exam 1.1

Question 1

is the US a direct or a representative democracy

Answer 1

representative

Question 2

what did James Madison mean when he used the term ‘republic’

Answer 2

representative democracy

Question 3

WHO SAID THIS

“But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.”

Answer 3

James Madison

Question 4

main inspiration for the declaration of independence

Answer 4

john locke

Question 5

key arguments of John Locke

Answer 5

individuals owned themselves
they own their labour and the property their labour produces
governments are instituted to protect property

Question 6

What was the main outcome of the articles of confederation

Answer 6

it created a loose federation of the individual states (like the UN)

Question 7

What are some fiscal limitations of congressional power?

Answer 7

they can’t tax the individual

they can’t regulate commerce

Question 8

what is Shay’s Rebellion?

Answer 8

Shays’ Rebellion was an armed uprising in Western Massachusetts in opposition to a debt crisis among the citizenry and the state government’s increased efforts to collect taxes both on individuals and their trades; the fight took place mostly in and around Springfield during 1786 and 1787.

Question 9

What did the Virginia plan call for and who liked the plan?

Answer 9

a bi-cameral (two chambers) legislature based on population
(aka the current plan)
States with large populations were big fans of this plan

Question 10

What did the New Jersey plan entail and who liked the plan?

Answer 10

it wanted each state to be represented by one person in a uni-cameral legislature
federal government would rule and tax the states
states with smaller populations were big fans of this plan

Question 11

How did the writers of the constitution treat slavery?

Answer 11

they used euphemisms to dance around the idea

“other persons”

Question 12

what is the 3/5 compromise?

Answer 12

The compromise solution was to count three out of every five slaves as people for this purpose. Its effect was to give the Southern states a third more seats in Congress and a third more electoral votes than if slaves had been ignored, but fewer than if slaves and free people had been counted equally.

Question 13

What is the Great (Connecticut) Compromise?

Answer 13

Bi-cameral legislature with representation equal to today
single executive removable by impeachment
life tenure appointment by judiciary

Question 14

How did the articles of confederation treat the constitution

Answer 14

it was never ratified under the requirements for amendments set out in the articles of confederation. They say that any change requires unanimous consent, but Article VII of the Constitution requires only 9 states to ratify for it to go into effect.

Question 15

what were the federalist papers

Answer 15

newspaper op-eds encouraging the states to ratify the US constitution

Question 16

what is a faction

Answer 16

A political faction is a group of individuals within a larger entity, such as a political party, a trade union or other group, or simply a political climate, united by a particular common political purpose that differs in some respect to the rest of the entity.

Question 17

What did Madison think of factions

Answer 17

the best way to deal with faction is to extend the sphere of interests and parties

Question 18

What did Madison think about the separation of powers

Answer 18

the best way to separate powers is to give each branch the means to stop the other branches, and to allow the ambition of one branch to check the ambition of the other

Question 19

why did the anti-federalists oppose the constitution

Answer 19

The anti-Federalists were chiefly concerned with too much power invested in the national government at the expense of states.

Question 20

why did Alexander Hamilton oppose the idea of a bill of rights

Answer 20

because it had the potential to take away power from a government that was already lacking power.

Question 21

what is the usual ratification procedure for a constitutional amendment

Answer 21

by passage of 2/3 of the US House and Senate and ¾ of the state legislature.

Question 22

what are the first three articles of the US Constitution about?

Answer 22

I - the legislature
II - the executive
III - the judiciary

Question 23

What’s longer: the constitution of the US or the constitution of Missouri

Answer 23

The Missouri Constitution (42,600 words) is much longer than the US Constitution (4,543). This is not unusual for state constitutions because states operate on a broader array of subjects than the national government (the police power). However, the length and difficulty of the language make it less likely citizens read their state constitution.

Question 24

What’s one key difference between the ways that the US and the Missouri constitutions are written?

Answer 24

The Preamble of the Missouri constitution is much more explicitly religious than the US Constitution’s preamble.

Question 25

What is the difference in passing amendments between the US and the Missouri constitutions

Answer 25

Amending the Missouri Constitution is much easier than amending the US Constitution. The usual way to amend the Missouri Constitution is majorities in both legislative chambers and voters support it as a ballot referendum.

