Deck 2: Federalism and the States

Question 1

Dual federalism is a term used to describe a circumstance in which

A) national and state governments are sovereign and equal within their constitutionally allocated spheres of authority.
B) the state governments, having called the original Constitutional Convention, may agree to nullify federal acts.
C) new grants-in-aid are made.
D) the linkages and joint arrangements among the three levels of government are stressed.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Creative federalism is a term used to describe the

A) efforts of Reagan to turn programs back over to the states.
B) social welfare programs of Roosevelt.
C) social justice programs of Kennedy.
D) Great Society programs of Johnson.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Real financial power moved from the states to the national government by virtue of

A) McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), which gave the federal government the power to establish a bank.
B) Baker v. Carr (1962), which established the Federal Reserve System.
C) Brown v. Rhode Island (1820), which allowed the United States to establish a national bank, modeled after the Bank of England.
D) the Sixteenth Amendment, which gave Congress power to tax the incomes of individuals and corporations.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The Constitutional Convention's debates centered largely on

A) the power to be allocated to local government.
B) the role of the executive.
C) the role of the judiciary.
D) division of power between large and small states.

Question 5

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) enhanced the power of the national government by stating that

A) the federal government could not establish a national bank.
B) Maryland had the right to tax the national bank.
C) Congress had the right to lend money through the Second National Bank of the United States.
D) the Constitution contained implied, as well as enumerated, powers.

Question 6

The enumerated or delegated powers in the Constitution are those that

A) give powers to both the states and the national government.
B) give power to the states.
C) are expressly given to the national government.
D) give power to local governments by way of general revenue sharing.

Question 7

The Real ID Act of 2006, which imposed national requirements on how states must validate personal identification when issuing driver's licenses, and the ensuing state opposition to the more strenuous requirements for obtaining a driver's license, is an example of the politics surrounding

A) federal preemption.
B) creative federalism.
C) grant-in-aid.
D) intrastate compacts.

Question 8

Concurrent powers are

A) exercised by both the state and national governments.
B) synonymous with implied powers.
C) numerous but checked greatly by the Ninth Amendment.
D) powers that are expressly given to local governments.

Question 9

A system of government in which most, if not all, legal powers rest with the central government is referred to as a

A) confederacy.
B) defederated system.
C) federal system.
D) unitary system.

Question 10

President George W. Bush's federalism views were poorly articulated, but actions of his administration and Congressional Republicans sought to

A) preempt state authority over various issues.
B) support the practice of state sovereignty in the same manner as President Reagan.
C) rest less on theory and focus more on cooperative action between state and federal governments.
D) increase revenues so state funding was less of an issue.

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT an advantage of federalism?

A) It ensures that national programs and priorities are achieved.
B) It encourages innovation.
C) It helps manage social and political conflict.
D) It promotes administrative efficiency.

Question 12

The Framers of the Constitution held to the belief of English political philosopher Thomas Hobbes that

A) human beings are contentious and selfish.
B) government should be created by the people to serve the people.
C) people are born free and that natural rights cannot be taken from them.
D) the right to revolt against an unjust government is a natural right.

Question 13

The elimination of many categorical grants during the Reagan Presidency in the 1980s was an example of

A) coercive federalism.
B) new federalism.
C) creative federalism.
D) cooperative federalism.

Question 14

The practical devices placed in the U.S. Constitution to control factions included all of the following EXCEPT a

A) system of representative government.
B) division of government into three branches, which served as a system of checks and balances.
C) federal system where power was dispersed within and among the federal government and the states.
D) national bank that would control the nation's money and therefore keep factions from ever gaining complete control over the economy.

Question 15

The great majority of countries (more than 90 percent) have a

A) confederate system of government.
B) unitary system of government.
C) a federalist system of government.
D) a blending of a confederate and unitary system of government.

Question 16

The difference between a federal system and a confederacy is that

A) a federal system divides power between the central government and geographically defined jurisdictions, whereas in a confederacy all authority is derived from the central government.
B) a federal system divides power between the central government and geographically defined jurisdictions, whereas in a confederacy the central government is weak and the regional governments are strong.
C) a federal system derives its powers from regional governments, whereas in a confederacy the central government is strong and the regional governments are weak.
D) in a federal system the central government is weak and the regional governments are strong, whereas a confederacy divides power between the central government and geographically defined jurisdictions.

Question 17

The Marshall Court's ruling in Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) involved

A) rights related to intrastate commerce.
B) rights related to interstate commerce.
C) the right of the federal government to renew the charter for the national bank.
D) Congress's right to levy an income tax.

Question 18

The Great Compromise adopted by the Framers of the Constitution involved

A) the procedures by which the Constitution would be ratified.
B) increasing the powers of the central government.
C) resolving disputes between the states and the central government by means of an independent judiciary.
D) adoption of a bicameral legislature in which one house selected members based on population and one in which the states were equally represented.

Question 19

What part of the U.S. Constitution created the U.S. Supreme Court?

A) Article IV
B) Article II
C) Article III
D) Article VI

Question 20

The argument for state-centered federalism relies on which of the following sections of the Constitution?

A) The necessary and proper clause
B) The Commerce Clause
C) The Fourteenth Amendment
D) The Tenth Amendment

Question 21

"Fend-for-yourself" federalism describes a newer trend in federalism. It generally refers to

A) a greater focus on state and local governments funding their own priorities, without federal government assistance.
B) each state and local government fighting on its own for intergovernmental monies.
C) increased reliance on sin taxes for the funding of critical services.
D) states receiving a greater portion of their total funding from the federal government.

