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The mayor-counsel form of government in Galveston, Texas, was not adequate to deal with the 1900 hurricane disaster. Which of the following can you infer as the reason that this form of government was inadequate?

a) Lack of communication technology
b) Inadequate disaster preparedness
c) Centralized decision-making
d) Insufficient financial resources

User Kazume
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Final answer:

The inadequacy of the mayor-council system in Galveston during the 1900 hurricane was probably due to inadequate disaster preparedness, which led to the adoption of a commission system and improved resilience against future storms.

Step-by-step explanation:

The mayor-council form of government in Galveston, Texas, was not adequate to deal with the 1900 hurricane disaster due to a combination of factors. Since the question points towards systemic issues specific to forms of local government, we can infer that the inability of the mayor-council system to effectively manage the disaster was likely due to b) Inadequate disaster preparedness. This is supported by historical reference to the inefficiency of the city government at that time, which ultimately led to a reform where a commission of experts was appointed to take control and manage the rebuilding efforts more effectively. Notably, the city planning and civil engineering improvements that resulted from this reform helped Galveston withstand similar storms with much less impact in the future. This illustrates how the initial government structure was not prepared to handle such a massive disaster in terms of planning, resources, and rapid response.

User Tattvamasi
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