Chapter 3

Question 1

what is a unitary government?

Answer 1

a national polity governed as a single unit, with the central government exercising all or most of political authority

Question 2

what is the opposite of a unitary government?

Answer 2

a confederation

Question 3

what is a federal system?

Answer 3

power is divided and shared between national and state governments

Question 4

what complicates American federalism?

Answer 4

local governments, which rely on state government for their authority

Question 5

what are the four advantages to state level policy?

Answer 5

reflects local needs, enables innovations in the laboratory of democracy, protects rights, and enhances choice

Question 6

what are the four advantages of national level policy?

Answer 6

enhances fairness (avoiding a race to the bottom), equalizes resources, promotes national standards and best practices, and facilitates coordination

Question 7

what is the necessary and proper clause?

Answer 7

the constitutional declaration that defines Congress’s authority to exercise “the necessary and proper” powers to carry out its designated functions

Question 8

what are implied powers?

Answer 8

national government powers implied by, but not specifically named in, the Constitution

Question 9

what is Supremacy clause?

Answer 9

the constitutional declaration that the national government’s authority prevails over and conflicting state or local government’s claims, provided the power is granted to the federal government

Question 10

what are inherent powers?

Answer 10

powers not specified or implied by the constitution, but necessary for the president or congress to fulfill their duties

Question 11

what are the states’ reserved powers?

Answer 11

public education, public health, public morality, commerce within the state, and organizing state elections

Question 12

what are concurrent powers?

Answer 12

shared responsibilities between state and national governments

Question 13

what is the full faith and credit clause?

Answer 13

the constitutional requirement that each state must recognize and uphold laws passed by any other state

Question 14

what is dual federalism?

Answer 14

clear division of governing authority between national and state governments, layer cake

Question 15

what is cooperative federalism?

Answer 15

mingled governing authority, with functions overlapping across national and state governments, marble cake

Question 16

what are grants-in-aid?

Answer 16

national government funding provided to state and local governments. along with specific instructions about how to use them

Question 17

what is New Federalism?

Answer 17

a version of cooperative federalism, but with less oversight by the fed government, which still provided funds, and more control on the state and local level (multiflavored marble cake)

Question 18

what are block grants?

Answer 18

national government funding provided to state and local governments, with relatively few restrictions or requirements on spending

Question 19

what is progressive federalism?

Answer 19

national government sets broad goals for a program, and relies on state innovations to achieve them

Question 20

what is an unfunded mandate?

Answer 20

an obligation imposed on state or local government officials by federal legislation, without sufficient federal funding support to cover the costs

Question 21

devolution

Answer 21

the transfer of authority from national to state or local government level

Question 22

what is preemption?

Answer 22

the invalidation of a U.S. state law that conflicts with federal law

Question 23

obergefell v hodges?

Answer 23

same sex marriage countrywide

Question 24

what is nationalism?

Answer 24

can be good, can be bad @white nationalism

Question 25

what is civic volunteerism?

Answer 25

citizens voluntarily participating in public life without government involvement