American Government Chapter 3

How did the Great Depression influence the power of the federal government?

Federal grants-in-aid became a powerful tool to redirect state governments' policy. The federal government took a more active role than before in providing economic security for Americans.

Why does the federal government impose regulations on money given to state governments?

Federal regulations ensure that states use their money in a responsible manner

Describe the relationship between the federal government, state governments, and local governments.

Foreign policy, especially such issues as declaring war, is primarily conducted at the - level. The only level of government not mentioned in the Constitution is the - level. federal local

How does 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, such as the one we have in the United States, powers are divided between the - and national governments. national state

How is power distributed in the U.S. federal system?

Powers are divided between the national and state governments

If a state gave its residents preference in obtaining work at the state's utility provider, this would likely violate which of the following Constitutional clauses?

Privileges and immunities clause

Which political party most favors devolution?

Republican

In the early 1800s, during the era of dual federalism, which statements accurately describe the relationship between the powers of federal and state governments?

State and local governments made most of the laws that impacted daily life. Very little overlap existed between the powers of the federal and state governments.

What is the source of local governments' authority?

State governments give local governments authority

How does the Constitution promote the idea that the states are part of a larger nation and not independent entities?

The Constitution prohibits states from passing laws that favor their citizens over citizens of other states. The Constitution requires states to honor the public acts and judicial proceedings of each other. States need congressional approval to enter into agreements with one another.

In 1937, the Supreme Court made a series of significant decisions addressing federalism. How did these decisions influence the course of federalism in the United States?

The Supreme Court upheld acts of congress that increased the power of the federal government.

Which of the following powers does the Constitution grant the federal government?

The federal government can coin money. The federal government can regulate interstate commerce. The federal government can create any law it needs to carry out its expressed powers.

In the 1960s, state governments began to lose power relative to the federal government. What was the primary cause of this change?

The federal government did not trust states to implement new federal policies in areas such as civil rights and the war on poverty.

The federal government often works to limit state-to-state variation in how policies are enacted. How does the federal government encourage policy standardization between states?

The federal government occasionally overrides state and local laws that are inconsistent with federal policies. The federal government uses grants-in-aid to reward states that enact policy in a manner consistent with congressional goals. The federal government sets national standards to which the states must adhere.

Which of the following is an example of preemption?

The federal government raises accessibility standards for the disabled. Any state with less stringent standards than the federal minimum must raise them.

Which of the following are examples of states properly exercising their reserved powers?

The state of California requires lawyers to obtain particular credentials before they can practice law.

According to Article VI of the Constitution, when state laws and federal laws are in conflict, the federal law will likely be favored over the state law.

True

In McCulloch v. Maryland, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of expanded powers for the federal government.

True

Welfare is an example of a redistributive policy.

True

federal funds to states for a specific purpose offer more power to states offer more flexibility

block grants

This type of grant from the federal government to states and localities comes with a condition that the expenditure be limited to a specific problem.

categorical

A limited national government helps build roads and promote infrastructure, but otherwise most responsibilities are left to the states.

dual

Did the following Supreme Court cases grant power to the states or to the federal government? Match each case to its outcome.

gave power to the states United States v. Lopez and Printz v. United States gave power to the federal government McCulloch v. Maryland and Gibbons v. Ogden

Part of the New York state constitution specifies that the state legislature cannot pass laws that affect New York City without first getting the city's approval. What concept is this an example of?

home rule

Match the following policies with the level of government that was responsible for that activity under dual federalism.

local government Correct label: public works national government Correct label: tariffs state government Correct label: property laws

In cases such as McCulloch v. Maryland and Gibbons v. Ogden , the early Supreme Court tended to favor the - government(s). This changed in the mid-1800s, and from then until the 1930s the Supreme Court tended to favor the - government(s).

national state

The federal government sets a new environmental standard for emissions and states are required to follow it.

regulated

The central government in France has considerable control over what the regional governments can and cannot do. The regional governments have little independent authority. France is a much more centralized system than is found in the United States. France is an example of what kind of division of power between central and regional governments?

unitary

During which of the following periods of time has the United States had a system of dual federalism?

1789 - 1937

Which parts of the Constitution led the Supreme Court to support the expansion of national power after 1937?

Commerce Clause Proper Clause

A strong federal government, and its influence over policy, offers some benefits that devolution to the states might not. Which of the following are potential benefits of federal control?

Competition between different state and local governments to attract businesses to their communities can undermine other policy goals. The national interest sometimes overrides the local needs of the states.

Federalism has come in various forms in different eras of American government. Match each kind of federalism with an example of it in action.

Congress creates a new law that imposes a burden on states that they must follow. regulated Federal and state governments largely take care of different issues and do not interact much. dual The federal government offers money to states as an incentive to persuade them to pursue a new policy. cooperative

Which steps has the government taken to reduce the burden of unfunded mandates?

Congress is required to find funding for unfunded mandates that exceed the maximum amount set by the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. The Congressional Budget Office must assess the cost of any particularly expensive unfunded mandates.

Order these eras of federalism by when they first started, from earliest to most recent.

Dual Cooperative New

Which of the following is an example of general revenue sharing?

Every year the federal government provides $200 million in funding to a city, with no strings attached.

Police powers rest with the federal government.

False

States prefer categorical grants to block grants.

False

States prefer regulated federalism to block grants.

False

Determine whether each of the following is an example of the full faith and credit clause or the privileges and immunities clause.

A marriage license granted in one state must be recognized in all the others. You can drive from one side of the country to the other without having to stop and get a new driver's license in each state.

Which of the following statements on the balance between state and federal power today are accurate?

Conservatives are willing to increase federal power, just as liberals are willing to expand state autonomy. The Supreme Court often must intervene to resolve balance-of-power issues between the states and the federal government.

Which amendment to the Constitution is most frequently cited to bolster arguments in favor of states' rights?

The 10Th Amendment

Which part of the Constitution ensures that an adoption that occurs in Florida is still valid in Tennessee?

The full faith and credit clause

federal funds to states for a general policy purpose offer more power to the federal government

categorical grants

The federal government provides grants to the states to encourage them to use more evidence-based practices in their education curricula.

cooperative

This system tends to occur in states with diverse ethnic or language groupings. A central government shares power with lower levels of government. Lower levels primarily implement central government decisions. A central government makes the most important decisions.

federal system federal system unitary system unitary system

Match the type of power to the correct level of government.

state reserved federal and state concurrent federal expressed and implied