Exam 10: The Structure of Local Government

The weak mayor-council structure limits the mayor's role to that of executive figurehead, and the council (of which the mayor may be a member)is the source of executive power and legislative power.

General-purpose local governments perform a wide range of governmental functions and include three types of local governments: counties, municipalities, and towns/townships.

The governing body for counties is typically called the

Special districts that overlay existing general-purpose local governments usually address three general categories of deficiencies. Which of the items below are not considered a deficiency?

The administrator, or the city manager, does which of the following?

At one time, there were more than 100,000 school districts in the United States, but by 2007, that number had decreased to

Describe and evaluate the general functions of each of the five types of local government. Provide an example of each and contrast the functions across the types of government.

Cities generally offer a wider array of services to their citizens than counties do.

On the whole, the American public seems to be reasonably satisfied with their local governments.

Describe the difference between at-large and district (ward)elections. What are the consequences for each in terms of representation?

​ Policies enacted by city governments do tend to reflect the preferences of their citizens.

Counties were initially created by states to function as their administrative appendages, which means that counties were

​ The issue of money for schools stays at the top of legislative agendas, year in and year out.

The Gallup Poll routinely asks voters about their trust and confidence in local governments. Consistently between 2007 and 2014, these polls conclude that _________ percent of respondents answer either "a great deal" or "a fair amount" of trust and confidence.

Although there is no universally accepted set of criteria for evaluating the quality of governments, several researchers and organizations continue to try, but are currently unsuccessful.

The number of single purpose districts continues to grow, whereas the number of school districts steadily shrinks. Explain why special districts are popular and the challenges they present for general purpose governments.

Over time, most states have gradually relaxed their control over localities through grants of home rule , which give local governments more decision-making power.

Local governments, including single-purpose districts, gain their power to function and establish their operating structure through

The two most popular forms of city government are council-mayor and council-administrator. What are the strengths and weaknesses of each form?

An in-depth study of 1,000 city council members across the country revealed that at-large members tend to be wealthier and more highly educated than district members and also direct more attention to business and citywide interests.