Questions for exam 1

what are three grant-in-aids

1) categorical grants 2) Formula grants 3) project grants

After the passage of Proposition 14 (1990) and Proposition 28 (2012) California's term limits are Answers: A. 8 years for the governor, 4 years for the Assembly, and 6 years for the state senate B. 6 years for governor, 6 years for the Assembly, and 8 years for the Senate C. 8 years for the governor, 12 years for the Assembly and 12 years for the state senate D. 8 years for the governor, 8 years for the Assembly, and 12 years for the state senate E. no longer enforced.

C. 8 years for the governor, 12 years for the Assembly and 12 years for the state senate

According to the text, California's population, the foreign-born population, and the approximate number of undocumented immigrants are: : Answers: A. 50 million, 5 million, and 2 million B. 34 million, 8.8 million, and 2.4 million C. 25 million, 20 million, and 18 million D. 38.3 million, 10.2 million, and 2.7 million E. 90 million, 10.2 million, and 2.7 million

D. 38.3 million, 10.2 million, and 2.7 million

Who was eligible to vote in the state of California under the 1849 Constitution? Selected Answer: Answers: A. white men and free black men over the age of 21 who had been residents for six months B. white men and women over the age of 21 C. white men and women over the age of 21 who had been residents for 6 months D. white men over the age of 21 who had been residents for 6 months E. All of the above.

D. white men over the age of 21 who had been residents for 6 months

formula grants

Grants-in-aid in which a formula is used to determine the amount of federal funds a state or local government receives. This was more common during the era of Cooperative Federalism (1937-1960).

funded mandates

In 1994, Congress passed the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) which limited the ability of the federal government to impose unfunded mandates on the states. the same as categorical grants

what happened during the great depression

The federal government started giving money to the states in the form of grants-in-aid.

grants-in-aid

a general term that refers to ALL instances where the federal government gives states or localities money and tells them how it must be spent.

McCulloch v. Maryland is an important case because Selected Answer: Answers: a. in this case, the U.S. Supreme Court interpreted the delegated powers of Congress broadly, creating the potential for increased national powers. b. in this case, the U.S. Supreme Court gave a very restricted definition of Congress's delegated powers, keeping with the era of dual federalism. c. in this case, the U.S. Supreme Court announced that dual federalism did not conform to the framers' intent. d. this case began the era of dual federalism. Response Feedback:

a. in this case, the U.S. Supreme Court interpreted the delegated powers of Congress broadly, creating the potential for increased national powers. FEEDBACK: In McCulloch v. Maryland, the Supreme Court ruled that the national government could charter a national bank as an implied power of Congress. This expansive interpretation of national power opened the door for later expansion of national power.

What type of situation in American federalism has often resulted in the act of preemption? Selected Answer: a. A state action is found to be inconsistent with a federal requirement. Answers: b. A state refuses federal funding because the funding comes with additional policy requirements. c. The federal government releases a state from the responsibility to abide by a particular guideline or regulation. d. A federal law is found to be encroaching on the reserved powers of the states. Response Feedback:

a. A state action is found to be inconsistent with a federal requirement. FEEDBACK: Preemption, a principle that allows the national government to override state or local actions in certain policy areas, occurs when state and local actions are found to be inconsistent with federal requirements.

The philosophical founder of the Constitution's ideas of separation of powers was Answers: a. Baron de Montesquieu b. John Locke c. Thomas Hobbes d. Alexis de Tocqueville Response Feedback:

a. Baron de Montesquieu FEEDBACK: The Constitution drew upon the thought of the French political philosopher Baron de Montesquieu. In his view, the powers of government must be divided in order to prevent any one group or institution from exercising tyrannical control over the nation. His influence is clearly seen in the Constitution and in Federalist Papers 10, 47, and 51.

