Chapter 4: Federalism: Dividing Government Power
Multiple Choice:
1. Federalism is:
a. a constitutional arrangement whereby power is divided between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the government.
b. a constitutional arrangement whereby power is not divided but is maintained only at the federal level.
c. a constitutional arrangement whereby power is divided between national and subnational governments.
d. a constitutional arrangement whereby power is divided between the president and the bureaucracy.
2. In a unitary form of government:
a. the national government's powers derive from the states.
b. authority is divided equally between states and the national government.
c. the national government has very little power.
d. authority rests with the national government.
3. Most of the world's governments, including Britain and France, are:
a. confederations.
b. Federalism systems.
c. Unitary systems.
d. None of the above.
4. Currently how many governments exist in the federalism system withing the U.S.?
a. 1
b. less than 51
c. about 3,000
d. more than 87,000
5. Federalism protects liberty by:
a. creating competition within and among governmental units.
b. allowing the states to operate as loosely aligned, separate, and distinct centers of power.
c. centralizing power in the federal government.
d. improving the efficiency of the national government.
6. Delegated powers, or enumerated powers, are described in the U.S. Constitution as:
a. powers denied to all levels of government.
b. powers belonging to the states.
c. powers given to the people.
d. powers belonging to the national government.
7. An example of a concurrent power would be:
a. control over the money supply.
b. the power to tax.
c. the power to conduct war.
d. the power to make laws concerning marriage and divorce.
8. One of the problems that existed under the federalism system in the U.S. has been:
a. that state's rights have been used as an argument to deny equal protection of the law to African Americans.
b. that it has dispersed power.
c. that it has increased political participation.
d. that federalism encourages policy innovation.
9. For nearly a half-century after the Civil War, the national government narrowly interpreted its delegated powers, and states continue to decide most domestic policy issues. This pattern of federalism is called:
a. Dual Federalism.
b. Representational Federalism.
c. Cooperative Federalism.
d. New Federalism.
10. Efforts to reverse the flow of power to Washington and to return responsibilities to states and communities describes what pattern of federalism?
a. New Federalism
b. Dual Federalism
c. Representational Federalism
d. Cooperative Federalism
True/False:
1. Centralized federalism is a pattern in which the national government assumes primary responsibility for determining national goals in all major policy areas and directs policy through conditions attached to money grants.
2. The ~McCulloch v. Maryland~ ruling was based upon the Supreme Court's broad interpretation of the Interstate Commerce Clause.
3. In the twentieth century, the Supreme Court began to build a national system of civil rights based upon the Fourteenth Amendment.
4. The ~U.S. v. Lopez~ ruling in 1995 determined that Congress could not create gun-free school zones using the U.S. Constitution's Necessary and Proper Clause.
5. A categorical grant is for a specific, narrow project approved by a federal administrative agency.
6. About one-half of all state and local government revenues currently come from federal grants.
7. The minimum drinking age became a national issue as a result of activity by groups such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
8. A block grant is designed to fund general governmental functions and give fairly wide discretion in how states spend those funds.
9. The U.S. Constitution's National Supremacy Clause determines that state laws may conflict with federal laws.
10. The Age Discrimination Act of 1986 is a good example of a federal mandate.
Essays:
Discuss welfare reform and the devolution revolution. What is the relationship between these two terms? Which changes in welfare policy were legislated in 1996? How are these changes related to devolution? Which political viewpoints led to the push for devolution?
Trace the evolution of federalism from State-Centered Federalism to Representational Federalism. What were the goals of each pattern of federalism? How did the interaction between federal and state governments affect national policies?
What is the "Dark Side of Federalism?" Relate the idea of state’s rights to the protection of civil rights. Which important historic events have highlighted the conflict between state’s rights and civil rights?
Discuss the use of the Interstate Commerce Clause in federalizing crime. Use the federal Gun Free School Zones Act and the Violence against Women Act as examples.