POLS 207 LIM EXAM 3 TAMU QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
County Budget for Law Enforcement - Answers- 50%
County Budget for Roads and Bridges - Answers- 10-30%
County Budget for Health and Welfare - Answers- 10%
In Texas, what is the agency that is the one to grant our welfare programs including
TANAF? - Answers- Health and Human Services
What are the 2 types of cities? - Answers- 1. Home Rule Law Cities
2. General Law Cities
General Law - Answers- Texas has this city law for all cities
Home Rule Law - Answers- If the population is > 5,000 people, you can do this type of
law
You make your own statutes, laws, and regulations
What are the different types of municipal government? - Answers- 1. Council Manager
50%
2. Mayor Council 41%
3. Town Meeting 6%
4. Commission 3%
What is the most frequent municipal government in Texas? - Answers- Council
Manager
Council Manager - Answers- -Texas cities favor this form of city government and, in
fact, Dallas and San Antonio are two of the largest cities in the country using it
-An elected city council of 5 to 15 members appoints a city manager who is responsible
for hiring and firing department heads and for preparing the budget
-A mayor is elected at-large or by the council, but, except for presiding over the council,
has the same powers as the other council members
-Proponents have argued that it is the most efficient form of city government and that it
allows for some separation of politics and administration, but in reality politics and
administration cannot be separated completely
-Voters --> Council --> City Manager --> Hire police and fire chief
Mayor Council - Answers- -Weak mayor-council form and Strong mayor-council form
-The terms "strong" and "weak" in this context refer to the formal powers given the
mayor by the city charter and do not address an individual mayor's ability to influence
local politics in informal ways
-Houston is the only ones that operate with mayor-council government
, -In order to overcome problems associated with its status as an "unreformed" or
"political" model, some mayor-council cities (particularly larger ones) have an official
appointed by the mayor to tend to the internal business of the city while the mayor
attends to political matters.
-Many political scientists prefer this form of city government because it seems most
likely to provide the kind of leadership needed to deal with the problems of major urban
areas.
Commission - Answers- -A historical footnote
-This form of city government is said to have originated in Galveston to meet its
emergency needs following a hurricane in 1900
-Elected commissioners administer various departments and collectively comprise the
policy-making board of the city
-Has lost favor because many believe that individual commissioners tend to become
advocates for their departments rather than public-interest advocates
-Voters --> Commission
Weak Mayor-Council Form - Answers- -Other executives such as the city attorney and
the city treasurer are also elected
-Most common in small communities
-Los Angelos
Town Meetings - Answers- -Existed in the old New England states
-The voters elect office: fire and police chiefs
-Attend town meetings to make decisions
-Advantage: Very democratic because we get to make decisions
-Disadvantage: Time consuming
Strong Mayor-Council Form - Answers- -The mayor appoints other executives and has
more significant budgetary and veto powers
-Most common among the nation's largest cities
-Houston
City Services - Answers- 1. Police
2. Fire
3. Streets
4. Sewage
School Districts - Answers- -School board members are publicly elected, usually in an
at-large, by-place system.
-School board decisions are generally well publicized.
-There is considerable public interest in and knowledge about school district politics.
-The number of school districts has been steadily declining for fifty years.
-The state is the ultimate authority for basic school policies and partially funds public
schools.
-Voters --> School Board --> Supt
County Budget for Law Enforcement - Answers- 50%
County Budget for Roads and Bridges - Answers- 10-30%
County Budget for Health and Welfare - Answers- 10%
In Texas, what is the agency that is the one to grant our welfare programs including
TANAF? - Answers- Health and Human Services
What are the 2 types of cities? - Answers- 1. Home Rule Law Cities
2. General Law Cities
General Law - Answers- Texas has this city law for all cities
Home Rule Law - Answers- If the population is > 5,000 people, you can do this type of
law
You make your own statutes, laws, and regulations
What are the different types of municipal government? - Answers- 1. Council Manager
50%
2. Mayor Council 41%
3. Town Meeting 6%
4. Commission 3%
What is the most frequent municipal government in Texas? - Answers- Council
Manager
Council Manager - Answers- -Texas cities favor this form of city government and, in
fact, Dallas and San Antonio are two of the largest cities in the country using it
-An elected city council of 5 to 15 members appoints a city manager who is responsible
for hiring and firing department heads and for preparing the budget
-A mayor is elected at-large or by the council, but, except for presiding over the council,
has the same powers as the other council members
-Proponents have argued that it is the most efficient form of city government and that it
allows for some separation of politics and administration, but in reality politics and
administration cannot be separated completely
-Voters --> Council --> City Manager --> Hire police and fire chief
Mayor Council - Answers- -Weak mayor-council form and Strong mayor-council form
-The terms "strong" and "weak" in this context refer to the formal powers given the
mayor by the city charter and do not address an individual mayor's ability to influence
local politics in informal ways
-Houston is the only ones that operate with mayor-council government
, -In order to overcome problems associated with its status as an "unreformed" or
"political" model, some mayor-council cities (particularly larger ones) have an official
appointed by the mayor to tend to the internal business of the city while the mayor
attends to political matters.
-Many political scientists prefer this form of city government because it seems most
likely to provide the kind of leadership needed to deal with the problems of major urban
areas.
Commission - Answers- -A historical footnote
-This form of city government is said to have originated in Galveston to meet its
emergency needs following a hurricane in 1900
-Elected commissioners administer various departments and collectively comprise the
policy-making board of the city
-Has lost favor because many believe that individual commissioners tend to become
advocates for their departments rather than public-interest advocates
-Voters --> Commission
Weak Mayor-Council Form - Answers- -Other executives such as the city attorney and
the city treasurer are also elected
-Most common in small communities
-Los Angelos
Town Meetings - Answers- -Existed in the old New England states
-The voters elect office: fire and police chiefs
-Attend town meetings to make decisions
-Advantage: Very democratic because we get to make decisions
-Disadvantage: Time consuming
Strong Mayor-Council Form - Answers- -The mayor appoints other executives and has
more significant budgetary and veto powers
-Most common among the nation's largest cities
-Houston
City Services - Answers- 1. Police
2. Fire
3. Streets
4. Sewage
School Districts - Answers- -School board members are publicly elected, usually in an
at-large, by-place system.
-School board decisions are generally well publicized.
-There is considerable public interest in and knowledge about school district politics.
-The number of school districts has been steadily declining for fifty years.
-The state is the ultimate authority for basic school policies and partially funds public
schools.
-Voters --> School Board --> Supt
