| Review Questions for Unit CE 7 in Fasttrack Civics - State and Local
Government Questions about Virginia's government: 1. What document sets the overall design and rules for Virginia's state government? 2. What are the three branches of the Virginia state government? 3. The Virginia General Assembly is a bicameral legislature. What does the word bicameral mean? 4. What are the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly called? 5. What is the title of the person who heads the executive branch in Virginia's state government? 6. What are the four levels of courts that operate in Virginia's judicial system? Questions about the relationship between the national and the state levels of government:  7. The illustration above shows that the U.S. has a ___________ form of government. (Answer choices: federal, confederation, divisive.) 8. If a state law is passed in Virginia that violates the principles written in the U.S. Constitution, which is supreme, the state law or the U.S. Constitution? (Answer choices: the state law, the U.S. Constitution.) 9. Conducting foreign policy, regulating commerce, and providing for the common defense are primary responsibilities of the _________ level of government. (Answer choices: national, state.) 10. Promoting public health, safety, and welfare are primary responsibilities of the ________ level of government. (Answer choices: national, state.) 11. Federal mandates are laws passed by Congress that order state governments to take certain actions, such as improving building access for the handicapped. State officials sometimes object to federal mandates because the mandates often do not provide the _________ the action requires. (Answer choices: time, money, guidelines.) Questions about how state laws are made in Virginia:  12. In the chart above showing the lawmaking process in the Virginia General Assembly, what step is missing? 13. Virginia lawmakers approve the biennial budget that is prepared the the governor and his staff. What is a biennial budget? 14. Virginia lawmakers mainly propose and pass laws in response to A. federal laws passed by Congress. B. the demands of interest groups. C. problems or issues affecting the state. D. newspaper editorials. 15. Tell two topics that are almost always of concern to Virginia state lawmakers because they are important state government responsibilities. Questions about Virginia's governor: 16. What document describes and puts limits on the powers of Virginia's governor? 17. Virginia's governor is head of the executive branch of the state government. Tell two of the roles or responsibilities this position gives him or her. 18. Virginia's governor does not work alone, but oversees the work of Cabinet secretaries, state agencies, and various commissions and regulatory boards. Tell the four main responsibilities these people and groups have within the state government. Questions about local government in Virginia: 19. The units of local government in Virginia are cities, counties, and _________. (Answer choices: villages, crossroads, towns.) 20. In cities, local laws are passed by an elected body called a _____________. (Answer choices: city council, city assessor, city manager.) 21. The head of the executive branch in a city in Virginia is called a __________. (Answer choices: judge, mayor, city manager.) 22. The elected body that makes local laws in a county in Virginia is called a ______________. (Answer Choices: regulatory board, board of supervisors, magistrate.) 23. The courts that are found in localities across Virginia are operated under the authority of the __________ government. (Answer choices: federal, state, local.) 24. Which of these is NOT one of the powers of government allowed to local governments in Virginia? A. to educate children. B. to regulate land use. C. to levy and collect taxes D. to regulate TV broadcasts. 25. Usually, it is easiest for citizens to have the greatest impact on the __________ level of government. (Answer choices: federal, state, local.) Copyright 2007, 2015 by David Burns All rights reserved www.fasttrackteaching.com/civics |