2008 Government Final Review

FINAL: Monday, December 15, 2008On the day of the final, you may use one 8.5x11 sheet of paper (front and back) to write your OWN notes (you may not copy any of it from another source – violation of this will result in a zero on your final) for the Multiple Choice portion. Nothing will be allowed for the Free Response section.

Review: Wednesday/Thursday, December 10/11, 2008 (1 hour practice exam/1 hour review)

To find the original documents (outlines), feel free to find them on my blog from its original date – which means you may need to scroll through the months to find all of them. Otherwise, they are all below. Remember: this is an outline of the semester. Look through your notes for more specific detail.

For the sample multiple choice questions, go over your midterm exam questions, and your previous quizzes. The questions will be very similar.

1) Constitutional Underpinnings of United States Governmenta) Considerations that influenced the formulation and adoption of the Constitutionb) Separation of Powersc) Federalism

2) Political Beliefs and Behaviorsa) Beliefs that citizens hold about their government and its leadersb) The ways in which citizens vote and otherwise participate in political life

3) Political Partiesa) Functionsb) Organizationc) Effects on the political processd) Electoral laws and systems

4) Institutions of National Government: Presidencya) Who can be president?b) Responsibilities

5) American political culture lecture (50 min)a) America has been fortunate and unique in its cultural development because of:

i) geography,ii) the waves of immigration, iii) lack of wars on American soil (invasions/occupations), iv) etc.

b) American political ideals (15 min)i) Libertyii) Equalityiii) Democracyiv) Diversityv) Individualism

vi) Unityc) American attitude toward govt. (10 min)

i) Overarching mistrust(1) Dates given – reason to mistrust govt.

(a) Watergate, Clinton, ‘they have wmd’ii) General feeling of apathy amongst population (political efficacy)iii) Little or no knowledge about govt.

(1) Youtube clip(a) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJuNgBkloFE

iv) Biased news, not trusting news sourcesd) American exceptionalism

i) Divine providenceii) Just principlesiii) Geography and resourcesiv) Great wealth of resources in relative isolationv) Diversity

6) Constitutiona) Overview of first government (colonial times) – lecture (15 min)

i) Taxation v representationii) American revolutioniii) Colonies declaring independenceiv) Declaration of independencev) Articles of confederation

(1) What powers given?(2) What powers not given?

vi) Shay’s rebellion(1) Who?(2) Significance?

vii) Annapolis conventionb) Constitutional Convention (20 min)

i) What was it?ii) Framersiii) Aims of the framersiv) Issues and compromises

(1) Congress – Great Compromise(a) NJ Plan(b) VA Plan

(2) Slavery – 3/5(a) Free v. non-free

(3) Electing presidents – electoral collegec) The Constitution (20 min)

i) Limits on power(1) Checks and balances(2) Federalism(3) Bill of rights(4) Specificity(5) elections

ii) Legislative branch

iii) Executiveiv) Judicialv) Federalismvi) Changing the constitution

(1) 2/3 propose(2) ¾ ratify

vii) Bill of Rightsd) Struggle for ratification (5 min)

i) Federalists v. anti-federalists7) Federalism

a) Overview of Federalismi) What are the different kinds of government?ii) Three ways to organize power between federal and state

(1) Confederacy(2) Federalist(3) Unitary

b) Constitutional basisi) National government

(1) Article VI: declares Constitution and any laws passed form “supreme law of the land”(a) Supremacy clause

(i) Implies that national government has authority over state governments(2) Constitution grants national gov’t several different kinds of powers and prohibits it from

taking certain actions(a) Enumerated

(i) Article 1, section 81. Specifically grants Congress a number of different powers

(ii) Expressed powers (same thing)(b) Implied

(i) National government is not limited to the enumerated powers1. End of Article 1, Section 8

a. Constitution also grants Congress the power to do anything “necessary and proper” to carry out its duties

b. Elastic clause (same thing)(ii) Because these powers are implied and not stated(iii) McCulluch v. Maryland

1. SC case from 1819 concerned a state government’s ability to tax a national banka. Relied on N&P clause

(c) Inherent(i) Preamble lays out basic purposes of US government:

1. To provide for the welfare of its citizens2. To defend against external enemies

(d) Prohibited(i) Explicitly denies national government certain powers

1. Congress cannot tax exports and 2. tell states how to choose electors for the Electoral College.

(ii) COMMERCE CLAUSE: Gibbons v. Ogden(3) Constitution also grants the state governments some key powers

(a) Including right to determine how to choose delegates to the Electoral College(4) RESERVED powers

