Chapter 13 Government

Which of the responses below correctly lists the missing steps in the State budget creation and approval process?

1. The governor submits a budget proposal. 3. The governor signs the budget into law.

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?

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

If the Nebraska Governor leaves office for any reason the Speaker of the House become the Governor.

False

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.

How does the action described in this quotation from the text affect the powers and responsibilities of tribal governments? "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Most State constitutions are outdated and longer than necessary.

This table compares the working hours and annual pay of State legislators. Based only on the information provided in the table, which of the following statements is correct?

Most State legislators work between full-time and part-time.

Which of the following statements BEST describes the responsibilities of the type of local government discussed in the quotation? "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

Which of the following statements about State tax revenue can be made based on the data in this bar graph?

Sales taxes provide a large portion of the revenue generated by State governments.

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.

Read this excerpt from the text. What point is the excerpt making about the powers and limitations of State governors? "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.

What function does the Secretary of State serve in most State governments?

The Secretary of State acts as the chief-record keeper and administers State election laws.

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.

Read the excerpt from the Supreme Court's decision in Baker v. Carr. How has the Supreme Court answered the question posed in this excerpt? "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.

Based on this map, what is the current status of the initiative and referendum in State governments?

The initiative and referendum are most popular in the western United States.

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.

Based on the content of this map and what you have learned about tribal governments, what responsibilities does the tribal government of the Navajo reservation have?

The tribal government need not comply with State laws but must adhere to any treaties it has entered into with the Federal Government.

What type of court proceeding is being described in this excerpt from the text? "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.

Read the excerpt from the State constitution of Massachusetts, which was adopted in 1780. Which description BEST explains the significance of this passage to the current government of Massachusetts? "Article IV. The people of this commonwealth have the sole and exclusive right of governing themselves, as a free, sovereign, and independent state; and do, and forever hereafter shall, exercise and enjoy every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not, or may not hereafter, be by them expressly delegated to the United States of America in Congress assembled." —Massachusetts State Constitution

This passage is an example of a fundamental law of lasting importance that should not be changed

Read the excerpt from the State constitution of Massachusetts, which was adopted in 1780. Which description BEST explains the significance of this passage to the current government of Massachusetts? "Article IV. The people of this commonwealth have the sole and exclusive right of governing themselves, as a free, sovereign, and independent state; and do, and forever hereafter shall, exercise and enjoy every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not, or may not hereafter, be by them expressly delegated to the United States of America in Congress assembled." —Massachusetts State Constitution

This passage is an example of a fundamental law of lasting importance that should not be changed.

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

True

Qualifications to be a Nebraska Senator require a person to be 21 years old, a registered voter and a resident of the district they hope to represent.

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

Based on what you have learned about the types of State courts, what types of cases would be heard in a place like the one shown in this photo?

a misdemeanor or other minor case

In what type of court are the situations described in this quotation from the text MOST likely to be heard? "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 commonly used State taxation adheres to the principle of sound taxation cited in this excerpt? "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

What form of city government is described by the information in the table?

council-manager form

What level of local government is described by the information in the table?

county

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

Under federal law, which of the following methods of raising revenue cannot be used by State governments?

sales taxes or duties levied on interstate trade or trade with foreign countries

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

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

the ballot initiative

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

The salary for the governor of Nebraska is

$105,00

The annual salary for a Nebraska State Senator is

$12,000