6.03 State and Local Levels

State constitutions are regularly amended to include policy decisions. Why is this so?

Once policies are written into state constitutions they become harder to change, requiring a new constitutional amendment.

"Laboratories of democracy" is another name for the states. What is the rationale behind that nickname?

State governments use their powers to experiment with new policies.

How should the executive branch of one state respond to laws and court decisions in other states?

The full faith and credit clause of the U.S. Constitution requires state executives to honor and enforce the laws and decisions of other states.

What form of municipal government combines the executive and legislative functions into a single body?

commission plan

What is the name of the level of the local government directly below the state government?

county

What type of government has jurisdiction over a single population center?

municipal

What is the name for the powers the Constitution gives to the state governments and forbids the national government from using?

reserved powers

What level of government has primary responsibility for writing criminal codes or deciding if the courts should use the death penalty?

state

Which of the following form the fundamental law of state governments?

state constitutions

Which term is used for a level of local government that includes several population centers or a mixture of urban and rural districts and is common in New England?

township