(a) 10th amendment: powers not granted to the national government, and not prohibited to state governments, are “reserved to the states.”(i) Reservation clause

(5) CONCURRENT powers(a) Powers held by both states and the national government

(i) Power to tax (people pay to local, state, national)(6) FULL FAITH and CREDIT CLAUSE

(a) Article IV(b) Establishes AND limits state powers

ii) Local government(1) Constitution does not mention local governments at all(2) Courts have interpreted this to mean that completely under state authority(3) Types of Local Government

(a) 84,000 local governments(b) Each state has the power to define local government any way it wants

(i) Allocating different types of degrees and responsibility(ii) To have power, local government must:

1. Be granted a charter by statea. Specifying its powers and responsibilities

(c) Most common(39,000) and probably least known (most diverse): SPECIAL DISTRICT(i) Local gov’t created to deal with a single issue or problem

1. Frequently overlap with other types of local gov’t2. Range of powers vary greatly3. Control varies greatly, as well

a. Some have elected leadershipb. Others are appointed by governor or leg

i. Some states, BoE are special districtsii. Public univ. boardsiii. ILLINOIS- citizens vote for dozens of local govtsiv. (some can borrow money and oversee major construction projects –

bridges, landfills, etc.)c) History of federalism

i) Dual federalism(1) Civil war and the 14th amendment(2) Industrialization & Globalization

ii) Cooperative Federalismiii) New Federalism

d) Federalism in practicei) Federal aid to the states

(1) Block grants(2) Categorical grants

(a) Project grants(b) Formula grants

ii) Federal pressure on the states(1) Mandates

iii) Pre-emption

iv) Horizontal federalisme) Advantages and disadvantages of federalism

i) Advantages(1) Fosters state loyalties

(a) Americans feel close ties to their home state(i) But does anyone know MORE about state/local laws/politicians? (ii) Even if we know laws, do we follow rules?

1. 25% of state population turn out for state/local electionsa. Even though these gov’ts have a lot of power to affect people’s lives

i. As long as Americans are ignorant, federalism cannot function well(2) Practices pragmatism

(a) Huge country = US(b) Diverse population

(i) Easier to do if given to local(ii) State/local officials are closer to problems of their area

(3) Creates laboratories of democracy (4) Leads to political stability(5) Encourages pluralism

(a) Allows more activism (opportunities to get involved)(6) Ensures SOP and prevents tyranny

ii) Disadvantages(1) Prevents the creation of national policy(2) Leads to lack of accountability

8) How Political Parties Worka) What is a political party?

i) Rise of independentsii) American voter identification

(a) Party Organization(2) National party committees(3) State party committees(4) County party committees(5) Party committees in Congress

(a) Party Functionb) Recruit candidatesc) Organize electionsd) Hold conventionse) Unite factionsf) Ensure plurality

(1) National Conventions9) The American Two-Party System

a) The Electoral Systemi) Electoral Collegeii) Proportional Representation

(1) Advantages and Disadvantages(2) Realignment

b) Critical electionsi) Soft Money

c) Voter registration and GOTV drives

d) Issue Adsi) Bipartisan Campaign Reform Actii) McCain-Feingold billiii) 527 groups

10) Third Partiesa) Coke v. Pepsi Analogyb) Important Third Partiesc) The Appeal of Third Parties

i) Ideologyii) Dissatisfaction with the status quoiii) Geographical location

d) The Role of Third Partiesi) Introduce new ideasii) Put issues on the agendaiii) Spoil the electioniv) Keep the major parties honest

11) History of the Presidencya) Nature of presidency evolved considerably over the course of American history b) Limited role framers of the Constitution had in mind to the rise of the president-centered

government of the 20th century.i) Framer’s views –

(1) Wary of executive power because saw it as most likely source to tyrannyc) Becoming Presidentd) In order to become president, person must meet eligibility requirements laid out in the

Constitutione) After that, person must secure his or her party’s nomination. f) Finally, he or she must face a demanding campaign and election process.g) ELIGIBILITY:

i) At least 35 years oldii) Resident of the United States for at least fourteen yearsiii) Natural-born citizen

