Exam 3: Federalism and the Separation of Powers

Article IV of the U.S. Constitution calls for "full faith and credit," meaning that

__________ federalism has existed since the New Deal era and uses grants-in-aid strategically to encourage states and localities (without commanding them) to pursue nationally defined goals.

When President Nixon refused to respond to a subpoena to make available his infamous White House tapes as evidence in a criminal prosecution, the Supreme Court declared his refusal unconstitutional. This court action limited the president's right to

Explain the trade-offs that exist between concentrating power in the hands of the federal government and dispersing power across the 50 states.

Local governments have always been mere conveniences of the states.

Which presidents advocated converting federal programs into block grants as a strategy labeled the New Federalism?

Local government entities such as counties and cities have no status in the U.S. Constitution.

Would Americans want each state to set its own air and water pollution control policies? Why or why not?

In Brown v. Board of Education (1954), the Supreme Court ruled that schools segregated by race were unconstitutional. In response, some states opposed to desegregation passed laws to prevent the desegregation of schools. However, the Supreme Court again ruled in Cooper v. Aaron (1958) that its 1954 decision was binding on all states, regardless of conflicting state laws. Which clause in the Constitution allowed the Supreme Court to make this 1958 ruling?

In the federal system, the 50 state governments retain sovereignty, which prevents the federal government from interfering in the financial matters of states. However, state governments can become involved in the fiscal matters of local governments, which is evident in recent state takeovers of the city finances of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Flint, Michigan. Why can state governments interfere in the fiscal matters of local governments when the federal government cannot do so with state governments?

How has the national government used grants-in-aid financing to exercise influence over state and local governments?

Under the U.S. Constitution, state governments can enter into agreements with one another, subject to congressional approval.

There were no Supreme Court reviews of congressional acts in the 50-plus years between Marbury v. Madison (1803) and Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857).

When the Supreme Court ruled that the federal government had the power to create a national bank because it had other specific powers enumerated in the Constitution, it did so by invoking

The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) represents a serious effort to strengthen the domination of the federal government over the states.

The system of government that prevailed in the United States from the writing of the Constitution to approximately the Great Depression could be most accurately characterized as __________ federalism.

The system of supportive relations among national, state, and local governments since the 1930s is often referred to as

The framers considered the presidency to be the most important branch in American government.

Which of the following is NOT a presidential check on the judiciary?

Over the course of American history, how has the Supreme Court interpreted the commerce clause of the Constitution when making decisions concerning the power of the national government relative to state governments?