Deck 3: Federalism

Question 1

Which of the following terms describes powers exercised by federal,state,and local governments who share responsibilities for particular policy areas,such as transportation?

A) concurrent powers
B) reserved powers
C) implied powers
D) necessary and proper powers
E) cooperative powers

Answer 1

A

Question 2

What is a disadvantage of a unitary system?

A) Unitary systems are inefficient and tend to suffer from weak central leadership.
B) There is no competition between different political units in unitary systems, which can stifle policy development.
C) Unitary systems are autocratic, which often leads to rampant government corruption.
D) Unitary systems allow multiple parties to be included on the ballot, which can confuse voters.
E) Unitary systems have historically been plagued by weak national economies and high unemployment.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act are good examples of dual federalism.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Defenders of the 2010 Affordable Care Act argue that the law is constitutional because of additional powers granted to Congress under the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S.Constitution.

Question 5

Most states now have a minimum drinking age of twenty-one because the Supreme Court ruled that states could be denied federal transportation money if they did not put that law on their books.

Question 6

Federalism centralizes government power at the federal or national level.

Question 7

A principal reason that the federal government's importance in regulating commerce increased in the twentieth century was that economic activity had become more national,making the distinction between interstate and intrastate commerce more difficult to sustain.

Question 8

Competition between states is often seen negatively because it allows large,wealthy states like New York to dominate national economic policies and priorities at the expense of smaller and poorer states like West Virginia.

Question 9

The term states' rights refers to:

A) the right of the states to determine their own laws without interference from the federal government
B) the right of any state to secede from the Union
C) the powers given to states by their constitutions
D) the right of any state to sue the federal government in court
E) the principle that state powers are superior to and have a higher priority than individual rights

Question 10

An example of the U.S.Constitution's full faith and credit clause is that a person with a driver's license from the state of New York does not need to get a separate Pennsylvania driver's license to drive a car through the state of Pennsylvania.

Question 11

The debate over medical marijuana is a significant test for the conservative Supreme Court because it forces the justices to choose between remaining consistent on questions of federalism and policy views about drug laws.

Question 12

The fact that Congress had to take an indirect route in getting states to pass a drinking age of twenty-one best illustrates the principle of coercive federalism.

Question 13

In a system of federalism,state governments and the federal government:

A) are organized so that the federal government must approve all state laws throughout the nation
B) are organized so that state governments have the freedom to determine on their own which federal laws to follow and which federal laws to ignore or nullify
C) are organized so that the federal government may, under some circumstances, dissolve lower levels of government
D) are organized so that the federal government is empowered to impose and enforce any laws on the states that it deems "necessary and proper" to improve the lives of its citizens
E) are organized so that both have separate and shared powers

Question 14

Critics of the 2010 Affordable Care Act argue that the law is unconstitutional because it violates the states' sovereign powers under the Tenth and Eleventh Amendments of the U.S.Constitution.

Question 15

In the wake of the September 11,2001 terrorist attacks on the United States,many Republicans,including President George W.Bush,were supportive of strong action by the national government to protect homeland security.

Question 16

The rights revolution and Great Society programs were made possible because of the doctrine of imposition.

Question 17

President Richard Nixon's New Federalism programs played an important role in the expansion of national power in policy areas such as civil rights,medical care,and housing.

Question 18

A form of government that divides sovereign power across at least two political units is called:

A) a separation of powers system
B) confederal government
C) federalism
D) unitary government
E) constitutional democracy

Question 19

Debates over how power is divided between the national and state governments have divided Supreme Court justices since the nation's Founding because of various different interpretations of the Tenth Amendment and the powers granted to Congress under the necessary and proper clause of the U.S.Constitution.

Question 20

Because of the U.S.Constitution's privileges and immunities clause,a state such as North Carolina can deny certain privileges by refusing to recognize same-sex marriages that occur legally in the state of Massachusetts.

Question 21

The Federalists,led by George Washington,John Adams,and Alexander Hamilton favored a(n)________ national government,while the Democratic-Republicans,led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison,favored ________ power.

A) weak; national
B) strong; state
C) divided; concurrent
D) democratic; federal
E) elitist; unitary

Question 22

When Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996,it was trying to:

A) limit the interpretation of the full faith and credit clause
B) limit the ability of states to prevent same-sex marriages
C) force states not to recognize divorces in other states
D) exercise its powers under the supremacy clause
E) amend the U.S. Constitution

Question 23

The list of national powers spelled out in ________ of the Constitution is longer and more detailed than the powers given to the states in ________.

