Comparative State Governments Solved Exam Questions
Course Introduction
This course offers an in-depth analysis of the structures, functions, and processes of state governments within a comparative framework, primarily focusing on the United States while drawing examples from other federal systems around the world. Students will explore the origins, organization, and powers of state governments, comparing legislative, executive, and judicial branches, as well as examining policy variation, party dynamics, intergovernmental relations, and responses to contemporary challenges. The course aims to develop students ability to critically assess how different institutional arrangements and political cultures shape governance at the state level.
Recommended Textbook
Governing California in the Twenty-First Century 5th Edition by J. Theodore Anagnoson
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10 Chapters
301 Verified Questions
301 Flashcards
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Chapter 1: California Government: Promise and Practice
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30 Verified Questions
30 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/4474
Sample Questions
Q1) In California, the constitution requires the state budget to be passed by
A) a simple majority (50 percent plus 1) in both the Assembly and Senate.
B) 51 percent of the total membership in both the Assembly and Senate.
C) two-thirds of the members present in both the Assembly and Senate.
D) two-thirds of the total membership in both the Assembly and Senate.
Answer: A
Q2) From 1904 to 2012, how many initiatives has California had?
A) 352
B) 329
C) 209
D) 178
Answer: A
Q3) From 2008 to 2012, California's median household income compared to the national median was
A) $8,000 lower.
B) $8,000 higher.
C) almost the same.
D) unknown due to a lack of data.
Answer: B
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Page 3
Chapter 2: The Constitution and the Progressive Legacy
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30 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Why were the Progressives against strong political parties and powerful corporations?
Answer: The progressives believe in equality among the masses and growth of all classes together.
These progressives are against big political parties and corporations as they believe that such parties only work for greed and to gather money for private use. They do not work for the masses. Similarly, they believe that the big corporations exploit the poor workers and laborers and make money at their expense. Thus, they only push the poor poorer and make the rich richer.
This makes the progressives voice their opinions against such parties and corporations.
Q2) The goal of the Progressive movement was to reduce the power of A) local government.
B) the California Supreme Court.
C) presidential candidates.
D) corporations and corrupt politicians.
Answer: D
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Chapter 3: Interest Groups and the Media in California
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30 Verified Questions
30 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) What California political figure is credited with the quote: "Money is the mother's milk of politics."
A) Clay Jackson
B) Alan Robbins
C) George Deukmejian
D) Jesse Unruh
Answer: D
Q2) Why did Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) have little impact on California?
A) California required the governor and legislature to review any donation from a political action committee (PAC).
B) California was the first state to ban political action committee (PAC) donations during a general election.
C) California did not allow political action committees (PACs) to raise unlimited funds before the U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
D) California allowed political action committees (PACs) to raise unlimited funds before the U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
Answer: D
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Chapter 4: Parties and Elections in California
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31 Verified Questions
31 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) What are some of the reasons that campaigns in California are expensive?
A) Propositions 11 and 34
B) limitations placed on campaign contributions, a multi-party system, and interest groups
C) a strong political party system, and the law that bans political advertisements during the months of October and November
D) media, political consultants, and weak political parties
Q2) In order for a political party to qualify for the ballot in California, what procedures are available? Do the existing procedures require the expenditure of significant resources?
Q3) An absentee ballot is now available to any voter who
A) has filed the appropriate paperwork with the lieutenant governor's office.
B) paid the appropriate fees.
C) can show a valid California driver's license.
D) wants one.
Q4) Most of the money spent in the 2010 gubernatorial race was spent on
A) get-out-the-vote campaigns.
B) public opinion polling.
C) campaign workers' salaries.
D) TV and radio advertising.
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Chapter 5: The California Legislature
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30 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) State senate districts
A) have roughly 2 million voters.
B) are roughly twice as large as assembly districts.
C) are reapportioned every five years.
D) have more voters in urban districts than in rural districts.
Q2) Making sure that legislation is implemented by the bureaucracy in the manner intended by the legislature is called
A) legislature practice.
B) constituent service.
C) oversight.
D) representation.
Q3) What are some of the negative aspects of term limits on the California legislature?
