Law-Making Process, sep of pow/Checks and bal/ local gov. Nat/st

What is the primary function of the legislative branch of the United States government as described in Article I of the Constitution?

• To enforce the laws of the country

• To interpret the laws of the country

• To make the laws of the country

• To approve treaties with foreign nations

What term describes the division of government into three separate branches — legislative, executive, and judicial — each with its own powers?

• Federalism

• Separation of powers

• Checks and balances

• Popular sovereignty

Which of the following best describes the relationship between state governments and the national government in the federal system?

• State governments have no power; all power belongs to the national government

• The national government and state governments share powers under the Constitution

• State governments are more powerful than the national government

• The national government only handles local issues

Which of the following is an example of a local government structure?

• The United States Senate

• The Supreme Court

• A city council

• The House of Representatives

Which of the following is an example of checks and balances at the state level?

• The state legislature passing a bill that becomes law without any review

• The governor vetoing a bill passed by the state legislature

• The local government overruling a state court decision

• The national government approving all state laws before they take effect

How does the lawmaking process in the United States Congress reflect the principles outlined in Article I of the Constitution?

• A bill becomes a law as soon as it is introduced in Congress

• Only the Senate has the power to introduce and pass bills

• A bill must be passed by both the House and the Senate before being sent to the President

• The President writes all bills and sends them to Congress for a vote

Which of the following best explains how checks and balances prevent any one branch of the national government from becoming too powerful?

• Each branch has unlimited power within its own area of responsibility

• Each branch has the ability to limit or review the actions of the other branches

• The legislative branch controls the actions of both the executive and judicial branches

• The judicial branch has the final say on all government decisions

How does the local lawmaking process differ from the national lawmaking process?

• Local governments do not have the authority to make any laws

• Local laws are made by city councils or county boards and apply only within their jurisdiction, while national laws apply to the entire country

• Local governments must get approval from Congress before passing any ordinance

• Local laws are made by the governor and apply to the entire state

Federalist No. 51 argues that the structure of government must allow each branch to defend itself against the others. How does this idea connect to the principle of separation of powers at the state level?

• State governments do not need separation of powers because they are smaller than the national government

• Separation of powers at the state level ensures that no single branch of state government can dominate the others, reflecting the same principles described in Federalist No. 51

• Federalist No. 51 only applies to the national government and has no relevance to state governments

• State governments rely entirely on the national government to enforce separation of powers

Using your knowledge of Federalist No. 10 and No. 51, explain how the federal system protects citizens from the dangers of a government with too much concentrated power.

• By giving all power to the national government, citizens are protected from corrupt state governments

• By dividing power between the national and state governments and among branches within each level, the federal system prevents any single group from controlling all government power

• By allowing only elected officials to make decisions, the federal system ensures that citizens always agree with government actions

• By limiting the number of laws that can be passed, the federal system reduces the chance of government overreach