Question 1

Which of the following is an example of fiscal federalism?

Accepted Answer

Grants-in-aid are a key feature of fiscal federalism, as they involve the national government providing funding to states and localities for specific programs or purposes. Gas mileage requirements and minimum wage legislation are examples of federal regulatory policies, while blue ribbon task forces and the No Child Left Behind Act are more specific policy initiatives that may or may not involve federal funding or support.

Question 2

Jefferson and Madison secretly authored the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, which declared that the states did not have to obey __________ national laws and left it to the states to decide what was unconstitutional.

Accepted Answer

The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions declared that states did not have to obey unconstitutional national laws, indicating that the correct choice is A. The other options do not apply to the context of the question.

Question 3

Which of the following best exemplifies the intentions of devolution in the 1990s?

Accepted Answer

Devolution refers to the transfer of power and responsibility from the federal government to state and local governments. Welfare reform in the 1990s exemplified devolution as the federal government provided block grants to states to administer their own welfare programs, rather than a federally run program. This allowed for more flexibility and control at the state level.

Question 4

Nullification was particularly prominent during which era in American history?

Accepted Answer

Nullification, the idea that a state could refuse to enforce a federal law it deemed unconstitutional, was particularly prominent during the pre-Civil War era. The controversy over nullification centered around Southern states' opposition to protective tariffs imposed by the federal government, on the grounds that they disproportionately harmed Southern agrarian interests. The most well-known example of nullification was the Nullification Crisis of 1832-33, when South Carolina declared federal tariffs null and void within its borders, leading to a standoff with President Andrew Jackson.

Question 5

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

Accepted Answer

The power to control the money supply, including coining money and regulating its value, is an explicitly enumerated power of the national government in the United States Constitution.

Question 6

New federalism favors which type of government grant?

Accepted Answer

New federalism emphasizes the need for greater discretion to states and local governments to decide how federal funds should be spent. One way of achieving this is through block grants, which provide recipient governments with more flexibility on how to allocate funds within a specific policy area. Other grant types such as categorical grants may come with more federal strings attached, limiting the discretion of the recipient governments.

Question 7

What are those powers under the Reservation clause?

Accepted Answer

The Reservation clause, also known as the Tenth Amendment, reserves powers not specifically delegated to the national government by the Constitution to the states or to the people. Therefore, the powers under the Reservation clause are those not specifically delegated to the national government by the Constitution.

Question 8

During the __________, national power was significantly expanded.

Accepted Answer

During the Civil War, national power was significantly expanded as the federal government took on more authority, including measures like the suspension of habeas corpus and the implementation of the first income tax.

Question 9

On which of the following clauses did President Obama and Democratic leaders base the Affordable Care Act?

Accepted Answer

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is based on the commerce clause, which gives the federal government the power to regulate commerce among the states. The ACA aims to regulate the healthcare industry, which is considered a part of interstate commerce. This is the basis for the individual mandate, which requires individuals to purchase health insurance or face a penalty. The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the ACA in 2012, ruling that the individual mandate was a valid exercise of Congress's power under the commerce clause.

Question 10

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

Accepted Answer

Dual federalism is characterized by a system of separate but equally powerful state and national governments, where each level of government has its own set of responsibilities and powers. This type of federalism was prevalent in the early years of the United States and is also known as "layer cake" federalism because of the clear separation of powers between the state and federal governments.

Question 11

World War II involved a total __________ mobilization to fight Germany and Japan. Not surprisingly, directing that mobilization, as well as collecting taxes to support it, planning for production of war materials, and bringing on board the employees to accomplish all of this, was centered in Washington, D.C., not in the states.

Accepted Answer

World War II involved both economic and military mobilization, as the country needed to produce war materials and gather resources to supply the military effort. Washington D.C. was responsible for directing this mobilization, including collecting taxes to support it and bringing on employees to help with production.

Question 12

The preemption of state and local laws is based on which clause of the U.S. Constitution?

Accepted Answer

The preemption of state and local laws is based on the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which states that federal law trumps state and local law when they conflict. This means that federal law takes precedence and state and local laws must yield to it.

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

The No Child Left Behind Act is considered an unfunded mandate because it required states and schools to fulfill certain federal requirements, such as standardized testing, without providing sufficient federal funds to cover all the costs associated with these requirements.

Question 14

Before the ratification of the Constitution, the United States was organized as ___________.

Accepted Answer

The United States was organized as a confederation before the ratification of the Constitution. This means that the individual states had more power than the federal government and the federal government only had limited powers to regulate trade and deal with foreign affairs. The Articles of Confederation served as the first constitution of the United States, but it was eventually replaced by the Constitution due to its limited effectiveness in governing the country.

Question 15

What is a mandate?

Accepted Answer

A mandate is an order or directive given by a higher authority to a lower authority. In the context of government, a mandate often refers to an order from the federal government requiring the states to take a certain action, such as implementing a specific policy or program.

Question 16

The Defense of Marriage Act potentially violates which clause of the Constitution?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Defense of Marriage Act potentially violates...

Question 17

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

Accepted Answer

The federal system allows states to operate as laboratories for new ideas because each state has the power to experiment with different policies and laws. This allows for a variety of approaches to be tested and evaluated, and successful ideas can then be adopted by other states or even federally.

Question 18

Which of the following grants has provisions requiring state and local governments to follow certain policies to obtain funds?

Accepted Answer

Conditional grants are federal grants that require state and local governments to follow certain policies or take certain actions to receive the funds. These grants are designed to encourage specific behaviors and outcomes, and they often come with a variety of strings attached.

Question 19

In a __________, the central government has all the power and can change its constituent units or tell them what to do.

Accepted Answer

In a unitary system, the central government holds most of the power and can exercise it over different regions without any separation of power. The constituent units can be altered on the whim of the central government, indicating that it holds all the power.

Question 20

According to the text, which of the following is a confederation?

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to the text, which of the...

Quiz 3: Federalism: States and Nation