Section 1- Part 1

Question 1

3 Levels of General Purpose Government in the US

Answer 1

National, State, and Local

Question 2

Government Authority is derived from

Answer 2

Constitution/Charters

Question 3

General-purpose governments are composed of three branches:

Answer 3

Legislative- Passes laws/ordinances

Executive- administers laws through various government programs

Judicial (General Assembly)- interprets the laws and exercises judicial review over actions of the other branches.

Question 4

Federalism

Answer 4

The United States has a federal system of government. While people often use the term federal when referring to the national government, federalism actually means that power is distributed among different levels of government and that no one level of government has complete authority over all areas of public policy.

Question 5

Sovereignty

Answer 5

The national government has sovereignty because it cannot be sued by states or by citizens without its permission. Popular sovereignty means citizens hold ultimate authority through the ballot and even a sovereign government is accountable to citizens.

Since the national government is sovereign, states may not enact laws that violate the Constitution or U.S. Code. Similarly, local governments may not enact laws that violate the state or federal constitution or state statutes.

Question 6

10th Amendment (Reserved Clause)

Answer 6

The powers not delegated to the United States by the
Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.”

Question 7

How one level of government may influence another

Answer 7

Grants/other Financial arrangements.

State/locals are “labs of Democracy” because they experiment with policies and procedures that are later adopted at the national level.

An example of upward influence is found in performance reporting. Since the 1990s, the U.S. government has required executive agencies to create performance objectives and performance reports.

Question 8

State Level- Legislative Branch also known as

Answer 8

General Assembly.

Question 9

State Level- Chambers of the State Legislature

Answer 9

The chambers of the state legislature are usually named the House of Representatives and Senate, although other names can be used such as Assembly or House of Delegates

Question 10

Municipal Governments

Answer 10

Municipal governments (cities, towns, villages) are special corporations organized according to state statutes and operating under a charter.

While municipal governments vary considerably, three main types are mayor-council, council-manager and commission.

The mayor-council form could be said to have two branches: executive (the mayor) and legislative (the council).

Question 11

Constitutional Basis- Articles

Answer 11

LPJ SALR

10 Amendments, 7 Articles:
I. The Legislative Branch
II. The Presidency
III. The Judiciary
IV. The States
V. The Amendment Process
VI. Legal Status of the Constitution
VII. Ratification

Question 12

US Constitution Article- Article 1

Answer 12

Article I of the Constitution defines powers of the legislative branch. These include (but are not limited to) the power to enact laws, collect taxes, coin money, raise armies and declare war.

By enacting laws, Congress can compel the executive branch to undertake certain activities.

Question 13

US Constitution - Article II

Answer 13

Article II defines the role and power of the presidency and executive branch. These include (but are not limited to) the power to command the armed forces, grant pardons for offenses against the United States, and to appoint ambassadors and Supreme Court judges with the advice and consent of the Senate.

Question 14

US Constitution- Article 3

Answer 14

Power of the judiciary is defined in Article III. These include (but are not limited to) power over legal cases arising under the U.S. Constitution and related to treaties and ambassadors; controversies between two or more states; and controversies between citizens of different states.

Question 15

Separation of Powers

Answer 15

Principle that each branch of government (legislative, executive and judicial) possesses certain powers with regard to the other branches and acts in some ways to constrain the other branches. Checks and balances and judicial review flow from this principle

Question 16

Checks and Balances

Answer 16

Process by which one branch of government (legislative, executive or judicial) can constrain actions of the other branches. Flows from separation of powers

Question 17

Doctrine of Separation of Powers

Answer 17

no one branch of government can exercise complete control over another.

Question 18

Appropriation Laws

Answer 18

A legislative enactment (law, statute or ordinance) that creates spending authority; the legal authority to incur expenses and spend money.

Question 19

State(Checks and Balances)

Answer 19

Legislatures enact laws that form the state code. State executive agencies, working under the governor, write regulations to guide detailed implementation of programs

The judicial branch within a state has authority and responsibility similar to the federal judicial branch, based on checks and balances and the principle of judicial review.

The executive branch has authority over day-to-day operations of government and has authority to appoint key officials (often with the “advice and consent” of legislators).

Question 20

Government Components

Answer 20

Organized unit of government, such as agency, office or department. Found in all branches of government at all levels. Example: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is a component of the U. S. Department of the Interior.