(1) This one has caused controversy and confusion(a) By law, if born to two citizens abroad, you are still a citizen(b) Unclear if can still be president though(c) As of 2006, when case went to supreme court, no ruling(d) Variety of people have tried to amend Constitution to allow citizens born abroad to

be president, but so far no success.(2) Average age at inauguration = 54

(a) People think JFK was youngest president (i) Not true(ii) Youngest ELECTED (43)(iii) Teddy Roosevelt = 42 when became president after William Mckinley

assassination in 1901.h) DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE PRESIDENTS

i) Technically, Constitution allows women and members of any ethnic, racial, or religious group to be president, but so far, all presidents have been white men, and all but one have been Protestant (JFK = Catholic)

ii) 1984 – Geraldine Ferraro became first woman nominated for VP by major political party(1) She and Walter Mondale were soundly defeated by Ronald Reagan

iii) 2000 – Joseph Lieberman became first Jew nominated by major party(1) He lost one of the tightest races in American history (w/ Gore)

12) CAMPAIGNINGa) Major parties select their presidential nominee at national conventions

i) Held every four yearsb) At convention, delegates from each state vote

i) Whichever candidate wins majority of delegates becomes nominee(1) To win delegates, candidates compete in primary elections

(a) Held in each state prior to convention(b) Citizens get to vote in primaries

c) General election i) Candidates usually rely on support of voters from own partyii) So campaign often competition for independent votes

(1) Travel to battleground states to hold rallies(a) Aimed at both turning out their own base and persuading undecided voters to

support themiii) Candidates debate each other on television

d) Running mates i) Factors that go into running mate: age, geographical location; ideological platforms;

personality(1) Abe Lincoln chose slaveholding Andrew Johnson from TN during his reelection campaign

hoping to convince slaveholding states that had not seceded to remain in Union(2) Ronald Reagan asked former rival, George Bush, because Reagan knew Bush would

appeal to moderates and fiscal conservativese) ELECTORAL COLLEGE

i) Constitution only states that candidate who receives majority of votes in ELECTORAL COLLEGE becomes president.(1) Says nothing about popular vote

(a) Intent of framers?(i) To filter public opinion through body composed of wiser, more experienced

people 1. Framers did not want president to be chosen directly by people

(2) Each state gets number of electors equal to total number of members of Congress (a) All states get at least three

(3) State governments determine how electors are chosen(a) No federal office holders can serve as electors

(4) Voters think when they are casting their vote, they are voting for a presidential candidate(a) But in all two states (Nevada and Maine), voters actually vote for electors, who have

pledged to vote for party’s candidate during EC. (i) “Winner take all”

1. Some states have laws that require every elector to vote for candidate who received most popular votes in statea. Many states with winner take all have laws to punish FAITHLESS

ELECTORS who vote for someone other than winner of state’s popular vote

i. http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/ laws.html

ii) Sometimes a candidate loses popular vote but still becomes president(1) Happened 4 times in history

(a) John Q. Adams 1824(b) Rutherford B. Hayes 1876(c) Benjamin Harrison 1888(d) George W. Bush 2000

(2) In races with significant third-party candidate, winner frequently gets less than 50% of popular vote, (a) Bill Clinton defeated George H.W. Bush and Ross Perot 1992

iii) If no candidate receives a majority of electoral votes, House of Rep votes to determine which candidate becomes president(1) Happened once

(a) Andrew Jackson won popular vote and more electoral votes than any other candidate in 1824, but he didn’t win a majority of electoral votes.

(b) House chose Jackson’s rival, John Q. Adams to be next presidentf) Choosing the VP

i) Originally presidential candidate who received second greatest number of electoral votes became VP

ii) This created problems between presidents and VP from different political partiesiii) 12th amendment 1804: made it so EC chooses president and VP separately

g) Presidential Term Limitsi) George Washington set key precedent when stepped down after two terms

(1) For 100 years after him, presidents refused to run more than twice(2) Until FDR (elected 4 times – great depression and wwII)

(a) 22nd amendment – 1951: illegal for presidents to be elected more than twice13) PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION

a) Succession Act of 1947i) If president dies, leaves office, or cannot perform duties VP

(1) But then…(a) Speaker of the House(b) President Pro Tempore of the Senate(c) Secretary of State(d) Sec of Treasury(e) Secretary of Defense(f) Attorney General(g) Secretary of Interior(h) Sec Agriculture(i) Sec Commerce(j) Sec Labor(k) Sec of Health and Human Services(l) Sec of Housing and Urban Development(m) Sec of Transportation(n) Sec of Energy(o) Sec of Education(p) Sec of Vets’ Affairs(q) Sec of Homeland Security

b) VP Successioni) Until 25th amendment – 1967:

(1) No law about what to do when office of VP was vacant(2) New VP nominated by president and approved by both houses of Congress

