PSC 100 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
TRUE or FALSE: The Treasurer of the State of Nevada is its official bookkeeper.
Justify your answer.
False. Although the treasurer and controller work closely together the controller serves
as the state's chief bookkeeper, making an annual report of state expenditures to the
governor and serving as the chief auditor in any claims against the state.
Which state officer presides in an impeachment trial?
The lieutenant governor serves as the president of the senate. Consequently, he or she
would reside in an impeachment trial involving the governor, the chief of justice of the
Nevada Supreme Court has been designated by article 7 as the presiding officer.
Which state official is charged with supervising the election process within the
state?
The secretary of state is responsible for preparing the official ballot, publishing official
election results, and issuing certificates of election to the winners, essentially
supervising the election process within the state. However Article 5 makes the Nevada
supreme court the official canvasser of votes in the state.
Nevada has a "plural executive" system. Explain what this term means and the
rationale for adopting it.
The term, "plural executive" means that the governor or chief executive is not only a
member of the executive branch to be elected by the voters.
Under this system voters elect six elective branch officers: the governor, lieutenant
governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, and controller.
The rationale for adopting this system was to diffuse the executive power among the six
officers. Because these five other officers are all elected by the voters, the governor
cannot command them to do anything nor can he or she remove them. This prevents
the governor from absolutely controlling the entire executive branch. The other five
executive officers are held accountable to the voters and not to the governor, and
executive power is diffused at the hands of six officers instead of one.
, TRUE or FALSE: The 1864 constitution provided that the Nevada Supreme Court
should have five (5) justices. Justify your answer.
This is false.
Other than the voters, who has the authority to remove a judge from the bench?
In 1976 the voters of Nevada approved a constitutional amendment establishing a state
commission on judicial discipline. The amendment gave the commission authority to
remove supreme court and district court judges
TRUE or FALSE: Justices of the Peace in Nevada's rural counties may or may not
be attorneys. Justify your answer.
True law degrees are not required for the justices of the peace in Nevada's rural
counties.
TRUE or FALSE: Nevada's most recently established county was Pershing
County, established in 1919. Justify your answer.
True the state of Nevada currently has seventeen counties; the most recently
established was Pershing county (1919). However in 1969 the legislature consolidated
Carson city and Ormsby county into a single city county.
TRUE or FALSE: County commissioners for each county are appointed by the
governor of the state. Justify your answer.
False counties are governed by governing boards, which is the board of county
commissioners. Nevada state constitution requires the legislature to establish these
boards as elected positions. All county commissioners in the state are chosen in
partisan elections for terms of four years.
TRUE or FALSE: The power of Nevada's county commissions over their county
bureaucracies is not total. Justify your answer.
True as creations of the state county boards of commissioners have only the powers
given to them by the state legislature or the constitution. Their primary role is to perform
the duties delegated to them by the state.
In addition to limits put upon them by the state county commissioners and managers
also find their powers over county government circumscribed by the fact that many
county department heads are independently elected to their positions
TRUE or FALSE: The Treasurer of the State of Nevada is its official bookkeeper.
Justify your answer.
False. Although the treasurer and controller work closely together the controller serves
as the state's chief bookkeeper, making an annual report of state expenditures to the
governor and serving as the chief auditor in any claims against the state.
Which state officer presides in an impeachment trial?
The lieutenant governor serves as the president of the senate. Consequently, he or she
would reside in an impeachment trial involving the governor, the chief of justice of the
Nevada Supreme Court has been designated by article 7 as the presiding officer.
Which state official is charged with supervising the election process within the
state?
The secretary of state is responsible for preparing the official ballot, publishing official
election results, and issuing certificates of election to the winners, essentially
supervising the election process within the state. However Article 5 makes the Nevada
supreme court the official canvasser of votes in the state.
Nevada has a "plural executive" system. Explain what this term means and the
rationale for adopting it.
The term, "plural executive" means that the governor or chief executive is not only a
member of the executive branch to be elected by the voters.
Under this system voters elect six elective branch officers: the governor, lieutenant
governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, and controller.
The rationale for adopting this system was to diffuse the executive power among the six
officers. Because these five other officers are all elected by the voters, the governor
cannot command them to do anything nor can he or she remove them. This prevents
the governor from absolutely controlling the entire executive branch. The other five
executive officers are held accountable to the voters and not to the governor, and
executive power is diffused at the hands of six officers instead of one.
, TRUE or FALSE: The 1864 constitution provided that the Nevada Supreme Court
should have five (5) justices. Justify your answer.
This is false.
Other than the voters, who has the authority to remove a judge from the bench?
In 1976 the voters of Nevada approved a constitutional amendment establishing a state
commission on judicial discipline. The amendment gave the commission authority to
remove supreme court and district court judges
TRUE or FALSE: Justices of the Peace in Nevada's rural counties may or may not
be attorneys. Justify your answer.
True law degrees are not required for the justices of the peace in Nevada's rural
counties.
TRUE or FALSE: Nevada's most recently established county was Pershing
County, established in 1919. Justify your answer.
True the state of Nevada currently has seventeen counties; the most recently
established was Pershing county (1919). However in 1969 the legislature consolidated
Carson city and Ormsby county into a single city county.
TRUE or FALSE: County commissioners for each county are appointed by the
governor of the state. Justify your answer.
False counties are governed by governing boards, which is the board of county
commissioners. Nevada state constitution requires the legislature to establish these
boards as elected positions. All county commissioners in the state are chosen in
partisan elections for terms of four years.
TRUE or FALSE: The power of Nevada's county commissions over their county
bureaucracies is not total. Justify your answer.
True as creations of the state county boards of commissioners have only the powers
given to them by the state legislature or the constitution. Their primary role is to perform
the duties delegated to them by the state.
In addition to limits put upon them by the state county commissioners and managers
also find their powers over county government circumscribed by the fact that many
county department heads are independently elected to their positions
