Chapter 3 (Federalism)
Which of the following is a factor that shifted national and state governments towards cooperative federalism?
- As the nation began to face more complex problems in the 30s and 40s, multiple levels of gov. were required to step in
______ federalism can create a "race to the bottom" as states attempt to lure businesses by keeping taxes and social spending low. This is generally thought of as a(n) ____ of federalism.
- Competitive - disadvantage
How did the concept of dual federalism affect the balance of power between state governments and the national government?
- Dual federalism limited power of national gov
Since the start of the 1970s, how has the Supreme Court ruled regarding the commerce clause of the Constitution?
The Court limit Congress' ability to use commerce clause to address national problem
Match the type of government to the practice of power it describes.
Unitary - A single national government makes all laws. Federal - A country has a government with political subunits, with each subunit having a degree of autonomy and authority. Confederal - A state has the power to veto a law made by the central government.
Complete the following statement describing how a unitary system differ from the U.S. federal system In a unitary system, all laws and decisions are made by the ____ government. In a federal system, powers are divided between the ______ and national governments.
- national - state
Contrast the differences between block grants and categorical grants by labeling each characteristic with the correct type of grant.
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
How does the Constitution promote the idea that the states are part of a larger nation and not independent entities?
Correct Ans: - The Constitution requires states to honor the public acts and judicial proceedings of each other. - The Constitution prohibits states from passing laws that favor their citizens over citizens of other states. Incorrect Ans: - The Constitution prevents states from using police powers. - The Constitution places strong limits on local governments.
Police powers rest with the federal government.
False
In Supreme Court cases since the 1980s that bear on issues of federalism, how have the Court's decisions influenced the power of the states relative to the national government?
Many rulings have increased state power
One of the amendments to the Constitution states, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." This is primarily an argument for which of the following?
stronger state powers
Place the versions of federalism in chronological order from the earliest to the most recently introduced.
- layer cake - marble - picket fence - coercive
Did the following Supreme Court cases grant power to the states or to the federal government? Match each case to the outcome.
Gave power to the federal government - Gibbons v. Ogden - McCulloch v. Maryland Gave power to the states - United States v. Lopez
Fill out the Venn diagram to show what powers belong to the states, belong to the national government, or are shared by both.
Powers Delegated to the National Gov - declaring war - signing an international treaty Shared (concurrent) Powers - collecting taxes - borrowing money Power Reserved to States - licensing a lawyer
How is power distributed in the U.S. federal system?
Powers are divided between the. national and state gov
According to the supremacy clause in Article VI of the Constitution, when state laws and federal laws are in conflict, the federal law takes precedence over the state laws.
True
Despite some early cases to the contrary, power predominantly remained with the states until the 1930s, at which point the federal government expanded into many new areas.
True
Federal preemption is a form of coercive federalism.
True
From the very beginning of the Preamble to the Constitution, the Founders laid out a vision of a stronger national government.
True
In the past 30 years, the Court has made it more difficult for the federal government to impose remedial legislation on the states.
True
Read the following hypothetical example and select the part that demonstrates the full faith and credit clause. Marisol and Jennifer were visiting New Jersey from their home state of Oregon. Once they arrived, they found that they could still drive on the roads of New Jersey because of their Oregon driver's licenses. They also found that they did not have to pay any higher tolls on the highway despite being from out of state. Finally, they found that the food they ate was subject to the same federal regulations as the food they ate back home
drive on the roads of New Jersey because of their Oregon driver's licenses
The arrangement of powers in a federalist system is dynamic and can lead to conflict between levels of government. What aspect of federalism is most commonly disputed in the United States?
how power is divided
Traditionally, liberals have favored which of the following?
more power for the federal gov
Complete the following statement describing the ways that federalism changed after the Civil War. After the Civil War, Congress amended the Constitution to guarantee equal protection under the law for all citizens under the ______ Amendment. Congress would also use this amendment to pass additional civil rights laws. However, in the decades following the Civil War, the Supreme Court ________ federal power and reinforced the notion of dual federalism.
- Fourteenth - limited
Which of the following is the best definition of dual federalism?
- National and state governments are distinct entities providing separate services.
_____ powers are those that allow the government to provide for public safety. In the United States, they are vested with the____
- Police - state gov
If the U.S. Congress passes a law aimed to stop state governments from discriminating against employees based on age, this is known as what kind of legislation?
- Remedial
Which part of the Constitution ensures that an adoption of a child that occurs in Florida is still valid in Tennessee?
- The full faith and credit clause
If the supremacy clause of the Constitution specifies that federal laws are "the supreme Law of the Land," why are there still so many ongoing debates about what the federal government can and cannot require state governments to do?
- The supremacy clause only applies to issues the Constitution says are federal powers
According to this animation, the EPA set new tougher standards for ozone and greenhouse gas emissions in 2015. This is an example of which kind of federalism?
- coercive
The United States has a ______ system that splits power between national and state governments. Each level of government has certain _____ powers, such as the federal government's responsibility for ensuring national defense and conducting foreign policy. However, in other areas, such as education or the environment, the levels of government have ____ powers, in that they both have certain important shared responsibilities to carry out.
- federal - exclusive - concurrent
Complete the following statement describing the relationship between the federal government and state and local governments. The _______ government is solely responsible for handling national defense and foreign policy. ______ governments are created by state governments.
- federal - local
The version of federalism that involves the least interaction between the levels of government is _____ federalism. The version that involves the national government most directly attempting to tell the state governments what to do is ______ federalism
- layer cake - coercive
Complete the following statement on the nature of citizen representation and federalism. On average, state governments tend to be _______ than the national government to the particular needs of their citizens. Citizen access to state governments is often _____ than is citizen access to the national government.
