Exam 1 Study Guide F23 - Answers
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Ch. 1: An Introduction to American Government
Section 2: What is Government? Set of institutions that claim legitimate authority to use force and make laws binding upon the people of a particular territory.
Legitimate authority – one has the right to issue commands and to punish those who do not comply with the commands.
Know the names of the following institutions:
o
The legislatures of the federal government and Georgia – makes laws.
GA: GA General Assembly – Senate (upper) and House of Representatives
(lower).
USA: Congress – Senate (upper) and House of Representatives.
o
The heads of the executive branches of the federal government and Georgia government – puts laws into effect (can use physical force by police/military).
GA: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, bureaucratic agencies.
USA: President, Vice President, bureaucratic agencies.
o
The highest courts in the judicial branches of the federal government and Georgia government – consists of court laws.
GA: Supreme Court of GA and lower courts.
USA: Supreme Court of US.
Which branch of government are bureaucratic agencies a part of: legislative, executive, or
judicial? Executive.
What does the “power of the sword” mean? According to the textbook, do all governments claim to have legitimate authority to wield this power, or is it only certain kinds of government that claim that power?
o
Power of the sword – use of physical force through police/military.
Executive branch.
All governments claim sovereignty over a particular territory. What does “sovereignty” mean in this context? Sovereignty - the right of a government to govern its territory without interference from other governments and to use military force to defend itself and
its territory from foreign aggression.
Section 3: Two More Ways Governments Exercise Power over the People
What does “relational power” mean (as in “A has power over B”)? The ability to get a person/group to do what they otherwise would not do.
What does “power of the purse” mean? Influence behavior by using money as positive/negative incentives.
o
Be able to recognize the difference between government using the power of the purse as “positive incentives” versus as “negative incentives.”
Positive incentive – provide a benefit in exchange for behaving in a desired way.
Negative incentive – a threat to impose a burden if one does not behave in a desired way.
Power of the sword and power of the purse.
o
Why is using the power of the purse not a part of the definition of government? Governments aren’t the only ones who use it. Business owners, managers, etc.
2
What does it mean for government to seek to exercise power by “affecting hearts and minds”? So that people are persuaded or feel a desire/duty to do what they would otherwise not do.
o
Why is affecting hearts and minds not a part of the definition of government? Governments aren’t the only ones that affect the heart and mind on a daily basis. Family, friends, teachers, political leaders, etc.
o
What does “propaganda” mean? According to political philosopher Jason Stanley,
is it necessarily a bad thing? Propaganda – form of persuasive communication that
urges people to support/act a political goal by manipulating their irrational biases and concealing from them things they reasonably should consider. Can be used for positive/negative purposes.
Section 4: A Universal Purpose of Government: Providing Public Goods
Make sure to understand the definition of these concepts and how they relate to each other: “private goods,” “public goods,” “free riding,” and “collective action problems.”
o
Public goods – goods that, once provided, no one in a group can be excluded from
enjoying (non-excludable).
o
Private goods – goods that are excludable.
o
Free riding – enjoying the benefits of a public good without bearing part of the burden of providing it.
o
Collective action problems – when attempts at free riding threaten to prevent a group from providing a public good.
Thus, governments seek to lead individuals to contribute by imposing taxes.
The textbook asserts there are certain public goods that all governments provide. What are these public goods? Security from foreign threats, domestic peace, order, and stability.
Section 5: American Government: A Liberal Democracy
The textbook says American government is a “liberal democracy,” defined as “A system of government that combines democracy
with the rule of law
, constitutional protections for human rights
, the separation of powers
, checks and balances
, and other institutional devices aimed at promoting limited government
.” Make sure you know and understand the definitions of the underlined terms and the definition of liberal democracy.
o
Democracy – rule by the people.
o
Rule of law – the idea that all citizens should be equally bound by laws. All government actions must be authorized by pre-existing laws and lawmakers may not exempt themselves from the laws they make.
o
Human rights – moral rights regardless of race, sex, etc. Essential for human freedom and dignity.
o
Separation of powers – Divided into three separate branches of government.
o
Checks and balances – different branches of government are given enough power over one another to keep each within their power constitutional limits.
o
Limited government – a government should be empowered to serve its legitimate purposes, but it should also be limited and controlled in its powers so that it protects and respects the fundamental rights and interests of the governed.
