Unit 3

Question 1

What is the Rule of Law?

Answer 1

Everyone is accountable to the law (must obey), no matter who they are.

Question 2

Define a Pluralist Democracy

Answer 2

Organized groups (interest groups, political parties) compete with each other to influence policy and no single group has complete control
- interest groups have power
Pluralist Democracy: there are multiple organized groups that are vying for influence over government policy, so no one can have complete control

Question 3

Define a Elite Democracy

Answer 3

Some citizens (i.e., the wealthy, highly educated, upper class) have a disproportionate influence over gov. policy
- elite, wealthy, upper class have the power

Question 4

Define a Pure/Direct/Participatory Democracy

Answer 4

People are directly involved in making choices about gov. policy
- the people (majority) have the power

Question 5

What is a Faction?

Answer 5

A group of people with like-minded interests who come together to try and make changes in certain topics.

Question 6

What was the Great (Connecticut) Compromise?

Answer 6

Provided a dual system of congressional representation (the House & Senate)
- Big states & small states got something they wanted
- No state got EVERYTHING that it wanted
- In the Senate, each state gets 2 people, but in the House, it’s based on congressional districts in each state

Question 7

What was the Three-Fifths Compromise?

Answer 7

Three out of every five slaves was counted when determining a state’s total population for legislative representation and taxation
- South maintained slavery, North ¨limited¨ Southern vote
- Kicked the can down the road ¨Oh, we´ll deal with the conflict later¨

Question 8

What is the ¨Necessary and Proper¨ Clause?

Answer 8

Authorizes Congress to employ any means that are appropriate and plainly adapted to the permitted end (whatever they deem necessary)
- enables Congress to pass special laws to require other departments of the government to prosecute or adjudicate particular claims

Question 9

What is the Commerce Clause?

Answer 9

Gave the national government authority over interstate trade and the ability to place tariffs on imported goods

Question 10

What is the Supremacy Clause?

Answer 10

Establishes that the federal constitution, and federal law generally, take precedence over state laws, and even state constitutions.

Question 11

What is the difference between Enumerated vs. Implied Powers?

Answer 11

Enumerated Powers: powers written down in the C. specifically granted to Congress (Fed. Gov)
- Collect Taxes
- Declare War

Implied Powers: owers not named in the Constitution, but necessary for governing the country
- Establish a federal minimum wage
- Establish a military draft

Question 12

Define Federalism

Answer 12

The constitutional division of power between the US state governments and the national government

Question 13

What are Reserved Powers?

Answer 13

Powers that are not specifically granted to the Fed. Gov. by the C. (whatever is not specifically stated as a power for Fed. Gov. is given to the states)

Question 14

What are Concurrent Powers?

Answer 14

Powers which are shared by both the federal government and state governments

Question 15

Describe the 10th Amendment & Why it Matters

Answer 15

Powers not specifically given to the Fed. Gov. to be given to the sts. and people of the sts.
- The Fed. Gov. only has the powers granted to it in the C.

Question 16

Describe the 14th Amendment & Why it Matters

Answer 16

Granted citizenship to everyone born in the U.S. (thereby granting citizenship to formally enslaved)
- Part of 3 Amendments that ended slavery after the end of the Civil War

Question 17

What was McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), and why did it matter?

Answer 17

SCOTUS case declared Congress had the power (under the Necessary and Proper Clause) to establish a Federal Bank, and states (Maryland) do NOT have the right to tax the Fed. Gov.
- Maryland tried to put a tax on any banks not chartered by the state (including the Fed. Bank)

Question 18

What was US v. Lopez (1995), and why did it matter?

Answer 18

SCOTUS case that struck down the Gun Free School Zone Act, which regulated the possession of firearms around schools
- First-time SCOTUS restricted Congress´ power to pass legis. under the Commerce Clause since the New Deal in the 1930s
- Commerce Clause: possession of a gun is not an economic activity
- Possession of firearm concerns enumerated powers, not implied (which is where the necessary & proper clause comes in)
- States have control of local issues, like gun possession on school grounds

Question 19

Describe the purpose of Federalist No. 10

Answer 19

A strong federal government can protect liberty because it guards against the dangers of control by a narrow interest (protect against factions?)
- Pluralist Democracy
- Private rights and public good would be best protected in a single large republic

Question 20

Describe the purpose of Brutus No. 1

Answer 20

Main argument: The C. and laws of every state would be nullified and declared void if they were, or shall be inconsistent with the C.
- State identity and state rights would be whipped out and replaced with Fed. Gov. (not true)
- Focused on the their perceived negatives of the C.

Question 21

Representative v. Direct Decomcray (what are they and what´s the difference?)

Answer 21

Rep. Dem.: People elect a representative, who then votes on laws, rules, policy, etc.

Direct Dem.: The people directly vote on rules, laws, policies, etc.

Difference: One has a ¨middle man¨ who acts as the voice of those who elected him (organized chaos). and the other is the voice of the people directly (much more chaotic, the majority could take over and the minority would never be heard).

Question 22

What is an Exclusive Power?

Answer 22

Policy-making responsibilities that are exercised only by the nat. gov.

Question 23

What is Cooperative Federalism?

Answer 23

Nat. + St. gov. work together to provide services efficentaly

Question 24

What is Picket-fence Federalism?

Answer 24

Policymakers within a particular policy area work together across all levels of gov.
- More refined+realistic version of coop. fed

Question 25

What is a Categorical Grant?

Answer 25

Fed. aid to state/local gov. provided for a specific purpose (HAVE STRINGS ATTACHED)

Question 26

What is a Block Grant?

Answer 26

Fed. aid to sts. for use with a specific policy area, but within that area sts. can spends it however they want

Question 27

What are some advantages of State Power?

Answer 27

• policy diversity + innovation
• st. + local govs. are closer to the people
• sts. provide more access to the poli. system
• sts. provide an important check on nat. power

Question 28

What are some disadvantages of State Power?

Answer 28

• unequal distribution of resources across the sts.
• unequal protection of civil rights
• “race to the bottom”
• problems coordinating local responses to true nat. problems