GOVT Unit 1
A proponent of states rights and enumerated powers would be more likely to quote the _________ Amendment to the Constitution.
Tenth
an election on a public policy issue is called a(n)
referendum.
The chief obstacle to ratification of the Constitution by the states was
the omission of a bill of rights.
Conflicts related to power-sharing between states and the national government are settled by
the supreme court.
The idea that all adults within the boundaries of a political community should be allowed to vote is known as
universal participation
Based on 2012 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the United States is home to as many as __________ local governments of different sorts.
90,000
Which metaphor best describes dual federalism?
A layer cake
Which metaphor best describes cooperative federalism?
A marble cake
Why do most democracies give power to representatives rather than directly to citizens?
Bringing large numbers of citizens together for discussions and votes is difficult, decisions may require specialized knowledge not possessed by the average citizen, and discussion of political issues consumes more time than most people are willing to spend.
The framers of the Constitution intended _________ to be the strongest branch(es) of government.
Congress
Hobbes took his ideas about man in the state of nature from his experience in the
English Civil War.
Supporters of the Constitution named themselves
Federalists.
The concept of democracy was initially defined centuries ago in ancient
Greece
Which political Philosopher said that life in a state of nature is "solitary, poore, nasty, brutish, and short."
Hobbes
The power of Congress to charter a bank is an example of what type of power?
Implied
Which philosopher's writings most closely resemble United States' political writings?
Locke
The Federalist Papers were drafted by
Madison Hamilton and Jay
The Supreme Court first declared that the courts have the power to overturn government acts that conflict with the Constitution in
Marbury v. Madison
The first fighting in the American Revolution happened in ________ in early 1775
Massachusetts
Locke would describe that man in the state of nature has _____, while Hobbes believes man in the state of nature has _____.
Perfect freedom/conflict
Whereas majority rule is defined as decision making by 50 percent plus one person, ___ is defined as decision making by most participants.
Plurality rule
Two nations with deep ties to the principle of communism that have moved in the direction of more private property are
Russia and China.
Which document proclaimed We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights
The Declaration of Independence
One result of the Second Continental Congress was
The adoption of the Declaration of Independence.
Which of the following is an incorrect description of the cooperative federalism model?
The functions and responsibilities of the national and state governments are clearly defined.
According to the New Jersey Plan how was representation to be structured in Congress?
There would be one house and all states would have equal representation in it.
A confederation can best be described as
a loose association of independent states.
According to the theory of dual federalism, __________________ the nation and the states.
a rigid wall separates
According to the text, in the past few years, there has been ____ in the number of democracies around the world.
a slight decline
The Great Compromise provided for
a two-chamber legislature with equal representation for all states in one chamber and population-based representation in the other.
According to the text, political liberals fear stronger states' rights because it
allowed inequality and supported racism.
Laws, according to Locke, should
apply equally to all, be for the good society, not raise taxes without the consent of the governed, not transfer power to another w/o the consent of the governed
Under separation of powers the U.S. system keeps power among branches balanced by enabling one branch to counter the actions of another by the use of
checks and balances.
Although globalization can threaten national security, this can create desirable outcomes, as shown by the international community's attempt to force Bashar al-Assad to surrender Syria's
chemical weapons.
In a system of participatory democracy,
citizens govern themselves, without electing representatives.
The basic standard of substantive democracy is that government must guarantee
civil rights and liberties.
The ___________ gives Congress the power to regulate commerce among the states.
commerce clause
The use of highway construction funds has been an effective means to promote
cooperative federalism.
Locke says this is the first and fundamental act of society
create rules of society (constitution)
Hobbes believes that this form of government would be best
dictatorship
Locke believes the powers of government should be
divided
Someone who believes that the elastic clause of the Constitution should be narrowly interpreted is most likely to endorse the concept of _________ federalism.
dual
The Great Depression represented a shift away from __________ and toward __________.
dual federalism; cooperative federalism
A constitutional clause that allows for a broad interpretation of implied powers is known as a(n) __________ clause.
elastic
The "necessary and proper" clause of Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution is an example of a(n) "__________ clause
elastic
Suppose that top government jobs for both political parties are filled only from inner circle of top corporate leaders. This would be evidence for
elite theory.
Article I Section 8 of the constitution articulates the principle of _________ granting Congress limited powers.
enumerated powers
States' rights supporters believe that Congress should restrict its activities to
enumerated powers.