3
What’s the difference between a “representative democracy” and a “direct democracy”? What kind of democracy is American government?
o
Direct democracy – all citizens participate in making/enforcing laws.
o
Representative democracy – those with primary responsibility for making and enforcing laws do so on behalf of the majority of citizens who do not make/enforce laws directly.
US
What does it mean to say a government is “authoritarian” (or “autocratic”)? Authoritarian/autocratic government is not controlled by the people (“nondemocratic”).
Make sure to know the definitions of the following terms and what they have to do with the democratic components of American democracy: “interest group” “political party”.
o
Interest group – association that seeks to influence government to benefit members of the association or advance a cause they share a belief in.
Protected by freedom of association.
o
Political party – organization that seeks to influence government by getting members elected to office and by coordinating the actions of elected officials in government.
Democratic and Republican Parties.
What is a “constitutional government”? Is a country with a “sham constitution” a constitutional government? Why or why not?
o
Constitutional government – the government is bound by fundamental laws (highest law/supreme laws/ Constitution).
o
Sham constitution – documents listing fundamental “laws” that the governments routinely violate.
Is not a constitutional government.
Ex. Russia.
In the American system of separation of powers, which branch of government wields the power of the sword and which branch has the power of the purse? Execute – power of the
sword; Legislative – power of the purse.
What is “federalism”? Principle of government hat means authority is partly divided/shared between the federal (central/national) and state governments.
Ch. 2: America’s Polarized Politics
Section 1: Introduction
How does the textbook define “politics”? Politics – activities democratic citizens engage in as they struggle to exercise power over government.
In the introduction (and again, later, in Section 4), the textbook distinguishes between two modes of political conflict: one that is “a sign of healthy democratic politics” and one
that puts “democracy at risk of dying.” What is the difference between the two modes? “Healthy” – After one wins/loses, widespread trust in the process, a willingness to abide by the rule of the game and acceptance of legitimacy of one’s opponents. “Risk of dying”
– when there is mutual distrust and view the enemy as threatening and must be defeated to save the country (pernicious polarization).
Section 2: Lefts versus Right: Ideological Conflict in American Politics
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Know and understand the definitions of these terms: ideology, ideological spectrum, Left side of ideological spectrum, and Right side.
o
Ideology – set of ideas about the proper role of government that emanate from core values and beliefs about human nature and society. o
Ideological spectrum – political ideologies ranging on a continuum from the extreme left to the extreme right.
o
Left – advocate changes in the direction of greater social, political, and/or economic equality. Resist traditional hierarchies and the systems that are thought to reinforce them. Favor laws and policies aimed at protecting and advancing those who have historically been oppressed by traditional hierarchies.
Liberals/progressives/on the Left/blue/Democrats.
o
Right – resists efforts at change toward greater equality and accepts traditional social, political, and/or economic hierarchies. Accepts social change in the direction of greater inequality. Places special value on tradition, order, group loyalty, and authority, all of which are essential for a good/stable society.
Conservatives/on the Right/red/Republicans.
Make sure to understand how, in general, the Left and Right differ in their perspectives on social issues.
Left
Religion:
Support strict separation of church and state. Respecting the equal rights of parents – children should be raised according to their own religious beliefs.
Religion should not be allowed in schools (Extreme).
Race:
Anti-racism lens; affirmative action – adequate representation of underrepresented groups in admissions.
Transgender rights:
Sees it as part of a broader cause of advancing the equality of women and sexual minorities.
Right
Religion:
Public funds can be used to support private Christina schools or that public school employees should be allowed to lead voluntary Christian prayers after extracurricular events.
Christianity as the sole source of the country’s moral vision
(Extreme).
Race:
Values should take precedence over the goal of achieving racial equality. Traditional standards should be adhered regardless of racial equality.
