042 - Chapter 42 - American Federalism

Jonas lived in the United States in 1789 and was very interested in studying all aspects of the government. Why was the time Jonas lived in classified as dual federalism?

Because the national government and state governments had responsibilities that rarely overlapped {Explanation - Dual Federalism rests on the idea that, 'The states have their responsibilities, and the national government has its responsibilities.'}

This type of government is often the largest political subdivision within the state and is responsible for locally administering state laws and collecting taxes.

County government {Explanation - County government is the public administration of a county, borough or parish. Usually, county governments are the largest political subdivision within a state. A county government's main function is to locally administer state laws and collect taxes.}

John is talking to a coworker in the state legislative office who is complaining that what started as a joint project of the state and federal government is completely dependent upon federal funding. Thus, this project is completely dependent upon the federal government. What is this an example of?

Creative federalism {Explanation - Creative federalism is a subset of cooperative federalism. The federal government and the state governments cooperated to administer programs, but the federal government eventually made the state governments too dependent on the federal government.}

What form did federalism take during the turbulent 1960s?

Creative federalism {Explanation - Creative federalism was the form the government took in the 1960s as the United States grappled with societal problems such as poverty.}

_____ refers to the practice of the federal government handing over some responsibility of federal social programs to the states to administer at their discretion.

Devolution {Explanation - Devolution also describes how this particular era of politics where federal programs were downsized and state responsibilities were increased.}

The president of a country falls ill, passing some of the presidential authority to the vice president. This transfer of certain power describes:

Devolution {Explanation - Devolution is the transfer of powers from one entity to another.}

Block grants from the federal government are given to the states, which have discretionary power on how to use the funds. This describes:

Devolution {Explanation - Since devolution is the transfer of power from one entity to another, the federal government is giving money to the states and therefore transferring the power between the two.}

This legal doctrine recognizes that the individual states and the federal government have sovereignty. As such, it allows prosecution at both the state and federal level without violating double jeopardy:

Dual sovereignty {Explanation - According to the Dual Sovereignty Doctrine, more than one entity may prosecute an individual if that individual is accused of violating the law of each entity. This means that the Fifth Amendment's Double Jeopardy Clause doesn't apply to situations where an individual is prosecuted at the federal and state levels.}

Which of the following scenarios is caused specifically by the Fourteenth Amendment?

Individual states cannot pass legislation that would derail civil rights, such as a reintroduction of slavery. {Explanation - The Fourteenth Amendment, enacted after the American Civil War, limits state powers while protecting the basic rights of citizens. Its purpose was to keep individual states from passing legislation that infringed on constitutional rights. Slavery would be such an infringement since it was banned by the Thirteenth Amendment.}

Which of the following BEST describes a function of local government?

Local governments are responsible for organizing and running entities such as law enforcement, libraries, parks and city utilities. {Explanation - Local government is the public administration of towns, cities, counties and districts. Local government runs our city utilities, libraries, fire departments, public swimming pools, parks, local law enforcement and many other areas of our everyday lives.}

All of the following governmental departments are part of a municipality EXCEPT:

NOT: Tax assessor {Explanation - A tax assessor is a county official and is NOT part of a municipality.}

This legal principle says that the states can and should refuse to enforce unconstitutional federal laws:

Nullification {Explanation - Nullification maintains that the states can and should refuse to enforce unconstitutional federal laws.}

Ryan is an important government official working in the legislative branch. His duties include creating state legislation that can become state law, approving the state budget, and initiating tax legislation. How are Ryan's duties related to the duties of an official in the executive branch?

Officials in the executive branch are responsible for executing the laws that are created by the officials in the legislative branch. {Explanation - A state's executive branch is responsible for executing the laws that are created by the state's legislative branch and defined by the state's judicial branch.}

This doctrine says that the source of governmental power comes from the will of the people. As such, self-government stems from this doctrine:

Popular sovereignty {Explanation - The framers of the U.S. Constitution created our government to be exclusively controlled by the people of the U.S. This self-government is also known as Popular Sovereignty.}

Which of the following individuals is associated with new federalism?

