Chapter 3 The Federal System

Confederation

Type of government in which the national government derives its powers from the states; a league of independent states.

National Powers (enumerated powers)

-Collect duties, imposts, and excises -Regulate commerce with foreign nations, among the states, and with Indian tribes -Establish rules of naturalization -Coin money -Establish a post office -Declare and conduct war -Provide for an army and a navy -Make laws necessary and proper to carry out Article I powers

State Powers (reserved powers)

-Set times, places and manner of elections and appoint electors -Ratify amendments to the U.S. Constitution -Take measures for public health, safety, and morals -Exert powers the Constitution does not delegate to the national government or prohibit the states from using -Establish local governments -Regulate commerce within a state

Concurrent Powers

-Tax -Borrow money -Establish courts -Make and enforce laws -Charter banks and corporations -Spend money for the general welfare

Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

A Supreme Court decision that ruled the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional and denied citizenship rights to enslaved African Americans. Dred Scott heightened tensions between the pro-slavery South and the abolitionist North in the run up to the Civil War.

Charter

A document that, like a constitution, specifies the basic policies, procedures, and institutions of local government. Charters for local governments must be approved by state legislatures.

Monarchy

A form of government in which power is vested in hereditary kings and queens who govern the entire society.

Totalitarianism

A form of government in which power resides in leaders who rule by force in their own self-interest and without regard to rights and liberties.

Oligarchy

A form of government in which the right to participate depends on the possession of wealth, social status, military position, or achievement.

Block grant

A large grant given to a state by the federal government with only general spending guidelines.

Bill of attainder

A law declaring an act illegal without a judicial trial.

Special district

A local government that is restricted to a particular function.

Iroquois Confederacy

A political alliance of American Indian tribes established in the seventeenth century that featured aspects of the federal system of government adapted by the Framers.

John C. Calhoun

A politician and political theorist from South Carolina who supported slavery and states' rights in the pre-Civil War era and served as vice president from 1825 to 1832.

Progressive federalism

A pragmatic approach to federalism that views relations between national and state governments as both coercive and cooperative.

Dillon's Rule

A premise articulated by Judge John F. Dillon in 1868 which states that local governments do not have any inherent sovereignty and instead must be authorized by state governments that can create or abolish them.

Democracy

A system of government that gives power to the people, whether directly or through elected representatives.

Secession

A unilateral assertion of independence by a geographic region within a country. The eleven Southern states making up the Confederacy during the Civil War seceded from the United States.

Which cases addressed the issue of whether the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment applied to actions of the states? A. Barron vs. Baltimore B. Dred Scott vs. Sandford C. Gibbons vs. Ogden D. Holden vs. Hardy

A. Barron vs. Baltimore

Which of the following is defined by separate and equally powerful state and national governments? A. Dual federalism B. Cooperative federalism C. Progressive federalism D. Marble-cake federalism

A. Dual federalism

The New Deal marked the end of _______ and the beginning of ________. A. Dual federalism; cooperative federalism B. Cooperative federalism; concurrent federalism C. Marble-cake federalism; layer-cake federalism D. Concurrent federalism; reserved federalism

A. Dual federalism; cooperative federalism

What type of federalism views the relationship between federal and state government as one that is both coercive and cooperative? A. Progressive federalism B. New federalism C. Marble-cake federalism D. Dual federalism

A. Progressive federalism

One of the goals of President Ronald Reagan's New Federalism was to ______________. A. Return power to the states B. Increase restrictions placed on categorical grants C. Eliminate expensive grants to the states D. Return power to the national government

A. Return power to the states

In the United States, which form of government is the most numerous? A. Special district B. Town C. Municipality D. County

A. Special district

Sixteenth Amendment

Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that authorized Congress to enact a national income tax.

Seventeenth Amendment

Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that made senators directly elected by the people, removing their selection by state legislatures.

A federal grant that would give states money for a new housing project, but that would require the states to make at least 50 percent of the housing available to low-income families, would be considered a(n) ______________. A. Block grant B. Categorical grant C. Programmatic request D. Unfunded mandate

B. Categorical grant

Which of the following is a document used to establish a local government? A. Dillon's Rule B. Charter C. Special district D. Interstate Compact

B. Charter

Which of the following is one of Congress's implied powers? A. Regulating interstate commerce B. Creating a national bank C. Coining money D. Conducting foreign relations

B. Creating a national bank

Which of the following is an example of a reserved power? A. Coining money B. Creating public safety regulations C. Providing an army D. Taxing

B. Creating public safety regulations

Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress the power to "punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas." What sort of power is the authority to punish pirates? A. Implied B. Enumerated C. Police D. Reserved

B. Enumerated

Which of the following is the clause of the Constitution that requires states to honor contracts from another state? A. Extradition B. Full faith and credit C. Ex post facto D. Bill of attainder

B. Full faith and credit

Which of the following was the first major Supreme Court decision to define the relationship between national and state governments? A. Dred Scott vs. Sandford B. McCulloch vs. Maryland C. Barron vs. Baltimore D. Gibbons vs. Ogden

