What is the dominant structure of city government in major cities in Texas quizlet?

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Terms in this set (179)

1. The primary policymaking body at the county level is

commissioners court.

2. Home rule cities are different from general law cities in that they:

both a and b are correct.

3. The three basic types of city government which are common in Texas are:

council/manager, mayor/council, and commission.

4. The most common form of city government in Texas is:

council/manager.

5. In council\manager government, the is responsible for carrying out policy.

manager

6. Except in the few counties using a unit system, the construction and maintenance of county roads and bridges is the responsibility of

individual county commissioners.

7. Which of the following officials presides over the county commissioners' court?

County judge

8. Which of the following county officials is responsible for recording all legal documents?

County clerk

9. The largest single source of income for the county in Texas is the

property tax.

10. Expenditures facing densely populated urban counties include

all of the above.

11. Texas counties are responsible for passing legislation that

none of the above.

12 Cities in Texas that have not adopted home rule are called

general-law cities.

13. Cities in Texas may choose to form their own city charters if they have a population over

5,000.

14. In a strong mayor-council form of municipal government, the mayor

has the power to appoint and remove other city executives.

15. Except for Houston and El Paso, Texas' largest cities all operate with which form of city government?

Council-manager

16. The largest single source of local revenues for most local governments is the:

ad valorem property tax.

17. County government is:

subject to very limited supervision of state authorities.

18. The chief law enforcement officer for the county is the:

police chief.

19. Under Texas' home rule amendment, a city may adopt its own charter as long as:

all of the above.

20. The chief records keeper for the county is the:

none of the above.

21. In Texas, a local school district's only tax source is the:

ad valorem on property.

22. The two classes of city government established in the constitution are:

general law and home rule.

23. A city with a population of 5,000 or more may be incorporated under a:

home rule charter.

24. Local ordinances may be passed by governments of:

city but not county.

25. County commissioners are elected for terms of how many years?

4

26. The most significant source of county revenue is

property taxes.

27. The majority of candidates for city office in Texas campaign as:

independents.

28. The presiding officer of the commissioners court is the:

county judge.

29. The essential feature of the council-manager form of city government is an administrator who is:

professionally trained.

30. A document authorizing a city to have and maintain a home rule type of government is termed:

a charter.

31. The largest expenditure of rural county income is

county roads and bridges.

32. The authors of the text offer several areas for reform in county government. Which of the following is not a recommended reform?

Cutback on the number of county jobs

33. Councils of governments have

performed regional planning activities.

34. Which type of electoral system is most likely to produce a racially balanced city council?

Both C and D

35. When municipalities sell municipal bonds, they are participating in a form of

deficit financing.

36. You are the city manager, and the amount of money received by your municipality is inadequate to support your proposed budget. You are going to recommend that the city council authorize the issuance of revenue bond. Which of the following activities may revenue bonds not be issued for?

Travel expenses for a city council workshop in Las Vegas, Nevada

37. As creations of the state, counties are responsible for

all of the above.

38. Every county in Texas, regardless of its size, is divided into

four precincts.

39. County commissioners in Texas are

elected by precinct.

40. The function of the commissioners court is

administrative and legislative.

41. The strong mayor variant of council/mayor government is most common in:

large cities such as Houston and El Paso.

42. In the strong mayor variant of mayor/council government, the is responsible for carrying out policy:

mayor

43. The county auditor is

appointed by the district Judges.

44. The commission form of city government originated in which of the following:

Galveston

45. An example of a special district is a:

all of the above.

46. A COG is:

a voluntary grouping of governments which have not given up their sovereignty.

47. The major source of revenues for state government in Texas is the:

sales tax.

48. At-large elections tend to:

discriminate against minorities.

49. Council-manager government is sometimes viewed as undemocratic because:

all of the above.

50. Fragmentation of power among many local governments makes it difficult:

all of the above apply.

51. Cities in Texas derive their revenues from

all of the above.

52. Which of the following is not a major item of expenditure for cities in Texas?

education.

53. The type of municipal election in which voters choose all of the members of the city council and vote for as many candidates as there are positions on the council is a system called a(n)

at-large.

54. The type of local government that is increasing in number most rapidly is the

special district.

55. Special districts have the advantage of

all of the above.

56. Councils of Government (COGs) function as

planning and coordinating bodies for local governments.

1. Which of the following is a true statement about third-party involvement in American elections?

Many legal barriers make it hard for third parties to get on the ballot.

2. American political parties perform important functions, such as:

all of the above.

3. The major characteristics of American political parties are:

two-partyism, decentralization, pragmatism.

4. American political parties demonstrate pragmatism by:

compromising their ideals in order to appeal to the largest number of voters.

5. In Texas, there has historically been:

one-party dominance.

6. Which of the following statements is true of special elections in Texas?

They are held to fill vacancies in congressional offices.

7. Provided women's suffrage:

l9th.

8. To be nominated by the direct primary method in Texas, a candidate:

must win an absolute majority of those voting in that party primary.