A) Article I; Article IV
B) Article IV; Article I
C) Article II; the Tenth Amendment
D) Article IV; Article III
E) Article I; the Tenth Amendment

Question 24

Intergovernmental organizations exist primarily to:

A) assist member nations with loans through the Word Bank and International Monetary Fund
B) help poor nations combat poverty
C) assist member nations seeking to coordinate their policies on economic activity, security, or environmental protection
D) monitor elections and advance democracy around the world
E) advance policies that would lead to full employment throughout the world

Question 25

A confederal system of government has a _________ central government.This is different from a unitary system,in which the central government is _________.

A) strong; weak
B) weak; strong
C) strong; autocratic
D) nonexistent; moderately strong
E) moderately strong; the only government (i.e., local government is nonexistent)

Question 26

Under the U.S.system of federalism,who or what is responsible for the conduct of foreign policy and defense?

A) the national government
B) the president of the United States only, because the president is the commander in chief
C) a combination of the national government, state governments, and intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations and NATO
D) the U.S. armed forces
E) The U.S. Constitution never answers this question.

Question 27

Which best defines the situation of local governments in the American federal system?

A) They are creatures of the national government.
B) State governments create local governments and can control their activities.
C) They have sovereign power based on their own charters.
D) They are creatures of both national and state governments.
E) They have no power; local government officials are allowed only ceremonial powers.

Question 28

Why is the supremacy clause important?

A) It gives the U.S. Congress the power to regulate commerce.
B) It resolves conflicts between national and state laws.
C) It makes clear that each state's laws are to be honored by the other states.
D) It stipulates that if the national government passes an unconstitutional law, the people of the states are "supreme" and through their state legislatures can declare the law void.
E) It provides the U.S. Congress with the power to dissolve or to take control of local governments that are in financial distress.

Question 29

Which court case strengthened Congress by providing for a broad interpretation of the commerce clause?

A) Gibbons v. Ogden
B) Barron v. Baltimore
C) McCulloch v. Maryland
D) Mayor of City of New York v. Miln
E) Maryland v. United States

Question 30

Which of the following was a central concern that prompted the Founders to include clear national powers in the Constitution?

A) the need to address the inefficiencies of federalism
B) the problem of state and local election laws that prevented many from voting
C) the need to improve economic efficiency
D) the fear of southern states seceding from the Union
E) the concern that some states might adopt a foreign policy that sided with the French and against the British

Question 31

What element of the Constitution affirms state sovereignty?

A) the elastic clause
B) the origination clause
C) the supremacy clause
D) the Tenth Amendment
E) the Thirteenth Amendment

Question 32

Why are local governments still considered important to citizens?

A) They provide services such as police and fire departments.
B) They control immigration policy.
C) They are exclusively responsible for all transportation policy.
D) They are important because local government officials are almost never corrupt-unlike officials in state and national governments.
E) They provide mail delivery.

Question 33

Which early court case established that the national government was more central to our political system than the states were?

A) Barron v. Baltimore
B) Gibbons v. Ogden
C) McCulloch v. Maryland
D) Chisholm v. Georgia
E) Dred Scott v. Sandford

Question 34

The privileges and immunities clause was meant to promote:

A) equality for all citizens under the law
B) states' rights
C) individual civil liberties
D) commerce and travel between states
E) privileges and immunity for the states from being sued by the federal government

Question 35

Which aspects of the Constitution point toward a nation-centered perspective?

A) use of the electoral college
B) provisions for national security
C) delegated powers clauses
D) the Tenth Amendment
E) There are no aspects of the Constitution that point toward a nation-centered perspective.

Question 36

Concurrent powers are those that:

A) are explicitly granted to the national government by the Constitution
B) the Constitution implies are held by the national government
C) are shared by state and national governments
D) apply to the relationship between state and local governments
E) apply to a situation in which one political party controls the legislative branch and a different political party controls the executive branch

Question 37

The ________ clause is vague,but gives the national government a very broad grant of power to carry out its responsibilities.

A) supremacy
B) necessary and proper
C) enumerated powers
D) full faith and credit
E) affirmation

Question 38

Which of the following is a doctrine that stipulates that if the national government passes an unconstitutional law,the people of the states can declare the law void?

A) doctrine of states' rights
B) doctrine of coercive federalism
C) doctrine of interposition
D) doctrine of dual federalism
E) devolution

Question 39

The power of local governments depends on charters granted to them by:

A) the Constitution
B) the national government
C) their citizens
D) the state governments
E) common law and the backing of the federal court system

Question 40

Which system is most common among democracies in the world?

