POLS 207 Final Exam (Dyer)
What is the urban core in cities vs. suburbs?
- Cities: Democratic - Suburbs: Republican
What are some examples of general purpose governments?
- County governments (3000 US; 254 TX) - Municipal / City Government (19500 US, 1218 TX) - Towns and Townships (17000 US)
What were the general goals of the progressive reformers?
- Eliminate corruption - Replace politicians with professionals - Recapture government through reform
What are the disadvantages of Home Rule?
- Frequent amendment of charter can lead to perception of instability - Fragmentation of public policy - Local interest groups may have more influence - Long ballots may discourage participation
What has the GOP changed into after the Post-2016 political realignment on urban v. rural issues?
- GOP less competitive in cities and large metropolitan areas - Contemporary GOP becoming a more populist land and labor party (rural and blue collar, working class voters)
What are the social goods and social costs of metro areas?
- Goods: Jobs, amenities, etc. - Costs: Traffic, pollution, crime, etc.
What are some characteristics of localities in the US?
- Great diversity of communities - Great diversity in their governing structure - more urban - more demand for services - increased centralization and professionalization
What matters in local elections?
- Group identities and interests > partisan identification - Who gets what > ideological debates - Issues are more personal (moral and fiscal issues affect turnout) - Less media coverage
What are counties' biggest expenses in terms of being a service provider?
- Law enforcement, including courts and jails (~50%) - Roads and Bridges (10-30%) - Health and Welfare (~10%)
What led to the decline of the political machines?
- Loss of constituents with assimilation of white ethnic groups - Growth of federal social welfare programs - Social mobility and growing prosperity - Structural and electoral reforms weakening party machines - General decline of party and rise of candidate centered politics
What are the drivers of US suburbanization?
- Middle class expansion - Transportation revolution and growth of car-dependent living - Racial, ethno-cultural division
What causes low turnout in local elections?
- Non-partisan electoral system - Separate city elections - Small or middle sized cities - Middle class, homogenous cities - No hot referendum issues - Council-manager form of government
How did municipal reformers want to accomplish electoral reform?
- Non-partisanship - Separate state and national elections - At-large districts
What causes high turnout in local elections?
- Partisan elections with competitive parties - Elections concurrent with national elections - Large, diverse cities - Contested referendum issue - Strong mayoral form of government
What characterizes the metro life?
- Population size and density - Heterogeneity of population - Regional, social, and economic interdependence - Authority fragmented among many governments
What are the advantages of Home Rule?
- Reduced legislative interference in city affairs - State legislature can focus on state affairs - Participation and Choice (citizens choose form of government and local administration; more control over local gov policies)
What can local elections be held?
- Same time as state and federal elections - Independent of state and national elections (60% of cities)
How did municipal reformers want to accomplish structural reforms?
- Separating politics from administration (advent of council-manager form) - Replacing patronage with civil service - Reorganization of local offices (short ballot movement)
What are the two functions of local governments?
- Service function - Political function
How does the US Constitution recognize states as sovereign political entities?
- State authority does not derive from the national government - State authority comes from the people
What challenges do local parties today face in terms of old machine politics?
- Strong, disciplined parties - Tools to control loyal members and voters (access to offices, patronage, control over contracts)
What are some of the features of metro areas?
- Urban Core (central city) - Suburbs - Exurbs - Edge Cities - Commuter Towns
What is the result of non-partisanship local elections in the US?
- Voters lack key electoral cue - Greater importance of image - Greater importance of "neighborhood politics"
As a political matter, why do local governments enjoy substantial autonomy?
- Wariness of one-size-fits-all solutions - Tradition of local governance - Advantage of some local control
What is the big split among urban Democrats?
- Working class Catholic, white ethnic Democrats - Upper-class, white liberal protestants, Jews, blacks, and hispanics
What was the general worldview of the reformers?
Believed in a public interest and were skeptical of politics as balancing competing interests; politics is about the good and not conflict
What has the legal status of a municipal corporation and is governed by a document called a charter?
City
What includes the State's grant of power of self-government to an incorporated community; determines structure and powers of city government; mini-constitution?
City Charter
What party made headways in cities during the 1990s - early 2010s; had themes of tough on crime, cutting city bureaucracy, lower taxes, and stimulating city economy?
City Republicans
What form of county government is where the county voters elect a county board of commissioners that fulfills a legislative function that passes ordinances and approves budget; also fulfills an executive function that involves hiring and firing control over administrative offices?
Commission Form
What form of government that a charter establishes involves elected commissioners forming a small government board (with nominal mayor) that has combined executive and legislative functions; commissioners often represent different departments of city government; may suffer problems of government by committee and internal squabbing?
Commission Form (1% of municipal governments; Portland OR is largest US city governed this way)
What do very few people participate in as voter turnout is low (especially in off-years); disproportionate influence of seniors and middle class voters who are economically prosperous persons with more at stake?
