Chapter 7 & 8

In which of the following ways is the city manager approved or chosen in the council-manager system?

The city council hires a manager.

constitutional county judge

chief administrative office of the county commissioner's court; may also have judicial duties in rural counties

If chartered as a general law city in Texas, a city must do which of the following?

choose from among the seven charters in the state statutes

The 2014 ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit that struck down the FCC's Open Internet Order had what effect at that time? restricting the amount of money ISPs could leverage toward political causes. freeing major social media platforms to take overtly political stances. ending network neutrality requirements for ISPs. ending protections for unequal time in political advertising by ISPs

ending network neutrality requirements for ISPs.

Which of the following types of polls would be considered somewhat legitimate but of relatively low scientific rigor? exit poll. telephone interview. push poll. opinion survey.

exit poll.

Which of the following processes occurs first when media bring news to an audience? gatekeeping. framing. agenda setting. priming.

gatekeeping.

Which of the following is preferred by all age groups? getting news through network or cable television. getting news through the Internet. getting news through social media. getting news directly from the reporting source.

getting news directly from the reporting source.

In the Carnegie Mellon survey, what did respondents indicate to be the biggest problem with tweets they considered to be useless? lack of context. illegible. irrelevance to important issues. offensive nature.

lack of context.

county commissioner's court

legislative body made up of five elected officials that governs the county

implicit or explicit prohibition on city ordinance power

limitation on the power of cities, preventing them from passing ordinances that are explicitly prohibited by state law and from passing ordinances that by implication may violate state law

Bexar County, Texas, is an example of which category of local government? multi-jurisdictional. limited-purpose. municipal. general-purpose.

limited-purpose.

Compared to the other 49 states, which of the following describles how many special purpose districts Texas has?

more than any other states except California and Illinois

Which of the following media sources is subject to the most regulation by the FCC? cable television. print newspapers. social media advertising. network television.

network television.

The danger of the "echo chamber" effect is most prominent in... news shared through social media. news provided by the online versions of print magazines. news transmitted through 24-hour cable news. news broadcast through satellite radio.

news shared through social media.

cumulative voting

Suzanne Gibson has five votes for city council. She can give one vote to five different candidates or distribute her five votes to one, two, three, or four candidates.

What election saw the first time in U.S. history that a major political debate was held in Spanish?

Texas gubernatorial debate, 2002

What authority do city governments have that in counties is quite limited? ordinance passage. infrastructure maintenance. law enforcement. disbursement of funds.

ordinance passage.

At what point did newspapers in the United States really begin to struggle to remain viable?

the mid-twentieth century

CHAPTER 7 HW

CHAPTER 7 HW

CHAPTER 7 QUIZ

CHAPTER 7 QUIZ

CHAPTER 8 HW

CHAPTER 8 HW

CHAPTER 8 QUIZ

CHAPTER 8 QUIZ

Which of the following are among the rules and regulations that affect print and electronic media in the United States?

Campaign advertisements must be sold by media at the lowest available rate. 501(c)(4)s can place political ads, but they cannot be formally "coordinated" with a candidate. A TV or radio station cannot air an advertisement attacking a candidate without giving the target of the attack the chance to respond. Campaigns and interest groups cannot use newspaper stories or TV broadcasts without permission. Print media of any type cannot print an advertisement attacking a candidate without giving the target of the attack the chance to respond in print.

Which of the following correctly describes voter turnout in Texas municipal elections? Check all the answer choices that apply.

Some cities conduct local elections in off years. Municipal elections are generally ignored because city government has so little impact on most people's lives.

single-member district

Suzanne Gibson lives in the Whatson district of Bolston City. When she votes for city council, she can only vote for a council member from Whatson district.

True or False? Although county residents pay little of the cost to operate county governments, they receive many services from them that are not provided to city residents by the county.

True

True or False? Special purpose districts can be efficient and can effectively solve specific problems, but they can also generate problems.

True

True or False? Telemundo's 2015 #YODECIDO voter information campaign targeted young Spanish-speaking voters.

True

True or False? Texas has consistently avoided allowing for county home rule.

True

preferential voting

When Suzanne Gibson votes in Bolston City, she ranks all the candidates for city council.

home rule city

a city whose charter is created by the actions of local citizens

What is the composition of the county commissioner's court? a county judge and four county commissioners. five county commissioners, with one member appointed county judge. a district clerk and four county commissioners. a three-judge panel and four county commissioners.

a county judge and four county commissioners.

