governments for various public services.

Question 72

Public improvement districts in Texas are specific areas of a city in which property owners pay special taxes in return for improvements to streets and other public facilities in their neighborhood.

Question 73

Describe some of the inherent inequities of an independent school district system.Name some of the reforms that have been tried to mitigate these problems.Have they been effective?

Question 74

Texas local governments are creations of the state and have only those powers granted to them by the state constitution and statutes.

Question 75

Define special districts, including an explanation for their proliferation in Texas.In what ways have their creation been positive and negative?

Question 76

The independent school district, currently the basic organizational structure for private education, had its origins in the Constitution of 1876.

Question 77

The superintendent of schools, a volunteer position with many responsibilities, is appointed by the school board.

Question 78

Prior to Texas independence, local government was organized, under both Spanish and Mexican law, around the municipality.

Question 79

Explain the differences between at-large elections and elections conducted by single-member districts.Explain why one is preferred over the other.What are the positives and drawbacks of both?

Question 80

Briefly describe the difference between general law cities and home rule cities in Texas.What is the importance of the Dillon rule?