U.S. Government Chapter 3 – Flashcards
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Federal system
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system in which government authority is shared by national and local government
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How many countries in the world have a federal system of government?
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eleven
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unitary system
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system in which all authority is held by the national government
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nullification
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the doctrine that a state can declare null and void a federal law that, in the state's opinion, violates the Constitution
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"necessary and proper" clause
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section of the Constitution allowing Congress to pass all laws "necessary and proper" to its duties, and which has permitted Congress to exercise powers not given to it by the Constitution
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McCulloch v. Maryland
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Case in which the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution's "necessary and proper" clause permits Congress to take actions (in this case, to create a national bank) when it is essential to a power Congress has (in this case, managing currency)
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dual federalism
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doctrine holding that the national government is supreme in its sphere, the states are supreme in theirs, and the two spheres must be kept separate
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categorical grants
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federal grants for specific purposes
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conditions of aid
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terms set by the national government that states must meet if they are to receive certain federal funds
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grants in aid
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money given by the national government to the states
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mandates
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terms set by the national government that states must meet whether or not they accept federal grants
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initiatives
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process that permits voters to put legislative measures directly on the ballot
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referendum
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procedure enabling voters to reject a measure passed by the legislature
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recall
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procedure whereby voters can remove an elected official from office
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Tenth Amendment
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any powers denied to the national government are reserved for the states
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block grants
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money given from the national government to the states (with a broad guideline) for the states to use at their own discretion
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devolution
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an effort which aims to pass on to the states many federal functions
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confederation
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all power is held by independent states and the central government is subservient to them
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second-order devolution
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the flow of power and responsibility (and $) from the states to local government
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third-order devolution
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the increased role of nonprofit organizations like the American Cancer Society and of private groups in policy implementation ($)
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Medicaid
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a joint federal and state program that helps low-income individuals or families pay for the costs associated with long-term medical and custodial care, provided they qualify
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Explain the differences between a unitary system, federal system, and confederation.
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~unitary system: power is centralized; state or regional governments derive their authority from the central government ~federal system: power is divided between central and state/local governments; both act directly upon the citizens and both must agree to constitutional change ~confederation: all power is held by the independent states
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Explain the facts of McCulloch v. Maryland and the Supreme Court's decision.
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It was a dispute between Maryland and the Bank of the United States, resulting in the questions over 1. if Congress could create a national bank even if it doesn't say so in the Constitution (which the Supreme Court ruled was a reasonable power because of the elastic clause) and 2. if a state can tax a division of federal government (which the Supreme Court ruled they could not because the federal government is supreme.)
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Explain 2 court cases there the Supreme Court rules that Congress had illegally expanded its power over interstate commerce.
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1. Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railroad v. Illinois (1886): The states may not regulate interstate commerce. 2. United States v. Lopez (1995): The national government's power under the commerce clause does not permit it to regulate matters not directly related to interstate commerce (in this case, banning firearms in a school zone.)
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The Supreme Court's controversial 2005 decision Kelo v. City of New London involved...
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government seizure of private property.
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The response of many state legislatures to the Court's decision in the Kelo case was to...
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restrict its scope of passage by passing new laws.
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Today's effort to scale back the size and activities of the national government and shift responsibilities back to the states is known as...
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devolution.
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A system is not federal unless local units of government...
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exist independently and can make decisions independent of the national government.
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The text identifies Canada, Australia, India, and Germany as having (federal/unitary) systems.
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federal
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William H. Riker, an American political scientist, argued that the "main effect" of federalism since the Civil War has been to...
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perpetuate racism.
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The most "obvious" effect of federalism has been to...
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facilitate the mobilization of political activity.
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The text identifies Great Britain, Italy, and Sweden as having (federal/unitary) systems.
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unitary
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Does the Constitution spell out the powers that the states are to have?
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It does.
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The delegates at Philadelphia used "federalism" as a synonym for...
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"confederation."
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The Tenth Amendment (was/wasn't) added at the insistence of the states.
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was
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The Founders (did/didn't) assume that the federal government would have only the powers given to it by the Constitution.
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didn't
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The Tenth Amendment has rarely had much practical significance. (True/False)
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True
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Alexander Hamilton's view of federalism held that...
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the federal government was superior to the state governments.
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The national supremacy view of the newly formed government was powerfully defended by which Chief Justice?
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John Marshall
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The landmark case McCulloch v. Maryland determined that...
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the "necessary and proper" clause allowed the creation of a national bank.
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Although the doctrine of nullification is commonly associated with John C. Calhoun, the notion is plainly evident in...
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the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions.
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After the Civil War, the debate over the meaning of federalism focused on which clause of the Constitution?
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commerce clause
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By the 1940s, the Supreme Court rulings concerning the commerce clause abandoned...
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hard distinctions between interstate and intrastate commerce.
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Federal anti-trust laws do not affect...
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professional baseball players.
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In the 2000 case United States v. Morrison, the Supreme Court refused to connect or extend the scope of the commerce clause to...
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violence against women.
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The procedure that allows voters to reject a measure adopted by the legislature is the...
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referendum.
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Which procedure allows voters to remove an elected official from office?
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recall
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The Constitution guarantees the existence of...
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the states.
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At first, federal money seemed attractive to state officials because...
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1. there were budget surpluses. 2. the federal income tax was a flexible tool of public finance. 3. the production and distribution of currency was managed by the fed era government. 4. it seemed to be "free."
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One odd effect of the fair-share formulas used to determine grants for Homeland Security is...
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a skew in funding towards states and cities with low populations.
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During the 1960s, federal grant programs were increasingly devised on the basis of __________ needs.
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national
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In1960, over 40 percent of all federal grants to state and local government went to...
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transportation and highways.
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As of 2006, the largest percentage of federal grant money goes toward...
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Medicaid.
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The requirement that a state or locality match federal money is most common with...
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categorical grants.
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The Law Enforcement Assistance Act is an example of a...
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categorical grant.
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Block grants and revenue sharing were efforts to...
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reverse trends by allowing the states and localities freedom to spend money as they wished.
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Congress, the federal bureaucracy, organized labor, and liberal interest groups are among the coalition that prefers...
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categorical grants.
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State and local officials prefer ________ __________ and ____________ ____________.
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block grants, revenue sharing
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The intense debate over the manner in which the federal government distributes funds and awards contracts has been precipitated by...
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a shift in population from the industrial Northwest to the South, Southwest, and the Far West.
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With the advent of grants based on distributional formulas, the _________ has taken on monumental importance.
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census
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Most federal mandates concern...
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civil rights and environmental protection.
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A 2006 study found that the highest number of unfunded mandates could be found in which area of policy?
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environmental policy
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A 2006 study found that the lowest number of unfunded mandates could be founded in which area of policy?
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education policy
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A 2006 study found that a moderate number of unfunded mandates could be found in which area of policy?
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health policy
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The conditions attached to grants are by far the most important federal restriction on state action because...
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the typical state depends for a quarter or more of its budget on federal funds.
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When the election of 1994 brought Republican majorities in the House and Senate, the first key issue in the drive to shift important functions back to the states was...
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welfare.
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Devolution was actually an "old idea" that acquired "new vitality" because...
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Congress, rather than the president, was leading the effort.
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The growth of mandates has been fueled by the fact that...
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local citizens can use a federal court to change local practices.
