Deck 3: The Federal System

Question 1

__________ is the proclaimed right of a state to declare a federal law void.

A) Legislative veto
B) Nullification
C) Referendum
D) Reformation

Answer 1

B

Question 2

What was the first major Supreme Court decision to define the relationship between the federal and state governments?

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

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 attempts to prevent Congress from __________.

A) creating expensive federal mandates and requiring the states to pay the cost
B) increasing taxes to pay for unpopular programs
C) using money from the Social Security Trust Fund for general revenue purposes
D) fully funding state-level mandates

Answer 3

A

Question 4

What two types of powers does Congress have under Article I,section 8 of the U.S.Constitution?

A) enumerated; implied
B) enumerated; suggested
C) implied; explicit
D) suggested; explicit

Question 5

Under the system created by the Framers,the national and state governments share power and derive all authority from __________.

A) the Bill of Rights
B) the Constitution
C) the people
D) the president

Question 6

__________ grants typically allocate federal dollars for a specific purpose based on a state's population.

A) Block
B) Categorical
C) Commerce
D) Federal

Question 7

Which clause in the Constitution ensures that judicial decrees and contracts made in one state will be binding and enforceable in another?

A) commerce
B) full faith and credit
C) due process
D) equal protection

Question 8

The Supreme Court's Dred Scott v.Sandford (1857)decision narrowed the scope of the federal government's power by determining that __________.

A) state laws were supreme over conflicting national laws
B) states had inherent power to nullify federal laws
C) Congress could not regulate interstate commerce
D) Congress lacked the authority to ban slavery in the territories

Question 9

In Gibbons v.Ogden,the Supreme Court __________.

A) broadly interpreted the national government's power to regulate interstate commerce
B) broadly interpreted the president's power to wage war
C) narrowly interpreted Congress's power to make law and collect taxes
D) narrowly interpreted Congress's power to oversee the executive branch

Question 10

The United States was the __________ nation to adopt a federal system of government.

A) first
B) second
C) third
D) tenth

Question 11

In the late 1980s,what caused the Rehnquist Court to start to restrict Congress's ability to regulate various areas of the economy?

A) a constitutional amendment giving the president primary authority to craft a budget
B) changes in the composition of the Supreme Court
C) legislation increasing the size of the Supreme Court
D) the Dred Scott v. Sanford decision

Question 12

__________ powers are shared by the federal and state governments.

A) Concurrent
B) Confederal
C) Enumerated
D) Unified

Question 13

Which amendment gave Congress the power to levy and collect taxes on incomes without apportioning them among the states?

A) Seventeenth
B) Sixteenth
C) Fourteenth
D) Tenth

Question 14

Prior to the ratification of the Constitution,the United States was governed by the Articles of __________.

A) Confederation
B) Declaration
C) Federalism
D) Independence

Question 15

In McCulloch v.Maryland,which clause of the U.S.Constitution did the Supreme Court interpret as preventing Maryland from taxing the national bank?

A) commerce
B) supremacy
C) due process
D) equal protection

Question 16

Dillon's Rule states that all local government must be authorized by which of the following?

A) the federal government
B) both the federal and state governments
C) the state government
D) the people

Question 17

Article VI of the U.S.Constitution establishes that federal law is __________ in conflicts between federal and state law.

A) illustrative
B) inferior
C) secondary
D) supreme

Question 18

In a(n)__________ system,local and regional governments derive authority from the national government.

A) unitary
B) bicameral
C) confederal
D) federal

Question 19

In the 1980s and 1990s,the Republican Party led the __________ revolution,which demanded that the national government return administrative authority to state governments.

A) contract
B) devolution
C) evolution
D) silent

Question 20

The __________ Amendment says that those powers not given to the federal government and not prohibited to the states by the Constitution are reserved for the states and the people.

A) Eighth
B) Tenth
C) Eleventh
D) Fourteenth

Question 21

Barron v.Baltimore held that __________ is/are bound by the Bill of Rights.

