Politics of the United States Questions
Explore questions in the Politics of the United States category that you can ask Spark.E!
Mary works at the federal Department of the Interior on issues dealing with national parks. She often works with people in the state-level departments of parks and recreation and departments of natural resources, but she rarely interacts with other federal bureaucrats outside the Department of the Interior. This is an example of what kind of federalism?
If the U.S. Congress passes a law aimed to stop state governments from discriminating against employees based on age, this is known as what kind of legislation?
Identify which of the following parts of the Constitution support a nationally-centered perspective on government and which parts support a state-centered perspective
The argument in favor of "states' rights"—that states retain some powers under the Constitution—is most often associated with which amendment?
If the supremacy clause of the Constitution specifies that federal laws are "the supreme Law of the Land," why are there still so many ongoing debates about what the federal government can and cannot require state governments to do?
According to Article VI of the Constitution, when state laws and federal laws are in conflict, the federal law takes precedence over the state law.
The idea that people can "vote with their feet" is usually used to argue for more national power relative to the states.
The United States decides to change its policies on the death penalty. Even if other nations do not approve of this, the United States has the right to do so, free from foreign interference. This is an example of the United States having what kind of power?
In a unitary system, all laws and decisions are made by the national government. In a federal system, powers are divided between the state and national governments.
Police powers rest with the federal government
How did the concept of dual federalism affect the balance of power between state governments and the national government?
Despite some early cases to the contrary, power predominantly remained with the states until the 1930s, at which point the federal government expanded into many new areas.
From the very beginning of the Preamble to the Constitution, the Founders laid out a vision of a stronger national government.
Federal preemption is a form of coercive federalism
After the Civil War, Congress amended the Constitution to guarantee equal protection under the law for all citizens under the Fourteenth Amendment. Congress would also use this amendment to pass additional civil rights laws. However, in the decades following the Civil War, the Supreme Court limited federal power and reinforced the notion of dual federalism.
Competitive federalism can create a "race to the bottom" as states attempt to lure businesses by keeping taxes and social spending low. This is generally thought of as a(n) disadvantage of federalism
One of the amendments to the Constitution states, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." This is an argument for which of the following?
The federal government is solely responsible for handling national defense and foreign policy. Local governments are created by state governments.
On average, state governments tend to be more responsive to the particular needs of their citizens. Citizen access to state governments is often greater than is citizen access to the national government.
The arrangement of powers in a federalist system is dynamic and can lead to conflict between levels of government. What aspect of federalism is most commonly disputed in the United States?