question

In Kelo v. City of New London, the supreme court held that the government can seize property

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for public use and to promote economic development in distressed communities. (both A and C)

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The concept of separate, sovereign national and state governments is known as..

answer

federalism

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The text suggests federalism, or federal-state relations, looms behind

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Civil rights, civil liberties, the sale and purchasing of liquor, the speed limit of highways (all of the above)

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Madison's description of federalism in Federalist No. 46 suggests there should be little concern over conflicts between the federal and state governments because

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they are different agents with different powers

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Which of the following statements about the federal system adopted at the Constitutional Convention is most accurate

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It granted supreme authority to neither national nor state government

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A statement specific to state powers was not part of the original U.S. Constitution because

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it was assumed to be obvious

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Which statement best summarizes Madison's view of federalism?

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He was first an ardent supporter of national supremecy then of states' rights.

question

Applying the principles of Thomas Jefferson to current political issues would probably dispose one to

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favor the decentralization of government power

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In federalist no. 45, Madison describes the powers of state governments as

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numerous and indefinite

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The Civil War settled one part of the issue of national supremacy versus states' rights , namely, that

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the national government derives its sovereignty from the people

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The early chief justice whose decisions generally gave the broadest possible sweep to federal powers was

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John Marshall

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An important outcome of Mashall's Ruling in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) was to

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confirm the supremacy of the federal government in the exercise of the constitutional powers granted to congress.

question

The doctrine of nullification refers to

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the claimed authority of the states to declare a federal law void for violating the U.S. Constitution.

question

The doctrine of dual federalism grew out of a protracted debate on the subject of

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commerce

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The interstate commerce that the federal government can regulate is now interpreted to include

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almost any kind of economic activity

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The text says that it would be a mistake to conclude that the doctrine of dual federalism is

answer

entirely dead

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In ruling that the government cannot require local police to conduct background checks on all gun purchases, the court held that to do so would be a violation of ____ Amendment

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Tenth

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Perhaps the most obvious effect of federalism in the United States has been to

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mobilize political activity

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The states play a key role in

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social welfare, public education, health and hospitals, managing water supplies (all of the above)

question

Which is a procedure that enables voters to reject a measure adopted by the legislature?

answer

Referendum

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Which statement regarding states in incorrect?

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Their existence is not guaranteed by the constitution

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Federal officials' perceptions of national needs came to dominate the allocation of federal grants during the

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1960s

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By 2006, federal aid accounted for about ____ percent of state general revenue

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30

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A categorical grant is a transfer of federal funds designed for

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specific purposes

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Categorical grants were generally favored by

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federal officials, liberal interest groups, organized labor, the federal bureaucracy (all of the above)

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When a locality is required by federal law to do something, regardless of whether it receives federal funding for the purpose, this duty is called a..

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mandate

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Which president tried to reverse the trend of Congressional focus on Washington's needs over local needs?

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Raegan

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When Republicans took control of congress in 1994, the first key issue in their drive to reduce federal spending was

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welfare

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The republican effort to pass on to the states many federal functions is known as

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devolution

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One clear impact of devolution is

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a reduction in welfare roles

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The federal budget initially opposed for 2012 called for almost ___ trillion dollars in spending

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4

question

Debates over government finances have often, at bottom, been debates about

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the size of government, the competency of government, the legitimacy of the federal government, how to divide responsibility between state and federal governments (all of the above)

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The fact that the rich are taxed more heavily than the poor and that amendments that gave voting rights to minorities were passed by large majorities suggests that

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government does not always adopt policies that are to the narrow advantage of those who hold political offices

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Individuals have power when they are able to

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Get others to do what they want them to do

question

The text notes a tendency for issues that once were _________ to become ___________

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private; public

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Compared with the 1950s, government's involvement in the everyday lives of Americans in the 1990s is

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considerably greater

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Today a primary source of legitimate political authority in the United States is the

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U.S. Constitution

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The text suggests that in the United States, no government at any level would be considered legitimate if it were not in some sense

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democratic

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At the time of the constitutional convention, the view that a democratic government was desirable was

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far from unanimous

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The term participatory democracy applies most accurately to which of the following societies?

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Greece in the fourth century BC

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Representative democracy allows individuals to gain political power through

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competitive elections

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The framers concerns about direct democracy are well illustrated by the fact that the Constitution

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does not feature the word democracy at all

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All of the following are requirements for a representative democracy EXCEPT

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political resources must be distributed in a roughly equal manner

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Democracy in the United States is distinguished from many European democracies by the fact that in the United States

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many more offices are elective

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Which statement best reflects the views of the framers of the constitution

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The government should meditate, not mirror, popular views

question

The founders assumed that representative democracy would

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prevent sweeping changes in policy, often proceeded slowly (both A and D)

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Locke argued that the desire for _________ will lead people to want a government

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self preservation

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Under what circumstances would majoritarian politics normally not be effective

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When an issue is too complicated or technical for most citizens to understand

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A city council representative faces an important vote on how much, if any, money to spend on a new school. The representative relies on a poll of her constituents to make a decision. This is keeping with the form of __________ politics

answer

majoritarian politics

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Elite theory is NOT based on the following premise

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despite their small numbers, those who are active participants in politics generally reflect the types of people in the general population and the viewpoints of most citizens

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The bureaucratic view of political elites is associated with

answer

Weber

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The pluralist view of power focuses on

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a large number of governmental interests and organized interests.