A) only the states
B) only the federal government
C) both the states and the federal government
D) neither the states nor the federal government

Question 22

One benefit of the federal system is the ability of the states to operate as __________ for new ideas.

A) classrooms
B) laboratories
C) courts
D) cradles

Question 23

Same-sex marriage advocates argue that the __________ clause of the Constitution means that legally sanctioned same-sex marriages performed in one state should automatically be recognized by other states.

A) commerce
B) supremacy
C) full faith and credit
D) equal protection

Question 24

What was the dominant model of federalism starting with the New Deal?

A) cooperative
B) dual
C) progressive
D) unified

Question 25

Which type of federalism is characterized by a system of separate but equally powerful state and national governments?

A) combined
B) cooperative
C) dual
D) progressive

Question 26

In U.S.v.Lopez,the Supreme Court ruled that the __________ clause did not give Congress the constitutional authority to regulate guns near a school.

A) reserved powers
B) commerce
C) militia
D) supremacy

Question 27

Before the ratification of the Constitution,the United States was organized as a(n)__________.

A) confederation
B) monarchy
C) oligarchy
D) conglomerate

Question 28

What are reserved powers?

A) powers specifically delegated to the national government by the Constitution
B) powers specifically delegated to state governments by the Constitution
C) powers that belong to the national government because they are not specifically delegated to the state governments by the Constitution
D) powers that belong to the states because they are not specifically delegated to the national government by the Constitution

Question 29

Which of the following is a concurrent power?

A) control over the money supply
B) to regulate commerce within a state
C) international trade policy
D) power to tax

Question 30

Which of the following best describes progressive federalism?

A) pragmatic
B) rigid
C) rapid
D) egalitarian

Question 31

In which of the following policy areas did President Obama take the clearest lead?

A) climate change
B) health care reform
C) immigration
D) tax cuts

Question 32

New Federalism most favors which type of government grant?

A) block grants
B) unfunded mandates
C) categorical grants
D) programmatic requests

Question 33

Which of the following best exemplifies the devolution revolution?

A) New Deal legislation
B) Violence Against Women Act
C) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
D) Troubled Asset Recovery Program

Question 34

The power of both the state and federal governments to levy taxes is an example of __________ federalism.

A) layer-cake
B) marble-cake
C) pineapple-upside-down-cake
D) cupcake

Question 35

Which of the following clauses requires states to return criminals to states where they have been convicted or are to stand trial?

A) extradition
B) commerce
C) privileges and immunities
D) full faith and credit

Question 36

The concept of nullification was quashed by which of the following?

A) the colonial era
B) the Revolutionary War
C) the Great Depression
D) Reconstruction

Question 37

The Seventeenth Amendment gave the people the power to elect which of the following?

A) state executives
B) local officials
C) the president
D) senators

Question 38

Which of the following is an example of a reserved power of the states?

A) establishing a post office
B) coining money
C) imposing the death penalty
D) conducting foreign relations

Question 39

Which of the following is an enumerated power of the national government?

A) creation of a national bank
B) regulating guns near schools
C) marriage and divorce
D) conducting foreign policy

Question 40

The No Child Left Behind Act is an example of a(n)__________.

A) block grant
B) business grant
C) categorical grant
D) unfunded mandate

Question 41

Which of the following is an implied power of the federal government?

A) admitting new states
B) coining money
C) creating banks
D) establishing federal courts

Question 42

Devolution is often advocated for by Republicans.

Question 43

The "Contract with America" was a proposed program of governmental reform supported by many __________.

A) Democrats
B) Republicans
C) African Americans
D) Latinos

Question 44

Dual federalism is when the states and the national government have separate but approximately equal responsibilities.

Question 45

Proponents of the "devolution revolution" argue that __________.

A) the authority of the military should be expanded
B) the authority of state governments should be expanded
C) the authority of the federal government should be expanded
D) the authority of Congress should be expanded

Question 46

The New Deal best exemplifies which type of federalism?

