midterm

Question 1

federalism (2)

Answer 1

“middle ground” where authority lies with both central and subnational governments
1. role of central government: power over all matters of national concern; shares some powers with subnational governments
2. role of subnational government: power over matters of local concern; shares some powers with the central government

Question 2

unitary system (2)

Answer 2

authority lies with centralized government
1. role of central government: all powers concentrated in the central government
2. role of subnational governments: administrative “arms” of the central government (carry out central government tasks)

Question 3

confederal system (2)

Answer 3

authority lies with subnational governments
1. role of central government: power over only those matters delegated to it by the subnational governments
2. role of subnational governments: each government is independent; each has power over all matters concerning it, except where subnational governments agree to give up power

Question 4

3 characteristics generally found in federations across the globe

Answer 4

1. large land area
2. large population
3. diverse population (language, religion, culture)

Question 5

characteristics of American federalism (5)

Answer 5

1. the US Constitution assigns significant powers to the federal and state governments
2. in theory, one level of government is not subordinate to another. Only the federal and state governments are sovereign (independent policymaking powers)
3. local governments are “creatures of the state” traditionally governed by a doctrine known as Dillon’s Rule
4. power shifts over time
5. federalism is not a precondition to democracy or the separation of powers

Question 6

why is federalism the enduring debate? (2)

Answer 6

the Constitution is a vague document, and it doesn’t specify certain powers of the state and federal governments
1. we struggle with the appropriate relationship between national unity v. local autonomy
2. conflict over who decides (politicians/public opinion vs. federal courts)

Question 7

why did Americans choose the Articles of Confederation as our first government? (4)

Answer 7

1. citizens were fearful of an all-powerful central government
2. the absence of governmental systems other than a unitary system
3. the 13 states had a strong sense of self-government and autonomy
4. the influence of political philosophers who argued that small republics linked by a loose confederation best protected individual liberty

Question 8

why did the Articles of Confederation fail? (4)

Answer 8

1. fiscal problems: Congress had no power to levy taxes
2. enforcement problems: Congress could not force states to contribute funds or abide by treaties
3. regulation problems: Congress could not resolve trade disputes among states
4. public safety problems: Congress had no ability to deal with internal crises (Shays’ Rebellion)

Question 9

primary conflicts during the Philadelphia Convention (3)

Answer 9

1. The Virginia plan: called for the two separate chambers (House and Senate), and states would send delegates based on population for both houses (which irritated the small states); resolved by the Great Compromise
2. Congress could nullify all state actions that might counter the Union: people in the state would never ratify the constitution if that was included; resolved by the Supremacy Clause
3. slavery: resolved by not prohibiting slavery and counting slaves as 3/5th of a person for representation rights in the House

Question 10

anti-federalists (3)

Answer 10

opponents of ratification
1. embraced individual liberty and values (Bill of Rights)
2. supported the ability of a state to pursue the best interest of its citizens without interference from other levels of government
3. believed states are different, states know their people

Question 11

federalists (3)

Answer 11

supporters of ratification
1. embraced equality: national government should set some standards for states and their citizens, guaranteeing some uniformity
2. protection of minorities from “majority tyranny”
3. embraced the notion of a “collective good” - if we are to succeed as a nation, we must act collectively on some issues

Question 12

why do we refer to local governments as “creatures of the state?”(2)

Answer 12

local governments are not sovereign
1. they don’t have independent policymaking power unless they have been given that power by Dillon’s Rule
2. localities are created by the state

Question 13

advantages of federalism (4)

Answer 13

1. allows for flexibility among state laws and institutions
2. reduces conflict because states can accommodate citizens’ interests
3. allows for experimentation at the state level
4. enables the achievement of national goals

Question 14

disadvantages of federalism (5)

Answer 14

1. increases complexity and confusion
2. sometimes increases conflict when jurisdictional lines are unclear
3. duplicates efforts and reduces accountability
4. makes coordination difficult
5. creates inequality in services and policy

Question 15

dual federalism (1787-1932) (2)

Answer 15

1. defining event: revolt from strong centralized government
2. federal-state relationship:
   a. each level of government is supreme in its own realm (national government = broad issues; state government = narrow issues)

Question 16

cooperative federalism (1933-1963)

Answer 16

1. defining events: the Great Depression & WWII
2. federal-state relationship:
   a. cooperation among governments or “marble cake” federalism
   b. federal government in a “supportive” role (states looked to the federal government for assistance)
3. federal government growth with FDR’s New Deal

Question 17

centralized federalism (1964-1969)

Answer 17

1. defining events: JFK assassination, the turbulent 1960s, and Vietnam
2. federal-state-local relationships:
   a. federal government takes the lead in defining national problems and the solutions to them
   b. federal government uses the grant system to entice states/localities to implement national policies
   c. local governments have more involvement
3. federal government growth due to LBJ’s Great Society

Question 18

new federalism (1970-2000)

Answer 18

1. defining events: district of federal government, election of Nixon and Reagan
2. federal-state-local relationship:
   a. a return to “dual federalism” and a “sorting out” of federal and state responsibilities
   b. attempt to decrease the scope of the federal government
   c. some attempt to make state and local governments more dominant in the federal system
   d. a devolutionary agenda was promoted

Question 19

Nixon’s proposals (4)

Answer 19

1. proposed new initiatives for the national government (healthcare, FAP)
2. decentralize: provide field offices with more authority
3. General Revenue Sharing (GRS)
4. streamline federal grant system

Question 20

Reagan’s proposals (5)

Answer 20

1. deregulated private sector
2. increased discretion to states and localities via block grants
3. the “Big Swap”
4. terminated GRS
5. pre-empted states in some policy areas

Question 21

critiques of the New Deal (3)

Answer 21

1. in the early to mid-1930s, economy grew slowly
2. New Deal proposals challenged in federal court - early court decisions ruled that legislation violated the US Constitution
3. some conservatives believed that the federal government was overreaching and encroaching on traditional state policy prerogatives

Question 22

critiques of the Great Society/War on Poverty (2)

Answer 22

1. growing conflict between federal governments and state governments
2. lack of funding

Question 23

tools that presidents use to influence federal-state-local relationships (3)

Answer 23

1. appointment power - federal judiciary
2. presidential decisions/executive orders
3. major presidential initiatives that re-defined federalism (presidential rhetoric); ex: FDR’s New Deal, LBJ’s Great Society

Question 24

tools that Congress uses to influence federal-state-local relationships (3)

Answer 24

1. intergovernmental grant system
2. unfunded mandates
3. federal preemption of state authority: feds assume regulatory responsibility for a particular area to the total or partial exclusion of the states

Question 25

how does federalism impact political parties? (3)

Answer 25

1. national party platform may be weakened
2. state-by-state variation in election rules
3. the party not in power nationally can be kept alive locally

Question 26

how does federalism impact interest groups?

Answer 26

provides more access points to interest groups (figure out which level of government will give them the most success

Question 27

how effective are state and local governments at lobbying the federal government? (3)

Answer 27

1. if there is a policy issue that is not partisan that most state legislatures can agree on, they can be very effective (unfunded mandates)
2. difficult to lobby today because of the partisan differences
3. more difficult today than before

Question 28

why does power and authority among the government shift over time? (4)

Answer 28

1. presidential initiatives
2. economic crises
3. court decisions
4. changing of social norms/public opinion