Instructor's Manual to Accompany:
The World of Texas Politics
Chapter 9: Local Government
Outline:
I. A Tale of Three Cities: A look at the issue of ethnicity in the election of mayors in Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas.
II. An Overview
A. Types of Local Government: Cities, counties, school districts, and other special districts.
B. Federalism and Local Government: U.S. government assistance usually goes to municipalities.
III. Municipalities
A. Mayor-Council Form: optional strong mayor and weak mayor subforms.
B. Council-Manager Form: Elected council makes policy for execution by professional administrator.
C. Commission Form: Separate executives come together to form the legislative authority.
D. Urban Reform: Does Form Affect Outcomes?
E. Policy Priorities Among Texas Cities: Consumer services, land use control, and law enforcement.
IV. Counties
A. County Organization: Dispersing Power and Responsibility
B. A Very Limited Government: Limited power and limited resources.
C. County Services: The Old and the New
V. Special Districts: What they are, what they do, and the problems they raise.
VI. School Districts: Local control largely limited to hiring personnel, construction of facilities, and setting local tax rates.
A. Federalism and Education: Assistance from the national government is declining.
B. The Independent School District: Mostly run by professional educators.
VII. Summary and Conclusion: Examines the contributions of the elitist and pluralist models to understanding local government in Texas.
VIII. The End of the Tale: The different roles ethnicity plays in three Texas cities.
Summary:
When we think of politics, we commonly picture what happens in Austin or Washington, but local governments actually spend more than the state government and provide more services directly to people than either the national or state governments. Chapter 9 looks at the formal organization, the actual performance, and the policy priorities of local governments in Texas. It examines the forms of municipal government and shows the student why these forms are important. It looks at the case of the urban reform movement and shows that the reforms do make a difference in who has influence and who cities serve – for good or for ill. The discussion of the structure and policies of county government emphasizes the dispersion of authority and the major limitations on what counties do. The discussion of special districts emphasizes the special niche they fill and the problems associated with their low public visibility. The independent school district is put in the context of the federal system and the multiple influences on school policy.
Discussion Topics:
1. What lessons can be drawn from this chapter’s "tale?" Can you see parallels in recent local elections in your community? Are things changing?
2. What are the differences between rural and suburban counties with which county governments must deal?
3. Should we consolidate local government covering the same area – for example, the county government, the county hospsital district, and the water district covering most of the rural parts of the county?
4. How does federalism (both vertical and horizontal) affect local government?
5. Who and what are the major influences in forming school policy?
6. How do the elitist and pluralist models help us to understand local government in Texas?
Individual or Small Group Projects:
1. What form of municipal government does your community have? Can you find examples of what groups and individuals are served? Are there differences in the types and quality of services from one area to another?
2. Attend several (three?) meetings of the local school board, city council, or county commissioners court and speak to some of the people involved. What kinds of issues come before the board? Are some issues neglected that you thought would be covered? What is the role of the mayor, city manager, county judge, or school superintendent? Do they lead the discussion (directly or indirectly), just answer questions, or play some other role? How do decisions appear to be made – for example, through hard debate or cursory discussion? Are there factions on the board? Who appears before the board? How well do the members appear to know the matters discussed?
3. Develop a list of all the services provided by local governments that affected the members of the group on a given day. What are they worth to you? How much did they cost the taxpayers?
4. Come up with a change you would like a local government to make. Devise a practical strategy to gain acceptance of the policy.
Essay Questions:
1. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the strong mayor and council-manager forms of municipal government.
2. Discuss the major limitations on county government in Texas.
3. Discuss the reasons for the large number of special districts and the problems they present.
4. You are a new local school board member. Discuss the influences that will affect what you and the rest of the board will do.
5. You have not studied state and local government in Texas. Discuss whether there are any real differences between the two levels in terms of the possibilities of citizen influence over what their government does.
6. How do the elitist and pluralist models help us to understand local government in Texas?
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