Agree or Disagree Activity

Agree or Disagree

For each of the following statements, mark if you agree or disagree, and briefly explain your reasoning.

 

	True	False	Explain your reasoning.
1.      The national government can enact laws banning guns from schools.
2.     The national government can determine the minimum wage for the country.
3.     The national government can set a minimum drinking age.
4.     A state government can tax the U.S. government.
5.     The state governments can nullify, or cancel, U.S. laws they believe are unconstitutional.
6.     The national government can attach funding restrictions compelling states to follow their guidelines.
7.      What is illegal in one state should be illegal in all states.
8.     There should be a national standardized test required for high school graduation.
9.     If a state law conflicts with a national law, the national law should always take precedence.
10.   States have the power to declare war on other states or nations.

 

Each of these examples relates to the principle of federalism, the concept that the national and state governments have a balance of separate and shared powers. The people delegate certain powers to the national government, while the states retain other powers; the people retain all powers not delegated to the government. In practice, federalism can be messy and contentious.