Retention Exercises: CH 1-3

The 2000 election possessed by a government that:

is supreme in power and authority over a certain area

The power of the Supreme Court to declare any act of government unconstitutional is called:

judicial review

An economic system in which the means or production and distribution are privately owned and operated with no government involvement is called:

laissez-faire capitalism

How likely are voters to participate in state and local elections, compared to national elections?:

less likely

A candidate who states that, "government has no business doing most of what it does is most likely a:

libertarian

According to John Locke, the fundamental purpose of government is the protection of:

life, liberty and property.

Which of the following has no status in the US constitution:

local governments

When compared with the US constitution, most American state constitutions are:

longer and more detailed

The elastic clause is also known as:

necessary and proper

Nixon's attempt to return power the states through block grants:

new federalism

The text of the U.S. Constitution deals with slavery by:

not mentioning it directly

In the pluralist model, the main political actors are:

organized groups

Which of the following is certain to occur under the US system federalism?:

overlap in responsibilities of the various levels of government

Congress may pass all law necessary and proper including:

NOT bill of attainder or ex post facto laws

Which document said that we have "unalienable rights"?

The Declaration of Independence

Which was the first nation to adopt federalism:

US

When formal and effective limits are placed on the powers of the government, it is called:

a constitutional system

A writ of habeas corpus is:

a court order allowing a defendant to know the causes for detention

The Voting Rights Act represents a(n)?:

a federal attempt to control states legislation

Which metaphor best describes dual federalism?:

a layer cake

Which metaphor best describes cooperative federalism?:

a marble cake

The separation of powers allow for the division of governmental power:

among several institutions, to prevent one branch from gaining control over the government and to help each branch oversee the others

We have a Bill of Rights largely because of:

antifederalists papers

Totalitarian governments:

are free from any legal limits and try to eliminate individuals and groups who oppose their policies.

Richard Nixon's New Federalism:

began returning power to the state from the national level

A law that assigns guilt to a person without trial is called a:

bill of attainder

Some important reasons we need government include:

common defense and safety from crime

The system of government in which power is divided between a central government and regional governments is called:

federalism

The US constitution did not give Congress the authority to establish the Internal Revenue Service. Congress did so, however, to implement its power "to lay and collect taxes." This is an example of the use of a(n)"

implied power

The necessary and proper clause led to congress having:

implied powers

The Supreme Court's interpretation of the commerce clause has generally served to:

increase national power

The effect of national emergencies and constitutional amendments on federalism has been to:

increase the power of national government

Most criminal laws are written at the:

state level

The fundamental issue of the Civil War was:

states' rights

The Antifederalists believed in:

states' rights and A Bill of Rights

The Articles of Confederation was:

the first written constitution of the US

The broad basic definition of government given by the text is:

the legitimate use of force within specified geographic boundaries to control human behavior

The 10th amendment states that powers not delegated to the national government or prohibited to the states are reserved to:

the state or the people

Why did the Great Depression signal a more active national government:

the states proved unable to cope with demands of the poor

Before women could vote:

they led in the moral realm of politics

The Equal Rights Amendment:

was never added to the constitution

The promotion of equality:

was not a governmental concern before the 20th century

An understanding of government, politics, and democratic principles is called:

political knowledge

Of the following major objectives of government, the most recent one is:

promoting equality

Unfunded mandates are:

regulations that impose costs on local or state governments that are not reimbursed by the federal government

An example of autocracy is:

rule by king

Plessy v Ferguson said that:

separate by equal is legal

The 3/5's Compromise concerned:

slavery and the apportionment of congressional seats

Authority over many militias:

sometimes falls under the state and sometimes under the government

Civil rights became part of the constitution with the:

14th amendment- citizen rights if born in or naturalized

Which amendment allowed the bill of rights to be applied to the states?:

14th amendment- citizen rights if born in or naturalized

Which of the following is not a voting amendment:

14th amendment: citizenship

Which amendment guaranteed African American males the right to vote?

15th

Political involvement is lowest in:

18-24 y/o's

In a federal system:

2 or more governments exercise power and authority over the same people and territory

When the federal government limits the purpose of aid to a specific problem or group, it is called a:

categorical grant

The Civil War amendments include:

13th- abolished slavery 14th- citizens born or naturalized have rights 15th- forbade discrimination on right to vote based on color, race or previous servitude.

The first 10 amendments to the Constitution are called the:

Bill of Rights

Examples of public goods are:

Education, parks and roads

The Supreme Court case that was the first to recognize Congress' implied powers:

McCulloch v Maryland

Which plan was considered heavily biased in favor of large states:

The Virginia Plan

The philosopher who described life without government as "nasty, brutish and short" was:

Thomas Hobbes

The Declaration of Independence has input from many people, but it's primary author was:

Thomas Jefferson

At the Founding, who was included in the political community:

White, male, property owners

A republic is:

a system of government in which people choose representatives

A democracy is:

a system that permits people to greatly participate in governmental affairs

The system under which each branch of government is able to influence the other branches is called:

checks and balances

The reasons for British tax increases included:

defending the colonies

Government policies pose dilemmas because they almost alway require:

difficult choices among conflicting values

Powers specially granted to Congress are called:

expressed powers

Powers retained by the states include:

family law, licensing professions, and criminal codes

Shay's Rebellion consisted of:

farmers trying to prevent foreclosure on their property for debts and taxed owed.

Which of the following best summarizes the decisions of the Supreme Court with regard to the powers of the national government?

from the 1930s-1990s they tend to support the expansion of the national authority; recently, they have been placing limits on that authority

The Constitutional provision that requires states to recognize actions and decisions taken in other states is called:

full faith and credit

An important federal strategy for creating homogeneity across the states is:

grants-in-aid and regulations

The oldest objective of government is:

guaranteeing the safety of life and property

The Federalist Papers were written to:

help ratify the constitution

Services that benefit all citizens but are not likely to result from the voluntary acts of individuals are known as:

public goods

The national government's authority over the states is guaranteed in the:

supremacy clause

Sovereignty is a quality possessed by a government that:

supreme in power and authority over a certain area

Problems for liberty in America have included:

the enslavement of African Americans, government's expansion into economic and social activity, and seatbelt laws.

The theory of nullification is the idea that:

the federal government could declare a state law null and void

The Founders' motives for constructing a new constitution centered on:

their own economic self-interest and popular philosophies and moral principles