I can’t get enough of these sorts of US history/civics quizzes. But this one is not right.
15. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states? (Five possible answers.)
The answer:
15. Provide schooling and education, protection (police), safety (fire departments), give a driver’s license, approve zoning and land use
I’m pretty sure driver’s licenses aren’t addressed under the Constitution. I understand that the question is really, “name some stuff states do.” But why bring up the Constitution in the question?
To provide a Balanced Budget, despite state Unions
Carl
Read the tenth amendment
1
Unidentified powers “reserved to the states” has never provided much constitutional guidance to courts. Plus, given that the 10th Amendment was the last of the Bill of Rights, its context is that of preserving liberties–that the states can go farther than the federal government in preserving civil rights. The question Carl quotes is, accordingly, quite out of place.
proud leftist
The 10th reflected concerns , among other, that the fed gov would subsume the sovereign powers of states. It was meant to protect states’ independence and diversity, not to protect individual freedoms.
Drivers’ licenses fall under the police power, granted to the states.
(that’s also the source of the Posse Comitatus people’s insanity)
And am I the only one who wants to reject their answer for our economic system?
I wanna jet pack!
@1 That’s something Republicans are really, really, really lousy at — even if there are no unions (see, e.g., really huge deficits that followed disbandment of air traffic controllers’ union).
A Florida jury has found Casey Anthony, accused of drowning her toddler in a swimming pool, not guilty on all counts except a minor charge of “misleading law enforcement.” The jury obviously bought the defense argument that it was a tragic accident.
Cases like this are tough to prove, but I believe the prosecution would have an easier time convicting Grover Norquist, who promised to “drown government in the bathtub,” if somebody finds the government on the bathroom floor, dead and dripping wet, next to a full bathtub with Norquist’s wet footprints all over the house. After all, the guy said he was gonna do it.
Which reminds me of my first legal case out of law school, which didn’t go well. I wasn’t the trial attorney; I only handled the appeal for the public defender’s office. It involved a woman who was convicted of first-degree arson for throwing a firebomb through her neighbor’s window down in the Yesler Avenue housing projects. No one saw her do it, but according to witnesses, she was seen (and heard) standing in the street and shouting “I’m gonna get you!” five minutes before the Molotov cocktail sailed into the victim’s apartment, and then was seen (and heard) standing in the street and shouting “I told you I was gonna get you!” five minutes after the explosion, so from my point of view as a lawyer, there wasn’t a hell of a lot to work with in that case.
So, if the government turns up dead and wet, and Norquist wants me to defend him, I’m going to decline because I’m tired of defending losers.
It didn’t help that my client had previously been convicted of murdering her husband. She was a sweet lady except when she’d been drinking. That’s when her dark side came out. Which makes me wonder whether Norquist is perpetually drunk, or only drinks at work.
If you want to call what Norquist does “work.” That’s probably being generous.