Q4) How many members serve in the California Assembly?
A) 40
B) 60
C) 75
D) 80
Q5) What are the major differences between the U.S. Congress and the California legislature?
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Chapter 6: The Governor and the Executive Branch
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30 Verified Questions
30 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Who is the current lieutenant governor?
A) Cruz Bustamante
B) Abel Maldonado
C) Gavin Newsom
D) John Garamendi
Q2) What is an example of the governor's formal powers?
A) greeting foreign government officials
B) making a public speech about the state's budget
C) drawing up the state's budget
D) persuading legislators
Q3) The governor's most significant powers are
A) acting as the commander-in-chief and making legislative recommendations.
B) preparing the state budget and using the line-item veto.
C) developing a vision for the state and managing executive actions.
D) campaigning and managing the daily tasks of the governor's office.
Q4) What is the plural executive and what impact does it have on the governor of California?
Q5) How is the bureaucracy in California organized? How does it relate to the governor?
Q6) What factors suggest that the governor of California is "invisible"?
Page 8
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Chapter 7: The California Judiciary
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Sample Questions
Q1) Who is the current chief justice of the California Supreme Court?
A) Ronald George
B) Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye
C) Carol Corrigan
D) Goodwin Liu
Q2) California's courts of first instance are more commonly known as
A) appellate courts.
B) superior courts.
C) intermediate courts of appeal.
D) district courts.
Q3) What is significant concerning Judges Rose Bird, Cruz Reynoso, and Joseph Grodin?
A) All three were appointed by President George H. W. Bush to the U.S. Court of Appeals.
B) They are the only judges in California's history to serve as the attorney general and supreme court judges.
C) All three served on the California Supreme Court and were removed from the bench by the voters in 1996.
D) They were the first non-lawyers to be elected to the California Supreme Court in 1986.
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9
Chapter 8: The State Budget and Budgetary Limitations
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30 Verified Questions
30 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/4481
Sample Questions
Q1) Since 1990, how many times has the California legislature passed a budget on time?
A) 2
B) 4
C) 5
D) 8
Q2) What did Proposition 5 mandate?
A) The state was allowed to cut property taxes to the assessed valuation of the property in 1975.
B) The state requires the vote of the electorate on all taxes that might be used to replace revenues lost under Proposition 13.
C) The state was mandated to negotiate a compact to allow tribal casinos.
D) The state was authorized to sell $3 billion in bonds to fund stem-cell research.
Q3) The California Constitution requires that the governor and the legislature
A) pass a balanced budget.
B) engage in deficit financing.
C) reduce the rate of inflation.
D) ignore the Federal Reserve Bank.
Q4) What was the intent of Proposition 13? What impact did it have in California?
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Chapter 9: Local Government
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Sample Questions
Q1) What are the major expense categories for California cities? From what sources do cities receive their revenue?
Q2) The process of municipal incorporations, by which a city is created, is usually initiated by
A) the governor and the supreme court.
B) the mayor and the city council.
C) the county Local Agency Formation Commission.
D) the state legislature and Franchise Tax Board.
Q3) In general, over the last few decades, voter turnout in California local government elections has been
A) decreasing.
B) increasing.
C) fluctuating.
D) constant.
Q4) What U.S. city was the starting point for the Occupy Movement?
A) Oakland
B) San Francisco
C) New York
D) Washington, D.C.
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Chapter 10: Public Policy in California
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30 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) In California, approximately what percentage of people do NOT have health insurance?
A) 9.8 percent
B) 16.3 percent
C) 19.6 percent
D) 23.1 percent
Q2) In California, why is it a challenge for Medi-Cal beneficiaries to get access to doctors?
A) Many medical practices limit the number of Medi-Cal patients.
B) Many medical practices prefer Medi-Cal patients, which causes limited availability for appointments due to the high number of patients.
C) Many medical practices are using advanced technology for procedures not covered by Medi-Cal.
D) Medi-Cal can only be used for emergency medical situations.
Q3) The largest group of people without health insurance in California are
A) senior citizens.
B) U.S. citizens.
C) illegal aliens.
D) children.
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