Deck 9: Local Government in Texas

Question 1

Local governments depend most heavily for their revenues on:

A) property tax
B) sales tax
C) traffic fines
D) corporate taxes

Answer 1

A

Question 2

County judges and commissioners are elected to a term of how many years?

A) 8
B) 6
C) 4
D) 2

Answer 2

C

Question 3

In most Texas counties, the second most influential official is the:

A) county judge
B) sheriff
C) tax assessor/collector
D) county attorney

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Article XI of the Texas Constitution allows three general law charters for small cities. Which of the following is not one of them?

A) mayor-council
B) prefecture form
C) council-manager
D) the commission form

Question 5

Which Texas city adopted the Commission form of government to help it recover from a devastating 1901 hurricane?

A) Houston
B) McAllen
C) Corpus Christi
D) Galveston

Question 6

The city council is which branch of city government?

A) executive
B) advisory
C) bureaucratic
D) legislative

Question 7

Most mayoral elections in Texas have turnout of:

A) 10 to 20 percent
B) 20 to 30 percent
C) 30 to 40 percent
D) Over 50 percent

Question 8

The most important figure in each Texas school district is the:

A) principal
B) special master
C) lead instructor
D) superintendent of schools

Question 9

How are city managers appointed or elected in Texas?

A) elected in partisan elections
B) elected in non-partisan elections
C) appointed by mayors
D) appointed by city councils

Question 10

Who represented the First Congressional District of Texas from 1929-1976?

A) Sam Rayburn
B) Jake Pickle
C) Wright Patman
D) Charlie Wilson

Question 11

Which of the following is not one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Texas?

A) River Oaks
B) Cedar Hill
C) Highland Park
D) Westover Hills

Question 12

Until he left office, Governor Perry supported a cap on annual property tax increases of:

A) 20%
B) 15%
C) 10%
D) 5%

Question 13

Each county in Texas is governed by a County Judge and a Commissioners Court. How many commissioners in addition to the judge make up the commissioners court?

A) 3
B) 4
C) 6
D) 8

Question 14

The Commissioners Court does all but which one of the following in Texas county government?

A) set property tax rates
B) pass the budget
C) appoint senior administrators
D) review district court decisions

Question 15

In most Texas counties, the leading official is the:

A) county judge
B) sheriff
C) tax assessor/collector
D) county attorney

Question 16

How many residents does a city need to have before it is eligible to adopt a "home rule" charter?

A) 2,000
B) 3,000
C) 4,000
D) 5,000

Question 17

How many residents must an area have to petition the county judge for an incorporation election?

A) 200
B) 500
C) 1,000
D) 2,000

Question 18

Which large Texas city uses the mayor-council form of government?

A) Houston
B) Dallas
C) San Antonio
D) Fort Worth

Question 19

From the Progressive Era forward, the benefit of at-large elections was argued to be that they:

A) allowed more names on the ballot
B) highlighted reputation and expertise
C) cost less
D) did not have to be conducted as often

Question 20

Which prominent Texas city adopted single-member election districts most recently?

A) Houston
B) Dallas
C) Austin
D) San Antonio

Question 21

Texas has three times as many special district governments as it has municipal governments. How many special district governments does Texas have?

A) 2,000
B) 2,600
C) 3,900
D) 4,200

Question 22

How many independent school districts (ISDs) are there in Texas?

A) 500
B) 1,000
C) 1,500
D) 2,000

Question 23

How many regional planning districts, called councils of governments (COGs) does Texas have?

A) 24
B) 56
C) 154
D) 254

Question 24

Like Texas state government, Texas county government employs a plural executive. Should Texas counties have their structure defined in the Constitution or should they be given "home rule" powers to adopt their own political system?

Question 25

Most large American cities use the mayor-council form of government. In Texas, only Houston does. What are the arguments pro and con for big cities using the mayor-council form?

Question 26

Why have the courts worked to change at-large election systems to ward or precinct election systems in larger jurisdictions? What have been the results?

Question 27

Describe the role of the Commissioners Court in Texas county government.

Question 28

How do the duties of the District Attorney and the County Attorney differ in Texas county government?

Question 29

Why are Texas cities allowed to annex outlying areas without the residents' consent and exercise other rights (EJT) outside their boundaries?

Question 30

What are the key differences between the powers of a strong mayor system and a weak mayor system?

Question 31

Describe the role of the city manager in the council-manager form of government.

Question 32

In Texas, the County Judge does not have to be a lawyer.

Question 33

In Texas, the County Sheriff is appointed by the Commissioners Court.

Question 34

Texas cities require the approval of residents before they can annex outlying areas.

Question 35

City managers are elected to four-year terms in non-partisan elections.

Question 36

The legal principal saying that cities are "creatures of state government" is called_________

Question 37

________is the chief policymaking and administrative institution of Texas county government.

Question 38

The County________is the official in charge of the county jail.

Question 39

________is the legal process by which cities are born.

Question 40

ETJ, which means________ , is the power that cities exercise over territory just beyond their boundaries.

Question 41

Elections held throughout a jurisdiction, instead of in wards and districts, are called________elections.