Ch. 4 State and Local Government Relations

True or false: Special-purpose governments are governments that can address issues crossing city or county lines.

True

The minimum population required to qualify for home rule in Texas is a) 10000 b) 5000 c) 15000 d) 1000

b) 5000

Home rule is a classification that applies to a) counties b) incorporated municipalities c) unincorporated municipalities d) both a and b, but not c

b) incorporated municipalities

It is perfectly legal under the U.S. Constitution to have zoning laws that have the effect of discrimination based on: a) race and ethnicity b) religion c) income and wealth d) none of the above

c) income and wealth

Special-purpose governments are often the result of a) rational planning b) mandates from state government c) interest group politics d) public opinion

c) interest group politics

Charles Tiebout argues that competition among cities in a metropolitan area can lead to: a) greater prosperity and happiness b) confusion and conflict c) more efficient spending on local public goods d) none of the above

c) more efficient spending on local public goods

Leapfrog development is driven by the decisions of a) local government b) consumers and homeowners c) real estate developers

c) real estate developers

Home rule

Allows for municipalities to enact local ordinances in areas that are not expressly preempted by state laws; this contrasts with general law cities, which follow state laws in all regards; in essence, a home rule city may opt to largely manage its own affairs; still subject to limitation and can be overridden at the direction of the state

Municipalities

1220 municipalities in Texas; home rule vs general rule; 5000 residents to qualify for home rule

Counties

Administrative unit of a state with specified geographical boundaries; counties are mutually exclusive; 254 counties in Texas

Federalism

Directs the relationship between the state and the federal government which implies that the national government doesn't hold all the power

True or false: The federal government may dissolve or even disband state government according to its needs and modifications.

False

True or false: shadow governments are directly controlled by the state.

False

Special districts

Outside of general-purpose governments, these governments have corporate and tax powers; corporate powers grant them the authority to enter into contracts, hire employees, and acquire property; tax powers grant them the power to raise revenue through property taxes, fees, and special assessments; some have the power to issue bonds to finance capital intensive projects; ie. school districts

Hidden governments

Special districts that many citizens are unaware of

Devolution

The shift in power from the national government to the states

Second-order devolution

The state-local case for shift in power from the state government to the local

Which of the following is not a challenge for local bodies of government caused by rapid urban growth? a) capacity of governments to provide services to edge cities efficiently and in a timely fashion b) maintaining already existing inner cities where factories and retail spaces are abandoned c) the extra cost of providing streets, water, school, sewer lines into subdivisions which are far away from the city d) developing healthcare and education policy for the new areas on the outer limits of the city

d) developing healthcare and education policy for the new areas on the outer limits of the city