(a) Gerald Ford exception(i) Nixon – Spiro Agnew resigned for tax evasion, Ford -= VP(ii) VP President (Nixon resigned); Nelson Rockefeller = VP

14) PRESIDENT’S ROLESa) Chief of Staff

i) Acts as symbolic leader of countryii) Every nation has a chief of staff

(1) But it is not always the same person as president who leads the state (a) As chief of state, president resides over

(i) Commemorations of war heroes(ii) Throws first pitch at baseball games(iii) Attends funerals of world leaders

(2) Sometimes first lady or VP stands in if P cannot make itb) Chief Executive

i) Executes laws; appoints key federal officials; grants pardons and reprievesii) Head of executive branch iii) Responsible for running federal bureaucracy and enforcing laws passed by Congress

(1) Allowed to appoint people to key offices(a) Appointment power

(2) President nominates members of the cabinet(a) Consists of appointees who are in charge of the major executive departments and

advise the president on policy matters(3) President also chooses heads of agencies, federal judges, and about 2000 lesser jobs

(a) Senate must approve nominations(b) Pres also has power to fire these officials

iv) President’s staff(1) President needs large staff

(a) Sits atop vast bureaucracy, including white house staff (closest advisors)(b) As relies more heavily on staff, often loses ability to control

(2) Works with staff every day(3) Closest staff members often called kitchen cabinet

v) Pardons and Reprieves(1) As part of power to enforce law, Constitution grants power to pardon people convicted

of crimes(a) Release from punishment(b) Really just allows president to prevent miscarriage of justice

(i) MOST NOTORIOUS1. Gerald Ford’s pardon of Nixon for any crimes Nixon may have committed as

part of Watergate scandal in 1974a. He meant to do well closing the door on this situation

i. But some people think he did worse by pardoning him ensuring he could never face charges

c) Commander in chiefi) Runs the armed forces

ii) President is a civilianiii) President can

(1) send troops into battle without formal declaration of war from Congress (2) has final authority over military operations

iv) during wartime(1) powers expand dramatically

(a) during WWI, Wilson administration rationed food and important materials and with media’s cooperation, controlled the news

v) Controversial Power(1) Even though Congress can only declare war, president is commander in chief(2) 1973 – War Powers Resolution (during Vietnam)

(a) Requires president to consult with congress when sending troops into combat(b) Also gave Congress the power to force the president to withdraw troops (but this

power never been used)d) Chief Diplomat

i) Negotiates with other countriesii) President is main face and voice of American foreign policy

(1) Negotiating treaties and other agreements with foreign leaders(a) Although Senate needs to approve all treaties

iii) Uses two key tools to conduct foreign policy:(1) Executive agreement:

(a) An agreement made with foreign leaders that does not require Senate approval (i) Although Congress may refuse to fund the agreement

(b) Executive agreements are not necessarily binding on future presidents(2) Diplomatic Recognition:

(a) Formal acknowledgment of a government as legitimate(b) This recognition allows the exchange of ambassadors

e) Chief Legislator i) Signs or vetoes legislationii) Introduces legislationiii) Works with Congress on the budgetiv) does not have formal leg power but has acquired great deal of informal power as

relations between president and Congress has evolved(1) People expect president to have set legislative agenda

(a) Series of laws wishes passed (i) Presented each year during State of the Union Address to Congress and

American people(2) Can also play key role in getting legislation passed by persuading members of Congress

to vote for certain bills(a) President’s popularity and partisan makeup of Congress influence how effective

president can be in getting legislation passed(3) STATE OF THE UNION (evolution)

(a) Obligation by Constitution to deliver message to Congress each year. (i) Prior to 20th century, sent message in written form and message mostly was just

a description of status of country(ii) Now = key event, far more important than before

v) For bill to become law, president must sign it.(1) Signing of bill often becomes ceremony

(a) Signs bill into law with many pens then distributes pens to everyone who helped pass law

(2) If bill = unpopular, done in private(3) Sometimes adds a signing message

(a) Explains his support and understanding of new lawvi) VETO

(1) Most powerful tool in dealing with Congress(a) Reject bill passed by Congress(b) Congress can override by 2/3 vote in both houses

(i) Overrides extremely rare(c) President attaches veto message to bill that is sent back to Congress, explaining

reasoning(2) POCKET VETO

(a) If president neither signs nor vetoes a bill while Congress is not in session, bill dies at end of ten days

(b) If congress is in session and president does not sign the bill within ten days, then bill becomes law anyway

(c) Often does this because of political reasons(i) Too “chicken” to actually veto it but does not want bill

