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Question 1

Ultra vires, in the context of local government, means that...

a) ...local councils can appeal to the judiciary to overturn the decisions of central government.

b) ...local councils can appeal to the House of Commons to overturn the decisions of central government.

c) ...local councils can only make decisions and act only where they have been empowered to do so in legislation.
Incorrect

d) ...local councils can make decisions and act as they wish except where they are specifically prohibited from doing so by legislation.

Question 2

Which of the following is the largest source of finance for local authorities?

a) Council tax

b) Uniform Business Rate

c) Revenue Support Grant
Incorrect

d) The Standard Spending Assessment

Question 3

Which of the following reforms of local government was NOT undertaken by the Conservative governments which held office between 1979 and 1997?

a) Compulsory competitive tendering of local authority services

b) The introduction of elected mayors

c) The abolition of the six English metropolitan councils

d) The introduction of the council tax

Question 4

Which of the following was a characteristic of the Community Charge (a.k.a. 'the poll tax') which contributed to its unpopularity and which contributed to its replacement in 1993?

a) It reflected the market valuation of the property

b) It was a regressive tax

c) It was a progressive tax

d) It did not reflect usage of services provided by local councils

Question 5

How is Sir Michael Lyons associated with local government?

a) He is the current Local Government Ombudsman and investigates complaints made against local councils

b) He was Permanent Secretary at the Department of Environment throughout the 1980s

c) He has recently chaired a review of local government finance

d) He is a former Director General of the Confederation of British Industry who chaired a review which recommended the introduction of a London Mayor

Question 6

Which one of the following statements concerning the structure of local government is correct?

a) In England only a single tier of all purpose 'unitary' local councils exists which are elected by a first-past-the-post electoral system

b) In Wales, a two tier system of local councils exists some of which are elected by a first-past-the-post electoral system and some of which are elected using proportional representation

c) In England and Wales a two tier system of local councils is elected by first-past-the-post every four years

d) In Scotland only a single tier of all purpose local councils exist which are elected using a system of proportional representation

Question 7

Jim Bulpitt's advanced which of the following arguments in respect of local government?

a) The operational autonomy granted to localities by the centre began to break down in the 1970s but the Thatcher governments once again sought to return responsibility for 'low politics' to local government

b) The Thatcher government's policies in respect of local government were a partisan attempt to undermine the Labour Party's then sole remaining political powerbase in the British politics in the 1980s

c) The politics of local government became depoliticized in the 1990s as a new consensus emerged regarding the powers and role of local government in the British political system

d) The reinvigoration of local government is best achieved, in England at least, by the introduction of direct elected mayors in such 'city-regions' as Newcastle-Gateshead-Sunderland-Durham

Question 8

Which of the following best characterises the strategy of New Left local councils in seeking to challenge Thatcherism?

a) By promoting local direct action campaigns of civil disobedience against the Conservative governments

b) By organising a series of rent strikes in protest against Conservative policies, particularly the sale of local council housing stock

c) By using its local government base to pursue policies directly contrary to those of central government, including increased local government spending and extending council provided services

d) By endorsing and organising a campaign of non-payment in respect of the 'poll tax'

Question 9

Which of the following statements about the Greater London Authority and the London Mayor are correct?

a) The Greater London Authority is the direct replacement of the London County Council. The London Mayor was an innovation introduced in 2001. The London Mayor is elected using an AMS electoral system

b) The Greater London Authority was created in 1986 to replace the Greater London Council and its principal powers relate to transport and strategic planning

c) The London Mayor is one of the most ancient offices in British local government, dating back to Richard Whittington in 1398. The Greater London Authority is the modern day inheritor of the powers of the London Corporation

d) The Greater London Authority is elected using an AMS system and the Mayor by Supplementary Vote. Both the GLA and the London Mayor came into existence in 2000

Question 10

Which of the following statements most accurately characterizes developments in respect of local government since 1974?

a) Local government has become increasingly party political in character and its relationships with central government have become tense to an unprecedented degree under the current Labour government

b) Local government has seen the number of services it is required to deliver increase. In turn these local government services are set increasingly tough performance targets by central government

c) The number of local councils and councillors has diminished, central government has become more interventionist in the affairs of local government and relations between local and central government have been tense regardless of whether Labour or Conservative have been in government

d) After a long period of conflict, financial arrangements for local government were finally and satisfactorily resolved by the introduction of the Council Tax in 1995. The part-time non-partisan councillors which were the norm until the 1970s have now been replaced by full-time councillors representing political parties

Oxford University Press, Online Resource Centre, Chapter 15.

Chapter 15

Instructions

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4

Question 5

Question 6

Question 7

Question 8

Question 9

Question 10