U.S. Government – Reading Guide Ch. 3-6
Directions: Answer each question as you read the chapters.
Ch. 3 - Federalism
1. In Federalist No. 51, James Madison highlighted the unique structure of governmental powers created
by the Framers. Summarize his explanation.
2. Where is the nature of the federal relationship between the national government and states, including
their respective duties, obligations and powers outlined?
3. Define federalism.
4. What exactly is the supremacy clause?
5. Article I, section 8 of the Constitution states the enumerated powers of the federal government. What
are those specific powers?
6. Also known as the “Elastic Clause”, this gives Congress additional authority to enact any laws.
7. Define implied power.
8. Which Amendment to the Constitution reserves powers for the states? What does this mean?
9. What are concurrent powers?
10. Neither national nor state governments may pass this law which declares an act illegal without a
judicial trial.
11. What is an ex post facto law?
12. Name two guarantees that states receive from the federal government in the Constitution.
13. What is the purpose of the “Full Faith and Credit” clause in Article IV of the Constitution?
14. Define interstate compacts.
15. Summarize the case of McCulloch v. Maryland. What was the final ruling?
16. Summarize the case of Gibbons v. Ogden. What was the final ruling?
17. What is dual federalism?
18. What was the Supreme Court’s decision in Dred Scott v. Sanford?
19. What are the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments?
20. What are the 16th and 17th Amendments?
21. Name two reasons the era of dual federalism comes to an end in the 1930s.
22. What was the purpose of the New Deal by Franklin D. Roosevelt?
23. Define cooperative federalism.
24. What allocates federal dollars by a precise formula and are subject to detailed conditions imposed by
the national government?
25. The “Reagan Revolution” had at its heart strong views about what?
26. What is a block grant?
27. Define intergovernmental lobby.
28. What allows the national government to override state or local actions in certain areas? It is derived
from what clause in the Constitution?
29. What exactly is a mandate?
30. What was the Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown v. Board of Education? Why is this significant?
31. True or False: The 10th Amendment was determined essentially meaningless in 1985.
32. What were the Supreme Court decisions in Boerne v. Flores and Printz v. U.S.? What was the
significance of these cases?
Ch. 4 – State & Local Government
1. As pointed out in Ch. 3, what was the basic, original unit of government in this country?
2. Define “one-person, one-vote”. What is its purpose?
3. Which Supreme Court case ruled that Congress and the president did not have the authority to require
the establishment of gun-free zones around local schools and that it was a matter for state and local
governments?
4. Define nonpartisan election.
5. How does the local news media play a role in local government?
6. What are sunshine laws?
7. What are the primary responsibilities of state governments?
8. What is a state constitution?
9. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 was created under what? And set up a system for?
10. The most effective national anti-machine effort was the? Why?
11. True or False: As compared with the U.S. Constitution, state constitutions are relatively easy to
amend.
12. What is the most important role of the governor of a state?
13. Define package or general veto.
14. What is a line-item veto?
15. What power do governors have that the President does not in regards to passing legislation?
16. Name at least one executive responsibility of governors.
17. Define pardon.
18. Define commute.
19. Define parole.
20. Define extradite.
21. Why are sunset laws important?
22. Define term limits.
23. What is the primary function of courts?
24. What is a famous example between state and federal court overlap (1994)?
25. Through a rule known as _______________, state courts would be obliged to enforce the federal law.
26. What is common law?
27. What is the difference between criminal and civil law?
28. From Figure 4.2, outline the basic organization of the State Courts.
a. For example, it begins with Municipal and Special courts, then…
29. What is an appellate court?
30. Define the Missouri (Merit) Plan.
31. True or False: The differences between Republicans and Democrats, at the state and national levels,
are important but not drastic.
32. What do ballots almost always include?
33. What is the difference between a direct and an indirect initiative?
34. What is a popular referendum?
35. What is Dillon’s Rule? What does it apply to?
36. What is a charter? Name the 5 basic types.
37. Define charter school.
38. List and explain the four different types of local governments.
39. What exactly is a political machine?
40. What are the roles of mayor, city council and manager in a local government?
41. What is a domestic independent nation?
42. The federal government is legally and morally obligated to protect Indian interests based on what?
43. What is the difference between reservation land and trust land?
44. Which Department oversees issues pertaining to Native Americans?
45. How do state governments make money?
Ch. 5 – Civil Liberties
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Define civil liberties.