(3) Presidential veto is all or nothing(a) Bill dies or does not

(i) Line item veto1. President can use to strike specific parts of the bill he or she dislikes without

rejecting entire bill2. Congress has passed laws giving president this power, SC has rejected these

laws as unconstitutionalvii) BUDGET

(1) Federal budget = huge part of legis agenda(a) Explains how federal money will be spent during next year

(2) Federal government operates on fiscal years, a 12 month period (does not coincide with calendar year) used for accounting purposes(a) Congress can reject or approve budget

f) Superpoliticiani) Helps his or her party raise money and elect candidates

(1) Helps choose chairperson of national party organization and campaigns on behalf of fellow party members

(2) As most visible member president can play huge role in raising money and generating support for candidates from this party (a) Esp if candidate is popular

(i) However, parties often seek to distance themselves from unpopular presidentsii) In addition to formal roles, president also serves as leader of his/her party

15) PRESIDENTIAL POWERa) Constitutional Power – explicitly granted in Constitutionb) Delegated Power – powers granted by Congress to help president fulfill his duties c) Inherent power – powers inherent in president’s power as chief of executive branchd) Constitutional + Delegated = expressed powers

i) Because clearly outlined in Constitutionii) EMERGENCY POWERS

(1) Most common inherent power(a) Exercised only in times of great need

(i) Can declare a place devastated by a storm a federal disaster area, making it eligible for federal aid

(b) Suspend civil liberties(c) Spend money without congressional approval

16) EXECUTIVE ORDERSa) Another type of inherent power

i) Which is a rule or regulation issued by president that has the force of law(1) Can issue executive orders for three reasons:

(a) To enforce statutes(b) To enforce Constitution or treaties(c) To establish or modify how executive agencies operate

ii) All executive orders must be published in the FEDERAL REGISTER(1) The daily publication of federal rules and regulations

17) EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGEa) Right of officials of the executive branch to refuse to disclose some information to other

branches of government or to the public i) Including refusing to appear before congressional committeesii) Not clearly defined (inherent power)

(1) Courts set limitations on use of this privilegeiii) 1974 - SC ruled executive privilege could not be invoked to prevent evidence from being

used in criminal proceedings against president18) ABUSE OF POWER and IMPEACHMENT

a) If president abuses power, House of Rep can IMPEACH him or b) formally charge him of committing crimes severe enough to call for removal from officec) Senate then tries the impeached president to determine whether he is innocent or guilty of

chargesi) If convicted, president is removed from office

(1) Two presidents impeached(a) Andrew Johnson 1867(b) Bill Clinton – 1998

(2) But no president has been convicted by Senate and removed from office (a) Nixon probably would have been with his involvement in Watergate

(i) Which is probably why he resigned before House began impeachment proceedings

19) Presidential Selection: The Framer's Plan 20) Original Constitutional Provisions

1. The Framers created the electoral college as an alternative to either popular

election or congressional election of the President. 2. The electoral vote was State by State, with each elector casting votes for

two candidates.

3. Originally, the candidate with the most votes became President; the runner-up became Vice President.

4. In case of a tie, the House of Representatives was charged with electing a President.

21) The Impact of the Rise of Parties a) The Election of 1800

a. Parties arose during the administrations of Washington and Adams, and

each put up its own candidates and electors in the election of 1800. b. This development led to a tie between Jefferson and Burr in the election

of 1800, and the House finally chose Jefferson.

b) The 12th Amendment i) The rise of a system in which electors were pledged to vote for their party's candidates

necessitated a change in the rules of voting. ii) The 12th Amendment required electors to specify which person they wanted for President

and which for Vice President, so that the tie of 1800 would never be repeated.

22) The Presidential Election a) The Electoral College Today

i) Electors are chosen by popular vote and make up the Electoral College. Electoral College is comprised of groups of persons (presidential electors) chosen in each State and the District of Columbia every four years who make a formal selection of the President and Vice President. Presidential electors are those persons comprising the Electoral College and which elected by the voters to represent them in making a formal selection of the President and Vice President.

ii) The number of votes that a state has in the Electoral College is equal to its number of members in BOTH houses of Congress, i.e., number of congressmen, PLUS, the two senators. It tends to favor small states, since the small states are guaranteed at least 3 electoral votes (one house member and two senators) regardless of the state's population.

iii) The party that wins the majority of the popular vote in each State gets all of that State's electoral votes. A political concept known as "winner-take-all."

iv) Electors meet at a time set by law to elect the President, and their votes are sent by registered mail to Washington, D.C., where they are counted on January 6th.

v) In case of a tie for either President or Vice President, the decision is made by Congress. vi) Contrary to popular belief, when citizens vote for President and Vice President of the United

States, they are actually choosing electors pledged to candidate's political party. 23) Flaws in the Electoral College

a) The First Major Defect — because electoral votes are not distributed in exact proportion to the population, the winner of the popular vote may not win the electoral vote.

b) The Second Major Defect — Electors are not bound by the Constitution or by any federal law to vote for the candidate favored by the people of their State.

c) The Third Major Defect — Elections may be thrown into the House of Representatives, where voting is State by State.