Local Politics
What is there a strong tradition of in US metro-regions even if the legal basis is less strong because of Dillon's Rule?
Local government
What are subdivisions of state governments that have no independent authority or inherent powers; exercise authority delegated by their state government?
Local governments
What function of local government involves the question of "who gets what" and manages conflict over public policy?
Political Function
Who used tangible benefits and material rewards to maintain power in local government; friendships, patronage, favors, jobs, and social services > ideologies and issues; catered to the urban masses, especially the poor and recent immigrants?
Political Machines
What took away many traditional resources used to unite and manage a diverse urban coalition?
Political Reform
What is the problem of metro regions since metro areas are independent but the problems are regional?
Political authority is fragmented and lack of centralized authority means no one government can address problems
What is there a fundamental mismatch between in terms of metro areas?
Political geography and Social/Economic geography
Who wanted to combat civic corruption and break the grip of machines; often led by the displaced power-holders of the old Yankee elite (upper and upper-middle class, intellectuals)?
Progressive Reformers
What may efforts to convert single-member seats to at-large seats be a thinly veiled effort to do?
Provide less representation to minorities and poorer sections of the city
Who saw municipal government as an administrative problem and NOT a political problem; wanted to put government into the hands of the best qualified; were supporters of professional civil service and thought reform would disrupt the machines' use of patronage?
Reformers who were technocratic and meritocratic bent
What is their neither traditional nor legal basis for in the US?
Regional Government
What party coalition took place during the early 1930s - late 1960s; included many urban groups like the working class, ethnic, racial, and religious minorities, and white southerners; through electoral success of this the Democrats dominated city politics?
Roosevelt's New Deal Electoral Coalitition
What historical document granted "town privileges" in feudal Europe; residents were burghers (not serfs); still in use in some constitutional monarchies?
Royal Charters
What is the history of the municipal charter in the United States?
Rules for municipal incorporation set by state legislatures
What type of elections separate local issues from national questions, but add cost and have significantly lower turnout that is less representative of the local electorate?
Separate (Independent) Elections
What function of local government involves providing services not offered by the private sector (i.e. market failure, natural monopolies, merit goods)?
Service Function
What type of local legislative seat is where the city is divided into geographic districts whose residents elect one member to represent them on the council; better represents diversity that presents geographically and is important for minority representation due to housing patterns?
Single-Member Districts
Who may cities elect council members?
Single-member districts or At-large districts (or a combination of both)
What type of municipal charter is a specific charter for one community granted directly by the state (once common practice, now relatively rare); charter given special enactment by legislature (legislative approval required for changes)?
Special Act
What type of special purpose government usually serves a specific purpose (fire-protection, mosquito control, MUD, parks, library); most common type of government, but least understood and not transparent (exception is school districts that provide public elementary and secondary education)?
Special Districts (37000 US; 2798 TX) - School districts (13000 US; 1703 TX)
What general category of local government are the governments that fulfill specific purpose; most provide a single service?
Special Purpose
What form of Mayor-Council government has a separation of powers with a council (legislative) and mayor (chief executive w/ veto); mayor has considerable formal powers including appointment and removal powers, manages departments and daily operations, agenda-setting power, and fiscal power over the budget?
Strong Form
What are outlying communities that are primarily residential and low-density; may be incorporated, unincorporated, (or incorporated as separate cities)?
Suburbs
Where is there often less diversity due to history of discriminatory housing policies (deed restrictions and lending practices called redlining)?
Suburbs
What are the structure and powers of county governments defined by; requires a Commissioners' Court with 4 elected commissioners + county judge with some executive functions?
TX Constitution
What contains over 70% of the population of the state of Texas?
Texas Triangle (Austin, DFW, Houston, San Antonio)
What can create inefficiency and redundancy in the metropolis as governments may interact and coordinate or compete?
The fact that each government has a political and service function
What form of government is largely found in New England and is a form of direct democracy rooted in communities of early settlers; all voters decide policy and elected officials are called Board of Selectmen and implement the policy; despite ideal presented, actual participation may be low?
Town Meeting
What type of general purpose government is rooted in history, population, region of US; differences with municipalities are not easily defined?
Towns and Townships
What contains no mention of local government, not even for Washington DC?
US Constitution
What outlines the basic relationship between states and national government?
US Constitution
What do counties control land use for?
Unincorporated Land
What type of relationship do state and local governments have?
Unitary
What form of Mayor-Council government is where the council has legislative and executive authority and the mayor has little power outside the council; mayor has limited agenda-setting power; limited executive power over city government and no veto; mayor has ceremonial, figurehead role and informal power is critical?
Weak Form
When do service and political functions frequently overlap?