Question 26

What is the origin point of the state of Missouri

Answer 26

louisiana purchase (1803)

Question 27

What happened in the Missouri Compromise of 1820

Answer 27

The Missouri Compromise of 1820 admitted Missouri to the Union as a slave state while at the same time it admitted Maine as a free state. As part of the compromise slavery was prohibited (excluding Missouri) north of the Southern Missouri border (36°30′).

Question 28

Where did Missouri stand during the civil war?

Answer 28

Missouri supported the Union in the Civil War, even amending the state constitution in 1865 to demand a loyalty oath out of its voters. (Drake’s Constitution)

Question 29

what is federalism

Answer 29

Federalism is a system of government in which entities such as states or provinces share power with a national government.

Question 30

what is a unitary system of government

Answer 30

A unitary system of government, or unitary state, is a sovereign state governed as a single entity. The central government is supreme, and the administrative divisions exercise only powers that the central government has delegated to them.

Question 31

what is meant by the term ‘police power’

Answer 31

the power to regulate the health, safety, and morals of citizens and it belongs to state governments.

Question 32

what is Dillon’s rule

Answer 32

Dillon’s rule-states have authority over local governments.

Question 33

what is Home Rule

Answer 33

Home rule-allows local governments to rule as they see fit, as long as it does not conflict with state laws.

Question 34

What happened in the trial of McCulloch v Maryland

Answer 34

(1819),
involved the legality of the national bank and a tax that the state of Maryland imposed on it.
In its ruling, the Supreme Court established firstly that the “Necessary and Proper” Clause of the U.S. Constitution gives the U.S. federal government certain implied powers that are not explicitly listed in the Constitution,
that the American federal government is supreme over the states, and so states’ ability to interfere with the federal government is limited

Question 35

What is the “necessary and proper” clause

Answer 35

“The Congress shall have Power - To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.”

Question 36

What is the “necessary and proper” clause also referred to as

Answer 36

the “elastic clause” because it stretches congressional power

Question 37

What happened in the trial of Gibbons v Ogden

Answer 37

(1824),
held that the power to regulate interstate commerce, granted to Congress by the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution, encompassed the power to regulate navigation

Question 38

what is the key differences between dual federalism and cooperative federalism

Answer 38

during the era of dual federalism, the national and state governments usually operated individually of one another. The two levels have often been compared to a layer cake. The shift to cooperative federalism led to more sharing of responsibilities. The result was a mingling of federal and state powers like the swirls of a marble cake

Question 39

what is a grant in aid

Answer 39

Congress provides money to state and local government for particular purpose(New Deal, Example: Assistance to poor children.)

Question 40

what are block grants

Answer 40

federal grants in aid that allow states considerable discretion e.g. New Federalism (New Federalism is a political philosophy of devolution, or the transfer of certain powers from the United States federal government back to the states.)

Question 41

what does devolution mean

Answer 41

To remove a program from one level of government by delegating it or passing it down to a lower level

Question 42

what is creative federalism

Answer 42

(usually associated with LBJ’s Great Society program) expanded partnership between national government and states with national government funding and regulating programs, including the national government using its spending power to by-pass state legislatures.

Question 43

what are some variations of legislative powers in state governments

Answer 43

everyone is bicameral
but Nebraska who is unicameral and non-partisan
terms for politicians vary
some have professional legislators and some have citizen legislators

Question 44

what are some variations of executive powers in state governments

Answer 44

• Generally 4 years terms, 2 term limit, but not always.
• Some states have multiple executives which divides power-Governor, Treasurer, Secy. of State, State Attorney General.
• Wide variations as to powers of Governors.

Question 45

what are some variations of judicial powers in state governments

Answer 45

• Most states have a misdemeanor courts, trial courts and appellate courts.
• If there is a federal question, state court decisions can be appealed to the US Supreme Court.
• Wide variety of judicial selection-appointment, elections (partisan and non partisan, merit selection. Also some use retention elections.

Question 46

3 main problems with the articles of confederation

Answer 46

no executive power

too much state power

only way to amend articles is to get all 13 states to agree

Question 47

define demagoguery

Answer 47

obtaining power by means of impassioned appeals to the emotions or prejudices of the populace