- more responsive - greater
Mary works at the U.S. Department of the Interior on issues dealing with national parks. She often works with people in the state-level departments of parks and recreation and departments of natural resources, but she rarely interacts with other federal bureaucrats outside the Department of the Interior. This is an example of______ federalism.
- picket fence
What competing views of government did the Constitution seek to reconcile?
- the need for a strong national gov versus the need to preserve the autonomy of the states
The argument in favor of states' rights—that states retain some powers under the Constitution—is most often associated with which amendment?
10
The idea of states having sovereign immunity is directly related to which amendment?
11
Match the type of federalism to its correct description.
Coercive federalism - the use of preemptions and unfunded mandates to compel states to follow federal policies Competitive federalism - the practice of states adopting different policies to attract business Dual federalism - an older form of federalism in which the state and national governments provide separate services Fiscal federalism - the use of federal funds to encourage states to comply with national policies
How federalism has worked in U.S. history has changed over time. Label each description with the type of federalism, dual or cooperative, that best describes it.
Cooperative - helps the government deal with more complex issues - more closely describes modern federalism Dual - less powerful national government - the earliest type of federalism in the United States
Which of the following describes how a more powerful national government can benefit citizens?
Correct Ans: - A powerful national government can better protect the civil rights of its citizens. Incorrect Ans: - A powerful national government always develops more innovative solutions to problems. - It is easier for citizens to participate in the national government. - A powerful national government understands how to take care of its citizens better than do state governments.
How can Congress maintain the power of the national government even when the Supreme Court strikes down federal laws?
Correct Ans: - Congress can clarify its intent to overturn some court cases. - Congress can use financial coercion to impose national policies on states. Incorrect Ans: - Congress can refuse to have a case heard in the Supreme Court by invoking its sovereign immunity. - Congress can ignore the will of the Supreme Court.
Study the following infographic and determine which of the following statements about picket fence federalism are accurate.
Correct Ans: - It shows more interaction between levels than the layer cake model. - It stresses that cooperation between government levels takes place within each separate policy area. Incorrect Ans: - It involves people from different policy areas working together to solve problems. - It is the most recent of the different models to have come into existence.
According to advocates of a larger role for state governments, what benefits to the country can stronger state governments offer?
Correct Ans: - Powerful state governments are a check on national tyranny. - States can develop innovative solutions to problems. Incorrect Ans: - States are better at protecting the civil rights of their citizens. - States have more resources than the national government.
Which steps has the federal government taken to reduce the burden of unfunded mandates?
Correct Ans: - The Congressional Budget Office is required to estimate how much unfunded mandates will cost states. - Unfunded mandates that cost more than $50 million require a separate vote. Incorrect Ans: - Congress is not allowed to pass unfunded mandates. - States are allowed to preempt federal laws for which the states have no funding. - Congress allows states to ignore mandates that do not come with adequate funding.
How did the federal government's power expand in the early 1800s?
Correct Ans: - The Supreme Court supported Congress's ability to regulate interstate commerce. - The Supreme Court ruled that Congress had the power to establish a national bank. Incorrect Ans: - South Carolina Senator John Calhoun proposed the "nullification" of federal laws.
Which of the following powers does the federal government have that state governments do not?
Correct Ans: - The federal government can declare war. - The federal government is responsible for international relations. Incorrect Answer: - The federal government can create or dissolve local governments. - The federal government administers all elections.
Which of the following powers does the Constitution grant the federal government?
Correct Ans: - The federal government can regulate commerce. - The federal government can create any law it needs to carry out its expressed powers. Incorrect Ans: - The federal government can license teachers. - The federal government can establish local governments.
Which of the following are examples of states properly exercising their powers in the U.S. federal system?
Correct Ans: - The state of California requires teachers to obtain specific credentials before they teach in public schools. Incorrect Ans: - The state of Alaska decides to leave the United States because it disagrees with a federal law. - The state of Florida prints its own currency that can be used to pay state taxes. - The state of Texas signs a treaty with Mexico to regulate immigration.
How did the Supreme Court limit the power of the national government after the Civil War?
Correct Ans: - declared major civil rights legislation to be unconstitutional - supported the notion of dual federalism - limited Congress's ability to regulate commerce Incorrect Ans: - declared the Fifteenth Amendment unconstitutional
Most of the models of federalism are still in use today, though one no longer is. The infographic shows how the versions of federalism work in practice. We can see evidence for all the models of federalism except which one?
Dual
Match the kind of federalism with an example of it in action.
Dual - A limited national government helps build roads and promote infrastructure, but otherwise most responsibilities are left to the states. Cooperative - The federal government provides grants to the states to encourage them to use more evidence-based practices in their education curricula. Coercive - The federal government sets a new environmental standard for emissions, and states are required to follow it.
The idea that people can "vote with their feet" is usually used to argue for more national power relative to the states.
False
How can competitive federalism affect low-income people?
Low-income people may suffer in states that lower taxes and decrease spending on social programs
The United States decides to change its policies on the death penalty. Even if other nations do not approve of this, the United States has the right to do so, free from foreign interference. This is an example of the United States having what kind of power?
Sovereign
Identify which of the following parts of the Constitution support a nationally-centered perspective on government and which parts support a state-centered perspective.
State Centered - Tenth Amendment (10th Amendment) - Eleventh Amendment (11th Amendment) Nationally Centered - supremacy clause - necessary and proper clause
