UNIT 3 AG STUDY GUIDE

In this style of government, citizens elect commissioners for the city. Each commissioner is the head of a department within the city government, and an executive could be elected by the commissioners from among themselves.

What conclusion can you draw about this form of local government?

• The mayor has little real governing power.

• The mayor has considerable executive power.

• 
  The city council exists as a mere formality and has no real influence.

• The mayor does not need the approval of the council when creating laws.

In this style of government, voters elect a city council that appoints a city manager. The council establishes laws, and the city manager is responsible for appointing the heads of city governments and for seeing that they carry out their jobs.

What conclusion can you draw about this form of local government?

• If there is a mayor, he or she has little real governing power.

• If there is a mayor, he or she has considerable executive power.

• The city council exists as a mere formality and has no real influence.

• The mayor does not need the approval of the council when creating laws.

The state government does not have a helmet law when riding a motorcycle. A local town holds an annual motorcycle rally and passes a helmet ordinance for their town to protect riders when they come to the event.

What would be the outcome of this scenario?

• 
  The town has a valid reason to keep the helmet ordinance in place.

• The town will be forced to remove the ordinance to comply with state law.

• 
  The town must expand the ordinance to include bicycles and all terrain vehicles.

• The state will adopt the helmet ordinance if 10% of the towns in the state adopt the same law.

In which scenario would the state government take over a local school district?

• The school district removes sports from the school programs.

• A principal holds students in detention beyond the school day.

• The school district is considered failing because of extremely low student test scores.

• 
  The political party in charge of the state government does not agree with content the school is teaching.

What is the correct relationship between the state and local governments regarding education?

• The local government communicates their needs to the state government who funds those needs.

• The state government hires the staff to run the local governments, who in turn makes educational decisions.

• The state government creates education standards and the local government determines curriculum.

• The local and state governments do not work together in the area of education.

In 1986, the Virginia General Assembly passed a law that prevented local governments from starting the public school year before Labor Day. This was nicknamed the "King's Dominion" law. Why is this an example of Dillon's Rule?

• The Virginia state government does not give any law-making power to local governments.

• Local governments cannot pass any laws that are not explicitly given to them by the Virginia state government.

• A local school board cannot make any adjustments to local laws without permission from the local city council or board of supervisors.

• 
  A school board has the power to establish the starting date of every school year despite the parameters established by Virginia state law.

The Governor of Georgia wants to make changes to the state's SECOND largest source of revenue. Which statement would MOST likely be said?

• 
  "Citizens should never have to pay a tax based on the value of the home they own."

• "When a person picks up a pay check, he or she should not see money taken away for Social Security."

• "Georgians are unfairly burdened with the prospect of having to pay each year for the privilege of driving a car or owning a home."

• "Georgia citizens should not have to pay any additional amount on clothes that will help protect them from the cold during the winter months."

What effect does the elimination of sales tax by state governments have on the short-run economy?

• 
  Investment will decrease and AS will shift left in the short-run.

• Consumption will decrease and AD will shift left in the short-run.

• Consumption will increase and AD will shift right in the short-run.

• Government spending will decrease and AD will shift left in the short-run.

Cuts to the property taxes in Mollyville, Georgia, would be MOST likely to impact which of these projects?

• extending Medicare rights to more Georgia citizens

• 
  building a new playground for Mollyville Elementary

• 
  purchasing new uniforms for the Georgia National Guard

• 
  constructing an exit on Interstate 85 to reach Mollyville

"The individual income tax is a graduated tax, meaning a tax with rates that rise as taxable income increases. It is Georgia's top revenue source, generating between 40 and 45 percent of the state's total revenue. The corporate income tax is a flat tax on the income that a corporation generates within Georgia. Companies are not taxed on income generated outside the state. This tax is typically Georgia's fourth- or fifth-largest revenue source and accounts for 3 to 5 percent of the state's total revenue. The general sales tax is placed on customer purchases of most items bought at retail stores. The sales tax is a percentage of the price of an item. The state revenue department collects all of the sales-tax revenue and returns the local portion to the appropriate counties, cities, and school systems. The property tax, while one of the major sources of revenue for local governments, generates only a small portion of the state government's funds. County and city governments administer and collect property taxes."
- from The New Georgia Encyclopedia

Based on this information, what would happen if the sales tax were cut?

• Property taxes would also be cut.

• Funding for schools would be reduced.

• 
  Businesses would become less profitable.

• The state would lose a majority of its funding.