What kinds of governments below the state level provide essential services to residents of California? Describe the kinds of services they provide.
What will be an ideal response?
Students should name counties, cities, special districts, and school districts as providers of essential services. In their answers, students should demonstrate familiarity with a wide range of services. With respect to counties, these include (and are not limited to) assuring public safety and providing access to justice (courts, jails, probation, public defense, juvenile detention, sheriff, fire, and emergency services); providing public assistance (housing, homeless assistance, food stamps, and state welfare programs); managing elections and voting (voting processes and voter registration); tax collection; maintaining the environment and providing recreation (parks, recreation facilities, open space, waste removal, recycling, air quality, and water); improving public health (hospitals, mental health clinics, and drug rehabilitation programs); providing education (libraries and schools); providing social services (adoptions and children's foster care); providing mass transit (airports, bus and rail systems; bridges, road maintenance); and maintaining vital records (birth/death/marriage certificates). Cities also provide essential public services in the areas of public safety and emergency services; sewage and sanitation; public health; public works, including street maintenance; parks and recreation; libraries and schools; and land use planning. If cities lack their own facilities or resources, they can contract with counties for services, pool their resources in a joint-powers agreement, or contract with private firms. Special districts are geographic areas governed by an elected board for a specific purpose, to meet critical needs that cities and counties lack the will or capacity to address. Typical special districts are single purpose: they are created for one reason only. These include school districts (for education), vector control (eradicating pests and vermin), water districts (such as the Metropolitan Water District), port authorities, street lighting, and so forth. School districts provide education: Created by state law, they are governed by five-member boards that follow the instructions of the state's education code and implement the State Board of Education's mandates. They manage and make policy for their local school system.
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What is the basic assumption behind the selectorate theory?
A. That dictators care more about staying in power than democratic leaders do. B. That dictators use elections to discourage internal rivals from attempting coups. C. That all political leaders are motivated by the desire to gain and maintain office. D. All of these are important assumptions of the selectorate theory.
Answer the following statement(s) true (T) or false (F)
1. Alexander Hamilton argued that the judicial branch would be the weakest branch in Federalist No. 78. 2. The president has the power to appoint judges to the Supreme Court, but the House of Representatives has the power to confirm those appointments. 3. Amicus curiae briefs are submitted as the first step to getting a case heard at the Supreme Court. 4. The United States is an inquisitorial system and is mostly concerned with finding the truth. 5. The National Hockey League launched a campaign of kneeling during the national anthem to protest social injustice for young African American men.