Unit 1 Test Study Guide

In what federalism do the powers and policy assignments of different levels of government are like a marble cake, with mingles responsibilities and blurred distinction between layers of government?

Cooperative

Why have there been relatively few constitutional amendments?

A Constitution Amendment Bill requires more than a simple majority to be ratified

At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, delegates from larger states argued that each state's representation in the legislature should be proportional to its population. Smaller states argued that each state should have equal representation, regardless of population. The disagreement over representation threatened to derail the ratification of the United States Constitution. What accurately describes the compromise that led to both sides reaching agreement?

A bicameral legislature with an upper house representing each state equally and a lower house with representation proportional to each state's population

"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, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government..." -Jefferson What would the author most likely agree with?

A government is only just if citizens have a voice in it

The relationship between the states under the Articles of Confederation could best be described as what?

A loose league of friendship

In 1974, Congress created a program that grants money to state and local governments to help revitalize low-income communities. State and local governments can decide how best to use their money and used it to rebuild streets, fund libraries, and fix drinking water systems. This is an example of what type of federal aid?

Block Grants

In 1972, the federal government established the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. Recipients of aid must be women who are pregnant or breastfeeding or children under the age of 5 whose family income falls below 185% of the federal poverty line. This is an example of what type of federal aid?

Categorical Grants

A president issues an executive order banning newspapers from printing articles critical of the US government. The Supreme Court declares the executive order unconstitutional because it violates the First Amendment right to freedom of the press. This is an example of what principle of US government?

Checks and Balances

What is a good summary of the decision in US v Lopez?

Congress cannot use the commerce clause to regulate the possession of firearms in public schools

The necessary and proper clause is best defined as what?

Congress has the power to carry out its enumerated powers

What would violate the 10th Amendment?

Congress passing a law raising the minimum driving age to 21

What is clearly a condition of aid?

Congress requiring states to set their drinking age at 21 in exchange for highway funding

The concept that the national government is supreme in its own sphere while the states are equally supreme in theirs is known as what type of federalism?

Dual Federalism

The government of Maryland is considering increasing its welfare benefits significantly. What describes a difficulty that the state government may face in the policy implementation process?

Due to the "privileges and immunities" clause of Article IV, poorer citizens of other states might move to Maryland in order to take advantage of the benefits

During the 1980s, members of the Republican Party advocated for the devolution. What is a difficulty Congress might face in implementing devolution?

Due to the concurrent powers of state and national government, many programs are administered by both state and federal agencies

The literal listing of powers possessed by Congress in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution are commonly known as...

Enumerated powers

What statement accurately describes federalism?

Federalism is a division and sharing of powers between a national and regional government

What action by the federal government would most likely be considered an implied power based on the precedent established by McColloch v Maryland?

Outlawing the recreational use of marijuana

An informal group advocating for a $15 minimum wage collects 590,000 signatures from registered voters in their state. In the next election, this initiative appears on the ballot for voters to decide whether it becomes a state constitutional amendment. This is an example of what model of democracy?

Participatory Democracy

"In a pure democracy the people are the sovereign, and their will is declared by themselves; for this purpose they must all come together to deliberate, and decide. This kind of government cannot be exercised, therefore, over a country of any considerable extent; it must be confined to a single city, or at least limited to such bounds as that the people can conveniently assemble, be able to debate, understand the subject submitted to them, and declare their opinion concerning it." - Brutus No. 1 Based on the text, what would the author most likely agree with?

Participatory democracy does not work in large countries.

"The influence of factious leaders may kindle a flame within their particular States, but will be unable to spread a general conflagration through the other States. A religious sect may degenerate into a political faction in a part of the Confederacy; but the variety of sects dispersed over the entire face of it must secure the national councils against any danger from that source. A rage for paper money, for an abolition of debts, for an equal division of property, or for any other improper or wicked project, will be less apt to pervade the whole body of the Union" - Madison (Federalist No. 10) What model of representative democracy is consistent with this passage?

Pluralist Democracy

After Congress proposes a bill to allow businesses to purchase land that was once a national park, several people form an environmental interest group. They reach out to several senators to get their support to block the bill. This is an example of what model of democracy?

Pluralist Democracy

After a House of Representatives member supports an unpopular tax despite protests from his constituents, he loses his bid for reelection. This is an example of what democratic ideal?

Popular sovereignty

"Because of the two-party system, voters often find themselves voting for the 'lesser of two evils', rather than a candidate they really feel would do the best job... Since most states distribute their electoral votes on a winner-take-all basis, the smaller party has no chance to gain support without seeming to take this support from one of the major parties. Few people will support a party that never wins, especially when they are supporting that party at the possible expense of their least favorite candidate taking power." - FairVote.org What governmental policy would this author most likely agree with?

Reforming or eliminating the Electoral College

Several oil companies donate to a pro-fracking interest group after hearing that the federal government plans to pass a law banning fracking in the United States. The interest group then appeals to members of Congress in attempt to get them to vote against the bill. What democratic ideal does this scenario best exemplify?

Republicanism

"Mitt Romney and I ran a long and spirited campaign against one another. But I've always believed that when he was governor here in Massachusetts he did the right thing on health care. And then Deval did the right thing by picking up the torch and working to make the law work even better. And it's because you guys had a proven model that we built the Affordable Care Act on this template of proven, bipartisan success. Your law was the model for the nations law." - Obama on the Affordable Care Act What is a statement that is most consistent with Obama's argument in this passage?

State and local governments can become proving grounds for new ideas

The National Recovery Act of 1933, enacted by Franklin Roosevelt's administration to combat the Great Depression, vastly expanded the power of the federal government to regulate wages and labor standards. This scenario is the best example of what aspect of federalism?

The changing balance of power between the states and federal government in response to societal needs

"When land forces are raised by any State for the common defense, all officers of or under the rank of colonel, shall be appointed by the legislature of each State respectively, by whom such forces shall be raised, or in such manner as such State shall direct, and all vacancies shall be filled up by the State which first made the appointment." - AoC What is a consequence of this policy?

The federal government did not have the power to create a centralized military during peace times.

What is fiscal federalism?

The pattern of spending, taxing, and providing grants in the federal system

What scenario best illustrates the concept of "separation of powers" in the US Constitution?

The president commands the nation's armed forces, while Congress has the power to ratify treaties

In 1972, both houses of Congress passed the ERA. However, it failed because 3/4 of states did not ratify it before the deadline expired. This is an example of what aspect of federalism in the US?

The sharing of power between states and the federal government contains national policymaking

"To what expedient, then, shall we finally resort, for maintaining in practice the necessary partition of power among the several departments, as laid down in the Constitution? The only answer that can be given is, that as all these exterior provisions are found to be inadequate, the defect must be supplied, by so contriving the interior structure of the government as that its several constituent parts may, by their mutual relations, be the means of keeping each other in their proper places." - Federalist No. 51 What best summarizes Madison's argument?

The structure of the government itself should limit its powers

Republicanism is best defined as...

The system by which the interests of the people are represented through elected leaders.

What system allows national governments the right to alter or even abolish local government?

Unitary System

The central issue in the framing of the US Constitution was...

how strong to make the national government

The Americans with Disabilities Act requires state and local governments to provide equal access for the disabled, as stipulated by the federal government. This is an example of the federal government's power to issue a...

mandate

The doctrine of nullification refers to...

the claimed authority of the states to declare a federal law void for violating the U.S. Constitution