A) federal system
B) confederal system
C) cooperative system
D) unitary system
E) direct democratic system

Question 41

The term fiscal federalism refers to:

A) grants of money from national to state governments
B) grants of money from state to national governments
C) taxes by the states on national institutions
D) taxes by the national government on state institutions
E) situations in which the federal government spends more money than it takes in from taxes on the states

Question 42

Which of the following explains why cooperative federalism emerged in the United States?

A) Supreme Court decisions that broadly interpreted the commerce clause
B) Supreme Court decisions that limited the scope of the commerce clause
C) public support and demand for cooperative federalism during the rights revolution
D) the leadership and policies of President Richard Nixon
E) the end of the Civil War

Question 43

The Dred Scott case ruled that:

A) slave owners had been deprived of property without due process of law
B) the Missouri Compromise was constitutional and had to be enforced
C) federal law was supreme over state law
D) the Bill of Rights did not apply to the states
E) previous Court rulings that relied on the principle of dual federalism were incorrect because this was not what the Founders envisioned when drafting the Constitution

Question 44

Cooperative federalism emerged during:

A) the 1920s
B) the 1930s
C) the 1970s
D) the 1980s
E) the 1990s

Question 45

Why did the Supreme Court rule in the late nineteenth century that the Fourteenth Amendment did not immediately guarantee all citizens protection under national law?

A) Because the Court ruled that slaves were considered property.
B) Because the Court ruled that equal protection under the law was at odds with other sections of the Constitution.
C) Because the Court ruled that equal protection under the law only applied to national government actions.
D) Because the Court ruled that states had no responsibility to follow national law.
E) Because the Court ruled that equality was a concept at odds with the principles and beliefs of the Founders.

Question 46

Why is Barron v.Baltimore important?

A) It sided with the national government over state government, giving added power to the supremacy clause.
B) It ruled that Congress did not have the authority to prohibit slavery in any state.
C) It helped begin the rights revolution.
D) It helped establish dual federalism as a guiding judicial principle to settle questions concerning state and national power.
E) The majority ruling famously stated that the Tenth Amendment "does not alter the distribution of power between the national and state governments."

Question 47

Why is the necessary and proper clause often a source of controversy and political disagreement?

A) Some argue that it grants too much power to the Supreme Court by giving it the power to declare state laws unconstitutional.
B) Some argue that the executive branch has abused its power through an overly broad interpretation of the necessary and proper clause.
C) Some argue that the U.S. Congress has abused its power through an overly broad interpretation of the necessary and proper clause.
D) Civil libertarians believe it runs counter to individual civil liberties granted in the Bill of Rights.
E) Opponents of the necessary and proper clause see it as undemocratic.

Question 48

Following the Civil War,why were the Thirteenth,Fourteenth,and Fifteenth Amendments added to the Constitution?

A) to guarantee political representation for all African Americans
B) to move the nation toward a unitary government
C) to ensure that the Union's views on states' rights were the law of the land
D) to ensure that northern states would dominate the national government
E) to protect northern industry and financial interests

Question 49

The Supreme Court's endorsement of laissez-faire capitalism in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was significant because:

A) it gave Congress added powers to regulate private affairs
B) it prevented Congress from regulating any economic activity that occurred within a state
C) it gave additional freedom to Congress to act under the commerce clause
D) it strengthened the full faith and credit clause of the Constitution
E) it signified the beginning of what became known as the "New Federalism Era"

Question 50

The principal impact of McCulloch v.Maryland was:

A) its decision to interpret the commerce clause broadly, thus giving the national government the ability to become involved in many more policy areas
B) its decision to let states interfere in the federal government's business by taxing it
C) its ruling that the national government's power to print money did not imply that it could open a bank for regulating the economy
D) its expansive interpretation of implied powers and the supremacy clause in favor of the national government
E) its decision to allow states to nullify federal laws that conflicted with their state constitutions

Question 51

The distinction between intrastate and interstate commerce became blurred by the Supreme Court because of:

A) backlash from passage of the Sherman Antitrust Act
B) Congress's failure to take action during the Great Depression
C) conflict stemming from Jim Crow
D) the politics of the New Deal
E) the politics of President Nixon's New Federalism

Question 52

The picket fence metaphor is an apt description of current American federalism because:

A) there are distinct differences between state and federal governments
B) it takes money to make policy, just like it does to build a fence
C) policy makers mainly interact with others in the same policy area, regardless of whether they are federal or state employees
D) chief executives (mayors, governors, the president) have few powers over federalism
E) the state and federal governments have clear boundaries, much like two fences on separate properties

Question 53

The concept of dual federalism envisions what relationship between the federal and state governments?

