CPS_AmerGov_4CP_CS5_23-24 Principles

Which basic principle of government is introduced in the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution?

• A. Federalism

• B. Limited government

• C. Popular sovereignty

• D. Checks and balances

In what year do the events of the time line illustrate the principle of federalism?

 Impoundment is a refusal by the president to spend funds allocated for a specific purpose by Congress. A time line of events related to impoundment is shown.

 1803 - President Thomas Jefferson became the first president to use the power of impoundment when he refused to spend $50,000 allocated by Congress to purchase gunboats to patrol the Mississippi River. Congress feared French encroachment on United States lands in North America. However, following the signing of the Louisiana Purchase, President Jefferson felt that this fear was unfounded and the gunboats were unnecessary.

 1974 - Congress passed the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, which required that, rather than impounding funds unilaterally, the president submit a request to Congress to reduce funding it had allocated. If Congress does not approve the request to reduce funding within 45 days, the amount of funds being impounded must be dispersed by the president.

1975 - Several municipalities, including the city of New York, sued Russell Train, the director of the Environmental Protection Agency, claiming that he was indeed obligated to disburse the entire allotment of funding allocated by Congress under the Clean Water Act, not just the portion of funds not impounded by the president. The Supreme Court, in Train v. City of New York, ruled that the president could not impound funds lawfully allocated by Congress.

• A. 1803

• B. 1972

• C. 1974

• D. 1975

Which principle of government is described in this description:

"The branches of government have the ability to limit the other branches."

• Federalism

• Popular sovereignty

• Checks and balances

Select the portion of the excerpt from the Supreme Court's majority opinion in its ruling on Oregon v. Mitchell that reflects the principle of LIMITED GOVERNMENT.

• In enacting the 18-year-old vote provisions of the Act now before the Court, Congress made no legislative findings that the 21-year-old vote requirement was used by the States to disenfranchise voters on account of race.

• I seriously doubt that such a finding, if made, could be supported by substantial evidence.

• Since Congress has attempted to invade an area preserved to the States by the Constitution without a foundation for enforcing the Civil War Amendments' ban on racial discrimination, I would hold that Congress has exceeded its powers in attempting to lower the voting age in state and local elections.

• On the other hand, where Congress legislates in a domain not exclusively reserved by the Constitution to the States, its enforcement power need not be tied so closely to the goal of eliminating discrimination on account of race.

Which phrase describes the system of federalism established in the United States Constitution?

• A. the restriction of the government to exercise only the powers granted to it by the people

• B. the ability of one branch of government to restrain the powers of the other branches

• C. the distribution of powers among independent branches of government

• D. the division of powers between the national government and the states

What basic principle of governance is Hamilton highlighting in this quote? 'Here [in the U.S. House of Representatives], the people govern; here they act by their immediate representatives.'

• A. Federalism

• B. Limited government

• C. Popular sovereignty

• D. Separation of powers

Choose the Basic Principle of the Constitution referenced in the quote: '...the several States composing the United States of America, are not united on the principle of unlimited submission to their general government; but that by compact under the style and title of a Constitution, they constituted a general government for special purposes, delegated to that government certain definite powers, that whensoever the general government assumes undelegated powers, its acts are unauthoritative, void, and of no force. Certain definite powers, reserving each State to itself their own self-government.'

• Checks and Balances

• Federalism

• Popular Sovereignty

• Separation of Powers

Select the main function of the federalism :

• The monitoring of one branch of government over the other branches

• The distinction made among powers of different branches of government

• The division of power between state and federal government

• The exercise or granting of governmental power by the people

Which principle of government is reflected in this portion of the Constitution? 'Every bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it becomes a Law, be presented to the President of the United States; If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated...'

• A. federalism

• B. limited government

• C. popular sovereignty

• D. checks and balances

How does the principle illustrated reflect the principle of Checks and Balances?

• It reserves powers to the states.

• It keeps certain rights with the people.

• It allows one branch to constrain another.

• It allows citizens to have a say in their government.