B. McCulloch vs. Maryland

Which of the following was Franklin D. Roosevelt's program of relief, recovery, and reform during the Great Depression? A. Great Society B. New Deal C. Devolution revolution D. Square Deal

B. New Deal

Out-of-state residents have equal access to police protection as do in-state residents under the ________ clause. A. Elastic B. Privileges and immunities C. Interstate protection D. Full faith and credit

B. Privileges and immunities

Which is an example of a concurrent power? A. Coining money B. Taxing C. Administering elections D. Conducting foreign relations

B. Taxing

Which of the following enhances the power of the states? A. McCulloch v. Maryland B. the supremacy clause C. Barron v. Baltimore D. Gibbons v. Ogden

C. Barron v. Baltimore

Which of the following is the system of government adopted under the Constitution? A. Unitary B. Confederation C. Federal D. Aristocracy

C. Federal

In McCulloch vs. Maryland, the Marshall Court decided that the federal government could create a national bank based on the Constitution's __________ clause. A. Separation B. Reserved power C. Necessary and proper D. Establishment

C. Necessary and proper

Which of the following best describes the Rehnquist Court's decisions on federalism? A. The Court largely favored national power. B. The Court had a mixed record on federalism---favoring state power about half of the time and national power the other half C. The Court largely favored state power. D. The Court shied away from federalism cases

C. The Court largely favored state power.

South Carolina's decision in the 1830s that a federal tariff would not apply in its state exemplifies __________. A. The doctrine of secession B. Cooperative federalism C. The doctrine of nullification D. Dual federalism

C. The doctrine of nullification

One of the effects of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Amendments was _________________. A. A sound banking system B. The expansion of the power of state governments C. The expansion of the power of the federal government D. The strengthening of dual federalism

C. The expansion of the power of the federal government

According to Dillon's Rule, your local municipal government must be authorized by which of the following? A. The federal government B. The U.S. Constitution C. The state government D. Popular vote

C. The state government

Why is it that the states establish criminal laws? A. Dillon's Rule explicitly enumerates criminal laws as belonging to the states. B. These powers are implied as belonging to the state through the necessary and proper clause. C. These powers are reserved to the states. D. The states are responsible for all ex post facto laws

C. These powers are reserved to the states.

Roger B. Taney

Chief Justice of the United States who led the Supreme Court from 1835 -1864. Taney supported slavery and states' rights in the pre-Civil War era.

Municipalities

City governments created in response to the emergence of relatively densely populated areas.

Interstate compacts

Contracts between states that carry the force of law; generally now used as a tool to address multistate policy concerns.

If Congress were to pass a law declaring that Edward Snowden was guilty of two counts of illegal espionage and sentencing him to 20 years in jail, such a law would be overturned by the courts because _________ are prohibited by the Constitution. A. Ex post facto laws B. Guarantees of the privileges or immunities of citizenship C. Extraditions D. Bills of attainder

D. Bills of attainder

Which do state governments tend to prefer? A. Unfunded mandates B. Implied powers C. Categorical grants D. Block grants

D. Block grants

Which of the following was the first system of government of the United States? A. Federal B. Monarchy C. Aristocracy D. Confederation

D. Confederation

In his Court-packing plan, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed to _________________. A. Increase the salaries of those Supreme Court justices who voted to support this New Deal agenda B. Pack the Supreme Court's docket with a bunch of frivolous cases to hinder the Court's ability to dismantle his New Deal program C. Pack the public gallery of the Supreme Court with his supporters when it heard federalism cases to intimidate the justices D. Expand the number of Supreme Court justices by adding justices who would be friendly toward his policies

D. Expand the number of Supreme Court justices by adding justices who would be friendly toward his policies

Which of the following is true of the Roberts Court? A. It avoids deciding cases involving immigration B. It has recently tended to decide cases in favor of the states C. It avoids deciding cases involving health care D. It was initially reluctant to address high-profile federalism issues

D. It was initially reluctant to address high-profile federalism issues

Which of the following is a state's claimed right to declare a federal law void? A. Dual federalism B. Interstate compact C. Necessary and proper clause D. Nullification

D. Nullification

Which form of government is best defined as a few people ruling in their own interest over constituents? A. Aristocracy B. Monarchy C. Democracy D. Oligarchy

D. Oligarchy

Which political institution acts as the umpire of the federal system? A. The bureaucracy B. Congress C. The executive branch D. The Supreme Court

D. The Supreme Court

What best describes the difference between dual federalism and Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal government? A. Power sharing between the state and federal governments was relatively equal under the New Deal, but fairly unequal under dual federalism B. Dual federalism entrusted the national government to solve problems; the New Deal looked to the states for solutions C. Dual federalism was a patchwork of laws enacted by Congress; the New Deal was a single overarching law that governed the entire nation D. The national government had more power under the New Deal than under dual federalism

D. The national government had more power under the New Deal than under dual federalism

During Barack Obama's first term, he subscribed to a system in which policy matters are decided at the federal level when a consensus on federal standards can be reached, but are otherwise deferred to ____________. A. Congress B. The Supreme Court C. The people D. The states

D. The states

If you were living in a country with a unitary system of government, which government(s) would be strongest? A. the subnational or state governments B. the regional governments C. the local governments D. the national government

D. the national government

Programmatic requests

Federal funds designated for special projects within a state or congressional district. Also referred to as earmarks.

