We the People Ch.3 - Federalism

Which amendment to the Constitution is most frequently cited to bolster arguments in favor of states' rights?

10th Amendment

During which period of time has the United States had a system of dual federalism?

1789 - 1937

By how many percentage points are Americans 65 and older more likely to vote than Americans ages 18 to 29?

30%

Complete the following statement about the era of dual federalism. One benefit of the federal structure is that by allowing the ________________ to do most of the governing, the Constitution saved the _______________ from many policy decisions that might have proved too divisive for a large and young country.

> state governments > national government

A strong federal government, and its influence over policy, offers some advantages that devolution and greater state control over more policies might not. Identify the potential advantages and disadvantages of having a strong national government with a strong influence over policy.

Advantage of a strong national govt.: > Competition between different state and local governments to attract businesses to their communities can undermine other policy goals. > The national interest sometimes overrides the local needs of the states. Disadvantage of a strong national govt.: > Federally administered programs are not always fully funded by the federal government. > State and local governments understand the needs of their citizens better than does the federal government.

Contrast the differences between block grants and categorical grants by matching each characteristic to the correct term.

Block grants: > offer more power to states > offer more flexibility > federal funds to states for a general policy purpose Categorical Grants: > offer more power to the federal government > federal funds to states for a specific purpose

Which of the following are possible advantages of federalism?

Correct Answer(s): > Federalism offers the potential for unity for diverse countries. > Federalism allows for the opportunity for greater policy experimentation and innovation. Incorrect Answer(s): > Federalism ensures that policies are consistently enacted across the nation.

Which of the following statements about turnout in major American cities are accurate?

Correct Answer(s): > In none of these cities does a majority of the voting-age population turn out for municipal elections. Incorrect Answer(s): > Washington, D.C., has the highest turnout in municipal elections. > The bigger the city, the higher the turnout.

Which of the following statements on the balance between state and federal power today are accurate?

Correct Answer(s): > The Supreme Court often must intervene to resolve balance-of-power issues between the states and the federal government. > Conservatives are willing to increase federal power, just as liberals are willing to expand state autonomy. Incorrect Answer(s): > The federal government is now free to impose "all-or-nothing" conditions on the states. > Fearing preemption, state and local governments tend to adopt a "wait and see" attitude before the federal government acts.

How did the Great Depression influence the power of the federal government?

Correct Answer(s): > The federal government took a more active role than before in providing economic security for Americans. > Federal grants-in-aid became a powerful tool to redirect state governments' policy. Incorrect Answer(s): > Congress reacted to a weak economy by limiting the power of the federal government, turning over responsibilities to combat the Great Depression to the states. > President Roosevelt limited the power of the states based on the rationale that they were no longer politically stable.

Which of the following statements about turnout are accurate?

Correct Answer(s): > The older the American citizen, the more likely they are to vote. > Americans are much more likely to vote than participate in politics in other ways. Incorrect Answer(s): > Within the last five years, most Americans have attended some sort of local government meeting. > Younger Americans are more likely than older Americans to attend local government meetings.

In the early 1800s, during the era of dual federalism, which statements accurately describe the relationship between the powers of federal and state governments?

Correct Answer(s): > Very little overlap existed between the powers of the federal and state governments. > State and local governments made most of the laws that impacted daily life. Incorrect Answer(s): > States were allowed to negotiate treaties with other nations to secure favorable trade conditions. > The federal government's policies were mostly aimed at coercing citizens' behavior.

Order these eras of federalism by when they first started, from earliest to most recent.

Earliest dual --> cooperative --> New Most Recent

Match each type of governmental system to its correct description.

Federal system: > A central govt. shares power w/ lower levels of government. > This system tends to occur in states w/ diverse ethnic or language groupings. Unitary System: > Lower levels primarily implement central govt. decisions > A central govt. makes the most important decisions.

Match the type of power to the correct level of government.

Federal: > implied > expressed State: > reserved Federal & State: > concurrent

How is power distributed in the U.S. federal system?

Power is divided b/w the national & state governments.

Suppose you were a member of a San Antonio group that wanted to promote voter registration and increase turnout in local elections. Based on the data presented in this chart, which city would you most likely study first if boosting turnout was your biggest concern?

Seattle - b/c it has the highest turnout in municipal elections

In the 1960s, state governments began to lose power relative to the federal government. What was the primary cause of this change?

The federal government did not trust states to implement new federal policies in areas such as civil rights and the War on poverty

Welfare is an example of a redistributive policy.

True > Because welfare programs transfer money from the general tax pool to the poor, it is considered a redistributive policy.