Which of the following statements is true concerning race and ethnicity? Answers: a. By 2014 the total Hispanic proportion of the population was 17.4 percent. b. The total percentage of the black or African American population is at an all-time low. c. The rates and percentages of immigrants have remained very stable throughout the United States' history concerning race and ethnicity. d. Immigration from Europe is now at an all-time high. Response Feedback:

a. By 2014 the total Hispanic proportion of the population was 17.4 percent. FEEDBACK: In 1965 Congress lifted the tight immigration restrictions of the 1920s, allowing for much-expanded immigration from Asia and Latin America. By 2000 immigration had profoundly transformed the nation's racial and ethnic profile. One consequence of this shift has been the growth in the Hispanic, or Latino, population.

Which of the following would best exemplify a characteristic of a unitary system of government? Selected Answer: Answers: a. The national government selects the textbooks and curriculum for all schools. b. The national government provides categorical grants to the states with heavy policy restrictions for their use. c. The state governments must defer to national governments in most of the regulation of interstate commerce. d. The national government trains and operates a military and has exclusive power to control its use overseas. Response Feedback:

a. The national government selects the textbooks and curriculum for all schools. FEEDBACK: In a unitary system, the national government would almost certainly design and mandate a specific teaching curriculum for all schools. All of the other options listed are, or have been, characteristics of the United States, which is a federal system.

The Bill of Rights mollified concerns about Answers: a. an overly powerful central government. b. conflict between branches of the federal government. c. the weakness of government, exemplified by Shays's Rebellion. d. blurring the political lines between the branches of government. Response Feedback:

a. an overly powerful central government. FEEDBACK: A set of limitations on federal power, in the form of the Bill of Rights, was added to the Constitution to help secure its ratification when opponents of the document charged that it created an overly powerful central government and paid insufficient attention to citizens' rights.

The executive leader or presiding officer specified by the Articles of Confederation Answers: a. did not exist; the Articles specified no executive leader. b. enjoyed the support of popular opinion. c. was appointed by state legislatures. d. was appointed by Congress. Response Feedback:

a. did not exist; the Articles specified no executive leader. FEEDBACK: The first goal of the Articles was to limit the powers of the central government, and thus the central government was given no president or any other presiding officer.

Proponents of the idea of the "living" Constitution would likely support the concept of Answers: a. judicial review. b. judicial minimalism. c. judicial restraint. d. strict construction. Response Feedback:

a. judicial review. FEEDBACK: Though it was not mentioned in the Constitution, the Supreme Court has taken for itself the power of judicial review-the power to render the final decision when there is a conflict of interpretations of the Constitution or federal law among the courts, Congress, the executive branch, or the states. Proponents of the concept of a "living" Constitution, or one that can change as the times need it to change, would likely support this right to judicial review.

With which constitutional clause has same-sex marriage been most closely linked? Selected Answer: Answers: a. the full faith and credit clause b. the national supremacy clause c. the necessary and proper clause d. the commerce clause Response Feedback:

a. the full faith and credit clause FEEDBACK: The full faith and credit clause has become embroiled in the controversy over gay marriage because of the frequency with which couples who were married in a state where same-sex marriage is legal move to a state in which it is not. The full faith and credit clause suggests that any state must recognize legal unions made in another state, but federal intervention has complicated the issue.

project grants

are a type of categorical grant most seen in the 1960s in which state and local governments submit proposals to federal agencies in which they decide how the money will be spent but the federal government gets to decide which states get the grants through a competitive process.

categorical grants

are a type of grants-in-aid that gives federal money to state or local governments and tells them that said money must be spent on a particular program or problem

Cooperative federalism is best defined as Selected Answer: Answers: a. the system of government that prevailed in the United States from 1789 to 1937 in which most fundamental governmental powers were shared between the federal and state governments. b. a type of federalism existing since the New Deal era in which grants-in-aid have been used strategically to encourage states and localities to pursue nationally defined goals. c. a form of federalism in which Congress imposes legislation on states and localities, requiring them to meet national standards. d. a centralized system of government in which lower levels of government have little power independent of the national government. Response Feedback:

b. a type of federalism existing since the New Deal era in which grants-in-aid have been used strategically to encourage states and localities to pursue nationally defined goals. FEEDBACK: Cooperative federalism is different from dual federalism because the lines between which level of government has power are blurred. The political scientist Morton Grodzins characterized this as a move from "layer cake federalism" to "marble cake federalism."

