Question 1

In the United States, each of the three branches of government exercises some power over the other two.

Accepted Answer

This is the principle of checks and balances, which ensures that no one branch of government becomes too powerful. The legislative branch can pass laws, but the executive branch can veto them. The judicial branch can declare laws unconstitutional, but the legislative branch can amend the constitution. The executive branch can nominate judges, but the legislative branch must confirm them. Therefore, each branch has some power over the other two.

Question 2

The system of government in which a constitution divides power between a central government and regional governments is known as

Accepted Answer

Federalism is a system of government in which power is divided between a central government and regional governments. This division of power is outlined in a written constitution. It allows for both levels of government to have their own distinct powers and responsibilities while also working together to govern the country or nation.

Question 3

James Madison advocated a complete separation among the branches of government.

Accepted Answer

James Madison advocated for a system of checks and balances among the branches of government, not a complete separation, to prevent any one branch from gaining too much power.

Question 4

Which term describes the division of powers and functions between national and state governments?

Accepted Answer

Federalism is the term that describes the division of powers and functions between national and state governments. It is a system of government in which power is shared between a central government and various constituent units of the country. This system allows for greater control over local affairs by the states while still maintaining a strong, centralized national government.

Question 5

A government that has supreme and independent political authority is said to have

Accepted Answer

Sovereignty refers to the supreme and independent political authority of a government, indicating that it has the power to make laws, enforce them, and control its own affairs without interference from other countries or external bodies. Republic and democracy refer to the forms or systems of government, while a dictator is an individual who holds complete power and authority over a country or state. So, only option C is the correct answer.

Question 6

In addition to the expressed powers granted to the federal government, which powers are derived from the expansive interpretation of delegated powers?

Accepted Answer

Implied powers are powers that are not explicitly listed in the Constitution but are derived from the necessary and proper clause (also known as the elastic clause) and are necessary to carry out the expressed powers of the federal government. These powers are an example of the expansive interpretation of delegated powers.

Question 7

All of the following are examples of the police powers reserved to the states EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

Ensuring compliance with state-employed religious inspectors is not an example of police powers reserved to the states. The other options provided are examples of police powers reserved to the states.

Question 8

Limiting government by dividing it into two levels (national and state), each with sufficient independence to compete with the other, is called

Accepted Answer

Federalism is the system in which power is divided between a central (national) government and regional (state) governments, with each having autonomy and authority over certain areas of governance. This system is designed to limit the power of the central government and prevent it from becoming too dominant, while also ensuring that smaller states and regions have a say in the decisions that affect them. Separation of powers refers to the division of government into executive, legislative, and judicial branches, while representation and checks and balances are other important principles of democratic governance that help prevent the concentration of power in any one branch or level of government.

Question 9

There were no Supreme Court reviews of congressional acts in the 50-plus years between Marbury v. Madison (1803) and Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857).

Accepted Answer

The question states that there were no Supreme Court reviews of congressional acts in the 50-plus years between Marbury v. Madison (1803) and Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857), which is true.

Question 10

The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) represents a serious effort to strengthen the domination of the federal government over the states.

Accepted Answer

The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) actually represents an effort to limit the powers of the federal government over the states by requiring that the costs of any unfunded mandate imposed on state and local governments must be fully considered before implementation.

Question 11

Which constitutional amendment was adopted to address the Antifederalists' concerns that a strong central government would encroach upon the power of the states?

Accepted Answer

The Tenth Amendment was adopted as part of the Bill of Rights to address the Antifederalists' concerns that a strong central government would encroach upon the power of the states. It explicitly states that powers not delegated to the federal government nor prohibited by the Constitution are reserved to the states or to the people.

Question 12

The framers considered the presidency to be the most important branch in American government.

Accepted Answer

The framers of the U.S. Constitution designed the system with the intention of creating a balance of power among the three branches of government (legislative, executive, and judicial), without making any single branch most important.

Question 13

Historically, the Supreme Court has frequently used its authority to strike down acts of the president and laws passed by Congress.

Accepted Answer

Historically, the Supreme Court has used its authority to strike down acts of the president and laws passed by Congress relatively infrequently. The power of judicial review allows the Court to declare laws unconstitutional, but this power has been exercised with caution and is not used as frequently as one might assume.

Question 14

Separation of powers means that within the national government there is a clear decision-making hierarchy.

Accepted Answer

Separation of powers refers to the division of government responsibilities into distinct branches to limit any one branch from exercising the core functions of another. The intent is to prevent the concentration of power and provide for checks and balances.

Question 15

In the case of United States v. Nixon, the Supreme Court ruled that executive privilege did not extend to data in presidential files and tapes involved in criminal prosecutions.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. In the United States v. Nixon case, the Supreme Court ruled that executive privilege did not extend to materials related to criminal prosecution, including the tapes and files of President Nixon. This ruling supported the principle of separation of powers and limited the power of the executive branch to withhold relevant evidence.

Question 16

The national government under the Articles of Confederation is an example of a national government that

Accepted Answer

The national government under the Articles of Confederation lacked sovereignty, meaning it did not have the power and authority to enforce laws and regulate commerce effectively. This led to significant problems such as economic issues, lack of military force, and inability to resolve disputes between states.

Question 17

The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) combined the various unfunded mandates Congress has imposed over the years into three block grant programs.

Accepted Answer

The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) does provide a process for assessing the potential costs and benefits of any new unfunded mandates but it does not create block grant programs.

Question 18

The fact that the framers established a federal system in which the states retained a significant amount of the power they had under the Articles of Confederation is an illustration of the importance of the

Accepted Answer

The establishment of a federal system with significant state power reflects the history principle, which emphasizes the importance of understanding past events and decisions when interpreting and applying laws and governmental structures. The framers of the Constitution were influenced by the history of the Articles of Confederation and the balance of power between the national and state governments, which led them to create a system that preserved some of the states' autonomy.

Question 19

Federalism seeks to limit governmental tyranny by distributing power among which two sovereign entities?

Accepted Answer

Federalism distributes power between the national government and state governments, allowing each to have some autonomy and limiting the potential for tyranny by any one entity.

Question 20

The use of federalism to distribute power among multiple actors is an example of which of the five principles of politics?

Accepted Answer

Federalism is an example of institutional design, which is one of the five principles of politics. It refers to how political institutions are structured and how those structures create incentives for political behavior.

Quiz 3: Federalism and the Separation of Powers