Mr. Schaber – AP Political Science
Wilson – Chapter 3 Study Guide
Federalism
Name ______________________________
1) Since the adoption of the Constitution in 1787, what has been the single most persistent source of
political conflict in the country? (49)
2) What is meant by ‘devolution?’ (49 & 50)
3) What are ‘block grants?’ (49 & 50)
Governmental Structure
4) Briefly explain ‘federalism.’ (50)
5) The special protection that subnational governments enjoy in our federal system derives from what?
(50)
6) The existence of _____________________ state and local governments means that different
__________________ groups pursuing different political ____________________ will come to power in
different ____________________. (51)
7) In Federalist No. 10 Madison argued that it would be in a ______________ (or “extended”) republic
that one would find the greatest opportunity for all _________________ interests to be heard. (51)
8) What has been the most obvious effect of federalism? (52)
The Founding
9) The goal of the Founders was to protect personal liberty. What were the two main devices created to
do this? (52)
10) T/F – In a federation (or a ‘federal republic’ as the Founders called it) both the national and state
governments have certain powers, but neither has supreme authority over the other. (52 & 53)
11) T/F – The idea of federalism was not new; it had been used many times in different governments in
world history. (53)
12) What very elastic language did the Founders put into Article I of the Constitution (in relation to
Congress)? (54)
13) Explain the opposing views about government power held by Hamilton and Jefferson. (54)
The Debate on the Meaning of Federalism
14) What position about government power did Chief Justice John Marshall most often defend? (55)
15) What was the landmark case McCulloch v. Maryland all about? (55 & 56)
16) What did McCulloch v. Maryland mean for the federal government in relation to states? (56)
17) Define ‘nullification.’ (56)
18) What are a couple of examples when nullification was proposed, and who were the politicians
behind these ideas? (56)
19) What event in US history confirmed once and for all that states cannot declare acts of Congress
unconstitutional? (56)
20) What is ‘dual federalism?’ (57)
21) T/F – In regards to commerce, it is fairly easy to determine what is interstate commerce and what is
intrastate commerce. (57 & 58)
22) The Supreme Court has given new life to the Eleventh Amendment, which protects ______________
from _______________________ by _______________________ of other states or _________________
nations. (58)
28) It is important to remember that to empower states is not to disempower _________________. (58)
29) In general, what can a state do (i.e. what powers does a state have)? (59)
30) One generally recognized state power is the police power. What is that? (59)
31) As a practical matter, what are the most important activities of state and local governments? (59)
32) What is ‘initiative,’ which about half of the states allow? (59)
33) About half of the states also allow the ‘referendum.’ What is that? (59)
34) The __________________ is a procedure used in over 20 states whereby voters can remove an
elected official from office. (59)
35) The existence of the states is guaranteed by the federal Constitution. What are some of the
rights/protections assured to the states? (59)
36) American federalism answer questions about which level of government (federal or state) has the
power to decide tough issues (like where to store nuclear waste or the treatment of prisoners), but such
things are decided on a case-by-case basis through _________________________________ politics and
________________ decisions. (59)
Federal-State Relations
37) What are ‘grants-in-aid?’ (60)
38) What do federal grants go to today? (60)
39) For a long time, probably the most attractive thing (from a state’s perspective) about federal grants
was that federal money seemed to be “______________” money – nothing was required from the states
in order to receive it, and there was little to no federal supervision from the federal government in how
the money was spent. (61)
40) During the 1960s, what important change occurred in the federal grant program? (61)
41) Federal aid amounted to less than _____ percent of state and local spending in 1927. By 1980 it
amounted to ______ percent, and total aid to state and local governments was _________ percent of
the federal budget. (62) – See chart on pg. 63 to see how this trend has continued to increase.
42) Who is part of the ‘intergovernmental lobby?’ (62)
43) What is the purpose of the intergovernmental lobby? (62)
44) Define ‘categorical grant.’ (63)
45) Define ‘revenue sharing.’ (63)
46) Now, in plain English, distinguish between block grants, categorical grants, and revenue sharing.
47) What happened to the revenue sharing (GRS) program in 1986? (64)
48) While block grants and categorical grants are still in use, which type of grant have we seen more of
since the mid-1990s? (64)
49) Congress and the federal bureaucracy have liked categorical grants, while states have disliked them.
Explain WHY? (64)
50) Some grants are now based on distributional formulas, and with the advent of this type of grant, the
results of the ______________________, taken every ten years, assume monumental importance. (65)
Federal Aid and Federal Control
51) The traditional type of federal control on state governmental activities is called conditions of aid.
What does this mean? (66)
52) The newer form of federal control over states is called mandates. What are they? (66)
53) Most mandates have little or nothing to do with ___________________ aid – they apply to all
____________ governments whether or not they accept grants. (66)
54) Most mandates concern what types of things? (66)
55) Are mandates easy or hard to understand and administer? (66)
56) What has helped fuel the growth of mandates, especially controversial ones? (67)
57) By far the most important federal ____________________ on ____________ action are the
conditions attached to the ________________ the states receive. (67)
58) Why do federal and local officials find themselves in a bargaining situation? (68)
59) Beginning in the 1960s, changes in American politics shifted the orientation of many in Congress
toward favoring ___________________________ needs over ___________________ needs. (68)
A Devolution Revolution
60) With the election of Republican majorities in the _____________ and _______________ in 1994, a
renewed effort was led by ____________________ to shift important functions back to the
____________________. (68)
61) Name and give an example of the three types of block grants? (69)
a)
b)
c)
62) What is meant by ‘second-order’ devolution? (69)
63) What is meant by ‘third-order’ devolution? (70)
64) Many Americans favor devolution in theory, but it remains unclear how deep public sentiment in
favor of devolution runs when “shifting __________________________ to the _______________” also
means ____________________ specific program ______________________. (70)
Congress and Federalism
65) American politics, even at the national level, remains _________________ in its orientation. (70)
66) Most members of Congress now act as _____________ ________________, judging local needs
and national moods _________________________. (72)
67) Nowadays, the best-organized groups in trying to get federal aid are who? (72)