American Government Chapter 13

The salary for the governor of Nebraska is

$105,000

Which method is most often used to propose amendments to State constitutions?

A new amendment is proposed in a session of the legislature.

Why is the activity shown in this photograph an important task for most city governments? (Zoning Map)

City governments need to plan city development by dividing the city into commercial, residential, industrial, and other areas.

The chart compares some of the steps that take place in civil and criminal trials. Which item comparing the types of punishment administered in civil cases and criminal cases BEST completes the chart?

Civil case: Punishments limited to money.Criminal case: Punishments can include fines and/or jail time.

This photo shows the President and the governor of New York. Which response best describes the role the governor is playing here?

He is performing a duty as head of the State by greeting a visiting official.

"Official recognition by the Federal Government is crucial for tribal governments because it establishes their sovereignty. . . ."

It exempts tribal governments from State and local control, so they do not have to follow State laws.

Read this excerpt from the text about how the office of governor was defined in the early State constitutions. How does this compare to the status that governors hold today? "Most of the powers of government were given to the legislatures; the new State governors, for the most part, had little real authority. In every State except Massachusetts and New York, the governor was chosen by the legislature, and in most of them only for a one-year term. And only in three States did the governor have a veto power."

Modern governors have much more authority than what the excerpt describes, including the veto power over legislation.

Study the table. Which of the following arguments in favor of State constitutional reform is supported by data shown in the table?

Most State constitutions are outdated and longer than necessary.

"In New England, the town is a major unit of local government. Except for a few major cities, each of the six States in the region is divided into towns. Each town generally includes all of the rural and the urban areas within its boundaries."

New England towns take on the responsibilities held by both city and county governments in other States.

Examine the table. Then identify the missing principle of government that is found in all State constitutions.

Popular Sovereignty

Which commonly used method of proposing changes to State constitutions is missing from the table below?

Proposal by State voter initiative

The chart lists several of the most common State executive officers. Choose the response that supplies the missing information on the key roles for each of these officers of State government.

Secretary of State: Replaces the governor in some states if needed, chief clerk and record-keeper; Treasurer: Custodian of State funds; Attorney General: The State's chief lawyer

Based on the data presented in this pie graph, which of the following statements about State and local spending is correct?

State and local governments spend about as much on public welfare as they do on public safety and hospitals put together.

"The presidency and the governorship are similar in several ways, but the comparison can be pushed too far. Remember, the Constitution of the United States makes the President the executive in the National Government. State constitutions, on the other hand, regularly describe the governor as the chief executive in the State's government."

State governors have less authority and fewer powers than the President, since State governments divide executive power among several offices.

How does the historic budget-making process, as described in this excerpt, compare to the modern way that States create budgets? "State budgets were the product of haphazard and uncoordinated steps centered in the legislature. Various State agencies appeared before legislative committees, each seeking its own funding, often in fierce competition with one another. Their chances of success depended far less on need or merit than on whatever political muscle they could bring to bear. When the legislature adjourned, no one had any real idea of how much had been appropriated or for what."

The State budget process is more organized, with State governors and State legislatures sharing responsibility.

"And so the question is, may a State weight the vote of one county or one district more heavily than it weights the vote in another? The traditional test under the Equal Protection Clause has been whether a State has made an 'invidious discrimination'...." —Baker v. Carr, 1962

The Supreme Court has ruled that States must create legislative districts that represent equal numbers of citizens.

This graph compares the total number of legislators serving in each State. Based on this information, which of the following statements is correct?

The average State legislature has somewhere between 100 and 199 legislators

Which of the following statements describes the governor's role in creating the State budget?

The governor proposes the budget, which the State legislature may then modify.

Which of the following is an example of a State legislature carrying out a commonly held judicial power?

The legislature votes to impeach a member of the State executive branch.

Which statement best expresses the point the cartoonist is making about the recall process used to remove governors from office in some states, such as California?

The recall process can lead to confusion because it disrupts the normal system of electing a governor every four years.

"The judge instructs the jurors to find a true bill of indictment against any and all persons whom the prosecuting attorney brings to their attention and whom they think are probably guilty."

This describes the process by which a grand jury hears a criminal case.

Nebraska has a Unicameral Legislature with Senators elected to represent 49 Congressional districts.

True

To impeach the governor of the state of Nebraska the State Legislature would bring charges and the Supreme Court would try the case.

True

Which of the following methods of proposing changes to a State constitution is best represented by the type of activity shown in this photo? (Voting Place)

a ballot initiative

"A newspaper carrier, for example, can hardly afford a lawyer to collect a month's subscription from a customer. The owner of a two-family house may have the same problem with a tenant's back rent, and many merchants are forced to forget an overdue bill or sell it to a collection agency."

a municipal court

Which of the following measures would require a mandatory referendum under the laws of most States?

a proposed amendment to the State constitution

Which form of law deals with the rules, orders, and regulations issued by federal, State, or local executive officers?

administrative law

"The subjects of every state ought to contribute towards the support of the government as nearly as possible, in proportion to their respective abilities; that is, in proportion to the revenue which they respectively enjoy under the protection of the state."—Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations

an income tax

has a simple structure typically features a weak mayor separates responsibility for making policy and carrying out policy relies on heavily trained experts to make budget and planning

council-manager form

varies in size and population is usually run by a board of commissioners or a board of supervisors typically has both executive and legislative powers deals primarily with issues involving administration and finance is often oriented toward dealing with rural issues

county government

Based on the content of this map and what you have learned about court systems, which of the following circumstances would you expect to find in the State courts of Idaho, Kansas, and New York?

courts that are specialized to deal with certain areas of law

Which form of law includes laws enacted by legislatures at the State and federal level, as well as laws enacted by local governments?

statutory law

Read this excerpt from the text about State legislators. What factor listed below is one of the widely accepted explanations for the situation being described in the excerpt? "The rate of turnover in legislative seats is fairly high, although it tends to vary from State to State and time to time. In a given year, some 20 percent of all lawmakers around the country are serving their first term in office."

term limits on legislators

In which major form of city government does the lack of a chief executive make it difficult to assign responsibility for key leadership issues?

the commission form

What power do all current State constitutions grant to the State government?

the power to tax and borrow money