Exam 1: New Directions for State and Local Governments

Define the concept of political culture. Why is it important to understand political culture, and how does it affect politics in the states and local governments? Using Daniel Elazar's categories of political culture, explain the category into which your state falls, and list several contributing factors behind your categorization.

The central argument of the Bowman and Kearney text is that state and local governments

The unofficial region of the nation comprised of the South and West is known as the Sunbelt.

With respect to natural disasters, interjurisdictional conflict seldom is a common problem.

Which of the following is seldom used by states and localities as a tool or tools to attract and retain businesses and industry?

Unfunded mandates imposed by federal legislation

The theme of State and Local Politics is that states and localities have the capacity to play central roles in the federal system.

States have become increasingly innovative in devising ways to enhance their revenue systems.

Interstate cooperation fosters a healthy climate for joint problem solving among the states. This type of cooperation is illustrated in the states working together to sue some of America's largest corporations to recover Medicaid funds spent on tobacco-related illnesses, to fight unfair business practices like the Microsoft antitrust suit, and to compel power plants to reduce their carbon emissions.

The most frequent sources of intergovernmental conflict are over natural resources and economic development.

The concept of government effectiveness refers to goal attainment; that is, government accomplishes what it sets out to do.

The authors of the text conclude that revitalized state and local governments

New ideas and programs in the states

Over the past thirty years, state governments have become increasingly dependent on the federal government for revenues.

North Dakota's consideration of dropping the "North" from its name to make it seem friendlier and less frigid qualifies as an example of