POLS 207 (Texas A&M University) Exam 3 – Study Guide, Revision Notes, and
Practice Questions
County Budget for Law Enforcement - ANS ✔✔50%
County Budget for Roads and Bridges - ANS ✔✔10-30%
County Budget for Health and Welfare - ANS ✔✔10%
In Texas, what is the agency that is the one to grant our welfare programs including TANAF? -
ANS ✔✔Health and Human Services
What are the 2 types of cities? - ANS ✔✔1. Home Rule Law Cities
2. General Law Cities
General Law - ANS ✔✔Texas has this city law for all cities
Home Rule Law - ANS ✔✔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? - ANS ✔✔1. Council Manager 50%
2. Mayor Council 41%
3. Town Meeting 6%
4. Commission 3%
What is the most frequent municipal government in Texas? - ANS ✔✔Council Manager
,Council Manager - ANS ✔✔-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 - ANS ✔✔-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 - ANS ✔✔-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 - ANS ✔✔-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 - ANS ✔✔-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 - ANS ✔✔-The mayor appoints other executives and has more
significant budgetary and veto powers
-Most common among the nation's largest cities
-Houston
City Services - ANS ✔✔1. Police
2. Fire
3. Streets
4. Sewage
School Districts - ANS ✔✔-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.
Practice Questions
County Budget for Law Enforcement - ANS ✔✔50%
County Budget for Roads and Bridges - ANS ✔✔10-30%
County Budget for Health and Welfare - ANS ✔✔10%
In Texas, what is the agency that is the one to grant our welfare programs including TANAF? -
ANS ✔✔Health and Human Services
What are the 2 types of cities? - ANS ✔✔1. Home Rule Law Cities
2. General Law Cities
General Law - ANS ✔✔Texas has this city law for all cities
Home Rule Law - ANS ✔✔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? - ANS ✔✔1. Council Manager 50%
2. Mayor Council 41%
3. Town Meeting 6%
4. Commission 3%
What is the most frequent municipal government in Texas? - ANS ✔✔Council Manager
,Council Manager - ANS ✔✔-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 - ANS ✔✔-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 - ANS ✔✔-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 - ANS ✔✔-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 - ANS ✔✔-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 - ANS ✔✔-The mayor appoints other executives and has more
significant budgetary and veto powers
-Most common among the nation's largest cities
-Houston
City Services - ANS ✔✔1. Police
2. Fire
3. Streets
4. Sewage
School Districts - ANS ✔✔-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.