Differences in qualifications are due to natural differences inability so racial inequalities are justified and are not due to systemic factors (Extreme).
Transgender rights:
Resisted legal recognition of same-sex marriage and transgender people to attain the right to act in accord with
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their gender identities.
More likely to defend than to resist a privileged position for cisgender men in society. Their opposition is rooted to maintain a traditional distinction between men and women.
Know and understand the definitions of these economic concepts as discussed in the textbook: market capitalism, communism, social democracy, welfare state, libertarianism.
o
Market capitalism – voluntary exchanges between private buyer and sellers affect the price of goods/services sold, and prices affect how many goods/services are produced and consumed.
o
Communism – extreme left; the state owns the means of production and centrally commands the economy to assure an equal distribution of resources.
o
Social democracy – mixed economic system favored by left; governments play a significant role in their economies in an effort to retain the advantages of capitalism while achieving the left’s aspirations for less economic inequality and non-oppressive relations.
o
Welfare state – the use of government spending to promote the economic security,
health, and well-being of it citizens, especially those in financial need.
o
Libertarianism – government should play a minimal role in the economy/society.
o
In general, do Republicans and Democrats agree with critiques of communism and accept some form of market capitalism? Or does one party, or both parties, embrace communism? Both accepted some form of communism and market capitalism.
o
Which ideological label (liberal or conservative) describes the Democratic Party’s
approach to economic issues? Which of those two labels describes the Republican
party’s approach? Democratic – liberal; Republican – conservative.
o
Which party (Democrats or Republicans) is most in line with a social democratic form of capitalism and acceptance of the welfare state? Democrats.
o
Which party (Democrats or Republicans) is most in line with economic libertarianism and a rejection of the welfare state? Republican.
Section 3: Ideological Differences within Parties
Make sure to know and understand the definitions of these concepts: globalization, populism, right-wing populism, left-wing populism, economic nationalism, tariffs, democratic socialism.
o
Globalization – increasing interdependence of countries’ economies and cultures due to international trade in goods and services and the free flow across borders of
investments, people, and information.
o
Populism – anti-elite ideology that views ordinary people as virtuous and the economically and politically powerful as irredeemably evil and corrupt.
o
Right-wing populism – hostility toward immigration and racially and culturally exclusive understanding of who counts as “the people”.
o
Left-wing populism – limits its hostility toward the economic elite and those in the political establishment who are viewed as corruptly tied to the economic elite. No resentment toward immigrants or religious/racial minorities.
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o
Economic nationalism – economic policy should place a higher priority on serving American national interests than on meeting the desires of American consumers for low cost imported goods or seeking to forge greater interdependence and cooperation with other countries.
o
Tariffs – taxes on imported goods.
o
Democratic socialism – less trusting of large business corporations, favors a higher minimum wage, higher taxes on the wealthy, and larger government role in
assuring affordable access to health care, education, and housing. (far left)
Which kind of populism is most influential in the U.S. and around the world today: right-
wing populism or left-wing populism? Right-wing populism.
Right-wing populism and economic nationalism are emerging ideological camps within which of the two major American political parties? Republican.
Democratic socialism is an emerging ideological wing within which of the two major American political parties? Democratic.
Section 4: Us versus Them: Pernicious Polarization in American Politics Today
What is the difference between mere “ideological polarization” and “pernicious polarization.” According to the textbook, are both forms of polarization necessarily a threat to democracy? Why or why not?
o
Ideological polarization – increasing differences between the two major political parties.
o
Pernicious polarization – leads citizens to turn against each other and see the opposite as enemies who pose a fundamental threat to the country and one’s way of life.
Harder for political parties to work together, affect where people live, who
they marry/date/hire, more violence.
Make sure to understand the definitions of these terms: social identity theory, ingroups, outgroups, ingroup favoritism, and outgroup derogation.
o
Social identity theory – explains why individuals define themselves in reference to groups (we/us not me/I) and how this kind of social identification influences how members of different groups perceive and act toward one another.
o
Ingroups – a group to which one belongs/identifies.
o
Outgroups – a group to which one does not belong/identifies.
o
Ingroup favoritism – one’s ingroup is favorable and treats members better.
o
Outgroup derogation – see outgroup’s negatively and treat members of them less well.