A) Each of them has some distinct authority but cooperate in most areas.
B) Each has distinct areas of authority with very little overlap.
C) The only way in which the national government influences the states is by providing them with funds.
D) Federal mandates matter only when the states agree to them.
E) This complicated, vague concept can take on a dual meaning that is adaptable to changing times and circumstances.

Question 54

McCulloch v.Maryland (1819)is an important Supreme Court ruling because:

A) it limited state government power by declaring that Maryland could not tax a federal bank
B) it strengthened state government power by declaring that Maryland could tax a federal bank under the doctrine of dual sovereignty
C) it expanded the power of the national government by declaring that federal taxes on state banks were constitutional
D) it expanded state government power by declaring that state laws could override the commerce clause
E) it signified the end of the debate surrounding the nullification doctrine

Question 55

Following the Civil War,the Constitution was amended to ensure that states could not deny any citizen:

A) the right to vote
B) the right to run as a candidate for public office
C) due process or equal protection of the laws
D) the right to earn a guaranteed minimum wage established by the federal government
E) the right to serve in the armed forces

Question 56

Which of the following is an example of fiscal federalism?

A) The national government threatens to tax state governments to steer them toward accepting a desired federal policy.
B) The national government issues federal funds to state governments to encourage states to meet certain policy requirements.
C) The national government requires states to increase taxes to meet federal mandates.
D) The national government lends money to the states on a temporary basis.
E) The national government runs a deficit by spending more money than it takes in from taxpayers.

Question 57

The commerce clause gives:

A) state governments the power to raise funds by taxing goods and services
B) state governments the power to regulate commerce
C) Congress the power to print money that all states must use
D) Congress the power to raise funds by taxing goods and services
E) Congress the power to regulate economic exchange between the states

Question 58

Because the Constitution only sets broad boundaries for state and federal powers,the ________ is very important in resolving disputes over powers in specific instances.

A) Congress
B) Tenth Amendment
C) Supreme Court
D) federal government
E) president

Question 59

The degree of cooperation between the federal and state governments relies most on:

A) the election of leaders from the same political party
B) how financial support is transferred from the national government
C) the good will of the state governments
D) the negotiating skills of the president, leaders in Congress, and the governors of the fifty states
E) whether the federal government approves of how state governments decide to spend money from federal block grants

Question 60

The theory of dual federalism is most consistent with the concept of:

A) marble cake federalism
B) layer cake federalism
C) picket fence federalism
D) coercive federalism
E) fiscal federalism

Question 61

The decision in United States v.Lopez (1995)was particularly important because it required Congress to:

A) respect the constitutional right of an individual to bear arms
B) provide states with funds when it mandates policy change
C) list which enumerated power it is using when writing laws
D) justify how laws they pass are a legitimate exercise of commerce clause powers
E) end coercive techniques that force states to comply with federal mandates

Question 62

Americans are more likely to:

A) trust their local and state governments over the federal government
B) trust the federal government over their local and state governments
C) fear executive power when a Republican is president
D) support expanded executive power when a Republican is president
E) expect the states to enact legislation supporting progressive causes

Question 63

Which of the following reinforced the role of the national government beginning in the late 1960s?

A) the devolution revolution
B) Nixon's new federalism
C) the rights revolution
D) the Court's ruling in National Labor Relations Board v. Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation
E) the passage of the Sherman Antitrust Act

Question 64

Which of the following statements would fall under the principle of coercive federalism?

A) The national government threatens state governments with military might.
B) The national government uses mandates or regulations without giving states the money to execute and enforce the mandates or regulations.
C) The national government passes new constitutional amendments limiting state power.
D) The national government threatens to tax residents at a higher rate in states unwilling to cooperate with the goals and policies of the national government.
E) The national government forces the states to change policies through an act of Congress.

Question 65

The term New Federalism refers to:

A) increasing state discretion in spending by using block grants
B) decreasing state power by expanding the federal government's regulation of commerce
C) increasing state discretion in spending through increased cooperative federalism
D) increasing federal spending to wage a local War on Poverty
E) an effort in the 1970s and 80s to eliminate all federal grants

Question 66

Which political party prefers giving the states flexibility in spending federal money?

