Am Govt Homework 11 Answers - Student One

1. The Supremacy Clause may be the most important provision in the entire U.S. Constitution. Discuss.

The Supremacy Clause may be the most important provision in the U.S. Constitution because it gives the Constitution much more power than State laws. If there is any discrepancy between the Constitution and State laws, the Constitution takes priority.

2. What is the 16th Amendment, and how did it change the United States?

The Sixteenth Amendment removes the limit on income taxation by the government. This limit was set in place in the original Constitution. Because of this amendment, the federal government is able to impose an income tax whenever they want, placing a heavy burden on the hardworking American people.

3. What is the Voting Rights Act, and what is your view of it? Is New Jersey covered by it - yes or no (no further explanation needed for this part of the question)?

The Voting Rights Act is a law passed by Congress which controls how states conduct elections. Before the Voting Rights Act was passed, the states were able to change elections laws within their own state freely. Now, since the law has been passed, the states require clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice before changing election laws. I, personally do not agree with this law; the states should be able to decide for themselves how they want to run elections. New Jersey is not covered by this Act.

4. Why did Rhode Island decline to join the United States initially, even after George Washington became president?

Rhode Island refused to join the United States for several years, because it did not want to hand over the power to tax, which they used to raise money by taxing items imported through its harbors, over to the new government.

5. For what purpose does the Supreme Court use the "Elastic Clause" (or the "Necessary and Proper Clause")?

The Supreme Court uses the “Elastic Clause” to make laws which allow other federal laws to be executed.

6. Pick any Supreme Court decision described in this lecture, and explain it briefly.

Arizona v. U.S. was a Supreme Court decision in which the State of Arizona was prevented from enforcing its immigration law by the Supreme Court, by stating that all immigration laws were now being enforced by the federal government.

7. "Be careful what you ask for" might describe which ironic part of political history for Democrats in Illinois?

When Senator Dirksen was proposing an amendment to combat the Supreme Court’s decision in Reynolds v. Sims, various Democrats tried to prevent Dirksen from succeeding. They did this by adding a provision to the Illinois State Constitution. This provision made a 3/5 majority vote necessary to pass any amendments. Dirksen’s amendment failed to pass the U.S. Senate. Later, when the Democratic Equal Rights Amendment failed to be ratified because of the amendment they themselves had created!