Have political leaders become more or less likely to refer to their political rivals as “enemies” rather than mere “opponents”? According to the textbook, what if anything does this have to do with the rise of pernicious polarization? Enemies; contribute to rise of pernicious polarization.
What’s the difference between partisanship based on “cross-cutting social identities” versus partisanship that is a “mega-identity”? Which best describes partisanship today? What does this have to do with pernicious polarization?
o
Cross-cutting social identities – one’s different social identities do not map easily onto a single party and so no one is pulled toward both parties or toward neither.
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o
Mega-identity – a partisan identity that is reinforced and magnified by multiple social identities.
Today’s partisanship – contributes to pernicious polarization.
According to the textbook, what is the major obstacle to forging a common American national identity to overcome pernicious polarization? Democrats/Republicans divided over belief in God/Christianity being the core of being an American.
How, according to the textbook, does polarized trust in news sources perpetuate and deepen pernicious polarization? By leading Republicans/Democrats to receive different information about political events and perceive the events differently; leads Republicans/Democrats to occupy different political realities, which makes them seem more like stranger to each other driving them further apart.
Ch. 3: The U.S. Constitution
Section 3: Constitution Making during the Revolutionary War
What was “the great and radical vice” in the design of the Articles of Confederation according to Alexander Hamilton? Why did this “vice” contribute so greatly to the weakness of the Articles of Confederation?
o
“The great and radical vice” was the lack of the central government’s ability to exercise power over state governments, as it claimed direct power over the state governments instead of the people. The central government only had enough power to maintain good relations between the stats and for coordinating collective
action.
o
What does the term “requisition” mean? How did it function under the Articles of Confederation? Why did the central government’s reliance on requisitions for raising revenue contribute to the weakness of the government?
Requisitions – requests to state governments that they give money to Congress. This did not work, as citizens free rode, resulting in a collective action problem.
Section 4: Creation of the Founders’ Constitution
According to the textbook, what was the primary obstacle to amending the Articles of Confederation? And how did the Founders get around this obstacle in order to establish the U.S. Constitution in 1787-88? (hint: the idea of “popular sovereignty” was important here). The requirement of unanimous consent of the state legislatures to amend the Articles of Confederation. The Founders planned to write an entirely new Constitution and did this by submitting the Constitution to ratifying conventions in each state and only
required that nine out of thirteen state conventions ratify instead of unanimous ratification. When people argued that this went against AOC, the Founders argued for popular sovereignty, or the fact that the people hold the most power and they may change
the constitutions whenever and however they please.
According to the textbook, what were the two most heated points of contentions at the Constitutional Convention that made it difficult to create a constitution acceptable to the people of every state in the union? Small states vs. large states and Southern slave states vs. Northern states.
8
What was “the Great Compromise”? Why was the Constitutional Convention in a stalemate before it? What were the names of the two main plans that were being debated before the Great Compromise broke the stalemate? What was the scheme of representation in each of those two main plans? The Great Compromise – proposed that the federal legislature be bicameral, wherein Representative of the House are voted on by
the people and represented based on population, while Senate would be based on equal representation and Senators are selected by state legislatures. The Convention was in a stalemate before because the delegates couldn’t agree on whether states would be represented equally in Congress, as proposed in the NJ Plan, which also wanted a unicameral legislature and states to be more powerful than the central government, or if representation would be population based, as proposed by the VA Plan, that also wanted a
bicameral legislature and a central government with authority over state governments.
