Navigation » List of Schools, Subjects, and Courses » Political Science 101 – Introduction to American Government and Politics » Discussions » Models of City Government » Models of City Government Sample Answers
Models of City Government
Define and explain the two models for city government–the Council/Manager Model and the Council/Mayor Model. What are the differences between the two? Provide examples–and focus on California cities only!
Models of City Government Answer (B)
There are two types of model of city government. These are the mayor-council model and the council-manager model. The council in these two model is typically composed of 5 members. But the way the council performs and works differ from these two models. In what follows are the significant differences of these two models of city government.
The mayor-council model of city government entails a separation of power between the mayor and the council. The council serves as the legislative branch of the government that is responsible in enacting city laws and policies. The council members work full time which is typically 40hours a week
Models of City Government Answer
City government is one of the components of local governance. In the United States, cities can either have a council/manager model or council/mayor model.
In the council/manager model, the members observe a rotating mayorship, which means that one council member will serve as mayor for one fiscal year and a different member will serve as local chief executive in the next. In this model, the executive and legislative branches of the city government are also merged. The council also elects a professional manager whose task is purely administrative or managerial.