What is the Bill of Rights?
What is the due process clause?
What is the incorporation doctrine?
What is the process of selective incorporation?
What court case set out the rationale for selective incorporation?
What does the establishment clause pertain to?
What clause prohibits the federal government from interfering with a citizen’s right to practice his or
her religion?
9. What is the Equal Access Act?
10. What was the controversy over the school voucher program?
11. Which state was allowed to ban the sacramental use of peyote by the Supreme Court?
12. Which Amendment’s interpretation is historically one of the most volatile areas of constitutional
interpretation?
13. What were the Alien and Sedition Acts? What was their purpose?
14. Define clear and present danger.
15. What is the direct incitement test?
16. What is the difference between libel and slander?
17. Summarize New York Times Co. v. Sullivan. What was the final decision?
18. What forms of expression are not protected by the federal government?
19. What is the Communications Decency Act?
20. What types of speech are protected?
21. Why was the 2nd Amendment added to the Constitution?
22. What is the Brady Bill? Which part was ruled unconstitutional?
23. Which Amendments provide a variety of procedural guarantees (due process rights)?
24. Give an example of a warrantless search.
25. Who can enter a home without a warrant and what might the instance be?
26. The Supreme Court has ruled that drug tests are _________________ for the purposes of the $th
Amendment.
27. What does it mean to “take the 5th”?
28. Summarize the case of Miranda v. Arizona. What was the decision of the court?
29. Define exclusionary rule. What is its purpose?
30. When would the Court appoint an attorney to a criminal defendant?
31. What was the importance of Gideon v. Wainwright?
32. What is an impartial jury?
33. Why aren’t mentally retarded convicts executed for capital murder?
34. What is the Innocence Protection Act?
35. Define right to privacy. Name the four issues listed that deal with a person’s “right to privacy”.
Ch. 6 – Civil Rights
1. What are civil rights?
2. When was the slave trade banned by Congress?
3. What independent nation was created as a solution to the problem of slavery?
4. Which two women founded the women’s movement?
5. Where was the first meeting for women’s rights held?
6. What was the significance of Uncle Tom’s Cabin? Who wrote it?
7. What is the 13th Amendment?
8. What prohibited African Americans from voting, sitting on juries or even appearing in public places?
9. What was the first federal veto in American history? Which president enacted the veto power?
10. What is the 14th Amendment?
11. What is the 15th Amendment?
12. The combined message of the Slaughterhouse Cases and Bradwell v. Illinois was what?
13. Why was the Civil Rights Act of 1875 passed?
14. What are Jim Crow laws?
15. What was the importance of the Civil Rights Cases (1883)?
16. What was the Supreme Court’s decision in Plessy v. Ferguson?
17. What does NAACP stand for?
18. Who were the first leaders of the NAACP?
19. What was NAWSA and who was its leader?
20. Define suffrage movement.
21. What is the 19th Amendment?
22. Name one “test case” of the NAACP against the constitutionality of Jim Crow laws.
23. What was the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education?
24. What is the equal protection clause?
25. What does it mean to desegregate?
26. What happened at Little Rock High School in Arkansas when desegregation of the schools was
attempted?
27. Who was Rosa Parks and why was she important to the Civil Rights movement?
28. What was SNCC? And what was the main form of protest for SNCC?
29. What did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 say?
30. What is de jure discrimination?
31. What is de facto discrimination?
32. What portion of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from discriminating against employees
for a variety of reasons, including race, sex, age and national origin?
33. What was the purpose of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission?
34. The proposed Equal Rights Amendment says what? Why was it controversial?
35. What exactly is Title IX?
36. For each group, name at least one example of the fight for rights:
a. Mexican Americans
b. Native Americans
c. Gays and Lesbians
d. Disabled Americans