Constitutional Principles
What principle divides government power between national and state government?
Federalism
Which clause establishes that federal law takes precedence over state law?
Supremacy Clause
Which document created the current structure of the U.S. government?
The Constitution
Which article of the Constitution establishes the legislative branch?
Article I
What is a public opinion poll?
A survey measuring public attitudes
Which principle is demonstrated when Congress checks the president through impeachment?
Checks and balances
What type of federalism existed before the New Deal?
Dual federalism
Which document failed largely because it created a weak central government?
Articles of Confederation
Which amendment prohibited states from denying the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude?
15th Amendment
What is a representative sample?
A group that reflects the larger population
Which constitutional principle explains why the legislative, executive, and judicial branches have different responsibilities?
Which Supreme Court case expanded federal power by interpreting the Necessary and Proper Clause broadly?
McCulloch v. Maryland
Which Enlightenment ideas directly influenced the Declaration of Independence? (three)
Natural rights, consent of the governed & the social contract
Which amendment eliminated poll taxes in federal elections?
24th Amendment
What polling error occurs when certain groups are underrepresented?
Sampling bias
Which principle is best illustrated by Congress creating lower federal courts even though they are not listed in Article III?
Implied powers
What type of federalism involves shared responsibilities and joint programs between federal and state governments?
Cooperative federalism
According to Federalist No. 10, why is a large republic better at controlling factions than a small republic?
A large republic makes it harder for factions to organize and dominate, because there are more competing interests and viewpoints
Which clause was at the core of US v. Lopez (1995)?
Commerce Clause
Why are opinion polls generally less reliable predictors of voter turnout than of voter preferences
Because many respondents who express preferences do not actually vote, and turnout is affected by factors like motivation, registration, and mobilization.
Which constitutional principle explains why the national government’s powers are listed in the Constitution, and how does this principle protect individual liberty?
Limited government - government may only exercise powers granted by the Constitution, which prevents arbitrary or unchecked authority and protects liberty
Explain how grants-in-aid allow the federal government to influence state policy without directly controlling states.
Funding conditions encourage compliance while preserving formal state autonomy
Explain how the Constitution reflects a compromise between fear of tyranny and fear of anarchy.
It limits power through checks and balances while granting enough authority to govern effectively
Explain how the Necessary and Proper Clause and the Supremacy Clause together strengthen the power of the national government.
The Necessary and Proper Clause allows Congress to expand its authority to carry out its powers, while the Supremacy Clause ensures those laws override conflicting state laws
Explain how poor question wording can distort polling results even with a representative sample.
Leading or unclear questions bias responses and undermine validity