NAME:
CLASS BLOCK:
CHAPTER THREE ASSIGNMENT
AP U.S. Government and Politics: Chapter 3: Federalism
Directions:
 Answer the following questions in short-answer essay format – complete sentences,
concise but articulate answers, check your spelling before you finish, and as always, DO
YOUR OWN WORK IN YOUR OWN WORDS.
 Your answers must be indented, typed in bold, blue-color, Times New Roman, 12point font, single-spaced. Leave one blank line between your answer and the next
question. Please use this format in this assignment and all similar assignments in
this course.
 Be sure to be specific, using terms and vocabulary from Chapter Three in the
Government in America textbook. Through your answers, prove to your instructor and
yourself that you’ve done the reading and that you understand the concepts.
 When it is appropriate, use specific examples that are relevant to the question (using
examples from contemporary news reports is most helpful, here).
Students in this course will need to be able to define federalism and explain why it’s important to
American government and politics. Keep this in mind when you answer the following two
questions.
1. Define the three ways of organizing a governmental system that were discussed in the text.
a.
b.
c.
2. List two ways in which federalism decentralizes politics and policymaking.
a.
b.
When students have finished the lesson on Federalism, they should be able to describe how the
Constitution divides power between the national and state governments and understand why the
supremacy of the national government is the central principle of American federalism. Keep this
in mind when you answer the following three questions.
3. List the three items that are considered the supreme law of the land.
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a.
b.
c.
4. Under our federal system of government, why is the Tenth Amendment significant?
5. Explain the difference between enumerated powers and implied powers of government.
6. Students need to understand the nature of states’ obligations to each other under our federal
system of government. Describe the three general obligations each state has to every other state
under the Constitution.
a.
b.
c.
Over the past two centuries, federalism in the U.S. has shifted from dual federalism to
cooperative federalism. Keep this in mind when you answer the following two questions.
7. Describe how dual federalism is analogous to a layer cake and cooperative federalism is
analogous to a marble cake.
8. Explain the three general standard operating procedures of cooperative federalism.
a.
b.
c.
By the time students complete this lesson on Federalism, they should be able to explain the
nature of fiscal federalism and how states and cities compete for federal grants and aid. Keep
this in mind when answering the next four questions.
9. What is meant by “cross-over sanctions” and “cross-cutting requirements”?
a. Cross-over sanctions:
b. Cross-cutting requirements:
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10. Explain the two types of categorical grants.
a.
b.
11. What is the difference between block grants and revenue sharing?
12. List two reasons why a state or local government might not want to receive federal aid.
a.
b.
By the time you complete this lesson on Federalism, you should be able to explain the
relationship between federalism and democracy, and how federalism both contributes to and
detracts from democracy.
13. List four advantages of federalism for democracy.
a.
b.
c.
d.
14. List four disadvantages of federalism for democracy.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Finally, in this lesson on Federalism, you should be able to understand how Federalism has
contributed to the scope of national government. With that in mind, answer these last two
questions.
15. How did industrialization increase the role (and the size) of the federal government?
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16. Why don’t the states handle more issues, today?
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