Chapter 3

States can regulate some parts of interstate business if local interests require it.

Cooley v. Board of Wardens

Congress does not have the power to make laws for territories, like one to outlaw slavery.

Dred Scott v. Sandford

What is the meaning of the term unfunded mandate?

federal order requiring states pay for programs created at the federal level

In the United States, the political system that divides authority between the national and state levels is called _____.

federalism

The powers of the national and state governments as outline in the Constitution have resulted in more _____ over the years.

flexibility

The "lemon law" began in Connecticut and is now allowed in all fifty states. Connecticut and other states who test policies before other states adopt them are referred to as _____.

laboratories of democracy

What event halted the conservative trend toward devolution that began in the early 1990s?

the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001

What is meant by the devolution of power in the United States?

the transfer of powers from federal to state governments

Place the following tax burdens in order from smallest to largest.

top 1% in Texas taxes, lowest 20% (up to 20th percentile), lowest 20% (up to 20th percentile) in Texas taxes, top 1% in federal taxes

Voting for referenda is one way that citizens can become involved in their local government.

True

How did John Marshall interpret the necessary and proper clause?

Congress has the power to do what is appropriate.

Federalism means that there is no real power at local levels of government.

False

The U.S. government has never had to take over the functions of a state or local government because of the federal system created by the Constitution.

False

The present-day Supreme Court has a liberal majority.

False

Congress has the power to regulate most interstate business under the commerce clause.

Gibbons v. Ogden

What impact does federalism have on local prejudices?

It often allows for them to make their way into the law.

Which chief justice of the Supreme Court wanted to grow the power of the federal government in the early years of the republic?

John Marshall

Who pays the smallest share of their income in federal taxes? (according to the data table)

Lowest 20% (up to 20th percentile)

Confirmed the supremacy of national over state government.

McCulloch v. Maryland

Which of the following Supreme Court decisions stated that the federal income tax was unconstitutional?

Pollock v. Farmer's Loan and Trust Co.

Which of the following is a disadvantage of federalism?

Programs and policies are often duplicated at different levels of government.

Which Supreme Court case established and secured the powers of the U.S. government to regulate business and its interests?

Supreme Court rulings on the New Deal

The Supreme Court case Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857) favored more power for the states.

True

The Supreme Court case McCullough v. Maryland (1819) favored more power for the federal government.

True

Why has the distribution of power between state and federal governments in the United States changed over time?

The relationship between state and federal powers was kept vague by the founders to avoid disagreements.

Which aspect of the graphs could be improved to promote better comparison of the data?

The scale differs between graphs.

Block grants give states considerable freedom in using the funds.

True

What impact did the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 have on the process of devolution?

They helped reverse the process.

What is one act of government that is possible under a unitary system of government like Britain but virtually unthinkable under a federal system like the United States?

abolishing a lower level of government

Which of the following can the federal government use to influence the states?

categorical grant

What is the most common form of federal aid that state and local governments get?

categorical grants

_____ federalism occurs when states are pressured to adopt national solutions to local problems.

coercive

The Constitution categorizes power under federalism as national, state, and _____.

concurrent

Under President Franklin Roosevelt, the relationship between nation and state become more _____?

cooperative

If the Republican party is the minority in Congress and does not consistently occupy the executive branch, the most effective strategy for enacting new policy would be _____.

developing a local strategy to focus on securing power at the state level

Preventing Congress from interfering with the decisions of states is known as _____?

devolution

The process of transferring power from the federal government to the state is known as _____.

devolution

Federalism is defined as _____.

the sharing of power between national and state governments

Which entity has preserved sovereign authority under a confederal system, like that of the United States under the Articles of Confederation?

local units

The _____ is used to authorize legislative powers not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution.

necessary and proper clause

When a state declares that a federal law is not valid, this is called _____?

nullification

Since 2009, the Republic Party strongly _____?

opposes federal power

Assault and battery are prosecuted exclusively at the state and local levels because _____ apply to the states.

reserved powers

Which amendment assigns all power that are not explicitly given to the national government to the states?

tenth