POLS 207 DYER EXAM 1 WITH VERIFIED
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS|| ALREADY
GRADED A+ || GAUARANTEED PASS || LATEST
VERSION 2025
What are some of the problems federalism can bring with it? - ANSWER--
There can be CONFLICT with national power/interest (public policy may
become fragmented
- NO national UNIFORMITY (civil rights and liberties?)
- Leads to interstate COMPETITION (TX) (so, there is welfare cuts to
discourage advantage seekers AND states attract businesses via incentives: tax
breaks, rebates (Films like Thor and Breaking Bad in NM and a corporation tax
in DE)
- Preserves INEQUALITIES! (in tax rates and what gets taxed in different
states, in welfare benefits/availability, in different state's minimum wages, in
varying qualities of public education with primary/secondary schools & with in-
state tuition for state university programs) (7.25 = federal minimum wage)
Explain what is meant by the enumerated and implied powers of the national
government. - ANSWER-ENUMERATED POWERS - the 17 explicit grants of
Congressional authority within the constitution, (ex: Taxing & spending,
regulating interstate commerce, war, coinage, treaties, post office, etc.)
IMPLIED POWERS - seen as a limited grant of authority, within the necessary
and proper clause, (aka elastic clause) national government should do whatever
they need that we forgot to put here
Which clause of the U.S. Constitution has been interpreted to create the doctrine
of implied powers? - ANSWER-Article I, Section 8. the necessary and proper
clause, (aka elastic clause) "make all laws which shall be necessary and proper
for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by
,this constitution." In other words, Congress is not limited to the powers
expressed in the Constitution, but also has implied powers to make laws
necessary to ensure that their expressed powers can be carried out.
What happens if a state law conflicts with a national law or the U.S.
Constitution? - ANSWER-National law wins. the SUPREMACY CLAUSE
(article 6, clause 2) makes the national government supreme (but limited).
Federal law preempts state law (ex: AZ & immigration law, USA blocked AZ
from attempting their own immigration policy)
Which provision of the U.S. Constitution spells out the legal hierarchy? -
ANSWER-the SUPREMACY CLAUSE (article 6, clause 2)
What is meant by the so-called 'reserved powers' of the states? - ANSWER-10th
Amendment, "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." Some people think this means
that there is a constitutional "domain of state power" while others think that this
is just "constitutional truism". The result is the broad, nebulous sphere of
undefined state power because there is no limited list of "the powers of states"
and there are many concurrent powers.
What are some of the traditional uses of state power (i.e. states' police powers)?
- ANSWER-just entails police powers creating laws for the general health,
safety, and moral welfare of communities - police ("policy") powers. (ex:
policing, labor regulations, public health, contracts, licensing)
What are some of the national government's obligations to the states? -
ANSWER-- guarentee of states' TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY
- guarantee the states a "REPUBLICAN FORM OF GOV"
- EQUAL representation in US SENATE
- Protection from FOREIGN INVASION
- Protection from DOMESTIC violence upon application of the state
,What are some of the ways in which states play an important role in national
politics and the overall U.S. constitutional order? - ANSWER-- ELECTORAL
COLLEGE
- Governors powers to fill congressional VACANCIES (Obama?)
- APPORTIONMENT (state legislators draw US congressional districts)
- State LAWS govern the election of national officials
- ¾ of states approval is required for US CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
(ex: ERA defeat (gender is not protected); DC Amendment defeat (states won't
give DC statehood because it dilutes their power))
What are term limits? - ANSWER-a restriction that limit the number of terms a
STATE, (NOT Congressional) officeholder may serve.
What are some arguments in favor of term limits? - ANSWER-- Legislators
don't need to become "career politicians"
- More "open seat" races, competitiveness, & variation! (advantage of
incumbency)
What are some arguments against term limits? - ANSWER-- Restricts the
peoples' choice, like if they really like one guy and he cannot come back
- "Career politicians" have institutional knowledge, expertise, & know-how,
thus they are not reliant on lobbyists, staff, & bureaucrats for policy info
For which officials can states pass term limits? - ANSWER-state legislators, not
members of the national congress.
Does Texas have state-level term limits? - ANSWER-NO.
Why are term limits more likely to be passed through popular initiative than
through the action of a state legislature? - ANSWER-the state legislators don't
want to put themselves out of a job????????
, What are the three different ways power can be shared between a central
government and subnational units (such as states)? - ANSWER-A.) UNITARY
SYSTEM
B.) CONFEDERATION
C.) FEDERAL SYSTEM
Describe the power-sharing arrangements of a UNITARY SYSTEM -
ANSWER-national government creates sub-national government and gives it
power (so they have NO independent authority, they are just administrative
units for convenience sake)
Describe the power-sharing arrangements of a CONFEDERATION -
ANSWER-central government has ONLY the powers given to it by the sub-
units, it is basically just a loose alliance of sovereign entities
Describe the power-sharing arrangements of a FEDERAL SYSTEM -
ANSWER-power is constitutionally divided by the central government and sub-
national governments
examples of a UNITARY SYSTEM - ANSWER-Spain, China, France
examples of a CONFEDERATION - ANSWER-EU, Early USA in the Articles
of Confederation, the Confederacy
examples of a FEDERAL SYSTEM - ANSWER-USA, Switzerland, Canada,
Russia, India
What are some of the states' obligations to each other? - ANSWER-- FULL
FAITH AND CREDIT (marriage and contracts)
- EXTRADITION
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS|| ALREADY
GRADED A+ || GAUARANTEED PASS || LATEST
VERSION 2025
What are some of the problems federalism can bring with it? - ANSWER--
There can be CONFLICT with national power/interest (public policy may
become fragmented
- NO national UNIFORMITY (civil rights and liberties?)
