CH. 4 GOVT – Flashcards
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The prevailing constitutional theory is that the relationship of the state to its local government is best described as a(n) ... system
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unitary
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According to ... rule, local governments are fundamentally administrative subdivisions of the state and have no rights excepts for those granted to them by the state
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Dillon
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Eighty percent of Texans live in
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urban area
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the largest city in Texas in terms of population is...; the largest in terms of landmass is...
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Houston; Houston
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the state has granted Texas cities a(n)... range of discretionary powers over organizational structure and local public policy
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wide
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the majority of cities in Texas are.... cities, while the most common form of city government is....
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general law; mayor-council
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Which of the following accurately describes the mayor-council form of government?
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The legislative function is assigned to the city council, and the executive function is assigned to the mayor
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Which of the following is a characteristic of a strong-mayor system?
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the mayor has the power to recommend to the city council that certain city officials be removed
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Which of the following is major disadvantage of the commission form of city government?
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it lacks a single chief executive, which means that no single individual is in charge
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the commission form of government combines the ... functions in the offices of various city commissioners
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legislative and administrative
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which of the following is a characteristic of the council-manager form of government?
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there is a key distinction between policymaking and administration
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The... is usually a voting member of city council but has few other institutional duties in the council-manager form of city government
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mayor
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in texas, city officials are elected in .... elections
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nonpartisan
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which of the following have historically benefited from municipal election systems that use at large, citywide elections with nonpartisan ballots?
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higher social and economic groups
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most texas cities elect their city council members using...
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at large election
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in a place system candidates
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file for a specific council seat and run citywide for positions
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Which of the following is the largest revenue source for Texas cities?
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regressive taxes
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What are rollback elections?
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elections to nullify any tax increase of more than 8 percent in a given year
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although cities are required by law to balance their operating budgets, many municipal construction projects are financed by loans through the issuance of....
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general obligation bonds
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the bonds issued by a city are secured by its
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taxing power
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Which of the following might a city build using a revenue bond?
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a parking garage
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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)...
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mandate
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what characterizes county governments in Texas?
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their organizational structure is highly fragmented, and most of their powers are delegated by the state
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the commissioners court is comprised of a .... who presides and... county commissioners.
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county judge; four
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the county judge
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does not have to be a lawyer
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what was the purpose of the Optional Road Law of 1947?
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it relieved the county commissions of road construction and maintenance by delegating it to a county engineer
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Why has the county clerk been called a "dumping ground"?
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over the years, the legislature has enacted hundreds of laws that give various responsibilities to the county clerk
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the .... is responsible for issuing various license required by state law, such as a marriage license
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county clerk
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the state's legal interests are represented at the local level by..
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county and district attorneys
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Why was the appraisal district created?
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to enhance the professionalism of tax appraisals and move forwards greater consistency across the state
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in small, rural counties, the ... is the primary law enforcement officer for the entire county
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Sheriff
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Special districts are units of local government created by the.... to perform specific functions
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state
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how are special districts created?
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by statute or constitutional amendment
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school districts are governed by
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elected school board
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why might a city lease a new facility built by a private contractor instead of building the facility itself?
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the city might have already reached its bond indebtedness ceiling and has no way to build the facility itself without raising taxes
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annexation and extraterritorial jurisdiction allow cities to do which of the followings?
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expand their boundaries into neighboring unincorporated areas to control development
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in areas surrounding large texas cities, population growth has forced both cities and counties to wrestle with...
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urban sprawl
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which of the following recommendations is being made as a way to modernize county governments in texas?
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creating an office of county administrator
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which of the following are commonly used tools to promote economic development in cities?
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tax abatements and lowered utility bills
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A(n) ..... district can be created at the urging of property owners in a city to address a wide range of upgrades from libraries to sidewalks
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public improvement
