In which of the following forms of government does the mayor have the least executive power?
strong mayor-council
weak mayor-council
council-manager
consolidated
In the forms of government mentioned, the mayor has the least executive power in the council-manager form of government. In this system, the mayor primarily serves as a figurehead who presides over council meetings and represents the city. The day-to-day executive power is typically vested in a professional city manager or administrator, who is appointed by the city council. The mayor's role is usually limited to voting on council decisions and advocating for the city's interests.
To determine in which form of government the mayor has the least executive power, we need to understand the basic characteristics of each form and compare them.
1. Strong mayor-council: In this form, the mayor holds significant executive power and is directly elected by the people. The mayor typically has control over the administration and can veto legislation.
2. Weak mayor-council: In this form, the mayor has limited executive power as most of the authority rests with the council. The mayor could serve more as a figurehead with ceremonial duties, and the council often appoints a city manager to handle day-to-day operations.
3. Council-manager: In this form, the mayor typically does not possess significant executive power. The council-manager system separates the political leadership (the council, which includes the mayor) from administrative duties. A professional city manager is appointed, and they have the executive authority to make decisions.
4. Consolidated: This term does not refer to a specific form of government, so it is difficult to determine the level of executive power held by the mayor. Consolidated could be referring to a merger of two or more government entities, such as a city and county, which would have a different power structure.
Based on these descriptions, the form of government where the mayor typically has the least executive power is the council-manager system. In this system, the appointed city manager holds a greater amount of executive authority compared to the mayor.