EXAM FEDERALISM Flashcards
Federalism is
A system of shared power by the state and national governments
A form of governmental structure in which the national government is weak and most or all power is in the hands of it’s components is known as
A confederation
The workings of the federal system are sometimes called
intergovernmental relations
A unitary government is a way of organizing government so that
Power is concentrated in a central government
Federalism is a way of organizing a nation so that
Both national and state levels of government have authority over the same land and people
In our federal system, the powers of the state governments are ultimately gained by
the US constitution
As the framers wrote the Constitution they had no practical choice but to adopt a federal system for all but which of the following reasons?
America had always had a federal system and it would have been too radical and disruptive a change to adopt another system
The supremacy clause of the Constitution states that all of the following are the supreme law of the land, XCEPT
state constitutions
The Constitution’s supremecy clause
made the Constitution, the laws of the national government, and the national government’s treaties the supreme law of the land.
In the Constitution, the powers to coin money, to enter into treaties, and to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the states were given to
the national government
The Tenth Amendment
states that powers not delegated to the US by the constitution, nor prohibitred by the states, are reserved to the states
Only the national government is allowed to
regulate commerce with foreign nations
In its McCulloch vs. Maryland decision, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of
the supremecy of the national government over the states
The enumerated powers of Congress and the national government are those
specifically spelled out in the Constitution
Federal policies to regulate food and rugs, build interstate highways, protect consumers, try to clean up dirty air and water, and do many other things are all justified as
implied powers of Congress
The Constitution’s provision that Congress has the right to “make all laws necessary and proper for carrying into execution” its powers is often referred to as the
elastic cluase
Which is the following federal policies exemplifies the implied powers of Congress?
Environmental protection law
The Constitution states that Congress has the power to establish post offices. This is an example of
enumerated powers
In the 1950s and 1960s, the proclamation of states’ rights was usually made by those opposing the national government’s efforts in the area of
civil rights for African Americans
A marriage license issued in one state is valid and honored in al states under the constitutional provision of
full faith and credit
The constitutional requirement that the states return a person charged with a crime in another state to that state for trial or imprisonment is known as
extradition
The fact that a driver’s license from one state is valid in other states is an example of
full faith and credit
In _______ federalism, the powers and policy assignment of the different levels of government are distinct, like a layer cake
dual
The national government has exclusive control over foriegn and military policy, the postal system, and monetary policy, while th states have exclusive control over specific areas. This division of responsibilities reflects
dual federalism
A tuition difference between in-state and out of state students is an example of
how states make exceptions to the privileges and immunities clause
If the allocation of power under dual federalism were compared to a cake it would be most like
A layer cake, with two distinct layers
Over time, there has been a gradual change from a dual federalism to a
cooperative federalism
In dual federalism,
states and the national government each remain supreme within their own spheres
In cooperative federalism,
responsibilities are mingled and distinctions blurred between the levels of government
Which of the following statements about federalism is false?
The American system has always been neatly seperated into purely state and purely national responsibilities
Federal support for public education is an example of a
cooperative federalism
Funding for the interstate highway system is an example of
cooperative federalism
The National Defense Education Act, the Elementery and Secondary Education Act, and the Interstate Highway System are all example of
cooperative federalism
Federal regulation of state governments is usually accomplished
through attaching conditions to grants it gives them
In cooperative federalism, in order to qualify for federal grant money, cities and states must
follow federal guidelines for adopting and enforcing federal laws
The main instrument the national government uses to influence state governments is
grants-in-aid
The pattern of spending, taxing, and providing grants in the federal system is called
fiscal federalism
The main instrument the national government used for both aiding and influencing states and localities is
grants-in-aid
The principal type of federal aid for states and localities is
categorical grants
Which of the following is NOT true about categorical grants?
the federal government is less likely to appy conditions to these grants today than in the 1970s
The requirement of a drinking age provision before states can recieve federal highway aid is an example of
a string attached to categorical grants
A project grant is
awarded on the basis of competitive aplication
Programs such as Medicaid and Aid for Familes with Dependent Children, where applicants automatically qualify for aid if they meet the requirements, are examples of
formula grants
In response to complaints from state and local governments about the paperwork and requiremets attached to most grants, Congress has established _________ to support programs in areas like community development and social services
block grants
Grants that are given more or less automatically to states or communities, which have discretion in deciding how to spend the money are called
block grants
The largest percentage of federal grants to states and localities is in the area of
health
Which of the following staements is TRUE?’
Congress decreased funding of Medicaid in the 80s to relieve state financial burdens
When Congress imposes a program on the states, it also provides the funds for the program
States are always seeking increases in grant programs
Federal grants can put an unwanted financial burden on states
All of the above
Federal grants can put an unwanted fincancial burden on states
As a result of our federal form of government, the death penalty in the US
varies by state
How many governments are there in the US?
over 100,000
Since 1929, the naitonal government’s share of American governmental expenditures has
grown rapidly
The Declaration of Independence was a
Bitter attack against the British King for abuses said to have been done to the colonists over a long period of time`
Which of these was NOT among Jon Locke’s philosophical concepts?
checks and balances
Which of these was NOT one of the three big disagreements at the Constitutional Convention?
Whether the courts should have the power of judicial review
The framers of the Constitution gave the chief economic policymaking role to
Congress
The Supreme court in Marbury v. Mason (1803) asserted the power of the Court to
check the actions of the other branches through judicial review
Voter turnout matters because
politicians pay more attention to those who vote than to those who do not vote.
TThings that are indivisible, nonexclusive, and that everyone can share are called
public goods
Governments in the modern world, whether democratic or not, are similar in doing all of the following EXCEPT
Providing public goods
Protecting citizen’s civil liberties
Providing public services
Maintaining a national defense
collecting taxes
protecting citizen’s civil liberties
A political party is a key ______ In America’s democratic system
linkage institution
Pluralist theory contends that in the United States
Many groups vie for power with no one set of groups dominating
