POLS 207 LIM TAMU EXAM 3 UPDATED
ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
◉ County Budget for Roads and Bridges
Answer: 10-30%
◉ County Budget for Health and Welfare
Answer: 10%
◉ In Texas, what is the agency that is the one to grant our welfare
programs including TANAF?
Answer: Health and Human Services
◉ What are the 2 types of cities?
Answer: 1. Home Rule Law Cities
2. General Law Cities
◉ General Law
Answer: Texas has this city law for all cities
◉ Home Rule Law
,Answer: 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?
Answer: 1. Council Manager 50%
2. Mayor Council 41%
3. Town Meeting 6%
4. Commission 3%
◉ What is the most frequent municipal government in Texas?
Answer: Council Manager
◉ Council Manager
Answer: -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
Answer: -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.
◉ Town Meetings
Answer: -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
◉ Commission
Answer: -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
Answer: -Other executives such as the city attorney and the city
treasurer are also elected
-Most common in small communities
-Los Angelos
◉ Strong Mayor-Council Form
Answer: -The mayor appoints other executives and has more
significant budgetary and veto powers
-Most common among the nation's largest cities
-Houston
ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
◉ County Budget for Roads and Bridges
Answer: 10-30%
◉ County Budget for Health and Welfare
Answer: 10%
◉ In Texas, what is the agency that is the one to grant our welfare
programs including TANAF?
Answer: Health and Human Services
◉ What are the 2 types of cities?
Answer: 1. Home Rule Law Cities
2. General Law Cities
◉ General Law
Answer: Texas has this city law for all cities
◉ Home Rule Law
,Answer: 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?
Answer: 1. Council Manager 50%
2. Mayor Council 41%
3. Town Meeting 6%
4. Commission 3%
◉ What is the most frequent municipal government in Texas?
Answer: Council Manager
◉ Council Manager
Answer: -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
Answer: -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.
◉ Town Meetings
Answer: -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
◉ Commission
Answer: -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
Answer: -Other executives such as the city attorney and the city
treasurer are also elected
-Most common in small communities
-Los Angelos
◉ Strong Mayor-Council Form
Answer: -The mayor appoints other executives and has more
significant budgetary and veto powers
-Most common among the nation's largest cities
-Houston
