Deck 9: Federalism and Unitarism: Learning to Share

Question 1

Which of the following countries does NOT use federal arrangements?

A)Argentina
B)Brazil
C)Chile
D)Mexico

Answer 1

Chile

Question 2

Which of the following countries uses federal arrangements?

A)Colombia
B)Guatemala
C)Peru
D)Venezuela

Answer 2

Venezuela

Question 3

Which policy is most likely to be placed in the national government under federalism?

A)education policy
B)health policy
C)defense policy
D)cultural policy

Answer 3

defense policy

Question 4

Which policy is most likely to be placed at the subnational level under federalism?

A)defense policy
B)foreign relations
C)education policy
D)economic policy

Question 5

What types of powers do the national and subnational governments in a federal regime share?

A)concurrent powers
B)implied powers
C)residual powers
D)enumerated powers

Question 6

Peru is best described as:

A)federal and centralized
B)federal and decentralized
C)unitary and centralized
D)unitary and decentralized

Question 7

Venezuela is best described as:

A)federal and centralized
B)federal and decentralized
C)unitary and centralized
D)unitary and decentralized

Question 8

How did decentralization affect Venezuelan politics in the 1990s?

A)It strengthened the presidency.
B)It fragmented political parties.
C)It reduced influence from civil society.
D)It expanded clientelism.

Question 9

What has created problems for decentralization in Peru?

A)uncertainty
B)delays
C)a lack of commitment
D)a process that is not legitimate

Question 10

The subdivisions created by federalism in Latin America originally emerged to protect which groups?

A)indigenous groups
B)regional caudillos
C)the working class
D)religious groups

Question 11

Which of the following is a common characteristic of legislative institutions under federalism?

A)bicameralism
B)proportional representation
C)term limits
D)strong impeachment powers

Question 12

Which country uses federal arrangements, but does not use bicameralism?

A)Chile
B)Colombia
C)Mexico
D)Venezuela

Question 13

Federalism favors which approach to representation?

A)popular representation
B)territorial representation
C)equal representation
D)limited representation

Question 14

In Latin America, what is the name of the congressional chamber that represents "the people" in the form of popular representation?

A)the senate
B)the ombudsman
C)the chamber of deputies
D)the legislative committee

Question 15

Which of the following does NOT complement federalism?

A)bicameralism
B)a strong judiciary
C)executive decree power
D)a rigid constitution

Question 16

Which institution best complements federalism?

A)proportional representation
B)a strong judiciary
C)an ombudsman
D)a flexible constitution

Question 17

The direct election of municipal officials is an example of:

A)administrative decentralization
B)fiscal decentralization
C)judicial decentralization
D)political decentralization

Question 18

Unconditional transfers are an example of:

A)administrative decentralization
B)fiscal decentralization
C)judicial decentralization
D)political decentralization

Question 19

Local level control over education policy is an example of:

A)administrative decentralization
B)fiscal decentralization
C)judicial decentralization
D)political decentralization

Question 20

Contemporary reform trends in Latin America have embraced:

A)unitarism
B)centralization
C)federalism
D)decentralization

Question 21

Which of the following can help extend rights to indigenous groups that are dispersed throughout a country?

A)fiscal decentralization
B)personal federalism
C)congruent federalism
D)constitutional asymmetry

Question 22

Which of the following best devolves authority to distinct, regionally defined groups?

A)incongruent federalism
B)unconditional transfers
C)political asymmetry
D)bicameralism

Question 23

Which of the following describes regional power differences?

A)political asymmetry
B)personal federalism
C)conditional transfers
D)administrative decentralization

Question 24

In additional to constitutional guarantees for national and regional government, Brazil's constitution also offers protections to:

A)school districts
B)free-enterprise zones
C)municipalities
D)national parks

Question 25

Which of the following might reduce the appeal of state legislative and mayoral offices in Brazil?

A)congruent federalism
B)conditional transfers
C)decentralization
D)bicameralism

Question 26

In a unitary regime, decision-making power is never granted to lower levels of government.

Question 27

Federal systems are always decentralized, and unitary systems are always centralized.

Question 28

In recent years, federal Venezuela has centralized, while unitary Peru has decentralized.

Question 29

In Latin America, federal institutions were originally created to protect indigenous territories.

Question 30

Federal arrangements provided a solution as the Mexican government addressed the concerns of the EZLN and indigenous groups.

Question 31

Today, all countries in Latin America have directly elected governors.

Question 32

Unconditional transfers empower the national government.

Question 33

Decentralization always reduces corruption and promotes democratization.

Question 34

Incongruent federalism grants more power to the constituent units than to the national government.

Question 35

Congruent federalism is composed of constituent units that mirror the divisions found in the country as a whole.

Question 36

Constitutional asymmetry can be used to offset political asymmetry.

Question 37

A malapportioned legislature is an example of constitutional asymmetry.

Question 38

Equalization transfers are an example of constitutional asymmetry.

Question 39

In Brazil, federal arrangements have led politicians to devalue state legislative positions in favor of election to the national legislature.

Question 40

Federalism has reduced ideological differences in Brazil.

Question 41

Is federalism good for democracy? Under what conditions might it support or hinder democratization?

Question 42

Discuss the trade-offs that emerge under federal institutions.

Question 43

Use examples to discuss how decentralization has affected contemporary politics in Latin America.

Question 44

How did the development of federal arrangements in Latin America differ from the
development of federal arrangements in the United States? How does this history affect politics today?

Question 45

Given a large country with economically developed coastal areas and poor regions inland, a dispersed indigenous population, and historically ingrained regional
animosities, how would you design federal or unitary institutions to reduce conflict and promote democratization?