Chapter 3: Texas in the Federal System (Inquisitive)

The "elastic clause" is the other name given to the BLANK which gives more power to BLANK to carry out its responsibilities.

1 - Necessary and proper clause 2 - Congress

President BLANK originated the thinking that led to New Federalism, but the most significant changes associated with the era were made under the administration of President BLANK.

1. Nixon 2. Clinton

Read this excerpt from the dissenting opinion of Justice Louis Brandeis in New State Ice Co. v. Liebmann, and select the passage that characterizes how the federal system allows flexibility in dealing with local and regional issues.

"serve as a laboratory"

Match each responsibility with the correct level of government.

National - mail, intellectual property, money, foreign relations, interstate commerce State - family law, adoption, standards for professions

Which of the following characterizes the system of federalism?

Power is divided between the central and regional governments

Federalism is most closely related to which other constitutional principle?

Separation of powers

Which of the following best describes the overall trend of the United Stated federal system?

toward a stronger national government

The Supreme Court in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius held that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was constitutional because of the BLANK but Texas has sought to strike down the ACA in federal courts ever since the 2017 tax cuts eliminated the BLANK requirement that had penalized Americans with no insurance coverage.

1. taxing power of congress 2. individual mandate

Which of the following is a factor that shifted national and state governments toward cooperative federalism?

As the nation began to face more complex problems the 1930/40s, multiple levels of government were required to step in

The rights of states are protected in which of the following ways in the U.S. Constitution?

Correct - equal Senate representation, power to tax, intrastate commerce, recruitment & maintenance of militia Incorrect - freedom of religion, proportional representation in the House of Representatives

Which of the following are characteristics of block grants?

Correct - Flexibility in spending, more autonomy to states, key piece of the Clinton administration welfare reforms Incorrect - Tied to specific national priorities, come with strings attached

The following chart compares the rates of Black and Latino Texans lacking voter ID to the rate of White Texans. It shows that Black Texans are slightly more than twice as likely as White Texans to lack proper voter ID, and Latino Texans are almost twice as likely to lack voter ID. Based on this information, which of the following statements are accurate?

Correct - Since Black and Latino Texas are more likely to vote for Democratic candidates, voter ID laws will likely affect the share of votes for Democrats in Texas If 10% of White Texans lack voter IT it's likely 20% of Black and Latino Texans lack voter ID. (All other answers incorrect)

The Social Security Act, created during the Great Depression as part of the New Deal programs of FDR, uses payroll taxes to fund programs that help which groups of people?

Correct - elderly, unemployed, disabled, Incorrect - food insecure

In 1990, Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which required states to retrofit public areas to be accessible to individuals with disabilities without offering any federal funds to pay for it. This is an example of which of the following?

Correct Answer(s)-an unfunded mandate-federal preemption-coercive federalism Incorrect Answer(s)-a categorical grant-a block grant

Which of the following are examples of states applying the concept of "independent state grounds"?

Correct:- Texas requiring that the state school funding system be equitable- Texas requiring that the state school funding system be equitable- Wyoming granting women's suffrage prior to the ratification of the 19th amendment Incorrect: Louisiana changing its formula for medicaid support

Which of the following was the primary factor that led to the replacement of the Articles of Confederation?

Economic instability

In general terms, how did Chief Justice John Marshall treat issues of federalism in his Supreme Court rulings?

He tended to expand the national government's powers relative to the states

Which of the following were characteristics of the era of dual federalism?

Incorrect - State governments complained that their ability to regulate was preempted by the national government. Categorical grants bought federal dollars with national requirements to the states (All other answers correct)

Why do many scholars insist that the Fourteenth Amendment is the most important amendment added to the Constitution, outside of the amendments in the Bill of Rights?

It allowed the Bill of Rights to be applied to the states as needed

Which of the following is most cited as the reason that the Tenth Amendment has been at the center of so much controversy about the division of powers in our federal system?

The amendment is not clear about what the powers of states are

Though the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, enjoys generally broad public support, the state of Texas and other states filed suit against the federal government to end its protections by making which claim?

The creation of the program by President Obama was a constitutional overreach

Which statements correctly express how the powers to regulate commerce are divided within the U.S. Constitution?

True - Congress may regulate interstate commerce, state governments may regulate commerce within states False - The president may regulate commerce within states, state governments may regulate interstate commerce

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) required states to add wheelchair-accessible ramps to curbs along streets. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) program required states to create and administer standardized testing to measure student achievement. Congress did not allocate money to the states to enact these policies but expected them to be followed. Which of the following terms describes these examples?

Unfunded mandates

Which argument did states fighting the preclearance requirement of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act make to the Supreme Court?

Voter discrimination was no longer an issue in the states under preclearance