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Regarding the role of self-interest in the positions that people take on important issues, it is safest to day that

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economic self-interest may be important but is usually not the only guide to people's actions

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Which of the following statements is incorrect? (A)During the 1920s it was widely assumed that the fed. gov. would play a small role in our lives. (B) From the 1930s to the 1970s it was generally believed that the fed. gov. should try to solve social and economic problems (C) Reagan sought to reverse the trend of expanding governmental power (D) No simple theory of politics is likely to explain both the growth and cutback of federal power (E) None of the above

answer

None of the above (E)

question

The text presents the historical involvement of the United States in foreign affairs as

answer

alternating between outward and inward movements

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Which of the following statements regarding the Constitutional Convention is INCORRECT (A) The delegates were not chosen by popular election (B) The meetings were held in secret (C) There was no press coverage (D) One state sent no delegates at all (E) None of the above

answer

None of the above (E)

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The principal goal of the American Revolution was

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liberty

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Equality was a goal of

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The French Revolution

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One of the basic liberties sought by the colonists through independence from Great Britain was

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freedom from taxation without representation

question

The colonists fought to protect liberties that they believed were

answer

discoverable in nature and history, essential to human progress, ordained by god, based on "higher law" (all of the above)

question

The Declaration of Independence explicitly stated that governments were instituted among men to

answer

secure rights

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An unalienable right is one that is based on

answer

nature and providence

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Which of the following was NOT among the ideas underlying the American Revolution (A) The need for a strong executive (B) The priority of human liberty over government (C) The necessity of a written constitution (D) Legislative supremacy over the executive branch (E) The tendency of human nature toward ambition

answer

The need for a strong executive

question

All of the following were true of the government under the articles of confederation EXCEPT (a) Larger states had more votes in the national legislature (b) There was no national judicial branch (c) the national government could not levy taxes (d) the national government could not regulate commerce (e) amendment required the support of all 13 states

answer

Larger states had more votes in the national legislature (a)

question

One conspicuous feature of the Articles of Confederation was that there was no

answer

national judiciary

question

Madison's review of books on history and law led him to conclude that in the matter of government,

answer

there were more warnings worth noting that there were models with emulating

question

The state of affairs in Pennsylvania seemed to suggest that

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democracy and tyranny might not be all that far apart from one another.

question

Compared with the Pennsylvania state constitution of 1776, the constitution adopted by Massachusetts in 1780 was

answer

less democratic, with a clear separation of powers among the various branches of government

question

If a new constitutional convention were called today and the delegates modeled their behavior precisely on that of delegates to the original Constitutional Convention, the first group to be outraged by the delegates' behavior would probably be

answer

the media

question

Among those who were conspicuously absent from the Constitutional Convention

answer

Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry

question

John Locke suggested that the chief limitation on government should derive from the fact that it

answer

is created by the consent of the governed

question

The central issue in the framing of the U.S. Constitution was that of

answer

how strong to make the national government

question

The New Jersey Plan would have allotted votes in Congress to states on the basis of

answer

equality

question

One indication of the degree of contention at the convention might be found in Benjamin Franklin's suggestion that each day's meeting being with

answer

prayer

question

The Great Compromise finally allocated representation on the basis of

answer

Population in the House, and statehood equality in the Senate

question

The goal of the Framers of the U.S. Constitution was to create a(n)

answer

republic based on a system of representation

question

The power of the people-- popular majority rule-- was limited by the U.S. constitution in several ways, including by

answer

Making amending the U.S. Constitution relatively difficult

question

An amendment can be proposed by

answer

either 2/3 vote of both houses of Congress or a national convention called by Congress at the request of 2/3 of the states.

question

Those powers that are given exclusively to the state are _________ powers.

answer

reserved

question

Congress has a check on the federal courts via

answer

impeachment, number of courts that are created, jurisdiction of courts, the judicial nomination process, (all of the above)

question

Which statement regarding human self-interest best represents Madison's view?

answer

It can be harnessed and redirected toward positive ends

question

Separation of power and federalism were two key principles in the framing of the U.S. Constitution. These two principles are related in that each

answer

involves a system of checks and balances in which power is dispersed.

question

Generally, the Antifederalists felt that the government created by the U.S. Constitution was

answer

too strong and too centralized

question

In which notable Federalist paper does James Madison warn against the danger of factions?

answer

Federalist No. 10

question

James Madison's main argument in favor of a federalist position, stated in Federalist No. 10 and 51 was in defense of

answer

large republics

Unit One American Gov. – Flashcards

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