Shays' Rebellion consisted of
farmers trying to prevent foreclosure on their property for debts and taxes owed.
Since 1995 the Supreme Court has frequently
favored states' rights.
After the failure of the Articles of Confederation the founders adopted a ________ form of government strong enough to maintain order but not to dominate the states.
federal
Unless they are impeached federal judges serve
for life
A power not specifically mentioned in the Constitution but necessary if another specific grant of power is to be carried out is called a(n) _________ power.
implied
Under Chief Justice John Marshall, the early Supreme Court generally
increased national power.
A citizen's group gathers enough signatures on a petition to force a popular vote on a statewide lottery proposal. This proposal would represent a(n)
initiative.
When the authors say that we live in an era of "globalization", they mean that citizens and nations are increasingly
interdependent.
An organized group that seeks to influence government policy is called a(n)
interest group.
which of the following can be considered an institutional mechanism in politics?
interest groups, political parties, legislatures, and elections.
Article I of the Constitution refers to the
legislative branch.
The broad, basic definition of government given by the text is
legitimate use of force within specified geographic boundaries to control human behavior.
According to Locke, the reason for men to leave the state of nature is for the preservation of
life, liberty, and property
A popular election is the primary mechanism for democratic government in which model?
majoritarian model
An important problem with the procedural view of democracy is that it can clash with
minority rights.
Globalization can be seen as a threat to
national sovereignty.
What rules govern the use of referenda at the federal level?
no provisions exist for the use of referenda at the federal level.
The text of the Constitution deals with slavery by
not mentioning it directly.
An autocracy is a political system ruled by
one individual
According to Locke, if the government is not doing what society says it should, i.e. preserving life, liberty etc. the people have the right to
overthrow it
According to John Marshall's decision in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), the elastic clause might be interpreted to mean that Congress can take a particular action not specified in the Constitution if that action is
plainly adapted to achieving a legitimate constitutional end.
The text suggests that the United States fulfills the _____ model quite well.
pluralist
What is the most important function of government according to Hobbes?
political Stability/Peace
A country abiding by the principle "one man, one vote" is practicing
political equality
According to the ___ view of democracy, anti-gay marriage laws are democratic.
procedural
Locke believes people base their decisions on
reason
A republic is a government
resting on the consent of the governed through their representatives.
The chief objective of the First Continental Congress was to
restore peaceful relations between the colonies and Great Britain.
Originally the Constitutional Convention's purpose was to
revise the Articles of Confederation.
The assignment in the Constitution of lawmaking law-enforcing and law-interpreting functions to the legislative executive and judicial branches respectively is known as
separation of powers.
Hobbes and Locke are considered to be what kind of political theorists?
social contract
A government unit created to perform particular functions, such as fire protection and water purification and distribution is known as a(n)
special district
Suppose a majority of Congress passes a law to permit organized prayer in public schools and the Supreme Court declares that the Constitution forbids this rule; this would be an example of
substantive democracy
The main argument against the need for a bill of rights was that
the Constitution established a government of limited powers; because the government was not given the power to regulate individual liberties no bill of rights was necessary.
From the 1930s to the mid-1990s,
the Supreme Court tended to support expansion of national authority.
The broad, basic definition of politics given by the text is
the authoritative allocation of values for a society.
The original procedure for selecting the vice president under the electoral college was
the candidate with the next-greatest number of votes would become vice president.
The power to coin money belongs to __________ and the power to grant divorces belongs to _________.
the federal government; the states
The Constitution explicitly recognizes
the national government and state governments.
Antifederalists attacked the proposed Constitution on the grounds that
the national government it created was too strong.
Article VI of the constitution contains provisions establishing
the supremacy clause and the no religious test clause.
The general conclusion of the Supreme Court in United States v. Lopez was that
there are limits to the national government's ability to regulate behavior based on the commerce clause.
The Articles of Confederation failed because
they did not provide an effective means for the government to raise money they did not include an independent leader to direct the government and they did not give the government the power to regulate commerce.
The basic premise of federalism is that
two or more governments share power and authority over the same land and people.
To amend the Articles of Confederation required a(n)
unanimous vote of the Confederation Congress.
According to Madison in Federalist No.10 the most common and durable source of factions has been
unequal distribution of property.
Hobbes believes that governmental powers should be
unified in one institution.