Chapter 10 InQuizitive Local Government

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Dec 6, 2023

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A special district is a unit of local |government performing a Lsingle serviceJ in a limited geographic Special districts are a form of local H | government, designed to perform a single service in a particular jurisdiction. area. A|home-rule | charteris a set of rules created by a city with greater than | 5,000 | people that defines Nicei()b! - Youearned back 30 points. * B D The state gives cities with larger H | populations more autonomy in determining how to organize and operate city government by allowing the establishment of home-rule charters. how the government will operate. Which functions do local governments serve in Texas? Correct Answer(s) enforcing laws maintaining roads and bridges providing K—12 education collecting income taxes " Incorrect Answer(s) Which government function is the most significant task associated with county governments? Goodwork! = Youearned 100 points. * | maintaining school districts County commissioners are often called E ! “road commissioners” because they maintain more than half the roads in the state. (@) constructing and maintaining roads and bridges In addition to road construction, the other major function most commonly associated with county governments is law enforcement.
Which form of government places control of the city in the hands of a hired professional, rather than elected, executive? Nicejob! ~ Youearned 100 points. * strong mayor-council Professionally trained managers are hired by the city council and oversee the city’s K: council-manager W departments. City managers typically have graduate degrees, are trained to serve as executives, and are hired by the city council rather than elected by the voters. 6. Inferring from the information in the chapter, which of the following best describes the intention of public employee pension plans? NicejOb! - Youearned 100 points. * () Pension plans incentivize individuals to Pension plans that guarantee retirement H I be long-term em ployees of local income for public employees are an appealing benefit; governments try to governments. attract talented individuals to positions by offering good benefits in place of salaries that are Pension plans allow individual local often less competitive than those in the private government employees to invest a portion sector. of their salary in stocks and bonds. ! B I S 7. Which form of government has authority over flood control? e Correct! @ = Youearned 100 points. [ ® special district These highly specific services are j city government provided by special districts rather than by other forms of local government. The textbook refers to these as nonschool special districts.
8. The Coastal Plains region of Texas faces increasing threats from hurricanes and other damaging weather associated with climate change. Which of the following would most likely be tasked with the planning and execution of emergency management plans, as well as coordination of intergovernmental efforts to build a network of evacuation routes from the area? (o] g (Ta dl You earned 100 points. COGs, like the Houston-Galveston Area I LC councils of government (COGS) ) Council of Governments, that oversee huge areas of coastal Texas are best situated to help carry out the functions described in the question. counties 9. The Coastal Plains region of Texas faces increasing threats from hurricanes and other damaging weather associated with climate change. Which of the following would most likely be tasked with the planning and execution of emergency management plans, as well as coordination of intergovernmental efforts to build a network of evacuation routes from the area? (o] g (Ta dl You earned 100 points. COGs, like the Houston-Galveston Area I LC councils of government (COGS) ) Council of Governments, that oversee huge areas of coastal Texas are best situated to help carry out the functions described in the question. counties 10. Which statement best explains the relationship between all the independently elected county officials and the county commissioners’ court? (©) The departments and offices of all . , county officials are dependent on the Because the commissioners’ court H I o , , determines the tax rate and budget for all commissioners’ court for funding. county offices, commissioners are able to exercise oversight and control of other county Each commissioner on the county offices through the budget process. commissioners’ court oversees specific
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11. Which of the following is the only other form of local government outside of county governments in which every inch of the state must be a part? )@ municipal Every part of the state must be a part of HI : some school district. LC school district J The Texas Constitution guarantees a system of free public schools for every student in the state, meaning that every part of the state must be included in a school district to serve the needs of students. 12. The office of constable has changed significantly in some parts of Texas. Critics of constables often make which two of the following points when talking about the expansion of their roles? Constables face little oversight from other officials. Constable offices can become semi-militarized fiefdoms. Constables are especially ineffective at law enforcement. Constables have come to serve as increasingly administrative officers. Incorrect Answer(s) 13. County officials like sheriffs, tax assessor-collectors, and district clerks are elected at large |, while other county officials like commissioners, justices of the peace, and constables are| elected in precincts |.
14. Why do individuals running for mayor or city council positions in major Texas cities such as Houston, Dallas, and Austin campaign for office using party labels when these positions are filled through nonpartisan elections in Texas? 8 Bl Goodwork! = Youeamed100 points ey gentcatonrelps | K —— inform voters about what Running under a Republican or l candidates for mayor or city Democratic Party label, evenin a . : .| | nonpartisan election, helps voters make council may believe about policy | issues. i decisions about which candidate they prefer. special district public schools | |flood control county government sheriff’s law enforcement issue marriage licenses city government annex adjacent lands 15.
16. If you are a resident of Houston, Texas, you are simultaneously governed by which of the following forms of government? Correct Answer(s) state government school district county government federal government city government “|nonschool special district 17. How do conservative supporters of state preemption justity state-level interventions into the affairs of counties and cities? Correct! @ Youearnedback 10 points. * ®© They believe local policies may violate the interests and values of the state. Municipal policies with popular support in H‘ | [ urban areas of the state are often contrary They have traditionally held that public- policy decisions are best made at the state level. 18. to the ideology of the Republican state leaders. The actions of Republican leaders in recent history to preempt local decisions that conflict with their own political beliefs are relatively new and represent a significant change from their own previously held beliefs about the relationship between local and state governments. Depending on how a city charter has set up elections for city council, voters from one region of a city may choose a candidate from their area to represent them in a|single-member district election or voters from the whole city may participate in | at-large | elections to choose members to represent the whole population.
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19. For most of modern history in Texas, Republicans have been proponents of “local control” but in recent years Governor Greg Abbott and other statewide leaders have passed legislation to preven local governments from implementing policies with i iS.i ' Of the fOllOWlng? Nice jOb! R YoueameleOpoints. + _ Preemption prevents lower levels of fi I C preemption J government from exercising autonomy to make decisions about their own policies, derivation even if it is what their residents want. Political polarization and a growing divide between rural and urban communities in the state have led to statewide and legislative Republican leaders taking a more active stand against policies in some large cities that are more liberal or Democratic in their thinking.