Gov

________ is defined as a way to improve government performance by encouraging state and local governments to contend against each other for residents, businesses, investment, and national funding.

Competitive federalism

________ refers to a constitutional arrangement in which sovereign nations or states, through a constitutional compact, create a central government but carefully limit its power and do not give it direct authority over individuals.

Confederation

Which of the following is true of the Fifteenth amendment of the provisions of the U.S. Constitution? Question options:

It states that state governments cannot deny franchise based on "race, color, or previous condition of servitude."

People tend to become politically active when ________.

issues become more intense and seem to directly affect them

A judicial interpretation is a device for constitutional change, whereby ________.

judges modify a constitution's provision by reinterpreting its meaning

In which government do U.S. citizens usually have the most trust?

local governments

In the context of national grants, Democrats tend to favor ________.

more detailed, federally supervised spending

In 2004, an amendment to eliminate language in Alabama's constitution that requires segregated schools and a poll tax was _______.

narrowly defeated

The constitutional basis for the implied powers of Congress is the ________ clause.

necessary and proper

The ________ is a type of ballot that encourages party line voting by listing all of a party's candidates in a column under the party name.

party column ballot

Which of the following is the most important predictor of voting behavior?

party identification

Separating state elections from presidential or federal elections ________.

permits voters to focus more closely on state issues

According to Article I, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution, the U.S. Congress may not alter regulations regarding the ________.

places of choosing senators

Which amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees women the right to vote?

Nineteenth Amendment

Which of the following best describes typical state constitutions?

They are subject only to the broad limitations of the U.S. Constitution.

Which amendment of the constitution prohibits states from requiring voters to pay a poll tax?

Twenty-Fourth Amendment

A constitutional initiative petition is ________.

a way in which voters may place a proposed state constitutional amendment on the ballot by petition

A(n) ________ is a type of ballot offered in some states that can be requested by citizens who are unable to reach the polls on Election Day. The ballots are sent as well as submitted through the mail.

absentee ballot

Compared to the federal constitution, state constitutions are generally ________.

amended more often

Interstate compact refers to ________.

an agreement among two or more states

Unlike the federal constitution, most state constitutions ________.

are amended on a regular basis.

Why are professional associations concerned with public policy?

because the states provide their licenses and determine the requirements to become licensed

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program is ________. Question options:

both a block and formula grant

People who favor national action over action at the state and local levels are known as ________.

centralists

How many constitutions has Alabama had till date?

6

Which of the following statements about block grants is true?

Block grants are limited to specific amounts set by the national government.

How is the party chair for a party chosen?

elected by the party's central committee

________ grants for specific purposes, such as Medicaid health care for the poor, are tightly monitored to ensure that the money is spent exactly as directed.

Categorical

________ are powers inferred from the express powers that allow Congress to carry out its functions.

implied powers

Two-thirds of the states elect governors ________.

in presidential midterm years

Which of the following is an example of a direct strategy for influencing state legislators?

in-house lobbying

State governments can also hold ________ to vote on a ballot initiative, a statewide constitutional change or a new constitution, or to replace a U.S. senator who has died or resigned.

special elections

As a result of new judicial federalism, ________.

state courts have used their state bill of rights to provide more protection than found in the U.S. Bill of Rights

To combat disenfranchisement, which act was pushed for and signed by President Lyndon Johnson?

the Voting Rights Act

A constitutional arrangement that concentrates power in a central government is known as a(n) ________ system.

unitary

If the constitution of a country vests all governmental power in the central government, then it is most likely to follow a(n) ________ system of governance.

unitary

Which of the following professionals are NOT typically licensed by the state?

waiters

In the United States, the national government exercises exclusive authority over matters pertaining to ________.

war and peace

The first state constitutions _______

were outgrowths of colonial charters

Which of the following citizens are prohibited from voting in a majority of states in the United States?

prison inmates

Amending state constitutions is a two-step process involving ________.

proposal and ratification

All powers not specifically delegated to the national government by the Constitution are known as ________ powers. These powers can be found in the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution.

reserve

Only the states have the powers to create schools and local governments. These powers exemplify ________.

reserve

What is the main concern of critics with regard to online voting?

security risks

What is meant by redistribution of resources?

shifting wealth from one segment of the population to another, generally from rich to poor

________ refers to the divisions in a community among socioeconomic groups or classes.

Social stratification

Which of the following is true regarding the constitutional roles of state and federal governments in regulating elections?

All elections for national offices are held by and within the states.

Which of the following statements about the constitutional framework of the U.S. federal system is true? Question

Apart from the powers delegated to it by the Constitution, the national government has numerous inherent powers.

Which of the following is true with regard to the supremacy clause?

