Question 1

In a 1973 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court ruled in San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez (1973) that there is no requirement for equal spending per pupil across districts, as education is not a fundamental right under the Constitution.

Question 2

Merit systems often are overly centralized and regulated; which can lead to difficulties when trying to retain and recruit valuable employees.

Accepted Answer

Merit systems can become too bureaucratic and rigid, which can stifle innovation and creativity, and create obstacles to retaining and recruiting sought-after employees. This can be exacerbated if the system is highly centralized and lacks flexibility.

Question 3

States and _______ are often responsible for delivering on the promises of the federal government.

Accepted Answer

Localities, or local governments, often have the responsibility of implementing and delivering on federal policies and programs. States can also play a role in this process, especially when it comes to programs that require state-level decisions and coordination. Bureaucrats may be involved in implementing federal policies, but they do not have the ultimate responsibility for delivering on federal promises. City managers are a type of bureaucrat and may be involved in local implementation, but their role is more limited than that of the local government as a whole. Legislation itself does not deliver on federal promises, but it may provide the framework and resources necessary for other actors to do so.

Question 4

The Pendleton Act

Accepted Answer

The Pendleton Act, also known as the Civil Service Reform Act of 1883, sought to eliminate political patronage by creating a merit-based system for hiring and promoting employees in the federal government. This meant that jobs would be awarded based on qualifications and performance rather than political connections or favoritism, which had been rampant in the federal government prior to the Pendleton Act.

Question 5

Rather than relying on their own employees, many state and local governments have "contracted out" public services to private sector organizations, including for-profit corporations as well as nonprofit agencies, in a practice called

Accepted Answer

The term that describes the practice of governments hiring private sector organizations to provide public services is outsourcing. The other options do not accurately describe this practice.

Question 6

The argument has been made that __________ tend(s) to fall on those that are least able to pay.

Accepted Answer

Sales tax is often regressive in nature, which means it places a higher burden on lower-income individuals who may spend a larger proportion of their income on taxable goods and services. This means that those who are least able to pay end up shouldering a higher proportion of the tax burden.

Question 7

State and local government often rely on their own employees to conduct their will and they rarely contract out to the private sector.

Accepted Answer

While state and local governments do have many employees, they also regularly contract out to the private sector for a variety of services and projects such as construction, IT consulting, and waste management.

Question 8

Wages for public employees constitute more than ________ of the cost of state and local government.

Accepted Answer

Wages for public employees make up more than one-third of the cost of state and local government, reflecting the significant portion of budgets dedicated to personnel expenses.

Question 9

The most common demographic for a teacher in the United States is

Accepted Answer

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the most common demographic for a teacher in the United States is Caucasian females. As of 2017-2018, roughly 76% of all public school teachers were female and about 79% were white.

Question 10

Merit systems are generally administered by the office of state personnel and do all of the following EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

Merit systems are designed to fill positions based on qualifications and performance, not political affiliations or personal connections. They prepare and administer exams, provide lists of job openings, establish job classifications, and determine salary schedules. However, they are not limited to lower-level positions - they can be used to fill positions at all levels of government, including leadership roles. This makes choice C incorrect.

Question 11

Suppose a state wants to cut costs and decides to hire a private organization to handle all of its public works.What would this be an example of?

Accepted Answer

Privatization is the process of transferring ownership and management of a public service from the government to the private sector. In this case, if a state decides to hire a private organization to handle all of its public works, it would be an example of privatization. Outsourcing, service contracting, and decentralizing services are all methods of privatization, but in this scenario, the best choice is A) Privatization as it is the most general and accurate term.

Question 12

A government seeks to identify the value of land and other properties through a process termed

Accepted Answer

Assessment is the correct term for the process through which a government evaluates the value of land and other properties for taxation purposes.

Question 13

A hundred years ago, wealth primarily consisted of ________, land and buildings, that was relatively easy for assessors to value.Their estimate was a good indicator of the property owner's ability to pay taxes.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A hundred years ago, wealth primarily consisted...

Question 14

Building schools, constructing roads, and clearing slums are examples of

Accepted Answer

The answer of Building schools, constructing roads, and clearing slums...

Question 15

Merit systems are generally administered by the office of state personnel.

Accepted Answer

Merit systems, which are designed to hire and promote employees based on their qualifications and abilities, are commonly administered by the office of state personnel in various government agencies or departments.

Question 16

State and local governments spend 21% of their budget on which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The answer of State and local governments spend 21% of...

Question 17

Which of the following is an example of value-added taxation?

Accepted Answer

Value-added taxation is a type of tax in which a tax is levied on the value added at each stage of production or distribution of a product. In the given scenario, the gravel-crushing company, cement company, and contractor are all taxed based on the value added to the product at each stage of production, making it an example of value-added taxation. The other options involve different types of taxes.

Question 18

Fiscal capacities can be defined as

Accepted Answer

Fiscal capacities refer to the economic resources a state may tax, which determine the state's ability to generate revenue.

Question 19

________ is a consumer tax on specific kind of merchandise.

Accepted Answer

An excise tax is a specific consumer tax on certain items such as gasoline, tobacco, and alcohol.

Question 20

Tax brackets are indexed when they

Accepted Answer

Tax brackets are indexed when they automatically adjust income tax rates to rise with inflation so that, in effect, they remain constant. This is done to ensure that taxpayers' buying power is not eroded over time due to inflation.

Quiz 29: Staffing and Financing State and Local Governments