Unit 1

Question 1

Municipal Incorporation

Answer 1

conditions that an area must meet to become a city, town, county, etc.

Question 2

City Charter

Answer 2

essentially a city Constitution, serve to fragment local power

Question 3

Dillon’s Rule

Answer 3

a legal doctrine that states that under the US Constitution, municipalities are “creatures of the states” → the states possess full legal authority over the local govts it creates

Question 4

General Act Charters

Answer 4

divide cities into classes based on population, diff powers granted to diff classes of local govt

Question 5

Preemption

Answer 5

authority of states to bar localities from taking specified actions or from acting in designated areas (ex: taxing)

Question 6

Imminent Domain

Answer 6

states can take land for public use, but must pay back “market value”
Home rule - allows cities to make decisions without state approval so long as it does not contradict federal or state law

Question 7

Intergovernmental Assistance

Answer 7

Localities are not free to levy taxes, impose fees, and borrow money as they wish
They are heavily reliant on state and federal aid
Property Taxes are the workhorses of local govt finance

Question 8

Structures of Municipal Gov’t

Answer 8

Weak mayor system, strong mayor system, commission gov’t, council-manager system

Question 9

Special Act charter

Answer 9

each municipality has its own autonomy

Question 10

Regressive Taxes

Answer 10

Harsher on poor people than rich (ex: sales tax, property taxes, parking fees)

Question 11

User Charges

Answer 11

Parking fees, entrance fees

Question 12

brokerage politics

Answer 12

“if i vote for you, what can you do for me?”

Question 13

The Boston School Committee referendum key points

Answer 13

• Nov. 1989, residents voted on changing BSC structure from nine elected from districts and four at large, each with 2-year terms to a seven-member body, with each member appointed by the mayor for 4-year terms.
• Narrowly passed (51%), high opposition in Black and poor white communities
• Voted on again in 1996 for reevaluation, support increased (69%) but Black parts of city still opposed
• Why? - No loss of # of Black reps. but loss of elected reps, 1st Black female superintendent was replaced
• White community support grew bc of fundraising
• Legitimacy of elected officials opposed to appointed ones
• Minorities are often better off with appointed boards when it comes to representation, at-large elections often do not go in their favor

Question 14

descriptive vs. substantive representation

Answer 14

descriptive = people that look like you/come from your background, substantive = people who actually advocate for the needs of your community

Question 15

Are school districts subject to Dillon’s Rule?

Answer 15

yes

Question 16

Three groups of immigrants

Answer 16

1. those who assimilated into American society
2. Those who came prior to WWI but did not assimilate
3. New racial and ethnic minorities arriving post-WWII

Question 17

Irish Americans

Answer 17

• Joined political machines for social mobility, patronage got many Irish into positions of power in Dem. party
• most came over due to famine and british oppression
• mostly unskilled laborers/farmers not tradespeople
• they faced a nativist movement in America, were treated poorly, churches burned (catholicism), denied work
• Catholic parishes made geographic community centers, worked well for political mobilization

Question 18

Italian Americans

Answer 18

• Most came after 1880 from Southern Italy/Sicily, unskilled laborers not tradespeople
• many initially affiliated with the GOP, had success in NYC
• formation of “little italies” to make community
• competition with Irish catholics - took them longer to gain mobility because irish “closed” the dem. party and gerrymandered little italies
• community bound by personal relationships with “insiders”, fueled economic growth - formed community banks to save money they made
• organized crime - funded italian businesses and community organizations

Question 19

Jewish Americans

Answer 19

• Tended to vote Republican pre-1920s (party ideology switch)
• less dependent on patronage, came to the US with skills that made them money in capitalist system, largely tailors, businesspeople, etc.
• placed importance on formal education –> socioeconomic mobility
• became supporters of Civil Rights Movement, historically the most tolerant white populations, more willing to support social policies
• Other minorities left for economic reasons and returned to their old ocuntry once they earned money, jews escaped persecution so immigration was one-way
• Many diff types of Judaism that came united to combat anti-semitism in the US

Question 20

Polish Americans

Answer 20

• settled in manufacturing cities, had success in Chicago w/ automobile industry, steel mills, foundries
• 2 orgs for Polish community development: Polish Roman Catholic Union (PCRU) and Polish National Alliance (PNA)

Question 21

Why were European ethnic minorities important?

Answer 21

They shaped the dominant models of ethnic advancement that exist to this day