The Original Constitution protected slavery in at least four different ways.
o
Why did anti-slavery delegates want slaves to NOT be counted at all for purposes of calculating each state’s number of representatives? Why did slave-state delegates want each slave to be counted as at least three-fifths of a person (if not as a whole person)? What’s the name of the compromise that was reached over how to count slaves? The 3/5ths Compromise stated that each enslaved person would count 3/5s of a person. Anti-slavery states didn’t want enslaved people to be counted because then they’d be outnumbered in the House of Reps. They also viewed it as a contradiction that “property” be counted as a person. Slave states wanted enslaved people to be counted as 3/5s of a person so they could outnumber Northern states in the House and block any Northern proposals to interfere with state laws protecting slaveowners.
o
What is the Electoral College? And how did it give slave states extra voice in the selection of the President? Electoral College – temporary state-selected group of people, equal to the state’s number of members in Congress, responsible for electing the President. Slave states had more electors since they had more representatives in the house.
o
What did the Original Constitution establish about the Atlantic Slave Trade? Established that Congress would not ban the slave trade prior to 1808.
o
What did the Fugitive Slave Clause do? Allowed enslavers to recapture people they’d enslaved who attempted to escape. It also took away the right of states to pass laws to protect and/or emancipate runaway slaves.
Make sure to know and understand the six design principles of the original U.S. Constitution (as discussed in the textbook chapter). (See all below with additional guiding questions) (1) Federalism
o
What is federalism? Did the federal system created by the U.S. Constitution give state governments more or less power and independence compared to what they had under the Articles of Confederation? Federalism – principle of government whereby the central government shares power with local governments. The US Constitution gave states governments less power compared to AOC.
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o
What is the name of the clause in the Constitution that grants federal laws superior authority over state laws? Supremacy Clause.
(2) Popular Sovereignty
o
How does the Constitution’s Preamble reflect the principle of “popular sovereignty.” “We the People” speaks to 9/13 states having to approve the Constitution for it to be considered through ratifying conventions. The Articles required unanimous consent by the state governments for ratification. The US Constitution was enacted under the authority of the sovereign people, whereas the Articles were enacted under the authority of the sovereign states. It also states that
the Constitution can be changed with the approval of the states.
(3) Representative Democracy
o
What is the difference between a direct democracy and representative democracy?
Which of those two kinds of democracy did the Founders create with the U.S. Constitution? Representative democracy.
(4) Bicameralism
o
Why did the Founders choose a bicameral legislature instead of a unicameral one?
Included a Senate that would counterbalance the more democratic lower house. The Senate was intended to be more aristocratic and favorable toward property rights, as well as to protect the interests and rights of small states. The House was intended to be more democratic and favorable towards the rights and interests of the people/persons.
(5) Separation of Powers / Check and Balances
o
What purposes were the system of checks and balances intended to serve? Keep the branches separate from one another, by gibing them a bit of power over one another.
(6) Small List of Civil Liberties
Which group—the Federalists or the Antifederalists—supported ratification of the U.S. Constitution? Which opposed ratification? Antifederalists opposed; Federalists supported.
What were the Federalist Papers and why were they written? 85 separate essays to persuade New Yorkers to vote to ratify the Constitution.
What are the first ten amendments to the Constitution called? What did the Antifederalists
have to do with the origin of those amendments? Bill of rights. Antifederalists fought for it.
What is the general subject matter of Article I of the Constitution? What is the subject matter of Article II? How about Article III? o
1 – establishes the powers/structures of the legislative branch: bicameral legislature called the Congress – Senate and House of Reps.
o
2 – establishes the executive branch – president
o
3 – establishes the judicial branch – supreme court/inferior courts
Article V establishes four pathways for the sovereign people to amend the Constitution.
Section 5: Development of the Modern Constitution: The Second Founding and Beyond
Which three amendments are referred to as the Reconstruction Amendments? 13, 14, 15
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o
What did each of those amendments declare? In what ways did these transform the Founders’ Constitution—particularly with respect to slavery and white supremacist views of American citizenship?
13 – abolishes slavery in the US
14 – rejects the doctrine that only white persons can be citizens; affirms the principle of birthright citizenship born in the US.
15 – unconstitutional for anyone to be deprived of the right to vote on account of race
Ch. 4: Federalism
Section 2: Federalism versus the Alternatives
What is the key feature of a confederacy? How does this feature contrast with federalism and unitary national government? The central government claims authority over local governments and not individuals, which gives state governments a lot of control over the central government. In UNG, the central government claims direct control over individuals.