Contained in Article VI of the Constitution, the clause gives national laws the absolute power even when states have enacted a competing law.

________ refer to the constraints on how much a single contributor may give to a candidate in an election or period of time.

Contribution limits

________, which was dominant from the 1930s through the 1970s, is defined as a flexible relationship between the national and state governments in which both work together on a variety of issues and programs.

Cooperative federalism

________ refers to allowing voters from outside the party to help determine the party's nominee.

Crossover voting

________ laws are a fundamental element of campaign finance regulation that ask candidates to file statements specifying who contributed money to their campaigns, and how much the individuals or organizations gave and when.

Disclosure

________ is defined as a strict separation of powers between the national and state governments in which each layer has its own responsibilities, and reigns supreme within its constitutional realm.

Dual federalism

Which of the following statements is true about the disadvantages of federalism?

Federalism promotes variation in policies that creates inefficiencies and inequalities.

________ refer to elections in which voters elect officeholders.

General elections

The landmark ruling of ________ in 1824, affirmed the broad authority of Congress over interstate commerce.

Gibbons v. Ogden

Which of the following statements is true of interest groups?

Interest groups are weaker in states where the state government is strong, active, and professional.

Which of the following is true with regard to the full faith and credit clause?

It refers to the clause in the Constitution requiring each state to recognize the civil judgments rendered by the courts of the other states and to accept their acts as valid.

What is a one-party state?

It is a state in which one party wins all or nearly all of the offices, and the second party receives only one-third of the popular vote.

Which of the following is true of the nature of control over the vast electoral process in the United States in its rules and administration?

It is decentralized.

Which of the following is true of the provisions of the Twenty-Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution?

It prevents states from denying the vote to otherwise qualified persons aged 18 or older.

Which of the following is reason for the relative lack of public interest in local government?

Local governments are mostly concerned with seemingly noncontroversial, routine issues.

In ________ (1819), the Supreme Court had the first of many chances to define the division of power between the national and state governments.

McCulloch v. Maryland

________ refer to elections used to determine who will run in the general elections under the party labels.

Primary elections

________ are laws authorizing grants of government funds to qualifying candidates for elective office, to be used in their campaigns.campaigns.

Public financing laws

________ refer to procedures for submitting to popular vote measures passed by the legislature or proposed amendments to a state constitution.

Referendums

________ refer to elections in which voters decide on ballot initiatives, vote on statewide constitutional changes or new constitutions, or elect a senator or representative to replace one who has died or resigned.

Special elections

Which of the following best describes recent trends in state and local government spending as compared to federal government spending over the past 30 years?

State and local government spending has grown, while federal spending has decreased except for federal spending in 2009-2011.

Which of the following is true about constitutional initiative petitions?

They tend to be used for controversial issues.

________ is the term used to describe number of people in a state aged 18 or older minus non-citizens, prisoners and others who cannot vote.

Voting-eligible population

In 2012, several residents of Wisconsin were unhappy with Governor Scott Walker's push for anti-union legislation. Which of the following should they have used to remove him from office?

a recall election

Pluralism is ________.

a theory of government that holds that open, multiple, and competing groups can check the asserted power of any one group

A ________ divides governmental powers between the national government and state governments, giving clearly defined functions to each. Question options:

constitution

Decentralists differ from centralists in that ________.

decentralists believe that the national government should not interfere with activities reserved for the states

Powers given explicitly to the national government and listed in the Constitution are known as ________.

delegated

Interest groups ________.

educate and organize voters

The day-to-day operations of a political party are usually carried out by the party's ________, a full-time employee who oversees the staff, assists the chair, coordinates the work of the central committee and other party officials, and serves as a liaison with the national organizations.

executive director

________ refers to the requirement the national government imposes as a condition for receiving federal funds.

federal mandate

A constitutional arrangement in which power is distributed between a central government and states is known as ________.

federalism

In the United States, the national government assumes major responsibility for ________.

funding recovery efforts after natural disasters

Lack of citizen interest in, and participation in, local politics is often referred to as ________.

grassroots apathy

Concurrent powers refer to ________.

powers that the Constitution gives to both the national and state governments

A(n) ________ is a vote for all of one party's candidates.

straight ticket

The most common method for proposing amendments to a state constitution is ________.

taking action by using state legislatures

Compared to state and national elections, local elections ________.

tend to have lower levels of turnout

Citizen opposition to having a drug treatment clinic or a prison in their neighborhood is an example of ________.

the "Not In My Back Yard!" response

Which of the following acts increased the focus on voter identification as a means to combat voter fraud?

the Help America Vote Act

Which of the following acts made it easier for Americans to register to vote?

the Motor Voter Act

While practicing new judicial federalism, judges in state courts rely upon ________.

their state's bill of rights