POS4122 Final Exam Latest Update
1. What are Elazar's three political cultures - ANSWER Individualistic: Emphasizes
individual freedom, limited government intervention, and self-reliance.
Moralistic: Emphasizes the common good, civic duty, and the belief in using government
to improve society.
Traditionalistic: Emphasizes preserving social and economic hierarchies and
maintaining political power by a privileged elite.
How is this typology predictive of factors such as political participation, direct
democracy, and leadership turnover - ANSWER According to Elazar, these political
cultures are predictive of factors such as political participation, direct democracy, and
leadership turnover. Moralistic cultures have higher levels of political participation and
are more likely to use direct democracy measures such as initiatives and referendums.
In contrast, traditionalistic cultures have lower levels of political participation and are
less likely to use direct democracy measures. Individualistic cultures tend to have lower
levels of political participation than moralistic cultures but higher levels than
traditionalistic cultures.
What is Hero's critique of Elazar's typology - ANSWER Hero's critique of Elazar's
typology is that it overlooks the role of race and ethnicity in shaping political culture.
Hero argues that the typology may not accurately capture the political experiences of
minority groups, whose political behavior may differ from the dominant culture in their
state. Additionally, Hero argues that Elazar's typology does not adequately account for
changes in political culture over time and may be too simplistic to fully capture the
complexity of political culture.
2. How does political corruption differ systematically across states and regions -
ANSWER Political corruption can differ systematically across states and regions due to
a variety of factors such as differences in political cultures, economic development, and
the effectiveness of institutions.
Why do dincer and Johnston distinguish between legal and illegal corruption and what
further
distinctions do they make - ANSWER between legal and illegal corruption, with legal
corruption being the use of public office for private gain within the limits of the law, and
illegal corruption being the use of public office for private gain outside of the limits of
the law.further distinguish between two dimensions of corruption: the prevalence of
corruption and the damage caused by corruption. The prevalence of corruption refers
to how widespread corruption is within a given political system, while the damage
caused by corruption refers to the harm that corruption causes to public trust,
economic growth, and democratic legitimacy.
,3. What are some of the key contemporary decisions in Supreme Court jurisprudence
related to the Tenth Amendment and Interstate Commerce Clause - ANSWER National
Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius (2012): The Supreme Court upheld the
constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) by considering the individual
mandate penalty as a tax, rather than a regulation under the Commerce Clause.
United States v. Lopez (1995): The Court struck down the Gun-Free School Zones Act,
stating that possession of a gun near a school did not have a significant impact on
interstate commerce, thus exceeding Congress's authority under the Commerce
Clause.
These cases highlight the Court's interpretation and application of federal power limits.
NFIB v. Sebelius affirmed federal authority in healthcare regulation while narrowing the
Commerce Clause, while U.S. v. Lopez limited Congress's power by declaring certain
activities outside federal jurisdiction due to insufficient impact on interstate commerce.
How have
devolution and federal preemption represented contrary trends over the past few
decades - ANSWER Devolution and federal preemption represent contrary trends in the
distribution of power between the federal government and the states. Devolution
involves transferring power to the states, increasing their autonomy. Federal
preemption, on the other hand, occurs when federal law supersedes state laws,
strengthening federal authority. These trends have shaped the evolving relationship
between the federal government and the states in recent decades.
4. What are the four major benefits of federalism and what counterarguments do critics
of federalism point to in response - ANSWER Federalism has four major benefits:
decentralization of power, allowing for local control and preventing the concentration of
power; experimentation and innovation in policymaking; protection of diversity and
pluralism by accommodating regional cultures and values; and accountability and
responsiveness by allowing citizens to hold officials at multiple levels of government
accountable.
Critics argue that federalism leads to inefficiency and duplication of services,
exacerbates inequalities between states or regions, creates conflicts and coordination
problems, and causes overlapping jurisdictions and legal ambiguity.
