CGFM EXAM 3 FINAL EXAM PAPER 2026
COMPLETE STUDY GUIDE WITH SOLVED
QUESTIONS
⩥ Government Authority. Answer: Derived from constitutions or
charters (local versions of a constitution), statutes, executive orders &
regulations.
⩥ 3 Levels. Answer: 1) National
2) State
3) Local
The primary purpose of each is to provide services to citizens. Separate
and distinct, yet they may coordinate their efforts.
⩥ 3 Branches. Answer: 1) Legislative
2) Executive
3) Judicial
⩥ Separation of Powers. Answer: Feature of the Constitution that
requires each of the three branches of government—legislative,
executive, and judicial—to be relatively independent of the others so
that one cannot control the others. Power is shared among the three
branches of government.
,⩥ Checks and Balances. Answer: Constitutionally-mandated system that
allows each branch of government to amend or veto acts of another
branch so as to prevent any one branch from exerting too much power.
⩥ Judicial Review. Answer: Power given to the judicial branch in order
to sustain checks and balances. Courts can overturn laws passed by the
legislature & signed by the president/governor if courts deem them
unconstitutional. Enables judges to question the legality and
reasonableness of a gov't manager's administrative actions. (Test
question)
⩥ Federalism. Answer: U.S. system of gov't. Power is distributed among
different levels of gov't and no one level of gov't has complete authority
over all areas of public policy. No centeralized system of gov't in U.S.
⩥ Popular Sovereignty. Answer: Basic concept of the Constitution. The
idea that ultimate authority belongs to the voting people and even a
sovereign gov't is accountable to citizens.
⩥ Legal Constraints. Answer: Derived from constitutions, statutes, and
ordinances. They can include limits on the type of tax, rate of tax, and
tax collection purposes.
⩥ Purpose
,Term
Amount
Process. Answer: Ways in which constitutions and charters specify
whether the government can incur debt and limit government borrowing.
(PTAP)
⩥ Reserved Clause. Answer: Stems from the 10th Amendment to the
U.S. Constitution. Powers not delegated to the Nat'l gov't, nor prohibited
to the states, are reserved to the states and the people. Nat'l gov't can
influence lower levels, but can't dictate the manner in which state &
local gov't will operate.
⩥ Areas of Overlap in Governmental Responsibilities. Answer: Nat'l and
state gov'ts exercise authority in civil defense and the Nat'l Guard. For
example, during peacetime, Nat'l Guard units fall under the direction of
state governors and meet the needs of the state. During nat'l
emergencies, these units are under command of the President,
Commander in Chief. State and local gov'ts have some responsibility for
traffic safety. All 3 levels impact public education.
⩥ Grants. Answer: Money that is distributed to lower-level governments
with the purpose of funding special projects.
⩥ Laboratories of Democracy. Answer: Nickname given to state and
local governments because they experiment with policies and procedures
that are later adopted at the nat'l level.
, ⩥ Performance Reporting. Answer: Example of upward influence
(laboratory of democracy). U.S. gov't requirement created in the 90s for
federal agencies . Process of collecting and distributing performance
information; includes status reporting, progress measurement, and
forecasting.
⩥ Legislative. Answer: Passes laws. House of Representatives and
Senate form legislative branch of Nat'l gov't. Includes Congressional
Budget Office, the Library of Congress, Gov't Accountability Office, and
Architect of the Capitol.
⩥ Executive. Answer: Administers laws. Executes gov't programs.
Includes the U.S. Departments of Education, Interior, and Defense.
⩥ Judicial. Answer: Interprets laws and exercises judicial review over
actions of the other branches.
⩥ Municipal Governments. Answer: The lowest level of government and
exercises authority over a municipality (i.e. city, town, village). Usually,
the scope of its powers are determined by its delegated authority from
the level of government that creates it and the laws it passes are called
ordinances.