A) dual
B) layer-cake
C) competitive
D) cooperative

Question 47

The Constitution gives states the power to coin money.

Question 48

All of the powers of the federal government are enumerated in the Constitution.

Question 49

The supremacy clause establishes that state laws will prevail over conflicting federal laws.

Question 50

Which of the following is an example of a categorical grant?

A) Funds provided by Congress to the states for education in general.
B) Funds provided by Congress to the states for substance abuse prevention.
C) Funds provided by Congress to the states for transportation infrastructure.
D) Funds provided by Congress to the states to enhance science instruction in a low-income area.

Question 51

In a unitary system of government,the state and local governments derive their powers from a centralized national government.

Question 52

Which is an example of an unfunded mandate?

A) Congress passes a law requiring all states to adopt a sex offender registry system.
B) The Environmental Protection Agency sends money to Louisiana to help with cleanup from the gulf oil spill.
C) The Nevada legislature passes a law requiring all public school teachers to spend 20 hours per week preparing students for the state achievement test.
D) The Supreme Court upholds a federal law requiring all citizens to wear a seatbelt while operating a motor vehicle.

Question 53

The Rehnquist Court has been a strong and consistent advocate of an expansive interpretation of the commerce clause.

Question 54

The Tenth Amendment states that any power not specifically delegated to the states by the Constitution is reserved to the national government.

Question 55

What was the dominant form of federalism prior to the New Deal?

A) dual
B) combined
C) competitive
D) cooperative

Question 56

Which of the following is the best definition of federalism?

A) A constitutional arrangement by which power is equally distributed between a central government and state governments.
B) A constitutional arrangement by which sovereign states create a limited central government.
C) A loose association of states constitutionally created by a strong central government.
D) A loose association of states with mutually recognized compacts but no central government.

Question 57

The Supreme Court ruled that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was constitutional under the taxing clause.

Question 58

Which of the following did Dred Scott v.Sanford address?

A) education
B) health care
C) slavery
D) voting

Question 59

The United States has always had a federal system of government.

Question 60

Which of the following is a power specifically denied the states by the Constitution?

A) conducting elections
B) establishing local governments
C) passing bills of attainder
D) providing for public health, safety, and morals

Question 61

Explain the significance of Gibbons v.Ogden.

Question 62

Proponents of __________ federalism generally believe that the federal government should not overstep its enumerated powers.

Question 63

__________ federalism is defined as a flexible relationship between the national and state governments in which both work together on a variety of issues and programs.

Question 64

States dislike unfunded mandates.

Question 65

In the American federal system,there are __________ levels of government that share power.

Question 66

To address multistate policy concerns,states may adopt contracts among the affected states that are known as __________.

Question 67

The privileges and immunities clause guarantees that each citizen of a state is guaranteed the same __________ as citizens of other states.

Question 68

The power to regulate commerce within a state belongs to the __________ government(s).

Question 69

Since 1990,the Supreme Court has consistently expanded the power of Congress to regulate interstate commerce.

Question 70

By sometimes taking a policy-making lead and sometimes allowing the states to lead,Barack Obama was demonstrating __________ federalism.

Question 71

The Sherman Anti-Trust Act deemphasized Congress's role in the federal government.

Question 72

How do block grants differ from categorical grants?

Question 73

What are unfunded mandates and why are they problematic? How successfully has Congress reformed the practice?

Question 74

In __________,the Supreme Court said that Congress could create a national bank and that Maryland could not tax it.

Question 75

__________ powers are the functions and actions that Congress can perform in order to exercise its enumerated powers.

Question 76

In the late 1980s,the __________ Court started to take a more restrictive view of Congress's authority to regulate interstate commerce.

Question 77

The __________ clause guarantees that the citizens of each state are afforded the same rights as citizens of all other states.

Question 78

__________ policies are those whereby the government collects money from wealthier citizens to fund services for poorer citizens.

Question 79

Describe the primary strengths of a federal system.

Question 80

The __________ specifies that any power not specifically delegated to the national government is reserved to the states or the people.