When determining who gets high-quality services vs. who gets low-quality services
Who has strong constitutional and legal basis to govern metro-regions?
Federal and State Governments
What were considered bedroom communities for commuters?
First Ring suburbs
What may metro areas experience a problem of where residents of unincorporated territories enjoy benefits (social goods) and contribute to problems (social costs)?
Free-riding
What type of municipal charter is where the legislature defines size at which an area can choose to incorporate; "one-size-fits-all" city where municipalities have powers specifically granted to them by the state and state statutes often specify form of government?
General Act/Law
What type of cities are smaller and have limited powers of self government (state law defines powers and duties and no powers beyond this - dillon's rule); form of government defined by law as having 1 mayor + 4 city council members?
General Law City (College Station since 1938 and adopted charter in 1952)
What general category of local government are the governments that provide wide range of services?
General Purpose
What are the two general categories of local governments?
General and Special Purpose
How many states allow home rule counties?
37 (only 9% of US counties are home rule counties)
What % of US local governments have non-partisan elections, including TX municipal governments?
80%
In states that permit counties more autonomy from the state, what may county residents adopt?
A charter that allows them a unique form of organization
What are the wedge issues in the Democratic party?
Affirmative action, policing, crime, public spending on welfare, health, public housing, etc.
Who may not seek to represent everyone in the city but only those who voted for him/her (usually older, white, economically prosperous men and women)?
At-large representatives
What type of local legislative seat is voted on by all city residents without regard to geographic area or neighborhood; in theory these members are expected to be non-partisan and take a broad view of the city and its problems?
At-large seats
What is a professionalized variation on county government; has county administrator who answers to elected commissioners; commissioners fulfill political function, appoints and delegates certain executive and legislative function to an administrator (executive) who oversees efficient delivery of services?
Council-Administrator Form (12% of US Counties)
What form of government is a more centralized variation on county government; has a county executive or county mayor as chief executive that can veto ordinances; board of commissioners acts as legislature?
Council-Executive Form (15% of US Counties)
What form of government attempts to separate political and administrative functions; has an elected council that makes policy and sets budget; council appoints city manager to carry out city business who is a contracted professional hired by the city?
Council-Manager (59% of Municipal Governments and common in mid-sized cities like College Station)
Who is the local administrator for the state?
Counties
What is the oldest form of US local government and its traditional form is a body of commissioners with both legislative and executive power; 3-50 members called a court or board; members usually share general responsibility of all county functions; no chief executive; has other elected or appointed officials (sheriff, constable, county clerk and attorney, tax assessor, treasurer, auditor, health officer, coroner, library board)?
County Government
What type of general purpose government have a dual role in TX; provide basic services (law enforcement, courts, roads, public health and records); serves as limited administrator for state functions (vehicle licensing, voter registration, elections)?
County Governments
What sets out a narrow interpretation of local authority and says that local governments have only those powers granted to them by the state; powers must be expressly granted by constitution or by law?
Dillon's Rule
What was the goal of municipal reformers?
Eliminate corruption and replace politicians with professionals
What has the decline of party machines led to the in the Democratic coalition?
Growing intra-party conflict
What explanations for differences in local elections is rooted in the post-Civil War era where growing cities had disorganized government and very few reliable services leading to political machines centralizing power to get things done?
History of Machine Politics
What are cities of over 5,000 people that may adopt a charter; full power of self government and can do all but what legislature forbids?
Home Rule Cities
What type of municipal charter is where the local community adopts its own form of government; vote approval required for adoption of charter and charter amended by local referenda; have inherent powers not granted by State Constitution or laws and may exercise these powers not forbidden by their charters or by state?
Home Rule City (Ex. Houston TX is a charter city)
Where is poverty often concentrated?
Inner cities and old suburbs where better-off residents leave and move outward
What form of government is common in larger cities where strong opinions and big actions can galvanize larger groups; both strong and weak forms that is determined by what powers the mayor has; strong can lead to corruption?
Mayor-Council (39% of US cities, like New York's strong mayor council government)
What are many adjoining MSAs and M-PSAs (Ex. the East Coast Mega-region featuring D.C., Baltimore, Philly, NYC, and Boston)?
Megaregion
What is a core urban area of 50k+ people + adjacent communities; adjacent areas have predominantly urban population with close economic and social ties to central city (Ex. Memphis TN is one that crosses state border)?
Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)
What are arguably the most important unit of social and economic life in modern societies?
Metropolitan regions
What is a smaller core of 10-50k population; adjacent areas have high degree of social-economic interconnectedness to the urban core (Ex. Fredericksburg, TX)?
Micropolitan Statistical Area (M-PSA)
What are suburbs traditionally comprised of?
Middle-class communities
What type of general purpose government is responsible for police, fire, parks, streets, sanitation, welfare, and sometimes education?
Municipal / City Government