5. What are the most common procedures for changing state constitutions - ANSWER
Constitutional Conventions: Some states hold constitutional conventions composed of
elected or appointed delegates to revise or amend their constitutions.
Legislative Proposals: State legislatures can propose constitutional amendments,
, typically requiring a supermajority approval from both houses before being presented to
voters for approval.
Direct and Indirect Citizen Initiatives: Certain states allow citizens to propose
constitutional amendments through direct or indirect citizen initiatives. Direct initiatives
allow voters to directly vote on a proposed amendment, while indirect initiatives involve
the legislature voting on the proposed amendment based on the results of the popular
vote.
How does the
role of the electorate in constitutional change relate to the length of constitutions and
the frequency of amendments - ANSWER The role of the electorate in constitutional
change is more direct and prominent in states with shorter constitutions and more
frequent amendments. In such states, citizen initiatives play a crucial role, allowing
voters to directly propose and vote on constitutional amendments. This empowers the
electorate and enables them to have a direct impact on the constitution, bypassing the
legislative process. On the other hand, in states with longer constitutions, the role of the
electorate may be more limited. The complexity and comprehensiveness of longer
constitutions often require legal expertise and a deeper understanding to propose
amendments, leading to a greater reliance on elected representatives or appointed
delegates through constitutional conventions or legislative proposals.
6. What is the distinction between framework provisions and policy provisions in state
constitutions and why does this distinction matter - ANSWER Framework provisions
establish the basic structure and principles of government, ensuring stability and
continuity in governance.
Policy provisions address specific policy areas and allow for flexibility in adapting to
changing societal needs and priorities.
Framework provisions protect fundamental rights and establish a balance of power
among branches of government.
Policy provisions provide detailed rules and regulations for specific policy areas,
guiding legislative and executive action within the constitutional framework.
7. How does the character of bicameralism in the states differ from that which exists in
Congress - ANSWER Unlike Congress, state legislatures are congruent in their
representativeroles: both chambers represent population (unlike the Senate,
1. What are Elazar's three political cultures - ANSWER Individualistic: Emphasizes
individual freedom, limited government intervention, and self-reliance.
Moralistic: Emphasizes the common good, civic duty, and the belief in using government
to improve society.
Traditionalistic: Emphasizes preserving social and economic hierarchies and
maintaining political power by a privileged elite.
How is this typology predictive of factors such as political participation, direct
democracy, and leadership turnover - ANSWER According to Elazar, these political
cultures are predictive of factors such as political participation, direct democracy, and
leadership turnover. Moralistic cultures have higher levels of political participation and
are more likely to use direct democracy measures such as initiatives and referendums.
In contrast, traditionalistic cultures have lower levels of political participation and are
less likely to use direct democracy measures. Individualistic cultures tend to have lower
levels of political participation than moralistic cultures but higher levels than
traditionalistic cultures.
What is Hero's critique of Elazar's typology - ANSWER Hero's critique of Elazar's
typology is that it overlooks the role of race and ethnicity in shaping political culture.
Hero argues that the typology may not accurately capture the political experiences of
minority groups, whose political behavior may differ from the dominant culture in their
state. Additionally, Hero argues that Elazar's typology does not adequately account for
changes in political culture over time and may be too simplistic to fully capture the
complexity of political culture.
2. How does political corruption differ systematically across states and regions -
ANSWER Political corruption can differ systematically across states and regions due to
a variety of factors such as differences in political cultures, economic development, and
the effectiveness of institutions.
Why do dincer and Johnston distinguish between legal and illegal corruption and what
further
distinctions do they make - ANSWER between legal and illegal corruption, with legal
corruption being the use of public office for private gain within the limits of the law, and
illegal corruption being the use of public office for private gain outside of the limits of
the law.further distinguish between two dimensions of corruption: the prevalence of
corruption and the damage caused by corruption. The prevalence of corruption refers
to how widespread corruption is within a given political system, while the damage
caused by corruption refers to the harm that corruption causes to public trust,
economic growth, and democratic legitimacy.
