Other Test 8 Flashcards
true/false
state constitutions are much less flexible and much more detailed that the US constitution
true
“almost without exception, state constitutions are in urgent need of reform. the typical document is cluttered with…
-unnecessary details
-burdensome restrictions
-obsolete sections
-repetitious and contradictory material
27 states call their governing body the “legislature,” and the second most popular title for this body among the states is the ____________________
general assembly
____________________ is the only state that has one house (unicameral) legislature
nebraska
in over half the states, senators must be at least _______ years old
25
true/false
in every state, legislators are chosen by popular vote (of its citizens)
true
most state legislators are elected in november of _________-____________ years
even-numbered
in most states, members of the upper house (senate) serve _______ _______ terms
4 year
the average annual salary of a state legislator is $__________
$22,000
true/false
in every state, only a member of the legislature can introduce a bill
true
true/false
elections for governor are called “gubernatorial” elections
true
true/false
in most states, the Lieutenant Governor is next in line of succession to become governor
true
the average annual salary of a state governor is $_______
$130,000
true/false
every state’s constitution makes the governor the commander in chief of the state’s armed forces (militia/guard)
true
in every state, the governor has some powers of judicial clemency for people convicted of crimes including:
-pardon (immediate relief from consequences of a crime)
-commutation (change of sentence)
-reprieve (postpone execution sentence)
takes over for governor
leads senate (in most states)
lieutenant governor
chief clerk and record-keeper
oversees elections
secretary of state
oversees state funds (collection/payments)
Treasurer
chief state law-enforcement officer
attorney general
_______________ laws are enacted by the legislative body
statutory
___________________ laws are those made by the executive branch (and its officers)
administrative
a judge presides over a _______ trial without a jury (used almost exclusively in civil and misdemeanor cases)
bench
the justice of the peace most frequently serves in ___________ courts
local
________________ courts hear cases that are city-wide
municipal
a ______________ court system is organized on a functional basis, where certain types of cases are heard in specific courts throughout a state
geographic
most judges in most states are selected by _____________
popular election (partisan & non-partisan)
the leaders of counties are usually selected by popular election and serve for ________ years
four
there are currently a total of ______________ federally-recognized tribal governments in America, with authority over the lives of about 2 million people
566
_____________ are created primarily by their citizens to obtain public services, rather than as direct agents of the state
cities
the constitution of a city is called its ________
charter
the _____________ form of city government is the oldest and most widely used
mayor-council
the practice of dividing a city into several districts and regulating the uses to which property in each of them may be put is called __________
zoning
_______________ is the most expensive item in every’s state’s budget
education
primary and secondary public education is largely the responsibility of _________ governments
local
on average, most state and local revenue come from __________
the federal government
true/false
every state levies a selective sales tax on gasoline
true
property taxes are almost always levied at the ________ level
local
_____ states operate lotteries
45
china: political capital
beijing
china: economic capital
shanghai
china: key political party
chinese communist party
china: executive branch
Xi Jinping
5 year term but no limits
unlimited terms
china: legislative branch
national people’s congress
2924 members
china: supreme court
14 justices
china: geographic location of primary population density
94% population in the east
china: primary ethnic group, language, religion
primary ethnicity - han (92%)
primary religion - atheism (50%)
primary language - mandarin (62%)
china: social credit system
ranks the purchases people make and regulates/censors private chats + public posts
china: debt-trap diplomacy
strategy of loaning excessive money to developing countries for much-needed infrastructure projects when the borrowing country cannot service the debt
china: how office-holders are elected
elected by the People’s Congress
china: types/names of economic and political structures used
state capitalism (economics)
responsive authoritarianism (political)
china: geopolitical assets
-gobi desert protects them from the north
-jungle protects them in the southwest
-two internal waterways
china: geopolitical challenges
-US friends with most surrounding countries, creates vulnerability in the east
russia: capital
moscow
russia: key political party
United Russia Party
russia: executive branch
president–elected by citizens, Vladimir Putin
prime minister–appointed by president
russia: legislative branch
lower: state duma–elected by citizens
upper: federation council–appointed by president
russia: supreme court
all justices appointed by president
russia: primary religion
christian orthodox (72%)
muslim (19%)
russia: how office-holders are elected
people vote on the president every two years
president picks a prime minister
russia: types/names of economic and political structures used
state capitalism (economics)
authoritarianism (politics)
russia: geopolitical assets
-large land mass
-30% of earth’s natural resources
russia: geopolitical challenges
-extensive infrastructure: waterway access
-buffer territories: military protection of core
-large standing army (15% of population)