New Federalism

Federal-state relationship proposed by Reagan administration during the 1980s; hallmark is returning administrative powers to the state governments.

Ronald Reagan

Fortieth president of the United States, a Republican, who served from 1981 to 1989. Reagan led the nation through the end of the Cold War and his leadership led to a national shift towards political conservatism.

Categorical grants

Grants that appropriate federal funds to states for a specific purpose.

Ex post facto law

Law that makes an act punishable as a crime, even if the action was legal at the time it was committed.

Unitary System

Local and regional governments derive authority from the national government

Federal System

National government and states derive authority from the people

Confederate System

National government derives authority from states

Privileges and Immunities clause

Part of Article IV of the Constitution guaranteeing that the citizens of each state are afforded the same rights as citizens of all other states.

Extradition clause

Part of Article IV of the Constitution that requires states to extradite, or return, criminals to states where they have been convicted or are to stand trial.

Reserved powers

Powers reserved to the states by the Tenth Amendment that lie at the foundation of a state's right to legislate for the public health and welfare of its citizens.

Concurrent powers

Powers shared by the national and state governments.

Great Society

Reform program begun in 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson that was a broad attempt to combat poverty and discrimination through urban renewal, education reform, and unemployment relief.

Full faith and credit clause

Section of Article IV of the Constitution that ensures judicial decrees and contracts made in one state will be binding and enforceable in any other state.

Andrew Johnson

Seventeenth president of the United States, a Republican, who served from 1865 to 1869. Johnson had served as Abraham Lincoln's vice president and became president after Lincoln's assassination.

Abraham Lincoln

Sixteenth president of the United States, the first elected Republican president, who served from 1861- 1865. Lincoln, who led the Union during the Civil War, was assassinated in 1865 by a Confederate sympathizer, John Wilkes Booth.

Barron v. Baltimore (1833)

Supreme Court ruling that, before the Civil War, limited the applicability of the Bill of Rights to the federal government and not to the states.

Unitary system

System of government in which the local and regional governments derive all authority from a strong national government.

Federal system

System of government in which the national government and state governments share power and derive all authority from the people.

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

The Supreme Court upheld broad congressional power to regulate interstate commerce. The Court's broad interpretation of the Constitution's commerce clause paved the way for later rulings upholding expansive federal powers.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

The Supreme Court upheld the power of the national government and denied the right of a state to tax the federal bank, using the Constitution's supremacy clause. The Court's broad interpretation of the necessary and proper clause paved the way for later rulings upholding expansive federal powers.

Counties

The basic administrative units of local government.

Nullification

The belief in the right of a state to declare void a federal law.

Dual federalism

The belief that having separate and equally powerful levels of government is the best arrangement, often referred to as layer-cake federalism.

Tenth Amendment

The final part of the Bill of Rights that defines the basic principle of American federalism in stating that the powers not delegated to the national government are reserved to the states or to the people.

Barack Obama

The first African American president of the United States, a Democrat, who served as forty-fourth president from 2009 to 2017. Senator from Illinois from 2005 to 2008; member of the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004

Cooperative federalism

The intertwined relationship between national, state, and local governments that began with the New Deal; often referred to as marble-cake federalism.

John Marshall

The longest-serving Supreme Court chief justice, Marshall served from 1801 to 1835. Marshall's decision in Marbury v. Madison (1803) established the principle of judicial review in the United States.

Civil War

The military conflict from 1861 to 1865 in the United States between the Northern forces of the Union and the Southern forces of the Confederacy. Over 600,000 Americans lost their lives during this war.

Reconstruction

The period from 1865-1877 after the Civil War, in which the U.S. militarily occupied and dominated the eleven former states of the Confederacy.

New Deal

The political program enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s that greatly expanded the role of the federal government in order to combat the effects of the Great Depression.

Confederate States of America

The political system created by the eleven states that seceded from the Union during the Civil War, which ceased to exist upon the Union victory.

Implied powers

The powers of the national government derived from the enumerated powers and the necessary and proper clause.

Enumerated powers

The powers of the national government specifically granted to Congress in Article I, section 8 of the Constitution.

Calvin Coolidge

Thirtieth president of the United States, a Republican, who served from 1923 to 1929.

Herbert Hoover

Thirty-first president of the United States, a Republican, who served from 1929 to 1933 during the start of the Great Depression.

Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR)

Thirty-second president, a Democrat, who served from 1933 to 1945. FDR's leadership took the United States through the Great Depression and World War II.

Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ)

Thirty-sixth president of the United States, a Democrat, who served from 1964 to 1969. LBJ led the nation during the Civil Rights era and the Vietnam War.