A) Republican Party
B) Democratic Party
C) both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party equally
D) neither the Republican Party nor the Democratic Party
E) it depends on which party controls the U.S. Congress

Question 67

Advocates of ________ federalism prefer giving money to the states through ________.

A) dual; block grants
B) cooperative; block grants
C) dual; categorical grants
D) cooperative; categorical grants
E) coercive; government bonds

Question 68

After the 1980s,the Republican view on federal grants was to:

A) use categorical grants to prevent local government corruption
B) use block grants to give local politicians more control over how money was spent
C) avoid issuing all grants so that more money could be spent on the military and defense
D) avoid issuing all grants to maintain states' rights and sovereignty
E) use block grants to balance the federal budget

Question 69

When the national government gives the states money to entice them to change state laws to match national goals or policies established by Congress,it is:

A) exercising the national supremacy clause
B) an example of layer cake federalism
C) acting through its implied powers in the U.S. Constitution
D) an example of coercive federalism
E) engaged in an exchange deemed unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in a recent decision

Question 70

Unfunded mandates:

A) are a nullification of state law
B) are an imposition of national priorities on the state
C) are regulations that require state action but provide no money
D) devolve power from the federal government back to the states
E) were recently declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court

Question 71

One advantage of decentralized power in a federal system is that it:

A) provides the legislative branch with more power than the executive branch
B) makes legislation easier to pass
C) is a natural check on the power of the federal government
D) is more democratic
E) is less susceptible to corruption

Question 72

Which of the following is an argument in favor of increased state power?

A) The national government abuses its powers because it often taxes people without their consent.
B) Competition among states provides the best policies to attract businesses, create jobs, and maintain a healthy social fabric.
C) Increased state power prevents the national government from encouraging a "race to the bottom" that favors business over people.
D) State governments tend to be less corrupt than the federal government.
E) It is consistent with the original wishes of the Founders, who believed that state governments should be allowed to function without any interference from the federal government.

Question 73

________ commerce refers to economic activity between states that ________ be regulated by the federal government.

A) Intrastate; cannot
B) Interstate; can
C) Interstate; cannot
D) Fiscal; cannot
E) Coercive; can

Question 74

The Supreme Court's decision involving the constitutionality of some portions of the Americans with Disabilities Act illustrated:

A) how the Court is reshaping federalism in the direction of state power
B) the Court's commitment to upholding laws passed during the rights revolution
C) the Court's broad interpretation of Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act
D) the ideological complexities of federalism
E) the difficulties in finding a balance between the Fourteenth Amendment and the privileges and immunities clause

Question 75

Recent Supreme Court rulings concerning the Fourteenth Amendment have had the effect of:

A) increasing the power of state governments
B) reducing the power of the federal government
C) increasing the power of both state and federal governments
D) rendering meaningless the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution
E) inadvertently strengthening the executive branch

Question 76

Which of the following programs provided states with significant flexibility in spending federal welfare dollars?

A) the Great Society programs
B) Temporary Assistance to Needy Families
C) the Unfunded Mandate Reform Act
D) the Social Security Act
E) the Affordable Care Act

Question 77

Relative to the size of the economy,federal grants to the states have ________ since the 1970s,while the rate of state spending has ________.

A) decreased; stayed the same
B) increased; stayed the same
C) stayed the same; decreased
D) stayed the same; increased
E) increased; decreased

Question 78

Which of the following describes coercive federalism?

A) The national government shares decision-making power with the state governments, but the states agree to accept less money.
B) The national government issues federal funds to state governments to encourage states to meet certain policy requirements.
C) The national government uses regulations and mandates to achieve a broad national purpose.
D) The national government restricts the powers of state governments to tax and to spend money.
E) The national government assumes expanded power as it does in a unitary system.

Question 79

President Reagan favored block grants over categorical grants because:

A) block grants give states more power, which is beneficial because state and local politicians are closer to the people
B) block grants allow for more federal control
C) he saw categorical grants as something that allows states to waste federal money
D) he believed it would help control state governments' deficit spending
E) he knew this position would be popular with congressional Democrats, allowing him to work effectively across party lines

Question 80

The resurgence of states' rights arguments on the Supreme Court has led to:

A) an increased chance for state nullification of federal laws in the future
B) a reinterpretation of the supremacy clause that weakens national power
C) stricter application of the reserved powers clause in the Tenth Amendment
D) deep and renewed divisions between elected officials in northern and southern states
E) the end of cooperative federalism