9. More education seems to be highly correlated with:

voting Republicans.

10. The national committee of each party:

selects the site of the nominating conventions.

11. A PAC is an:

organization established by interest groups to collect contributions to political candidates.

12. A precinct is:

the smallest local voting district.

13. A major function of the national convention is:

to nominate the presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

14. Those who favor registration requirements argue:

that such requirements prevent fraudulent voting practices.

15. There has been a tradition in the United States for Catholics and Jews to vote:

Democratic.

16. Selection of election judges and alternate judges is the responsibility of the:

county commissioners court.

17. The supreme legal authority of the national party is:

the national convention.

18. The length of residence in the state as a requirement for voting now is:

thirty days.

19. Which of the following groups was the least likely to vote Democratic in recent elections?

white protestants

20. A major cause for the persistence of the 2-party system in the U.S. today is that:

election districts are single member so that only one candidate can win.

21. Texas statutes prohibit direct political contributions from:

corporations.

22. Political patronage is concerned with:

government employment for loyal election workers.

23. The campaign reform law of l974 was chiefly concerned with:

campaign finance.

24. Most delegates to the national nominating conventions are chosen by:

primary elections.

25. The vice presidential nominee is supposed to be selected by:

the parties' national convention.

26. Voter registration and election turnout in Texas is regularly:

below the national average.

27. Proportional representation allows for:

legislative seats to be allotted in proportion to the total number of votes a party gets.

28. The Democratic party came into existence with the l828 election of:

Andrew Jackson.

29. The modern Republican party emerged:

before the Civil War.

30. It is important for people in a democracy to vote because:

it enables citizens to have some influence on the politics that govern them.

31. Voting under a democracy is important because it:

all of the above.

32. In order to be a registered voter in Texas today, one must meet all of the following requirements except:

pay a poll tax to the county of residence.

33. In Texas, people who are denied the privilege of suffrage include:

both a and c.

34. A problem of a closed primary system is that:

independent voters are excluded from participating.

35. The name given to the Texas practice of keeping blacks from participating in political parties' nomination processes was:

white primary.

36. Texas chief election officer since l967 has been:

the secretary of state.

37. The type of ballot used in Texas is the:

party column.

38. Party primaries in Texas are:

decided by a plurality vote.

39. Which of the types of elections listed below are held in Texas?

all of the above

40. In Texas, primary elections are administered:

entirely by political party officials.

41. Historically, the major factional conflict in Texas has:

developed within the one-party system (Democrats) mostly between conservatives and liberals.

42. Which of the following terms best describes the organization of political parties in the U.S.?

both a and c.

43. The state executive committee, in addition to a chair and vice chair, includes a man and woman from each:

state senatorial district.

44. The members of one party voting in the opposing party's primary in order to nominate the candidate easiest to defeat is called:

party "raiding."

45. If a political party received 20 percent or more of the votes in the preceding election for governor, the party must nominate its candidates by:

direct primary.

46. Most of the primary election expenses in Texas are paid by:

state funds.

47. The Texas state election law specifies that it use:

a closed primary.

48. Though the Constitution does not mention political parties, certain provisions of the Constitution such as the following gave impetus to organization of parties:

the First Amendment freedoms.

49. The American electoral system is based on:

a "winner-take-all" system.

50. The major responsibility of a national chairperson is:

the management of the national election campaign.

51. Voting and registration requirements are set:

by each state.

52. A party-column ballot is a form of general election ballot:

in which the candidates are arranged in one column under their respective party.

53. Which of the following expresses best the attitude of the American founding fathers toward political parties?

Parties are divisive and undesirable.

54. In an open primary:

voters can vote in either party primary without disclosing their party affiliation.

55. In a closed primary:

only registered party members are allowed to vote.

56. One potential disadvantage of an open primary is:

voters of one party will vote for the weakest candidate of the other party.

57. Which of the following positions is most likely to be supported by the Republican party?

Less government funding for minority aid programs

58. In voting behavior, Jews tend to the following:

vote for candidates who are Democrats.

59. The Democratic party is more likely to have the support of:

a black than a white person.

60. In their political party loyalty, black Americans have been:

strongly Democratic.

61. After many years of being "turned off" by politics, you have decided to register to vote. Where may you go to register to vote in the state of Texas?

The county courthouse

62. Psychologically, voters decide on the basis of:

all of the above.

63. The Jim Crow laws were

segregation laws that deprived African-Americans of many economic, social and political rights;

64. If American political parties had a pyramid-shaped organization chart, the National Chairperson would:

dictate how the party would be run.

65. American political parties tend to concentrate on:

winning elections.

66. Intraparty contests for the right to be the party's nominee in the general election are termed:

primary elections.

67. The goal of a political campaign in democracy is:

to provide competition that will allow the most qualified candidate to be elected.

68. The party platform is a document that:

presidential and congressional candidates may ignore with relative impunity.

