Chapter 3 Questions Flashcards
(26 cards)
Which government has sovereignty in a federal system?
National and State governments share sovereignty
The Founders hoped that federalism, like the separation of powers, would serve what major goal?
protecting individual liberties
According to Alexander Hamilton in Federalist No. 28, how would the Founders’ vision for a federal republic work
People could shift their support between national and state governments as needed to maintain a balance of power.
Which of the Founders’ assumptions about how the United States’ federal system would work is spelled out in the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution?
The Tenth Amendment reserves any powers not expressly given to the national government for the states and the people.
What is the purpose of the elastic clause?
The elastic clause allows Congress to make new laws in order to execute its powers as the need arises.
What part of the Constitution did the Supreme Court reinforce when, in McCulloch v. Maryland, it upheld the right of Congress to create a bank?
the elastic clause
What does the doctrine of nullification affirm?
the states can declare a federal law void that violates the U.S. constitution
What effectively invalidated the doctrine of nullification?
the civil war
Debates over what clause in the U.S. Constitution resulted in the doctrine of dual federalism?
the commerce clause
The No Child Left Behind Act is an example of which kind of federalism at work?
cooperative federalism
cooperative federalism
when both the state and the federal government cooperate to make and implement a policy
What type of federalism exists when national and state governments are equally supreme but kept separate?
dual federalism
When the Supreme Court ruled in United States v. Lopez (1995) that Congress overstepped its power to regulate commerce by prohibiting guns in a school zone, it reaffirmed what type of federalism?
dual federalism
Why did the Supreme Court overturn the Violence Against Women Act in United States v. Morrison (2000)?
it found the act unconstitutional because attacks against women do not involve interstate commerce
When gridlock occurs in a divided Congress, how does federalism help citizens address pressing issues?
Citizens can appeal to state governments to address issues the national government is unable to address.
In what way does Congress ensure the independence of the states?
State residents elect representatives to the U.S. Congress, and these representatives are responsive and accountable to those constituencies.
How does federalism in the United States mobilize political activity?
People are more likely to engage in political activity when they have reason to believe their actions may produce an effect.
Initiative, referendum, and recall are all examples of what form of democracy at the state level?
direct
Which procedure permits voters to remove an elected official from office?
recall
Land grant colleges are an example of what element of American federalism?
grants in aid
Beginning in the 1960s, federal grants to states were increasingly made on what basis?
What federal officials perceived to be national needs
What type of federal funding is intended to be used for a specific purpose?
a categorical grant
The federal government may create rules that all states must follow, whether or not they accept federal grant money. What are these rules called?
mandates
What name is given to the Republican effort in the 1980s and 1990s to pass federal functions on to the states?
devolution