The term autocracy refers to Answers: a. a form of government in which a small group rules. b. a form of government in which a single individual rules. c. decision making through city councils. d. majority rules. Response Feedback:

b. a form of government in which a single individual rules. FEEDBACK: Autocracy is a form of government in which a single individual-for instance a king, queen, or dictator- rules a country.

Congress' ability to pass laws necessary to carry out its expressed powers is known as the Answers: a. delegated powers clause. b. elastic clause. c. expressed powers clause. d. federalism clause. Response Feedback:

b. elastic clause. FEEDBACK: The elastic clause signified that the expressed powers were meant to be a source of strength to the national government, not a limitation on it. It provides Congress with the authority to make all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out its expressed powers.

Changing the structure or composition of the federal government Answers: a. has been largely unaddressed by the constitutional amendments since the Bill of Rights. b. has been the motivating factor behind most of the post-Bill of Rights amendments. c. has been impossible due to Article V of the Constitution. d. was not done by any of the amendments ratified after the Founding. Response Feedback: .

b. has been the motivating factor behind most of the post-Bill of Rights amendments. FEEDBACK: Successful amendments to the Constitution have been concerned with the structure or composition of government. This is consistent with the definition of "constitution" as the makeup or composition of something

The power to charter national banks is an example of which type of power? Selected Answer: Answers: a. reserved b. implied c. concurrent d. expressed Response Feedback:

b. implied FEEDBACK: The 17 expressed powers listed by the Constitution as reserved for the federal government include (among others) the power to collect taxes, coin money, declare war, and regulate commerce. Other powers granted to the federal government derive from Article I through the necessary and proper clause. the right to charter banks derived from the commerce clause, as ruled upon by the Supreme Court in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819).

Which of the following did the Antifederalists MOST vigorously disapprove of? Answers: a. the Tenth Amendment b. the elastic clause c. Article III of the Constitution d. Article V of the Constitution Response Feedback:

b. the elastic clause FEEDBACK: Antifederalists bitterly attacked the elastic clause, which allowed Congress to make laws considered necessary for the carrying out of its expressed powers, as an unlimited and dangerous grant of power to the national government.

Over the last century, which of the following statements is accurate concerning age in America? Answers: a. America has experienced no shift in age relative to other industrialized countries. b. America's median age tends to be lower than that of many other industrialized countries. c. America's median age tends to be higher than that of many other industrialized countries. d. America's median age is equal to that of many other industrialized countries.

b. America's median age tends to be lower than that of many other industrialized countries. FEEDBACK: Since the year 1900, the percentage of the American population aged 18 or younger dropped significantly, while the percentage of the population aged 65 or older has risen. Even though the median age of Americans has increased, Americans tend to be younger than citizens of many industrialized countries, mainly because of the large immigrant population in the United States.

the articles of confed. a) created a nationwide juiciary b) created a storng central gov. c) maintained state indep., freedom, and soveringty d) promoted a strong executive gov.

c) maintianed state indp. freedom and sover.

Which of the following statements about recent immigration trends and the foreign-born population in the United States is accurate? Answers: a. Census figures for 2014 show that the total Hispanic proportion of the population is now 25 percent. b. Nearly 10 percent of the population now identifies itself as of "two or more races." c. People born in Asia constitute the second-largest group of foreign-born residents. d. In 2014, 7 percent of the population was born outside the United States.

c. People born in Asia constitute the second-largest group of foreign-born residents. FEEDBACK: After residents born in Latin America and the Caribbean, people born in Asia constitute the next-largest group of foreign-born residents, making up over one-quarter of the total.