What are the key differences between a federal system and unitary national government? o
Federal – Central government does not have unilateral authority to alter the legal powers of geographic jurisdiction of member state governments.
o
UNG – no separate member states or the central government can alter the authority of geographic jurisdiction of member states at will.
What does “reserved power” entail in terms of state authority in the U.S. federal system? Reserved powers – areas of public policy that only state governments have authority over.
Section 3: Why Federalism?
What Kind of Union?
Be sure to understand these five arguments made by proponents of greater national government authority
:
(1) Preserving the Union. Too much state independence threatens the stability of the union, and a strong central government is necessary for maintaining peace and prosperity. (2) Reducing Compliance Costs Through Standardization and Uniformity of Rules. Uniform national rules reduce the opportunity costs associated with complying with government laws and regulations that vary from territory to territory. National government is best positioned to create these uniform national rules and standards to provide the benefit of reduced compliance costs.
(3) Providing National Public Goods and Reducing Negative Externalities. National government is more likely to identify and provide nationwide public goods. States are too
limited in their views and/or too selfish in their motives to overcome the temptation to free ride and impose costs and risks on other states or negative externalities.
(4) Protecting Minority Rights. A large democratic government is more likely to respect and protect minority rights than are smaller democratic governments.
(5) Preventing Races to the Bottom. Economic competition occurs between states that leads them to enact socially suboptimal regulations to attract/retain business investments; a race to the
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bottom. National government can uphold higher standards than the states can due to its not being
caught up in the interstate competition that leads to races to the bottom.
Be sure to understand these five arguments made by proponents of greater state government authority
. (See below)
(1) Protecting Liberty. The national government would need to develop the capacity to enforce all of the laws that are enforced by the state governments, which would make it more difficult to hold corrupt national branch leadership. If state governments do not retain a certain amount of autonomy, they cannot serve as a check on the power and influence of the national government.
(2) Representing the Diversity of Local Community Values and Interests. Diversity can make
uniform national standards undesirable. Better to allow decisions be made at local level.
(3) Learning from Policy Experimentation (“Laboratories of Democracy”). Federalism allows states to conduct their own experiments and allows everyone to learn what works best.
(4) Benefiting from “Foot Voting”. If individuals dislike the package of policies, the can vote
with their feet by moving to states/cities with acceptable policies. (5) Fostering Democratic Citizenship. Leaving significant authority to state level increases the number of nearby opportunities for citizens to participate in democratic government and thereby practice and develop skills essential for democratic citizenship.
Section 4: Constitutional Basics of American Federalism
What is judicial review and why has it been important for federalism? The authority of courts to decide whether acts of government are constitutional or unconstitutional, resulting in rulings that lower courts and government officials have to abide by.
Basics of American Federalism Derived from the Constitutional Text
Make sure to know and understand how the Article VI Supremacy Clause and the Tenth Amendment help to define American federalism. o
What is the Supremacy Clause? Supremacy Clause – establishes the principle that
all federal laws are supreme over state and local laws.
o
What are the two important principles found in the Tenth Amendment? (1) The authority of the federal government is limited to only those legal powers that are delegated to it by the US Constitution, which can be enumerated powers or implied powers. (2) The state is presumed to have power. States are not limited to powers delegated to them in the US Constitution.
Federal Powers
The U.S. Constitution “delegates” powers to the federal government in two ways: through enumerated powers and implied powers.
o
Where in the Constitution are most of Congress’ enumerated powers listed? Article I, section 8 of the Constitution.
o
What do these terms—enumerated / implied powers—mean? Explicitly listed in the Constitution.
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o
What is the Necessary and Proper Clause? What are “amendment-enforcing provisions”? How are they sources of implied powers? Necessary and Proper Clause – Congress has the authority to make laws that are necessary and proper for executing the enumerated powers. Amendment-enforcing provisions – grant Congress authority to enforce the rights guaranteed by the amendments, they are the major source of the federal government’s implied powers.
