Local Government Civic Education Game - North Carolina

1. Local Government North Carolina Civic Education Consortium

2. Directions • Divide the class into three to six groups of equal size. • The team with the youngest person selects the first question. • After the first question is selected, teams will have one minute to attempt to answer the question. When a team knows the answer to the question, a representative from the team raises his/her hand. The team will then have 15 seconds to attempt to answer the question. • All questions will be answered in the form of a question. • If the team answers correctly, it earns the points indicated by the question and gains control of the board, allowing its members to select the next question. If the team answers incorrectly or if time runs out, the question goes back to the other teams to answer, who have thirty seconds to answer the question. If no team answers the question correctly, no points are awarded, and the team in control of the board retains control.

3. Directions Continued • First round play continues in this manner until all questions are exhausted or until time runs out. If time runs out during a question, the team can finish answering the question before second round play begins. • Play in the second round is the same as the first. The team with the lowest point total at the end of round one starts with control of the board. Point values are doubled in the second round. Play continues in the second round until all questions are exhausted or until time runs out. If time runs out during a question, the team can finish answering the question before second round play begins.

4. ROUND 1

5. ROUND 2

6. The game that is 100% fun is 100% over!

7. Local Government and You • For 20: Name the three levels of government. What are National, State and Local? Return to Main Screen

8. Local Government and You • For 40: People who live within a city or within the limits of a town are citizens of the _______________. What are Municipalities? Return to Main Screen

9. Local Government and You • For 60: State and local governments cannot pass laws that contradict the ____________. What is the United States Constitution? Return to Main Screen

10. Local Government and You • For 80: Name the clause in the U.S. Constitution that spells out that state and local governments cannot pass laws that contradict the national constitution. What is the Supremacy Clause? Return to Main Screen

11. Local Government and You • For 100: Name three cities in North Carolina that have partisan municipal elections. What are Winston Salem, Kinston Lincolnton, Charlotte, Albemarle, or Murphy? Return to Main Screen

12. North Carolina Municipalities • For 20: These codes regulate construction and reduce hazards to health and safety to workers and occupants. What are buildingcodes? Return to Main Screen

13. North Carolina Municipalities • For 40: Name the act that creates a new city or town. What is incorporation? Return to Main Screen

14. North Carolina Municipalities • For 60: Identify the official who is the administrative leader of city employees. What is the city manager? Return to Main Screen

15. North Carolina Municipalities • For 80: Identify the official who presides over the governing board and is the spokesperson for a town. What is the mayor? Return to Main Screen

16. North Carolina Municipalities • For 100: Name the act of local government that extends the boundaries of a municipality. What is annexation? Return to Main Screen

17. North Carolina Counties • For 20: Name a service North Carolina requires its counties to provide. What are alcoholic beverage control, education, elections, mental health, public health, or social services? Return to Main Screen

18. North Carolina Counties • For 40: Name the areas in a county that are outside the limits of any town. What are unincorporated areas? Return to Main Screen

19. North Carolina Counties • For 60: Identify the location where official records of births, deaths and property are kept. What is the county courthouse? Return to Main Screen

20. North Carolina Counties • For 80: This board oversees the county budget and allocates county funds. What is the Board of County Commissioners? Return to Main Screen

21. North Carolina Counties • For 100: This program pays for the medical expenses of citizens whose incomes are below the poverty line. What is Medicaid? Return to Main Screen

22. Public Services • For 20: This is the place where most solid waste is taken. What is a landfill? Return to Main Screen

23. Public Services • For 40: This is a charge levied by local governments to provide a specific service. What is a user fee? Return to Main Screen

24. Public Services • For 60: Identify the two names for water collection underground and in rivers and lakes. What are ground water and surface water? Return to Main Screen

25. Public Services • For 80: Name the public body that investigates traffic accidents on rural roads and highways. What is the State Highway Patrol? Return to Main Screen

26. Public Services • For 100: This is the process by which a government transfers ownership of a public service to a private sector entity. What is privatization? Return to Main Screen

27. Improving the Community • For 40: These programs identify and protect buildings and areas that have special significance to the community. What are historic preservation programs? Return to Main Screen

28. Improving the Community • For 80: This encompasses basic services like roads & bridges, water & sewer lines. What is infrastructure? Return to Main Screen

29. Improving the Community • For 120: The function of local chambers of commerce. What is to promote local business? Return to Main Screen

30. Improving the Community • For 160: These laws require owners of pets to control said pets? What are leash laws? Return to Main Screen

31. Improving the Community • For 200: This is a prominent club that is active in preserving wildlife and clean water. What is the Sierra Club? Return to Main Screen

32. Popular Government • For 40: This act allows citizens control over the government. What is voting? Return to Main Screen

33. Popular Government • For 80: The process by which the state legislature modifies electoral constituencies. What is redistricting? Return to Main Screen

34. Popular Government • For 120: Voters may submit a petition to propose an ordinance in a procedure called _________? What is initiative? Return to Main Screen

35. Popular Government • For 160: When voters are allowed to approve or reject an ordinance, it is known as a __________? What is a referendum? Return to Main Screen

36. Popular Government • For 200: An individual or organization whose profession it is to influence a governing body into endorsing a particular point of view. What is a lobbyist? Return to Main Screen

37. Paying for Local Government • For 40: The primary revenue source for a city or a county. What are property taxes? Return to Main Screen

38. Paying for Local Government • For 80: Typically, the largest expenditure category in the county budget. What is education? Return to Main Screen

39. Paying for Local Government • For 120: The primary financial instrument by which state and local governments borrow money. What are bonds? Return to Main Screen

40. Paying for Local Government • For 160: The two bodies that determine the property tax rates. What are the Board of County Commissioners and the Town Council? Return to Main Screen

41. Paying for Local Government • For 200: A charge assessed against newly constructed property to pay for the expansion of local services. What are impact fees? Return to Main Screen

42. Making Government Work • For 40: Hiring on the basis of family connections. What is nepotism? Return to Main Screen

43. Making Government Work • For 80: Hiring on the basis of qualifications. What is merit? Return to Main Screen

44. Making Government Work • For 120: A type of meeting that allows the public to comment on government activities. What are public hearings? Return to Main Screen

45. Making Government Work • For 160: The years that elections for members of the city council and mayor are held. What are odd-numbered years? Return to Main Screen

46. Making Government Work • For 200: The amendments to the U.S. Constitution that enfranchised black males, women, and eighteen year olds. What are amendments XV, XIX & XXVI? Return to Main Screen

47. And the Winner Is…