A municipal utility district (MUD) is which of the following?

a multifunction district generally created outside cities to provide essential services

constable

elected county law enforcement official and court officer

tax assessor/collector

elected officer who is responsible for collecting revenue for the state and county in larger counties

district judge

elected official who appoints the county auditor

district clerk

elected official who maintains county and district court records

county treasurer

elected official who manages county funds

Most cities in Texas are chartered under... general law. general rule. home rule. home law.

general rule.

interest group conflict

groups constantly engaged in a struggle to define social problems and provide solutions to them

The commission form of government... typically leads to more competent administrators. is the most common form of government in Texas cities. creates more checks and balances than other forms of government. helped spark the transition to the council-manager form of government.

helped spark the transition to the council-manager form of government.

County governments in Texas... are more effective in urban areas than in rural areas. depend upon property tax revenues from rural areas. are highly centralized. lack general ordinance authority.

lack general ordinance authority.

county sheriff

the elected head of law enforcement who may act as the tax assessor collector in smaller counties

Which of the following statements about television viewing patterns is accurate? Americans spend about three hours daily consuming information through television. CNN remained the most popular source of television news during 2015. Only about a third of Americans still rely on television for news. Between 2014 and 2015, viewership of most major networks declined.

Between 2014 and 2015, viewership of most major networks declined.

at-large election system

Bolston City has seven council seats. When Suzanne Gibson votes, she votes for candidates for all the city council seats.

Based on the polling done in Figure 8.3, for which branch of government did Democrats and Republicans show the greatest disparity in their levels of support in October 2017? "Don't know." President. Congress. Supreme Court.

Congress.

True or False? The free exposure that results from a newspaper endorsement of a political candidate, such as the one Hillary Clinton received from The Dallas Morning News in 2016, is the most commonplace free coverage for a candidate.

False

What accurate prediction was made in 1969 by Paul Baran about the coming effects of "electrical information"? Greater choice of information would lead to a decline in dialogue within communities. Greater choice of information would lead to greater political participation. Greater information availability would lead to governmental collapse. Cultural segregation would decrease as choice of information increased.

Greater choice of information would lead to a decline in dialogue within communities.

In which of the following ways does selection bias differ from presentation bias? It involves greater manipulation of tone. It is a more noticeable form of bias. It does not reflect partisan ideological positions. It may be driven in part by budgetary constraints.

It may be driven in part by budgetary constraints.

How is a story in a news magazine likely to differ from a story covering the same subject in a print newspaper? It would be more sensational. It would be timelier. It would provide more in-depth coverage. It would be less accurate.

It would provide more in-depth coverage.

The plural executive structure of county government in Texas is a product of which of the following? mid-twentieth-century reforms (such as the Voting Rights Act). None of the answers are correct. the eighteenth century. inherent trust in centralized executive authority in the United States.

None of the answers are correct.

Which of the following was illustrated by the actions of Public Opinion Strategies against 1996 Texas Attorney General Dan Morales in 1996? Push polls can affect public opinion even though they can't measure it. Push polls can be used to accurately measure public opinion. Push polls were rightly made illegal by the Texas legislature. Push polls are often used to attempt to sway public opinion but have proved ineffective.

Push polls can affect public opinion even though they can't measure it.

Which of the following statements about citizens' levels of trust in the media is accurate?

The overall level of trust has decreased in most Western democracies.

Which of the following statements about special district governments in Texas is accurate? The primary reason for their existence is to fill service gaps left by other units of government. They are all governed by a board of directors that voters elect. Due to its individualistic culture, Texas has relatively few special district governments compared to most states. They are necessary but are often the least efficient and expedient way to solve a problem.

The primary reason for their existence is to fill service gaps left by other units of government.

Which of the following describes the way in which partisan media affect ordinary Americans?

There is no firm evidence that partisan media are making ordinary Americans more partisan.

Which of the following is a restriction placed on broadcasters by the FCC with respect to political campaigns? They must prevent the airing of deliberately false or misleading ads by candidates. They must provide a minimum amount (determined by the FCC) of airtime to each candidate. They are required to give primetime air time to opposing candidates for the same political office. They cannot censor anything said by a candidate given air time.

They cannot censor anything said by a candidate given air time.

What would Maxwell McCombs likely say about most of the articles alleging media bias in traditional media over the last decade? They are mostly accurate as long as they are confined to the traditional media. They themselves are biased in favor of left-leaning media. They lack the proper methodology to truly study the issue. They give too much weight to citizen journalism and social media.