State Powers
The police power is the other Supreme Court doctrine fundamental to American federalism. What is meant by “the police power”? (HINT: It is not about police officers.) What does it have to do with the constitutional law of American federalism? Are there any constitutional limits on the police power of the state governments? Police power – a government has inherent authority to make laws and regulations that promote the health, safety, welfare, and morals of the people. State governments have the police power. There
are limits.
Section 5: Development of American Federalism over Time
Generally speaking, has the power and authority of the national government increased or decreased over time? Increased.
1787-1877: Era of Dual Federalism
o
Why is this system of dual federalism termed ‘layer cake’ federalism? Federal and
state government were separate and clearly demarcated much like the different layers of a layer cake.
1877-1929: Dual Federalism During the Progressive Era
Be sure to know and understand how the 16
th
amendment impacted American federalism in these ways:
o
What is meant by “progressive income tax”? Taxes structures so that those who make higher incomes pay a higher rate than those who makes lower incomes. o
What has the impact of the progressive income tax been in the U.S. since 1894? Increased the federal government’s ability to use its power of the purse to influence state policy.
o
Is income tax a major revenue source for the federal government or is it less important? Major.
o
Using the power of the purse, how has the federal government influenced state governments? Their revenue comes from individual income taxes, corporate income taxes, and social insurance and retirement receipts.
1929-1940: The Great Depression and FDR’s New Deal Federalism Revolution
What was FDR’s New Deal? How did the Supreme Court initially react to FDR’s efforts?
Taking strong and vigorous action to provide relief to the unemployed, recover the economy, and reform it to prevent another Great Depression. Supreme Court sided with businesses and declared policies unconstitutional.
Among other things, changes in how the Supreme Court interpreted the Constitution beginning in 1937 paved the way for the modern welfare state. What is meant by
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“welfare state”? How has it impacted American federalism? Welfare state – permanent federal government programs that provided Americans with greater economic security. Half of the federal government’s budget is devoted to welfare state programs.
1940-1968: Post-New Deal Cooperative Federalism
What was the “Great Society”? Which president proposed it? The Great Society – public policy seeking to wage a war on poverty by providing job training for the poor; improve access to quality education, medical care, and transportation for low incomes; provide funds for legal services for the poor; promote racial equality; protect consumers and the environment and promote the arts; Lyndon B Johnson.
What is meant by “grants-in-aid”? What are categorical grants? And what kind of impact did they have on the growth of the federal government? Grant in aides – provided by the federal government to state on the condition that the funds be used for purposes defined by the federal government. Categorical grants – strict guidelines on how the state must spend it. Increased the intermingling of federal and state functions that led to cooperative federalism.
Be sure to know and understand the differences between cooperative federalism and dual federalism.
o
Cooperative federalism – marble cake; highlights how the functions and roles of federal and state governments under it are less clearly demarcated and involve much more intermingling.\
o
Dual federalism – marked by a clear division of authority and responsibility between the federal and state governments.
1968-2000: The Conservative Backlash Against Liberal Cooperative Federalism
What are block grants? And what is meant by “devolution”? How are these terms related to Richard Nixon and the conservative backlash against the liberal federalism of FDR and
LBJ? Block grants – provided states with significant freedom to decide how to spend the money. Devolution is the process of the federal government returning functions and powers to state governments that had been assumed by the federal government since the New deal and great society. Nixon started block grants and there was conservative backlash for cooperative federalism.
How did Ronald Reagan try to reign in the size and influence of the federal government? Were these measures successful? Why, after three decades of decline, did the national debt double during the 1980s (when Reagan was president)? Reduced taxes which forced the federal government to balance their budget and reduced their spending on grants in aid. The national debt doubled because the tax cuts did not lead the government to reduce
overall spending, and actually increased spending. Reagen’s policies led to an explosion in debt.
2001-Present: The End of Principled Federalism?
What is principled federalism? According to the textbook, is either political party committed to principled federalism today? If so, which one? Principled federalism – committed to states’ rights even when they expected most states to enact policies they disapproved of, and neither political part is committed it it.