⩥ U.S. Constitution. Answer: A set of principles (guidelines) that
describe the duties and powers of the U.S. government. Written in 1787
COMPLETE STUDY GUIDE WITH SOLVED
QUESTIONS
⩥ Government Authority. Answer: Derived from constitutions or
charters (local versions of a constitution), statutes, executive orders &
regulations.
⩥ 3 Levels. Answer: 1) National
2) State
3) Local
The primary purpose of each is to provide services to citizens. Separate
and distinct, yet they may coordinate their efforts.
⩥ 3 Branches. Answer: 1) Legislative
2) Executive
3) Judicial
⩥ Separation of Powers. Answer: Feature of the Constitution that
requires each of the three branches of government—legislative,
executive, and judicial—to be relatively independent of the others so
that one cannot control the others. Power is shared among the three
branches of government.
,⩥ Checks and Balances. Answer: Constitutionally-mandated system that
allows each branch of government to amend or veto acts of another
branch so as to prevent any one branch from exerting too much power.
⩥ Judicial Review. Answer: Power given to the judicial branch in order
to sustain checks and balances. Courts can overturn laws passed by the
legislature & signed by the president/governor if courts deem them
unconstitutional. Enables judges to question the legality and
reasonableness of a gov't manager's administrative actions. (Test
question)
⩥ Federalism. Answer: U.S. system of gov't. Power is distributed among
different levels of gov't and no one level of gov't has complete authority
over all areas of public policy. No centeralized system of gov't in U.S.
⩥ Popular Sovereignty. Answer: Basic concept of the Constitution. The
idea that ultimate authority belongs to the voting people and even a
sovereign gov't is accountable to citizens.
⩥ Legal Constraints. Answer: Derived from constitutions, statutes, and
ordinances. They can include limits on the type of tax, rate of tax, and
tax collection purposes.
⩥ Purpose
,Term
Amount
Process. Answer: Ways in which constitutions and charters specify
whether the government can incur debt and limit government borrowing.
(PTAP)
⩥ Reserved Clause. Answer: Stems from the 10th Amendment to the
U.S. Constitution. Powers not delegated to the Nat'l gov't, nor prohibited
to the states, are reserved to the states and the people. Nat'l gov't can
influence lower levels, but can't dictate the manner in which state &
local gov't will operate.
⩥ Areas of Overlap in Governmental Responsibilities. Answer: Nat'l and
state gov'ts exercise authority in civil defense and the Nat'l Guard. For
example, during peacetime, Nat'l Guard units fall under the direction of
state governors and meet the needs of the state. During nat'l
emergencies, these units are under command of the President,
Commander in Chief. State and local gov'ts have some responsibility for
traffic safety. All 3 levels impact public education.
⩥ Grants. Answer: Money that is distributed to lower-level governments
with the purpose of funding special projects.
⩥ Laboratories of Democracy. Answer: Nickname given to state and
local governments because they experiment with policies and procedures
that are later adopted at the nat'l level.
, ⩥ Performance Reporting. Answer: Example of upward influence
(laboratory of democracy). U.S. gov't requirement created in the 90s for
federal agencies . Process of collecting and distributing performance
information; includes status reporting, progress measurement, and
forecasting.
⩥ Legislative. Answer: Passes laws. House of Representatives and
Senate form legislative branch of Nat'l gov't. Includes Congressional
Budget Office, the Library of Congress, Gov't Accountability Office, and
Architect of the Capitol.
⩥ Executive. Answer: Administers laws. Executes gov't programs.
Includes the U.S. Departments of Education, Interior, and Defense.
⩥ Judicial. Answer: Interprets laws and exercises judicial review over
actions of the other branches.
⩥ Municipal Governments. Answer: The lowest level of government and
exercises authority over a municipality (i.e. city, town, village). Usually,
the scope of its powers are determined by its delegated authority from
the level of government that creates it and the laws it passes are called
ordinances.
⩥ U.S. Constitution. Answer: A set of principles (guidelines) that
describe the duties and powers of the U.S. government. Written in 1787
