Question 1

What distinguishes a ballot initiative from a referendum?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What distinguishes a ballot initiative from a...

Question 2

How are state and national elections most similar?

Accepted Answer

In both state and national elections, electoral districts must be drawn to represent populations of equal size. This is necessary to ensure that each vote carries equal weight and that one group of voters is not given undue influence over the electoral outcome.

Question 3

Which is true of a state that has home rule as part of its constitution?

Accepted Answer

Home rule means that local governments within the state have a certain level of autonomy and decision-making power. This may include the ability to set local laws and regulations, manage local budgets and taxes, and more. Therefore, D - local governments have wide authority - is the correct answer.

Question 4

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which regulates transportation, commercial interaction, and water management in both states, is an example of ________.

Accepted Answer

Regional government is a form of government that is responsible for a specific region, such as a city, county, or state. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is responsible for transportation, commercial interaction, and water management in both New York and New Jersey, making it a regional government.

Question 5

What are examples of processes of direct democracy, and to what level of government do they pertain?

Accepted Answer

Referenda, ballot initiatives, and recall elections are examples of direct democracy processes that primarily pertain to state governments in the United States. The federal government does not employ these mechanisms in the same way; for example, there are no federal referenda or ballot initiatives.

Question 6

Historically, how has the American political system responded to large economic and military crises?

Accepted Answer

Throughout history, during large economic and military crises, the American political system has typically embraced centralized decision making and increased the power of the national government. This was seen during the Great Depression, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt implemented his New Deal policies, and during World War II, when the federal government played an enormous role in mobilizing the economy and military efforts. It was also seen after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which led to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and increased federal surveillance and security measures.

Question 7

Which practice would be prohibited by the Supreme Court's decisions in Baker v. Carr (1962) and Wesberry v. Sanders (1964)?

Accepted Answer

Both Baker v. Carr and Wesberry v. Sanders dealt with the issue of equal representation in government. In Baker v. Carr, the Supreme Court ruled that the federal courts had the right to intervene in cases involving legislative apportionment, which means that voting districts must be drawn in a way that provides equal representation for all citizens. Similarly, in Wesberry v. Sanders, the Court ruled that congressional districts must be drawn so that each district contains roughly the same population. Allowing each county in a state to elect only one representative to the state senate regardless of its population would be a violation of these principles of equal representation.

Question 8

Which Supreme Court decisions require that different electoral districts represent similarly sized populations? What was an immediate result of these rulings?

Accepted Answer

Baker v. Carr (1962) and Wesberry v. Sanders (1964) require that different electoral districts represent similarly sized populations, and the immediate result of these rulings was that cities had a dramatic increase in their representation in state legislatures. This was because districts had previously been gerrymandered to favor rural areas, but the Supreme Court's decisions paved the way for more equitable representation based on population.

Question 9

If a local government wants to be more autonomous, what should it do?

Accepted Answer

Encouraging state government to adopt or maintain home rule allows the local government more authority and independence in making its own decisions and passing its own laws without having to rely on state intervention or approval. This is the most effective way for a local government to achieve more autonomy. The other options may have some impact, but they are either not directly related to increasing autonomy or are limited in their scope.

Question 10

Which policy area is most clearly a reserved power of the state governments under the U.S. Constitution?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which policy area is most clearly a...

Question 11

Which term indicates the constitutional or legal authority held by local governments that allow them to govern themselves with little or no interference from the state?

Accepted Answer

Home rule is the term used to indicate the constitutional or legal authority held by local governments that allows them to govern themselves with little or no interference from the state. Dillon's Rule, on the other hand, is the legal principle that states that local governments only have the powers granted to them by the state government, while intergovernmentalism, dual federalism, and cooperative federalism refer more broadly to the relationships between different levels of government in a federal system.

Question 12

Which form of local government most closely mirrors U.S. national government?

Accepted Answer

The mayoral form of local government mirrors the U.S. national government as it typically involves a separation of powers between an executive (mayor) and a legislative body (city council), similar to the President and Congress at the national level.

Question 13

Which of these systems shares power most between state and national units?

Accepted Answer

Federalist government shares power between the state and national units. In this type of government, the central government has some control over the entire country, but individual states have significant power as well. It is considered a balance of power between the two levels of government.

Question 14

Federal systems ________ national power relative to confederal systems, which allows them to exercise ________ control over tax policies.

Accepted Answer

Federal systems increase national power relative to confederal systems, as power is shared between the national and state governments. This allows for greater control over tax policies, as both levels of government have the ability to levy taxes.

Question 15

According to numerous studies, what is the relationship between local government elections and racial minorities' representation?

Accepted Answer

At-large election rules, which require city council members to be elected by the city as a whole, rather than by district, result in a dilution of the voting power of racial minorities, leading to councils with fewer racial minority representatives. This has been found in numerous studies, including research by the ACLU and the National League of Cities.

Question 16

Which form of local government is essentially a local version of a separation of powers system?

Accepted Answer

The mayoral form of local government mirrors the separation of powers system, with an elected mayor serving as the executive and a council serving as the legislative body.

Question 17

In a unitary system of government, ________.

Accepted Answer

In a unitary system of government, the national government has legal control over local government. This means that local governments are dependent on the national government and do not have as much power as they would in a federal system of government.

Question 18

The relationship between state governments and municipal governments under the principle of Dillon's Rule most nearly reflects which constitutional relationship between national and state governments?

Accepted Answer

Dillon's Rule is a principle of state constitutional law that holds that if there is any ambiguity about whether or not a power has been granted to municipal governments, it should be assumed that the power has not been granted. This means that municipal governments are subordinate to state governments and derive their powers from them. This mirrors the relationship between national and state governments in a unitary system, where power is centralized with the national government and is delegated downward to subordinate units of government.

Question 19

Denmark is a small nation in terms of both its population and land mass. Also, Denmark's population has historically been very homogeneous. On the basis of this information, which governing system is most likely to be in operation in Denmark?

Accepted Answer

Due to its small size and historically homogeneous population, Denmark is most likely to have a unitary system of governance with power concentrated at the national level.

Question 20

Which term indicates a political system in which the national government holds ultimate authority over all areas of policy and over all actions of subunit governments? What is an example of this system of governance?

Accepted Answer

The term that indicates a political system in which the national government holds ultimate authority over all areas of policy and over all actions of subunit governments is a unitary system. Examples of this system of governance include Japan and France.

Quiz 3: Federalism