Which of the following was true of digital citizenship in 2015? Answers: a. Thirty-five percent of Americans read the news online, and more than 4 in 10 look up political information online. b. About 25 percent of Americans now vote online, avoiding physical voting booths altogether. c. Sixty-five percent of Americans have used the Internet to find data or information about the government. d. Very few people, typically less than 30 percent, visit a local, state, or federal government website. Response Feedback:

c. Sixty-five percent of Americans have used the Internet to find data or information about the government. FEEDBACK: A 2015 Pew survey found that over the previous year, 65 percent of Americans had used the Internet to find data or information about government. These include visiting a local, state, or federal government website

Income taxes Answers: a. were the main source of revenue both for the British before the Revolution and for the early states afterward. b. were the source of discord between the Federalists and Antifederalists. c. did not exist in the mid-eighteenth century. d. poisoned the colonists' attitudes toward the king before the Revolution. Response Feedback:

c. did not exist in the mid-eighteenth century. FEEDBACK: The income tax, which in the twentieth century became the single most important source of governmental revenues, had not yet been developed in the mid-eighteenth century. Governments had to rely on tariffs, duties, and other taxes on commerce for income.

New Federalism was generally characterized by Answers: a. the consolidation of block grants into categorical grants. b. granting the national government greater control of state programs. c. granting state and local governments greater control of nationally funded programs. d. an expansion on the use of the unfunded mandate. Response Feedback:

c. granting state and local governments greater control of nationally funded programs. FEEDBACK: The core motivation of New Federalism was to return power to the states through greater use of block grants, which would give states more control over the implementation of nationally funded programs.

The preamble to the Constitution describes the purposes of government as including all EXCEPT which of the following? Answers: a. promote justice b. maintain peace at home c. secure the blessings of equality for all Americans d. provide for the welfare of the citizenry Response Feedback: FEEDBACK: In the Constitution's preamble, the framers tell us that the purposes of government are to promote justice, maintain peace at home, defend the nation from foreign foes, provide for the welfare of the citizenry, and above all, to secure the "blessings of liberty" for Americans.

c. secure the blessings of equality for all Americans FEEDBACK: In the Constitution's preamble, the framers tell us that the purposes of government are to promote justice, maintain peace at home, defend the nation from foreign foes, provide for the welfare of the citizenry, and above all, to secure the "blessings of liberty" for Americans.

Which of the following statements about the Declaration of Independence is accurate? Answers: a. It was written jointly by members of the First Continental Congress and adopted by the Second Continental Congress. b. It made no attempts to forge a national or American unity for fear of creating another monarchy to replace the British one. c. It used the language of Britain's own constitution against it by asserting that individual citizens possess certain inalienable rights. d. It specifically identified and focused on grievances, aspirations, and principles that might unify the various colonial groups. Response Feedback:

d. It specifically identified and focused on grievances, aspirations, and principles that might unify the various colonial groups. FEEDBACK: In political terms, the Declaration was remarkable because it identified and focused on grievances, aspirations, and principles that might unify the various, and very diverse, colonial groups.

The core component of the Virginia Plan was that Answers: a. a weak central government would be needed to protect individual states from aristocratic tyranny. b. individual state laws would supersede national law. c. each state would be equally represented in the new regime regardless of the state's population. d. it provided for a system of representation in the national legislature based on the population of each state or the proportion of each state's revenue contribution to the national government, or both. Response Feedback:

d. it provided for a system of representation in the national legislature based on the population of each state or the proportion of each state's revenue contribution to the national government, or both. FEEDBACK: The first plan proposed for the foundation of the new Constitution called for representation in the national legislature based on the population of each state. Because the states varied enormously in size and wealth, the Virginia Plan was thought to be heavily biased in favor of the large states.

Which of the following structural aspects was established for the legislature by the Constitution? Answers: a. Senators were given four-year terms of office. b. The Senate was given sole power to generate revenue bills. c. The House was given the power to ratify treaties. d. The Senate was given the power to approve presidential appointments. Response Feedback:

d. The Senate was given the power to approve presidential appointments. FEEDBACK: Though the approval of both the House and the Senate was required for the enactment of a law, the Constitution gave the Senate alone the power to ratify treaties and approve presidential appointments. The House, on the other hand, was given the sole power to originate revenue bills.

