Social Studies Flashcards

The Supreme Court case McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) established which constitutional principle that significantly expanded federal power?

Answer: Congress possesses implied powers beyond those enumerated in the Constitution

McCulloch v. Maryland established the doctrine of implied powers, ruling that the Necessary and Proper Clause gives Congress authority to take actions not explicitly listed in the Constitution, as long as they serve a constitutional end. Chief Justice John Marshall also ruled that Maryland could not tax the Second Bank of the United States, affirming federal supremacy.

During the Cold War, the policy of 'Mutually Assured Destruction' (MAD) was intended to prevent nuclear war primarily through which mechanism?

Answer: The certainty that a nuclear first strike would trigger a devastating retaliatory strike on the aggressor

MAD was a deterrence strategy based on the logic that if both superpowers maintained second-strike nuclear capabilities, any nuclear attack would guarantee the attacker's own destruction. This mutual vulnerability was intended to make nuclear war irrational and therefore unlikely, keeping the peace through the threat of total annihilation.

Which economic concept best explains why a country might choose to import a product it is capable of producing domestically?

Answer: Comparative advantage, because another country can produce it at a lower opportunity cost

Comparative advantage holds that a country should specialize in producing goods where it has the lowest opportunity cost — what it gives up to produce something — and trade for goods where another country has a comparative advantage. Even if a country can produce something efficiently in absolute terms, it may still benefit from importing it if its resources are better used elsewhere.

The Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause was originally ratified to protect formerly enslaved people, but courts later applied it to other groups. Which doctrine describes how courts have used it to strike down laws targeting racial minorities?

Answer: Strict scrutiny, which requires the government to show a compelling interest and narrow tailoring

When laws classify people based on race, courts apply strict scrutiny — the highest level of constitutional review. The government must prove it has a compelling interest and that the law is narrowly tailored to achieve that interest. Very few race-based laws survive this standard, which is why strict scrutiny is often described as 'strict in theory, fatal in fact.'

The Great Migration (roughly 1910–1970) fundamentally reshaped American society. Which of the following was a significant POLITICAL consequence of African Americans relocating from the South to Northern and Midwestern cities?

Answer: African Americans in Northern cities could vote and began influencing urban elections and national party politics

Unlike the South, where Black voting was systematically suppressed through poll taxes, literacy tests, and violence, Northern cities allowed African Americans to vote. This created significant Black voting blocs in cities like Chicago, Detroit, and New York, giving African Americans political leverage that influenced urban political machines and eventually shifted national party alignments, particularly the New Deal coalition.

In a federal system like that of the United States, which of the following best illustrates the constitutional concept of 'concurrent powers'?

Answer: Both federal and state governments may levy taxes and establish courts

Concurrent powers are those shared by both the federal and state governments. Taxation and maintaining court systems are classic examples — both levels of government can impose taxes and operate judicial systems simultaneously. This contrasts with exclusive federal powers (e.g., coining money, declaring war) and reserved state powers (e.g., regulating intrastate commerce).