Pols 1100 Final Chapter 3
Specific powers provided to the national government in the U.S. Constitution are called ____ powers. - Expressed - Reserved - Concurrent - Defined
A - In American federalism, there are two recognized sovereigns; the Constitution grants a few expressed powers (powers specifically granted to Congress and the president in the Constitution) to the national government and reserves the rest for the states.
Most of the rules and regulations Americans face in their daily lives are set by - state and local governments. -the federal government. - regulatory commissions. -the U.S. Supreme Court.
A - States (and local governments empowered by them) exert most of their power through coercion, or the "police power" of the state - power over criminal codes, health and safety rules, marriage and divorce laws, private property, and the regulation of people's livelihoods. These constitute the bulk of rules and regulations American face in their daily lives.
Gibbons v. Ogden in 1824 was important because it - Gave the national government significant new authority to regulate interstate commerce - Established the principle of judicial review - Declared that interstate commerce was to be regulated by state governments - Established the principle of no fees on exports
A - The 1824 case of Gibbons v. Ogden reinforced a nationalistic interpretation of the constitution because it defined the power to regulate interstate commerce broadly, giving the national government supremacy in all matters of interstate commerce that involved more than one state
Which of the following statements about the evolution of federalism under the Bush Administration is accurate? - The Bush Administration oversaw a massive increase in federal authority over public education. - The Bush Administration used executive memos to reverse many instances of preemption by the federal government. -The Bush Administration sought to devolve national security power to the states. -The Bush Administration drastically increased federal authority over national healthcare.
A -Although conservatives often support great states' rights, the Bush Administration took some actions to increase federal power; among these was a massive increase in federal control over education through the No Child Left Behind Act.
McCulloch v. Maryland is an important case because -the Court interpreted the delegated powers of Congress broadly, creating the potential for increased national powers. - the Court gave a very restricted definition of Congress's delegated powers, in keeping with the era of dual federalism. -the Court announced that dual federalism did not conform to the framers intent. - this case began the era of dual federalism.
A- In McCulloch v. Maryland, the Supreme Court ruled that the national government could charter a national bank as an implied power of Congress. This expansive interpretation of national power opened the door for later expansion of national power.
The Supreme Court ruling in United States v. Lopez is important because - it was the first time since the New Deal that the Supreme Court limited the power of Congress under the commerce clause. -it was the first time that the Court had ever used the Tenth Amendment to limit the power of Congress. - the Court found that citizens could not bring racial discrimination suits against state governments. - the court found the line-item veto to be unconstitutional.
A- In United States v. Lopez, the Supreme Court struck down a federal law that barred handguns near schools. This was a landmark decision, as it was the first time since the New Deal that the Court had limited the commerce clause powers of the federal government.
Which of the following would best exemplify a characteristic of a unitary system of government? - The national government selects the textbooks and curriculum for all schools. -The national government provides categorical grants to the states with heavy policy restrictions for their use. -The national government trains and operates a military and has exclusive power to control its use overseas. - The state governments must defer to national governments in most of the regulation of interstate commerce.
A- In a unitary system, the national government would almost certainly design and mandate a specific teaching curriculum for all schools. All of the other options listed are, or have been, characteristics of the United States, which is a federal system.
New Federalism was generally characterized by -granting state and local governments greater control of nationally funded programs. -granting the national government greater control of state programs. - the consolidation of block grants into categorical grants. -an expansion on the use of the unfunded mandate.
A- The core motivation of New Federalism was to return power to the states through greater use of block grants, which would give states more control over the implementation of nationally funded programs.
What type of situation in American federalism has often resulted in the act of preemption? -A state refuses federal funding because the funding comes with additional policy requirements. -A state action is found to be inconsistent with a federal requirement. - A federal law is found to be encroaching on the reserved powers of the states. -The federal government releases a state from the responsibility to abide by a particular guideline or regulation.
B - Preemption, a principle which allows the national government to override state or local actions in certain policy areas, occurs when state and local actions are found to be inconsistent with federal requirements.
Why has the controversy over same-sex marriage been so closely linked to the full faith and credit clause? - It raises the issue of whether or not the marriage of two people from different states is a matter of interstate commerce. - It raises the issue of whether or not one state will recognize legal same-sex unions made in another state. - It raises the issue of whether or not federal benefits can be applied to legal same-sex marriages made by a state. - It raises the issue of whether or not the federal government can preempt the ability of a state to make a legal union between two people of the same sex.
