Chapter 3

Question 1

Congress

Answer 1

was intended to be the primary branch

Question 2

Separation of power

Answer 2

refers to the division of governmental power (legislative, executive, and judicial for example) between institutions but within the same layer of
government.

Question 3

checks and balances

Answer 3

Each branch has checks and balances upon the others such as veto and
appointment power.

Question 4

Why stagger elections?

Answer 4

• Preserve institutional memory.
• Inhibit radical shifts in ideology from elections.
• Stagger reelection concerns.

Question 5

Bill of Rights

Answer 5

• First 10 amendments to the Constitution

* First 9 are generally for people, 10th is discusses the rights of states.

Question 6

9th amendment

Answer 6

shouldn’t take the rights spelled out in these Amendments as exhaustive or fixed.
- This protects against future arguments that would limit the interpretation of
existing rights or even block all future rights claims.
- Think about privacy rights here as a good example.

Question 7

10th amendment

Answer 7

states rights.

• The document didn’t cover everything so to placate the states rights group the 10th amendment promises that any power not granted to the federal government remains a state right.
• Think about education as a good example of a classic states rights issue.
• This protects the states against encroaching Federal authority.

Question 8

Federalism

Answer 8

a system of government in which power is divided and/or shared between differing levels. (ie local, state, national).

Question 9

Unitary

Answer 9

British type system with strong central government holding all power from national to local.

Question 10

Confederal

Answer 10

Opposite extreme of above, states and/or local governments hold majority of power. (think European Union or United Nations).

Question 11

Federal

Answer 11

A mixture of the two above systems with powers shared between the national and local units of government.

Question 12

Dual Federalism

Answer 12

• The so-called “Layered Cake” Federalism

* Separate spheres of influence for each level

Question 13

Cooperative Federalism

Answer 13

• The so-called “Marbled Cake” Federalism

* Each level can cooperate on the same subjects, they have concurrent powers.

Question 14

enumerated powers

Answer 14

Constitution gives power to the national government via enumerated powers:
• Necessary and Proper Clause
• Supremacy Clause

Question 15

Necessary and Proper Clause:

Answer 15

Congress is allowed to pass laws necessary and proper to fulfilling its role and exercising enumerated powers

Question 16

Supremacy Clause:

Answer 16

• National laws will take precedent before state laws.
• Nullification (ie states disregarding laws that they don’t agree with) has been found unconstitutional and ended via a civil war.

Question 17

Devolution

Answer 17

The practice of shifting power back to the state governments.