They lack the proper methodology to truly study the issue.

True or False? Over two-thirds of all American adults use at least one form of social media to share information.

True

general law city

a city whose charter is created by state statutes

The traditional view of the media suggests that their primary purpose is to serve as... a policy creator. a check on government. a linkage mechanism. a political influencer.

a linkage mechanism.

Which of the following is a weakness of the council-manager form of city government? ability of the city manager to manipulate information to control council decisions. full-time council members serving for too long. city manager being answerable to the voting public. absence of political coalitions.

ability of the city manager to manipulate information to control council decisions.

A local news outlet decides that it is important for the public to be informed about an upcoming vote on property taxes. It replays a short segment about the vote three times a day until voting day arrives. What processes are represented here? priming and framing. resonance and priming. gatekeeping, agenda setting, and priming. agenda setting and framing.

agenda setting and framing.

What category of public opinion is defined as "the simple sum of many individual opinions"?

aggregation

From what agent of socialization are people most likely to gain their first understanding of civics? family. education. media. religious institution.

education.

county clerk

elected chief record keeper for the county

There are federal laws that prevent print media from... printing false information. selling political advertising at a very high rate. giving too much coverage to one candidate in a race. endorsing specific political candidates.

printing false information.

Comparing changes in the public opinion of Texans regarding the legal status of marijuana with the actions of legislators and the judicial system in Texas indicates that... it typically takes leadership by the political elite to move public opinion. the political elite are very slow to respond to changes in public opinion. changes in legislation and specific government policy often lead changes in public opinion. public opinion can lead the political elite to alter government policy.

public opinion can lead the political elite to alter government policy.

What does creation of a Facebook page help a political candidate do that she would be less able to do through advertising in the traditional media? reach a bigger audience. attack an opponent. relinquish control over the message. save money.

save money.

What was new about media presentation of the 2016 presidential debates that suggests a changing consumer base is altering how media producers and owners behave? preventing broadcast of debates on traditional networks in favor of more biased outlets. exclusive debate content presented only on social media. simulcasts in Spanish for both major parties. both presidential candidates highlighting the dangers of media bias.

simulcasts in Spanish for both major parties.

Use of the Internet by politicians has increased the importance of... technically-trained media consultants. ad-creating media consultants. fundraising organizations. apathetic voters.

technically-trained media consultants.

What represented the first true challenge to the viability of newspapers in the United States? the Internet. radio. 24-hour cable news. television.

television.

What is the most important advantage that the Internet provides for political campaigns?

the opportunity to connect directly with the public

incorporation

the process of creating a city government

aggregation

the simple sum of many individual opinions

The weak mayor's formal powers most resemble those of which other government official in Texas? the mayor in the council-manager form of city government. the speaker of the Texas House. the state governor. the lieutenant governor.

the state governor.

What source do Americans trust most for discovering the news?

traditional news organizations

True or False? All special purpose districts in Texas are governed by boards of directors elected by the voters.

False

True or False? The winner of the late-night news slot for Spanish-language households across the years 2013 through 2016 is Telemundo.

False

True or False? Today, most news media refuse to run political attack ads.

False

True or False? When using social media, there is a greater chance of being exposed to opinions and perspectives which may differ from one's own.

False

True or False? The Texas Association of Counties (TAC) has recently been spearheading the push to "bring Texas county government into the twenty-first century."

False

________ is the political principle that assigns different functions to different levels of government. Republicanism. Separation of powers. Federalism. Constitutionalism.

Federalism.

From what does traditional media face its greatest challenge?

streaming services

If most of the power rests with the mayor, that city is said to have a... weak mayor government. mayor-manager government. strong mayor government. council-manager government.

strong mayor government.

In which type of city government does the mayor control the budget? weak mayor. commission. strong mayor. council-manager.

strong mayor.

Today, what medium is the most effective for the acquisition of political information?

television

What is the top daily news source for most Americans today?

television {local and national broadcasts}

Texans need to follow specific steps when creating a city, a process known as incorporation. Place the steps in the order that they need to be carried out.

1. At least 10 percent of registered voters and 50 percent of landowners sign petitions calling for an election to incorporate. 2. The county judge calls for an election. 3. Voters approve the incorporation in an election. 4. A general-law charter is adopted. 5. Voters elect officials for the local government. 6. Population density reaches at least 201 per two-square-mile area.