- Leads to interstate COMPETITION (TX) (so, there is welfare cuts to
discourage advantage seekers AND states attract businesses via incentives: tax
breaks, rebates (Films like Thor and Breaking Bad in NM and a corporation tax
in DE)
- Preserves INEQUALITIES! (in tax rates and what gets taxed in different
states, in welfare benefits/availability, in different state's minimum wages, in
varying qualities of public education with primary/secondary schools & with in-
state tuition for state university programs) (7.25 = federal minimum wage)
Explain what is meant by the enumerated and implied powers of the national
government. - ANSWER-ENUMERATED POWERS - the 17 explicit grants of
Congressional authority within the constitution, (ex: Taxing & spending,
regulating interstate commerce, war, coinage, treaties, post office, etc.)
IMPLIED POWERS - seen as a limited grant of authority, within the necessary
and proper clause, (aka elastic clause) national government should do whatever
they need that we forgot to put here
Which clause of the U.S. Constitution has been interpreted to create the doctrine
of implied powers? - ANSWER-Article I, Section 8. the necessary and proper
clause, (aka elastic clause) "make all laws which shall be necessary and proper
for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by
,this constitution." In other words, Congress is not limited to the powers
expressed in the Constitution, but also has implied powers to make laws
necessary to ensure that their expressed powers can be carried out.
What happens if a state law conflicts with a national law or the U.S.
Constitution? - ANSWER-National law wins. the SUPREMACY CLAUSE
(article 6, clause 2) makes the national government supreme (but limited).
Federal law preempts state law (ex: AZ & immigration law, USA blocked AZ
from attempting their own immigration policy)
Which provision of the U.S. Constitution spells out the legal hierarchy? -
ANSWER-the SUPREMACY CLAUSE (article 6, clause 2)
What is meant by the so-called 'reserved powers' of the states? - ANSWER-10th
Amendment, "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." Some people think this means
that there is a constitutional "domain of state power" while others think that this
is just "constitutional truism". The result is the broad, nebulous sphere of
undefined state power because there is no limited list of "the powers of states"
and there are many concurrent powers.
What are some of the traditional uses of state power (i.e. states' police powers)?
- ANSWER-just entails police powers creating laws for the general health,
safety, and moral welfare of communities - police ("policy") powers. (ex:
policing, labor regulations, public health, contracts, licensing)
What are some of the national government's obligations to the states? -
ANSWER-- guarentee of states' TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY
- guarantee the states a "REPUBLICAN FORM OF GOV"
- EQUAL representation in US SENATE
- Protection from FOREIGN INVASION
- Protection from DOMESTIC violence upon application of the state
,What are some of the ways in which states play an important role in national
politics and the overall U.S. constitutional order? - ANSWER-- ELECTORAL
COLLEGE
- Governors powers to fill congressional VACANCIES (Obama?)
- APPORTIONMENT (state legislators draw US congressional districts)
- State LAWS govern the election of national officials
- ¾ of states approval is required for US CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
(ex: ERA defeat (gender is not protected); DC Amendment defeat (states won't
give DC statehood because it dilutes their power))
What are term limits? - ANSWER-a restriction that limit the number of terms a
STATE, (NOT Congressional) officeholder may serve.
What are some arguments in favor of term limits? - ANSWER-- Legislators
don't need to become "career politicians"
- More "open seat" races, competitiveness, & variation! (advantage of
incumbency)
What are some arguments against term limits? - ANSWER-- Restricts the
peoples' choice, like if they really like one guy and he cannot come back
- "Career politicians" have institutional knowledge, expertise, & know-how,
thus they are not reliant on lobbyists, staff, & bureaucrats for policy info
For which officials can states pass term limits? - ANSWER-state legislators, not
members of the national congress.
Does Texas have state-level term limits? - ANSWER-NO.
Why are term limits more likely to be passed through popular initiative than
through the action of a state legislature? - ANSWER-the state legislators don't
want to put themselves out of a job????????
, What are the three different ways power can be shared between a central
government and subnational units (such as states)? - ANSWER-A.) UNITARY
SYSTEM
B.) CONFEDERATION
C.) FEDERAL SYSTEM
Describe the power-sharing arrangements of a UNITARY SYSTEM -
ANSWER-national government creates sub-national government and gives it
power (so they have NO independent authority, they are just administrative
units for convenience sake)
Describe the power-sharing arrangements of a CONFEDERATION -
ANSWER-central government has ONLY the powers given to it by the sub-
units, it is basically just a loose alliance of sovereign entities
Describe the power-sharing arrangements of a FEDERAL SYSTEM -
ANSWER-power is constitutionally divided by the central government and sub-
national governments
examples of a UNITARY SYSTEM - ANSWER-Spain, China, France
examples of a CONFEDERATION - ANSWER-EU, Early USA in the Articles
of Confederation, the Confederacy
examples of a FEDERAL SYSTEM - ANSWER-USA, Switzerland, Canada,
Russia, India
What are some of the states' obligations to each other? - ANSWER-- FULL
FAITH AND CREDIT (marriage and contracts)
- EXTRADITION