24) Proposed Reforms a) The District Plan — the district plan would allow electors to be elected in each congressional

district, rather than the current winner-take-all plan. b) The Proportional Plan — the proportional plan would give each candidate the share of the

electoral vote that he or she earned in the popular vote.

c) Direct Popular Election — under this system, the Electoral College would be abolished, and each citizen's vote would count equally toward the presidential election.

d) The National Bonus Plan — under this complex plan the winner-take-all feature of the Electoral College would be kept but weighted in favor of the winner of the popular vote, and the Electoral College would be abolished.

e) A Final Word — Defenders of the current Electoral College system emphasize that it is a known process that it identifies the winner quickly and certainly, and that critics exaggerate the danger of an undemocratic outcome.

Sample Free-Response QuestionsYou will have 100 minutes to answer 4 questions (you must respond to all parts of all four questions). Takes a few minutes to plan and outline each answer. Spend approximately one-fourth of your time (25 minutes) on each question. In your response, use substantive examples where appropriate. Make certain to number each of your answers as the question is numbered.

1. Presidents are generally thought to have advantages over Congress in conducting foreign policy because of the formal and informal powers of the presidency.

a. Identify two formal constitutional powers of the president in making foreign policy.b. Identify two formal constitutional powers of Congress in making foreign policy.c. Identify two informal powers of the president that contribute to the president’s

advantage over Congress in conducting foreign policy.d. Explain how each of the informal powers identified in (c) contributes to the president’s

advantage over Congress in conducting foreign policy.

2. Minor parties (third parties) have been a common feature of United States politics. a. Describe the point of view expressed about minor parties in the political cartoon above

(will have cartoon to insert). b. Identify and explain how two rules of the United States electoral system act as obstacles

to minor-party candidates winning elections.c. Minor parties make important contributions to the United States political system in

spite of the institutional obstacles to their candidates’ success. Describe two of these contributions.

3. Trust and confidence in government have declined in recent decades.a. Explain how divided government has contributed to the decline in trust and confidence

in government. Be sure to include a definition of divided government in your response. b. Explain two specific consequences of the decline in trust and confidence in government

for individual political behavior.

4. A significant feature of the Electoral College is that most states have a winner-take-all system. a. Describe the winner-take-all feature of the Electoral College.b. Explain one way in which the winner-take-all feature of the Electoral College affects how

presidential candidates from the two major political parties run their campaigns.c. Explain one way in which the winner-take-all feature of the Electoral College hinders

third party candidates. d. Explain two reasons why the Electoral College has not been abolished.

5. The framers of the United States created a federal system. a. Define federalism.

b. Select one of the following and explain how each has been used to increase the power of the federal government relative to the states.

a. Categorical grantsb. Federal mandatesc. Selective incorporation

i. When the Supreme Court interpreted the Constitution to protect the rights of citizens from state governments in a process referred to as incorporation.

c. Select two of the following and explain how each has been used to increase the power of the states relative to the federal government.

a. Welfare Reform Act of 1996b. Block grantsc. Tenth Amendment

6. The framers of the United States Constitution created a legislative system that is bicameral. However, it is not just bicameral; the framers also established two houses of distinctly different character and authority.

a. Discuss the two reasons why the framers created a bicameral legislature. b. Identify one power unique to the House of Representatives and explain why the framers

gave the House that power.c. Identify one power unique to the Senate and explain why the framers gave the Senate

that power.

7. The power of the federal government relative to the power of the states has increased since the ratification of the Constitution.

a. Describe two of the following provisions of the Constitution and explain how each has been used over time to expand federal power.

i. The power to tax and spendii. The “necessary and proper” or “elastic” clause

iii. The commerce clauseb. Explain how one of the following has increased the power of the federal government

relative to the power of state governments.i. Americans with Disabilities Act

ii. Civil Rights Act of 1964iii. Clean Air Act