Exam 3 Ch 11 Flashcards
What government does the American public most trust?
Local Government
What powers can local governments use?
Can only exercise powers given to them from central authority from states
How many local (city , school districts, special districts) governments are in the US?
90,000
Who has the most government units and the smallest?
Illinois - 6918
Hawaii - 21 (only has one school district)
Who has the most counties and least?
Texas - 254
Connecticut and Rhode Island - least since they have 0
Counties -
Geographical subdivisions of state gov. divided for administrative conenvience
Municipalities
Political jurisdictions like cities, villages, or towns underneath state law to provide governance to geographical areas
Townships or cities
What are counties called in Louisiana and Alaska?
L - parish
A - boroughs
How many counties are in every state other than Louisiana and Alaska?
more than 3000
Geographically speaking, counties are usually…
the largest local governments
Country governments and more important in which area compared to which?
More - South
Less - Northeast
Country governments are usually what type of government and what are county governments primary funding?
Rural governments
property tax
Structure of County Government - County commission system
Form of county governance where executive, legislative, and administrative powers and ran by a board of elected commissioners
Popular in Texas
Structure of County Government - Council-executive system
Form where legislative powers are vested in a county commission while the executive powers are vested in an independently elected executive (separates legislative and executive)
Structure of County Government - commission administrator system
Executive and legislative powers powers are in an elected commission that hires a professional executive to manage the day-to-day operations of government.
Municipalities - cities
Incorporated political jurisdictions formed to provide self-governance to particular localities and considered corporations
Municipalities - Townships
Local governments whose powers, governance structure, and legal status vary considerably from state to state
What are three elected roles in municipalities and what do they do?
Mayor - elected chief executive
City Council - legislative branch
City Manager - appointed official that’s the chief admnistrator
Municipalities - Mayor-council system
Elected executive and elected legislature
What city has the largest city council?
NYC, 51
Municipalities - City commission system
Executive, legislative, and administrative powers given to elected board of city commisioners
Municipalities - Council manager system
Day-to-day administration carried out by professional admin
Municipalities - town meeting form; where are they primarily found?
Legislative powers held by local citizens.
Found in NE states
What are special districts?
Local government units for a single purpose like water distribution.
How many special districts and how many independent school districts are in the US
> 50,000
~ 14,000
“What are special districts doing with your taxes?” Case Study
They (all of the districts) spend ~ $200 billion annually, is that money just used for the purpose?
Ex: review of special districts in Kentucky found that 40% did not submit budget.
The only way for special districts to be more transparent is ironically spend more so ppl can see the work spent.
Dillon’s Rule
Legal principle that says local governments can exercise only the powers granted by state gov.
City of Clinton v. Cedar Rapids and Missouri Railroad(1868)
“local governments are ‘mere tenants at the will of their respective states legislatures”
What 2 states give the most power to the state and what 2 give the most freedom to localities?
State power - Idaho and West Virginia
Freedom - Oregon and Maine
Powers and Constraints of Local Gov.
Home rule
Right of locality to self-government granted via charter
Of the 48 states that have counties, how many allow charters or home rule?
36
Powers and Constraints of Local Gov.
Charter
Document that outlines powers, organization, and responsibilities of local government
Powers and Constraints of Local Gov.
General act charters
Charters that grant powers like home rule, to all municipal governments in a state
Powers and Constraints of Local Gov.
Special act charters
Charters for a single municipal government
Only what fraction of city councils hold partisan elections?
1/4
Ward/district elections
Voters in municipal wards vote for candidates to represent them on councils/commissions.
At-large elections
City/council voters vote for council or commision members from any part of jurisdiction
By the end of the 20th century, what fraction of cities with more than 200,000 residents elected what race of mayor?
1/3
Hispanic or African American
In 2020, __ in __ of the nation’s largest 100 cities had what kind of mayors?
1 in 4
Female
What is the median salary for a mayor and city manager?
Mayor - $56,000
City manager - $87,000