Question 22

Factions refer to any group of citizens or interested parties united in a cause or actions without concern for the interests of society as a whole.

Question 23

Interstate compacts authorized by the U.S. Constitution are useful in

A) permitting the national government to impose solutions to state problems.
B) addressing situations not covered in the Tenth Amendment.
C) providing a vehicle that is useful in settling disputes between two or more states.
D) settling disputes between local governments within a state.

Question 24

Currently, federal funding accounts for approximately _______ percent of state and local revenues.

A) 10
B) 21
C) 38
D) 55

Question 25

A unitary system is a political arrangement in which the power of the central government is derived from the member states.

Question 26

Which of the following is NOT a formal provision that exists for cooperation among the states?

A) the interstate rendition clause
B) the privileges and immunities clause
C) the full faith and credit clause
D) the commerce clause

Question 27

A common way for states to resolve disputes over issues such as water that flows or sits among multiple jurisdictions is through

A) constitutional commissions.
B) intrastate compact.
C) interstate compact.
D) imposing higher fees on water consumption.

Question 28

One of the disadvantages of federalism is that it can encourage obstruction and delay and result in ineffective national government programs and priorities.

Question 29

Which of the following factors impact the amount of federal grant allocations received by a state?

A) its geographic location
B) its level of cooperation with Congress
C) its relationship with corporate interests
D) its level of poverty

Question 30

France, the United Kingdom, Chile, and Japan are examples of countries with a unitary system of government.

Question 31

Lisa is the superintendent of a school district and her district has just been awarded a federal grant that can be used freely to address the most important need within the district. This is an example of which type of grant?

A) categorical grant
B) block grant
C) functional grant
D) revenue sharing grant

Question 32

The Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires states and localities to make physical and occupational accommodations for disabled persons, is an example of

A) partial preemption.
B) initial preemption.
C) total preemption.
D) implied preemption.

Question 33

Federalism generally encourages innovation and participation in government.

Question 34

States have less power in a federalist system than in a unitary system.

Question 35

States may regulate pollution emissions so long as state standards are at least as stringent as those of the federal government. This is an example of

A) partial preemption.
B) initial preemption.
C) total preemption.
D) implied preemption.

Question 36

A unitary system of government, which more than 90 percent of nations have, is one in which all government authority is derived from a central government.

Question 37

Which of the following statements about tribal governments is NOT true?

A) Tribes are semisovereign nations exercising self-government on their reservation.
B) States are prohibited from taxing, regulating, or extending judicial powers over them.
C) Local zoning laws govern tribal land use.
D) Tribal residents can vote in federal and state elections.

Question 38

The political arrangement under the Articles of Confederation is a good example of a unitary political system.

Question 39

A confederacy is a political arrangement in which power is derived from a central authority.

Question 40

A major advantage of the federal system of government is that it helps manage social and political conflict.

Question 41

President Johnson sought to hand over powers to the states using creative federalism.

Question 42

Categorical grants are a form of financial aid from one level of government to another to be used for a narrowly defined purpose.

Question 43

Devolution involves delegating power and programs from the federal to state and local governments.

Question 44

The model of federalism currently in use is considered new federalism.

Question 45

Block grants are a form of financial aid from one level of government to another for use in a broad, functional area.

Question 46

Congress tried to resolve the unfunded mandate issue through the Unfunded Mandate Reform Act of 1995, which stated that any bill imposing a mandate of more than $50 million on a state or local government must include a cost estimate.

Question 47

The commerce clause allows Congress to regulate commercial activities as long as the activities are involved in intrastate commerce.

Question 48

The Ninth Amendment reserves to the states all powers not specifically granted to the national government or prohibited to the states.

Question 49

The metaphor for dual federalism is that of a layer cake, with two separate colored layers, one on top of the other.

Question 50

In McCulloch v. Maryland, the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution contained implied powers.

Question 51

The Supreme Court interpretations of the necessary and proper clause of the Constitution have allowed Congress to enact a great many laws that stretch the phrase necessary and proper beyond its logical limits.

Question 52

The principle of preemption holds that state laws take precedence over national laws.

Question 53

Currently, the principal tool for transferring money from the national to the state and local governments is the grant-in-aid.

Question 54

The Sixteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gave the federal government the power to levy a national income tax.

Question 55

Creative federalism was devised by President Johnson to promote his vision of a Great Society.

Question 56

Discuss how powers and responsibilities are divided among levels of government in unitary, confederate, and federal systems of government.

Question 57

Compact theory has had little impact on the states' rights arguments.

Question 58

The Seventeenth Amendment grants the national government the power to levy income taxes.

Question 59

Decriminalizing medical marijuana, which allows physicians to prescribe modest use of marijuana for the treatment of various medical conditions, is an example of a federalism issue.

Question 60

State and local governments depend on federal grants for about 38 percent of their revenues.

Question 61

Describe the major sources of friction and conflict between the federal and state levels of government that have arisen over time. Be sure to include policy examples to illustrate your answer.

Question 62

Trace the history of American federalism from colonial times into the current era. What changes have occurred over the past 200 years? What are the various distinct phases or periods that have occurred? What impact does federalism have on state and local governments? Also, include the advantages and disadvantages of federalism in your answer.

Question 63

Discuss your view of the future of federalism. Will or should there be more direction/control from the federal government? Should states have more power in setting policies in their states even though there may be significant differences between them? When is it justifiable for the federal government to utilize coercive federalism to achieve a national goal?

Question 64

Discuss how federalism and the distribution of power in the U.S. system are tied to money and the provision of fiscal resources. Include in your answer a discussion of what this means for the future of state and national power.