In what way did the federal government attempt to combat state opposition to national policies for a time in the 1960s? Selected Answer: Answers: a. preempting state regulations by ruling that they were in opposition to federal laws b. expanding its control over interstate commerce by taxing state commercial operations as a means of forcing state cooperation c. cutting off federal funding to state and local governments altogether and putting that money toward federal programs that interacted directly with citizens d. bypassing states altogether by making federal grants directly to local governments Response Feedback:

d. bypassing states altogether by making federal grants directly to local governments FEEDBACK: For a time in the 1960s, many of the new federal grants bypassed the states and instead sent money directly to local governments. This tactic was a means of sidestepping state opposition to national policies.

The commerce clause of Article I, Section 8, of the U.S. Constitution affords Congress broad regulatory power over what? Selected Answer: Answers: a. intertribal trade between Native Americans b. international commerce c. intrastate commerce d. interstate commerce Response Feedback:

d. interstate commerce FEEDBACK: Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress power over "commerce between the states," or what later came to be known as interstate commerce.

Who gets what, when, and how is a definition of Answers: a. deceit. b. efficacy. c. partisanship. d. politics.

d. politics FEEDBACK: Noted political scientist Harold Lasswell once famously described politics as the struggle over "who gets what, when, how."

Under the traditional system of dual federalism, the national government's primary functional role was Selected Answer: Answers: a. engagement in international diplomacy. b. the regulation of the nation's military. c. the coercion of citizens through regulation of livelihoods. d. the assistance of the nation's commerce. Response Feedback:

d. the assistance of the nation's commerce. FEEDBACK: Under the traditional system, almost all of the national government's functions were aimed at assisting commerce. It engaged in infrastructure projects, provided cash subsidies to businesses, pursued westward expansion, and heavily taxed imported goods.

Block grants consist of federal aid to state or local governments that is Selected Answer: Answers: a. to be spent on any policy area decided on by the state or local government. b. contingent on state or local endorsement of some contentious piece of federal legislation. c. divided into discrete "blocks" of grants, each capped at $50 million. d. to be spent within a specified policy area, though without the narrow regulations of categorical grants. Response Feedback:

d. to be spent within a specified policy area, though without the narrow regulations of categorical grants. FEEDBACK: The block grant has been used by proponents of state authority as a means of reducing federal control. It is a grant that provides federal money to be spent in a broad policy area, but it lacks the specific restrictions of a categorical grant.

As a political value, individual liberty Answers: a. ranked behind equality in the minds of the Constitution's framers. b. became less important once ratification became certain. c. was coequal with equality and democracy when examining the Constitution at the Founding. d. was preeminent for the Constitution's authors. Response Feedback:

d. was preeminent for the Constitution's authors. FEEDBACK: The Constitution's framers placed individual liberty ahead of all other political values, a concern that led many of the framers to distrust both democracy and equality and to fear the development of majority tyranny.

unfunded mandates

started being an issue in the 1980s when the federal government would pass laws that mandated that the states take some action and not provide them with the money to implement the requirement.

what is the era of regulated federalism

the 1970s the federal government not only gave categorical grants to states and localities to implement Congressional legislation, but they also started to require states to implement executive department regulations.

. During the Dual Federalism era

the federal government did not give money to the states.

block grants

the opposite of a categorical grant, in that the federal government gives a chunk of money to the states and the states can spend it however they want. They were favored by Republican administrations in the 1970s and 1980s era of regulated fed. that pre-emption became an issue

what is pre-emption?

the principle that allows the national government to override state or local actions if they file a lawsuit against the state or locality. Another way to think about the term "pre-emption" is that states must enforce a national law that is based on a constitutionally enumerated or implied power event if the state government has its own law on the matter.