69. A major reason for the development of a presidential primary was:

to open the nomination process to the ordinary party member and to weaken the influence of party bosses.

70. A presidential primary is held to:

select delegates to the national convention of both major parties.

71. One reason people vote is:

the personal satisfaction they receive from the act of voting.

72. The state central committee has responsibility for:

carrying out policy decisions of the party's state convention.

73. The Federal Election Campaign Act of l974 provided:

public financing for presidential primaries and presidential candidates in the general election.

74. "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied...on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude" is a provision of:

the Fifteenth amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

75. The impetus for changing Texas' restrictive voting rules came largely from:

the federal government.

76. "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied...on account of sex" is a provision of:

the Nineteenth amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

77. The most successful third party in Texas in recent years has been:

Libertarian.

78. Which of the following programs would liberals support?

Government programs to provide for Medicare and Medicaid

79. In order for a third party or an independent candidate to be named on the state ballot in Texas, which of the following is necessary?

to have registered voters sign a petition

80. "Straight ticket" voting means that a voter:

votes only for the candidates of one political party in a general election

81. Some political scientists explain low voter turnout as a result of:

the low probability of anyone's vote making a difference.

82. In Texas, the county executive committee is:

composed of the precinct chairpersons in the county

83. The purpose of the Federal Election Commission is to:

oversee and enforce the provisions of the l974 Federal Election Campaign Act.

84. In principle the Republicans have been known as:

the party of the middle and upper classes.

85. The number of Republicans holding office in Texas government in recent years has been:

on the rise.

86. In principle the Democrats have been known as:

the party of the working class.

87. Campaign funds mostly go to:

cover mass media costs.

88. The minimum cost of a statewide race in Texas is about:

$l million.

89. In taking an objective-type exam it is important:

all of the above.

90. Which of the following political parties supported the admission of Texas into the Union as a slave state?

Democratic

91. Which party did most Texans come to identify with after Reconstruction ended?

Democratic

92. As a consequence of the one-party system that existed in Texas until recently,

all of the conditions above existed.

93. Who won a special election in the U.S. Senate in 1961 that ended the Democrats monopoly on offices at the state level?

John Tower

94. The first Republican governor of Texas in the 20th century was

Bill Clements

95. The basic function of political parties is to

win elections in order to gain control over public policy.

96. In Texas, party membership is determined by

the act of voting. on the rise.

97. The primary purpose of the precinct convention in Texas is to

select delegates to the county convention.

98. The permanent party organization in Texas includes

all of the above.

99. Which of the following is responsible for conducting the party primary elections in Texas?

The County Executive Committee

100. Conservative Democrats won almost every public election in Texas from the 1870s to the 1970s because

all of the above factors.

101. In which of the following Texas cities would a liberal Democrat be most likely to win an election?

Austin

102. The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1972 limits contributions by groups to no more than _____ per candidate in campaigns for federal offices.

$5,000

103. The Texas Campaign Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1973 requires that every candidate for political office appoint a(n) _____ before accepting contributions or making expenditures.

campaign treasurer

104. The ethics bill passed by the Texas legislature in 1991

does not place any limits on campaign contributions.

105. The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in the 1976 case of _______ paved the way for Clayton Williams and H. Ross Perot to spend millions of dollars of their own money to finance their own campaigns for office.

Buckley v. Valeo

106. Candidates use negative campaigning

because they believe such tactics are effective.

107. The Texas Election Code requires any political party whose candidate for governor received at least _____ in the most recent general election to hold a primary to choose candidates for upcoming elections.

20 percent of the vote

108. Primary elections in Texas are

technically closed but open in practice.

109. In Texas, primary elections are administered by officials of the

political parties.

110. General elections in Texas are held on Tuesday after the first Monday in _____ in even-numbered years.

November

111. In Texas, most cities choose their councils in _____ elections.

special

112. The primary reason most people vote is that they

have been taught to believe that voting is their duty.

113. From the standpoint of the political system, voting is crucial because

all of the above.

114. Not until Congress passed the _________ in 1965 lifting all legal restrictions on African American suffrage did African Americans begin voting in increasing numbers.

Voting Rights Act

115. Poll taxes, white-only primaries, and literacy tests were all designed to

discourage voting by African Americans, Mexican Americans, and poor whites.

116. The 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution outlawed

the poll tax.

117. Which of the following statements about the present system of voter registration in Texas is NOT correct?

The voter must register in person unless ill or disabled.

118. To be eligible to vote in Texas, how many days must one be a resident of the state and county before the election?

30

119. Voter turnout in Texas is

below the national average.

120. When minorities in Texas fail to vote, what candidates are hurt most?

Liberal Democratic

121. The Voting Rights Act of 1965

both B and C.

122. Factors that contribute to low voter turnout in Texas are

a population that has a high percentage of poor, uneducated and minority citizens.

123. Factors that contribute to a higher level of voter participation among African Americans include

both A and B.

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