,3. What are some of the key contemporary decisions in Supreme Court jurisprudence
related to the Tenth Amendment and Interstate Commerce Clause - ANSWER National
Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius (2012): The Supreme Court upheld the
constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) by considering the individual
mandate penalty as a tax, rather than a regulation under the Commerce Clause.
United States v. Lopez (1995): The Court struck down the Gun-Free School Zones Act,
stating that possession of a gun near a school did not have a significant impact on
interstate commerce, thus exceeding Congress's authority under the Commerce
Clause.
These cases highlight the Court's interpretation and application of federal power limits.
NFIB v. Sebelius affirmed federal authority in healthcare regulation while narrowing the
Commerce Clause, while U.S. v. Lopez limited Congress's power by declaring certain
activities outside federal jurisdiction due to insufficient impact on interstate commerce.
How have
devolution and federal preemption represented contrary trends over the past few
decades - ANSWER Devolution and federal preemption represent contrary trends in the
distribution of power between the federal government and the states. Devolution
involves transferring power to the states, increasing their autonomy. Federal
preemption, on the other hand, occurs when federal law supersedes state laws,
strengthening federal authority. These trends have shaped the evolving relationship
between the federal government and the states in recent decades.
4. What are the four major benefits of federalism and what counterarguments do critics
of federalism point to in response - ANSWER Federalism has four major benefits:
decentralization of power, allowing for local control and preventing the concentration of
power; experimentation and innovation in policymaking; protection of diversity and
pluralism by accommodating regional cultures and values; and accountability and
responsiveness by allowing citizens to hold officials at multiple levels of government
accountable.
Critics argue that federalism leads to inefficiency and duplication of services,
exacerbates inequalities between states or regions, creates conflicts and coordination
problems, and causes overlapping jurisdictions and legal ambiguity.
5. What are the most common procedures for changing state constitutions - ANSWER
Constitutional Conventions: Some states hold constitutional conventions composed of
elected or appointed delegates to revise or amend their constitutions.
Legislative Proposals: State legislatures can propose constitutional amendments,
, typically requiring a supermajority approval from both houses before being presented to
voters for approval.
Direct and Indirect Citizen Initiatives: Certain states allow citizens to propose
constitutional amendments through direct or indirect citizen initiatives. Direct initiatives
allow voters to directly vote on a proposed amendment, while indirect initiatives involve
the legislature voting on the proposed amendment based on the results of the popular
vote.
How does the
role of the electorate in constitutional change relate to the length of constitutions and
the frequency of amendments - ANSWER The role of the electorate in constitutional
change is more direct and prominent in states with shorter constitutions and more
frequent amendments. In such states, citizen initiatives play a crucial role, allowing
voters to directly propose and vote on constitutional amendments. This empowers the
electorate and enables them to have a direct impact on the constitution, bypassing the
legislative process. On the other hand, in states with longer constitutions, the role of the
electorate may be more limited. The complexity and comprehensiveness of longer
constitutions often require legal expertise and a deeper understanding to propose
amendments, leading to a greater reliance on elected representatives or appointed
delegates through constitutional conventions or legislative proposals.
6. What is the distinction between framework provisions and policy provisions in state
constitutions and why does this distinction matter - ANSWER Framework provisions
establish the basic structure and principles of government, ensuring stability and
continuity in governance.
Policy provisions address specific policy areas and allow for flexibility in adapting to
changing societal needs and priorities.
Framework provisions protect fundamental rights and establish a balance of power
among branches of government.
Policy provisions provide detailed rules and regulations for specific policy areas,
guiding legislative and executive action within the constitutional framework.
7. How does the character of bicameralism in the states differ from that which exists in
Congress - ANSWER Unlike Congress, state legislatures are congruent in their
representativeroles: both chambers represent population (unlike the Senate,