Voter turnout in City of Austin municipal elections is usually about... 3 percent. 15 percent. 38 percent. 62 percent.

10 percent.

For incorporation to proceed in Texas, first a minimum population of ________ citizens must be living within a two-square-mile area. 201. 501. 1,001. 2,501.

201

In Texas, approximately what percentage of households speak Spanish?

30 percent

Latinos make up approximately 17 percent of the U.S. population. Approximately what percentage of the Texas population is Latino?

40 percent

Which of the following statements accurately describes county government services in Texas?

County governments are not permitted to operate fire departments.

Which is the largest county in Texas in terms of population? Bexar. Tarrant. Harris. Dallas.

Harris

How has the Internet changed the role of professional campaign consultants?

It has greatly increased their importance.

What is the current general trend in American's level of trust in the media?

It is declining.

Houston: Strong mayor-council

a. The mayor of this city appoints all department heads and members of advisory boards, subject to the approval of the city council. The mayor presents a budget of nearly $2 billion to the city council for approval. e. The 14-member city council meets every Tuesday and Wednesday. Five members are elected at-large and the remaining members are elected from districts. The mayor presides over the meetings and participates in voting.

School districts are governed by which of the following?

an elected board of trustees

Selma: Weak mayor-council

b. The four members of the city council meet regularly once a month. d. The mayor presides over city council meetings, signs the minutes, but does not usually participate in votes to pass the motions.

Tulsa, Oklahoma, which is one of the last large cities to use the commission form of city government, gave what powers to the mayor in an attempt to correct some of the form's shortcomings? removal authority. appointment authority. authority to call special sessions. budget authority.

budget authority.

Dallas: Council-manager government

c. The city manager manages a budget of nearly $3 billion and oversees a staff of about 14,000 employees. She has worked in municipal government for three decades and has a masters of business administration.

extra-territorial jurisdiction (ETJ)

city powers that extend beyond the city limits to an adjacent area

If you selected any city in Texas at random, what governmental form would you most likely find? council-manager. strong mayor-council. weak mayor-council. commission.

council-manager.

In which type of city government does the city council appoint a person to be city manager? strong mayor. weak mayor. commission. council-manager.

council-manager.

Which is the oldest type of local government, adapted from a British unit of government, that is used in the United States? province. shire. city. county.

county.

If there are six seats up for election and a voter is allowed to cast up to six votes, this is an example of... preferential voting. cumulative voting. instant runoff voting. at-large voting.

cumulative voting.

What voting system is preferred by voting rights activists as a means of increasing minority representation? preferential voting. single-member districts. at-large voting. cumulative voting.

cumulative voting.

Ronald Reagan's "morning in America," George H.W. Bush's "thousand points of light," and Clayton Williams' "share my vision" slogans were all used in what type of political ad?

positive

Presidential candidate Ronald Reagan's "morning in America" commercial was what type of media coverage?

positive, purchased

When discussing how the media shape perceptions, the term ___________ describes a specific context and background through which audiences engage with a particular topic or story.

priming

media/elite opinion

projection of what journalists, politicians, and other "elites" believe

The primary source of revenue for counties is income tax. property tax. state block grants. sales tax.

property tax.

fiction

rhetorical construction used so freely in our newspapers and on television as to be meaningless

Which of the following is most likely a local service provided by the average rural Texas county?

road construction

County government in Texas was originally designed to function well for which of the following populations?

rural

County government was designed to meet the needs of and provide services to a(n) ________ population. varied. rural. agrarian. urban.

rural.

In Texas, education is primarily the responsibility of... the federal government. county governments. the state government. school districts.

school districts.

Which of the following is the primary function of county constables?

serving as court officers for justice of the peace courts

Special purpose districts are also referred to as which of the following?

shadow governments

The most common form of local government in the United States is the... city. school district. county. special district.

special district.

majoritarian

the values and beliefs of the majority of citizens; people do pay close attention to the opinions of friends, coworkers, and neighbors and tend to conform to the majority opinion among their significant others

What was the purpose of Newt Gingrich's GOPAC political action committee's glossary, which was distributed to more than 4,000 state Republican candidates?

to highlight positive words to describe Republicans and negative words to describe Democrats

Which of the following is the primary reason that special purpose districts are created?

to provide services when no other unit of government exists to provide that service

Which of the following is the best way to describe the structure of all county governments in Texas?

weak/plural executive

Which of the following was a strength of the commission form of government?

working very quickly to resolve problems