Ronald Reagan {Explanation - New federalism is most associated with President Ronald Reagan and the 1980s. It allowed the states to reclaim some power while still recognizing the federal government as the highest governmental power.}

This document established American colonists' sovereignty and independence from Great Britain:

The Declaration of Independence {Explanation - In 1776, the Declaration of Independence formally announced the American colonies to be independent and sovereign states.}

Why was the power of the federal government increased as a result of the New Deal?

The New Deal's ambitious social programs and additional banking and commerce regulations provided more responsibility for the federal government. {Explanation - Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal brought new federal legislation implementing several new programs and policies in order to revive the economy. The legislation added new tasks and responsibilities to the federal government, thus growing its power.}

Which constitutional clause places the Constitution as the highest law in the land?

The Supremacy Clause {Explanation - This clause states that the U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the land.}

Who or what decides whether a state's individual laws or federal laws apply in a disputed situation?

The Supreme Court {Explanation - The Supreme Court, the highest federal court in the U.S., determines conflicts over states' rights versus federal powers.}

Within your state, decisions are made every day regarding issues such as state sales tax and state allocation of funds for infrastructure. Many of these decisions do not require any federal government involvement. What amendment to the constitution explains this situation?

The Tenth Amendment {Explanation - The Tenth Amendment states that: All powers not constitutionally given to the federal government are reserved to the states. In other words, the federal government's powers are limited. Though federal involvement in local matters has increased in recent years, the Tenth Amendment still provides states the freedom to manage themselves on many matters.}

Which of the following BEST illustrates the division of power in the U.S. based on federalism?

The states handle education, while the federal government administers the country's national defense {Explanation - Federalism is a division of power between the federal government and the individual state governments.}

Identify which of the following is a trait of progressive federalism?

There is a slight shift towards reclaiming power for the federal government through the use of federally supervised programs. {Explanation - Progressive federalism marks a slight shift toward reclaiming power for the federal government through the use of federally supervised programs. Often, these programs regulate areas previously left to the states}

Why is it important for state governments to work well with the federal government?

To ensure the success of large public works projects that benefit all states. {Explanation - State governments often work with the federal government on large public works projects, like interstate highways, that are of benefit to the states. The federal and state governments must cooperate and compromise with one another regarding the logistics of the project and payment for the project.}

Sometimes the states are required to follow a U.S. federal regulation in order to receive federal funding in that particular area. This rule is known as _____.

a condition of aid {Explanation - A condition of aid means that compliance with a particular mandate is a prerequisite for obtaining federal money for that issue. If states do not follow the mandate, they will lose the funding aid from the federal government.}

The U.S. Supreme Court decides issues related to the division of _____ and _____ powers.

federal; state {Explanation - The Supreme Court decides issues that arise because of the US system of federalism which divides powers between the federal government and the state governments.}

In the United States, citizens are subject to federal, state, and local laws. This is known as _____.

federalism {Explanation - Federalism is a method of government that allows two or more entities to share control over the same geographic region. That means not just the federal government, but state and local governments and their laws can control the citizens.}

The _____ branch of state government includes the entire state court system.

judicial {Explanation - A state's judicial branch is that state's court system, including the state Supreme Court justices.}

The jurisdiction of U.S. federal courts is _____.

limited to cases that involve the constitution or federal statutes. {Explanation - Federal courts can only hear cases authorized by the United States Constitution or federal statutes.}

Over the course of U.S. history, the balance of power between the federal government and the states has _____.

swung back and forth between the federal government and the states as the Supreme Court has changed {Explanation - The membership of the Supreme court has changed how the court has ruled on conflicts between the federal and state governments. For example, in the 19th century, the court ruled in favor of the federal government's power, but in the 1980s President Reagan appointed justices with a dedication to returning powers to the states.}

James Madison and Alexander Hamilton argued for in a series of essays called _____ in the advocation of a federal government.

the Federalist {Explanation - James Madison and Alexander Hamilton wrote essays in The Federalist that supported the formation of a federalist government.}