GOVT Ch 1-5 Questions

They oppose abortion, strict gun control laws same sex marriage, but support limited government and free-market economy

Conservatives

Which of the following statements about Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is most correct?

It shows that solutions to issues that cross city and county lines in metro areas can be achieved, but it is complicated and takes time.

Which clause of the Constitution authorized the 1964 Civil Rights Act that prohibited racial discrimination in private businesses like hotels and restaurants?

The interstate commerce clause

Which of the following might be the result of race-to-the-bottom competition between states?

Low state taxes

What is the model of government that is exemplified by Texas?

Low taxes and low services

In Texas, county "courts," headed by county "judges" can be a misnomer, because:

The court is primarily a legislature, not a judicial body

Annexation refers to combining

Two cities or two counties or a city and an unincorporated area

The minimum population required to qualify for home rule in Texas is

5000

The Supreme Court consistently upheld federal laws as authorized by the interstate commerce clause beginning in which decade?

1930s

The policy areas where the Portland Metro Service District has jurisdiction are primarily:

Developmental

How many constitutions has Texas had since 1861?

4

State and local governments combined account for what percentage of funding for public education?

90

What type of Texas local government is primarily responsible for public health decisions during a pandemic?

Counties

Which of the following are administrative subunits of the state?

Counties

In comparison with city councilors or mayors, city managers lack this:

Direct democratic accountability

How often and for how long does the Texas state legislature meet in regular session?

Every other year for five months.

Which of these facts likely contribute to the low turnout in local elections (select all that apply).

Elections held at unusual times of the year, Low voter knowledge of the candidates in local races.

A political party has state control when it holds the Senate and the governorship

False

True or False: Independent school districts in Texas are created by a petition of voters in the affected area

False

True or False: Voters in a presidential primary are voting directly for their preferred candidate.

False

True or false: Special-purpose governments are governments that address problems crossing city or county lines

False

True or false: The relationship between state and local governments is the same as the relationship between the federal and state governments.

False

Votes cast in a caucus are anonymous.

False

What is land use regulation?

Government determining the potential structures built on and uses of land within their jurisdiction

Which of the following results from local responsibility for public services?

Greater variety and greater inequality

According to the data in Table 1.1, which state has the lowest percentage of white residents?

Hawaii

It is perfectly legal under the U .S. Constitution to have zoning laws that have the effect of discrimination based on:

Income and wealth

Which of the following are "correlates" of voting?

Income, education

Home rule is a classification that applies to

Incorporated municipalities

According to Christopher Berry, special-purpose governments are often the result of

Interest group politics

Which level of government employs the most people (excluding the military)?

Local

Which level of government has grown the most since World War II, as measured by employment?

Local

Which type of grant from the federal government is most likely to equalize government services across states?

Matching grant

Paul Peterson's argument implies that more centralized systems of government are likely to spend ____ on public welfare and social services

More

Charles Tiebout argues that competition among cities in a metropolitan area can lead to:

More efficient spending on local public goods

Leapfrog development is driven by the decisions of

Real estate developers

When has the power of the federal government tended to increase relative to the power of the states?

Regardless which party is in office

The phrase "horizontal federalism" refers to which of the following?

Relationships between different states.

Which of the following statements is most nearly correct?

States may be unitary governments but, realistically, reorganization of local government needs to be a bottom-up process.

Which stats were most likely to impose lockdowns in response to the Covid 19 pandemic?

States with Democratic governors

Imagine you were instantly transported to a random city somewhere in the United States. Without knowing anything else about the city, if you were asked to find the most important person for the day to day operation of the city, who should you ask for?

The city manager

A split executive system involves:

The executive powers being split between several executive offices that have some independence from each other

The U.S. Constitution sets the power balance between:

The federal and state governments

Which of the following have been interpreted by the Supreme Court in ways that tend to increase the power of the federal government?

The necessary and proper clause, The interstate commerce clause, The supremacy clause

What role do third parties play in American politics?

They siphon off votes from major parties, they pressure major parties to adopt new issues

What are some of the ways citizens participate in their government?

Voting, writing letters to their representatives, protests, attending public meetings