B - The "full faith and credit" clause has become embroiled in the controversy over gay marriage because of the frequency with which couples married in a state where same-sex marriage is legal move to a state in which it is not. The full faith and credit clause suggests that any state must recognize legal unions made in another state, but federal intervention has complicated the issue.
Regulations or new conditions for receiving grants that impose costs on state and local governments for which they are not reimbursed by the national government is the definition of - preemption. - unfunded mandates. - fiscal federalism. - dual federalism
B - The 1980s saw the increased incidence of unfunded mandates, which were regulations or conditions imposed on federal grant acceptance that imposed costs on states and local governments - costs for which they were not reimbursed. For example, Congress mandated standards in areas like environmental regulations without providing additional funds to meet those standards.
In what way did the federal government attempt to combat state opposition to national policies particularly during the 1960s? - preempting state regulations by ruling that they were in opposition to federal laws - bypassing states altogether by making federal grants directly to local governments - cutting off federal funding to state and local governments altogether and putting that money toward federal programs that interacted directly with citizens - expanding its control over interstate commerce by taxing state commercial operations as a means of forcing state cooperation
B- For a time in the 1960s, many of the new federal grants bypassed the states and instead sent money directly to local governments. This tactic was a means of getting around state opposition to national policies.
A block grant consists of federal aid to state or local governments that is - divided into discrete "blocks" of grants, each capped at $50 million. - to be spent within a specified policy area, though without the narrow regulations of categorical grants. -to be spent on any policy area decided on by the state or local government. - contingent upon state or local endorsement of some contentious piece of federal legislation.
B- The block grant has been used my proponents of state authority as a means of reducing federal control. It is a grant that provides federal money to be spent in a broad policy area, but that lacks the specific restrictions of a categorical grant.
The implied powers of the necessary and proper clause allow - state governments to nullify national government laws. -the national government to interpret its delegated powers expansively. - for judicial review. - the national government to reserve powers to state governments.
B- The doctrine of the necessary and proper clause has helped the national government to expand considerably the scope of its authority by allowing it to make laws that will help it to carry out its expressed powers. This clause has allowed for the expansive interpretation of the delegated powers.
Under the traditional system of dual federalism, the national government's primary functional role was -the regulation of the nation's military. - the assistance of the nation's commerce. - the coercion of citizens through regulation of livelihoods. - engagement in international diplomacy.
B- Under the traditional system, almost all of the national government's functions were aimed at assisting commerce. It engaged in infrastructure projects, provided cash subsidies to businesses, pursued westward expansion, and heavily taxed imported goods.
What is an example of a concurrent power? - the power of both the national and state governments to declare war - the power of both the national and state governments to print money - the power of both the national and state governments to charter banks and corporations - the power of both the national and state governments to ratify amendments to the U.S. Constitution
C- A concurrent power is an authority shared by both the states and the national government; these occurred primarily in the realm of commerce and currency. The power to charter banks and corporations are concurrent powers.
What is the purpose of the Tenth Amendment? -to give each state constitution the same protections as the federal constitution -to grant to the citizens of each state access to the federal court system - to limit the powers of the central government by establishing reserved powers for states and individuals - to establish the electoral college
C- The Tenth Amendment states that the powers that the Constitution does not delegate to the national government or prohibit to the states are "reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." This amendment saw renewed interest in the 1990s by conservatives who were interested in limiting the power of the federal government.
The commerce clause of Article I, Section 8, of the U.S. Constitution affords Congress broad regulatory power over what? - intertribal trade between Native Americans - international commerce -intrastate commerce - Interstate Commerce
D - Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress power over "commerce between the states," or what later came to be known as "interstate commerce."
In a federal system, power is distributed - within the state governments. - between the state and local governments. - within the national government. - between state and national governments.
D - The primary division of power and functions in a federal system is between the national government and the state governments
The power to declare war is an example of which type of power? - Reserved - Implied - concurrent - Expressed
D - The seventeen expressed powers listed by the Constitution, which are reserved for the federal government, include (among others) the power to collect taxes, coin money, declare war, and regulate commerce.
