chapter 10 Flashcards
make own policy, raise own money, not subordinate to other governments
free standing government
perform a broad range of functions (counties, municipalities)
general purpose
carry out narrowly defined functions (school districts, special districts)
special purpose
originally had to have legislative permission - this was too much of a problem
ease of incorporation
a general vote by the electorate on a single political question that has been referred to them for a direct decision (allows voters to make policy)
referendum
District that supports economic development and tourism (Disney World)
Reedy Creek Improvement District
laws enacted by the governing body of a municipality to regulate such matters as building construction, land use practices, and driving habits
city ordinance
the state was able to block ordinances that contradicted its hands-off approach to regulation
preemption
less than 5,000 inhabitants; has only those governmental structures and powers specifically granted by state law
General-Law City
general-law cities are bound by this rule; it is the legal principle that a city can exercise only those powers expressly allowed by state law
Dillon’s Rule
a city with 5,000 or more inhabitants may elect to become this; allows them to take any action not prohibited by state or federal law or the constitutions of the US and the state of Texas
Home-Rule City
Texas cities are classified as either ____ or _____ cities
general law or home-rule cities
a process allows citizens to propose or initiate a statute or constitutional amendment (usually through a petition)
Initiative
an election, called by petition, that permits voters to remove an elected official before the officials term expires
Recall
voters elect a mayor as the chief executive of the city and a council that serves as a legislative body
Mayor-Council Form
Cities differ in the amount of power the mayor enjoys
Strong or Weak-Mayor Forms
mayor is the foremost figure - both political leader and city’s chief administrator; prepares the budget, enjoys a veto over council actions, hires and fires department heads, and essentially runs city government
Strong Mayor-Council Form
political authority is fragmented because the mayor shares power with the council and other elected officials
Weak Mayor-Council Form
a city manager to act as the chief executive of the city
Council Manager Form
In Texas, all city elections are what?
nonpartisan
every citizen of a political subdivision, such as a state or county, votes to select a public official
At-Large Election System
a political subdivision, such as a state or city, is divided into districts, with each district electing one official
District Election System
an election system in which candidates for city council run citywide and the top vote are elected to fill the number of open seats
Pure-at-large system
an election system in which each candidate runs citywide for a specific seat on the council and voters cast one vote for each seat or place
At-large place system
about how many Texas cities have term limits
60
allows individual voters to cast more than one ballot in the simultaneous election of several officials
Cumulative Election System
federal law designed to protect the voting rights of racial and ethnic minorities
Voting Rights Act (VRA)
enhance the economic position of a community in its competition with other communities
Developmental Policies
benefit low-income residence of an area
Redistributive Policies
program that are more or less neutral in their impact on the local economy
Allocational Policies
revenue sources for Texas cities property are also known as what?
ad valorem property tax
a city extends its geographic boundaries by taking in adjacent unincorporated areas
Annexation
what are the 3 main reasons why cities annex?
Political benefits, Prevent encirclement, Protect financial health
political power is held by a small group of people who dominate politics by controlling economic resources
Elite Theory (Elitism)
diverse groups of elites with differing interest compete with one another to control policy in various issue areas
Pluralist Theory (Pluralism)
this person has to do with the Pluralist Theory
Robert Dahl
how many counties does Texas have?
254
board of directors for county government composed of four county commissioners and the county judge
Commissioners Court
the county judge is the presiding judge in the constitutional county court; he/she also presides in the commissioners court
Presiding Official
a specific type of specific district that provides public education in a designated area
School District
any special district other than a school district (MUD’s, hospital districts, community college district, etc)
Non-school Special District
units of local government that provide a single or closely related services that are not provided by general-purpose county or municipal governments
Special Districts
who created the area to be the special district & granted limited taxation powers
voters
what percent of eligible voters cast ballots in special district elections
10%
provide an advantageous approach to solving problems that transcend the boundaries of existing of units of local government
reasons for special districts
what do most districts require before they can go into operation
voter approval of area residents
have no initiative to spend money on people
the states
district that had a secret referendum to charge school districts so they don’t have to pay for black schools
Kinloch School Districts