Question 21

State Level - Components

Answer 21

the executive branch is comprised of departments and agencies that report to the governor. Some executive departments are common across most states, such as departments of transportation and public health

Question 22

Government Commissions

Answer 22

Government component established by law, statute or ordinance. May be permanent or temporary. Because it is established by law, it may have greater autonomy and authority than government components that are administratively established. Example: Federal Communications Commission.

Question 23

Central Management Agencies

Answer 23

The federal government, individual states, and large local governments have central management agencies that provide specialized services to other agencies of the government. For instance, the Office of Personnel Management provides human resource services to all federal agencies, and the General Services Administration manages and maintains buildings for federal agencies

Question 24

Bases and Hierarchy of Authority

Answer 24

States may not create constitutional provisions or pass laws that violate the U.S. Constitution.

The U.S. Supreme Court has power to rule that a provision of a state constitution is unconstitutional, meaning it violates the U.S. Constitution.

Local governments may not enact laws or policies that violate the state or national constitutions or statutes.

Question 25

Hierarchy of Government Authorities

Answer 25

CAESA 1. Constitution 2. Laws- Legislatures may also direct certain aspects of administration through statutes; it is by law that each major department of the national government has a chief information officer. 3. Executive Orders 4. Statutory rules and regulations to implement laws, such as those codified in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). 5. Agency rules and regulations to guide daily administration of policies and procedures.

Question 26

Executive Orders

Answer 26

issued by chief executives within parameters set by constitution and laws.

Question 27

Which government type has the broadest responsibility

Answer 27

The national government has the broadest responsibility. The Constitution gives it authority over national defense, foreign relations and interstate commerce. The Constitution also established the system of federal courts.

Question 28

State Level Authority

Answer 28

State-level authority and responsibilities are circumscribed by national government, but are still broad. States have responsibility for public safety; property laws and protection of private property; education; marriage laws; and commercial rules and licensing, such as licensing of real estate agents, lawyers and certified public accountants.

Question 29

Local Level Authority

Answer 29

Local governments typically have authority and responsibility over building codes and permits, property taxes, and police and fire protection. They also provide elementary and secondary education in accordance with standards defined at the state level

Question 30

Integration and Cooperation Among Levels

Answer 30

The trend in government authority and responsibility is an increasing integration among the different levels. More and more, different levels of government cooperate to provide vital services. This is most apparent in homeland security, education and health care. A corollary of this trend is the growing interdependence among government, nonprofit and private-sector entities. With increasing frequency, government establishes policy and arranges funding, but services are provided by nonprofit or for-profit organizations

Question 31

Direct Action Authorities of Citizens

Answer 31

Citizens possess ultimate governmental authority through the ballot box

Question 32

Initiative

Answer 32

Enables citizens to present their view of a problem and a proposed solution. A famous example is California’s Proposition 13, a 1978 initiative that limits property taxes in California and spawned similar initiatives across the country.

Question 33

Referendum

Answer 33

Requires certain legislative actions to be presented to voters for approval.5 At the county level, the board of supervisors may be required to submit proposed changes in zoning codes to voters.

Question 34

Recall

Answer 34

Enables voters to remove elected officials from office.

Question 35

Charter- Mayor council form

Answer 35

The mayor-council form could be said to have two branches: executive (the mayor) and legislative (the council).

Question 36

Components- Legislative Branch

Answer 36

Let’s start with the legislative branch. The House of Representatives and Senate form the legislative branch of national government. But this branch also includes the Congressional Budget Office, a counterpart to the President’s Office of Management and Budget. The Library of Congress, Government Accountability Office, Architect of the Capitol and various congressional staff offices are also legislative branch components.

Question 37

Components- Executive Branch

Answer 37

Components are also found within executive branches. In fact, at all levels of government, the executive branch has the most components. After all, it is the executive branch that executes government programs.

Question 38

Components (State)- Executive

Answer 38

the state level, the executive branch is comprised of departments and agencies that report to the governor. Some executive departments are common across most states, such as departments of transportation and public health.

Question 39

Judicial Branch (State and Federal)

Answer 39

You will also find judicial branch components. At the national level, the Supreme Court heads a system that features 94 federal district courts, organized into 12 regional circuits. Each circuit has a Court of Appeals.