Deck 4: Federalism: Dividing Governmental Power

Question 1

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

A)Bill of Rights
B)Constitution
C)people
D)Declaration of Independence

Answer 1

C

Question 2

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

A)unitary
B)bi-cameral
C)confederate
D)federal

Answer 2

A

Question 3

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

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

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of the following is a confederation?

A)European Union
B)Great Britain
C)China
D)United States

Question 5

The __________ Amendment says that 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)First
B)Eighth
C)Tenth
D)Eleventh

Question 6

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 not specifically delegated to the national government by the Constitution
D)powers not specifically delegated to state governments by the Constitution

Question 7

Most of the world's governments,including France and Great Britain,are __________.

A)unitary systems
B)confederations
C)dictatorships
D)federal systems

Question 8

__________ powers are shared by the federal and state governments.

A)Concurrent
B)Implied
C)Delegated
D)Enumerated

Question 9

What are the two types of powers given to the national government under the United States Constitution?

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

Question 10

Under Dillon's Rule,local governments are creatures of the state,which means that they have no __________.

A)guarantees of power
B)local laws
C)local militia
D)separate finances

Question 11

One benefit of the federal system is the ability of the states to operate as __________ of democracy,experimenting with new solutions to social and economic problems.

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

Question 12

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

A)conducting elections
B)regulating interstate commerce
C)maintaining a militia
D)providing for public health,safety,and morals

Question 13

Which of the following correctly describes a consequence of federalism?

A)Federalism makes government less efficient.
B)Federalism discourages multiple leadership groups.
C)Federalism concentrates government power in the hands of the few.
D)Federalism allows more people to participate in the political system.

Question 14

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

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

Question 15

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

A)criminal law
B)control over money supply
C)marriage and divorce
D)contract law

Question 16

Which of the following is a concurrent power?

A)regulate commerce with foreign nations
B)raise and support an army
C)coin money and regulate its value
D)levy taxes and borrow money

Question 17

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

A)admitting new states
B)establishing a national speed limit
C)declaring war
D)establishing federal courts

Question 18

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

A)irrelevant
B)persuasive authority
C)secondary
D)supreme

Question 19

The Founders adopted a federal system of government partly because they feared __________.

A)centralizing power in one institution
B)decentralization by the states
C)limiting the national government
D)regulating interstate commerce

Question 20

Which of the following is the best definition of federalism?

A)A constitutional arrangement by which sovereign states create a limited central government.
B)A constitutional arrangement by which power is distributed between a central government and state governments.
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 21

The merging of policy responsibilities in cooperative federalism was sometimes compared to a__________.

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

Question 22

The New Deal best exemplifies which type of federalism?

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

Question 23

How has the 1803 ruling in Marbury v.Madison played a major role in the development of American federalism?

A)The ruling allowed states the authority to override federal authority.
B)Under the ruling,the Supreme Court assumed the power to interpret the U.S.Constitution authoritatively.
C)The ruling restricted the Supreme Court from serving as umpire in disputes between nation and states.
D)Under the ruling,states assumed the power to interpret the Constitution on their own behalf.

Question 24

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)Due Process
C)Equal Protection
D)Full Faith and Credit

Question 25

The 1937 Supreme Court ruling in National Labor Relations Board v.Jones and Laughlin Steel Corp.had the effect of giving the national government effective control over __________.

A)the national economy
B)education
C)federal grants
D)transportation

Question 26

Which part of the Constitution lists the delegated,or enumerated,powers?

A)Article I,Section 2
B)Article I,Section 8
C)Article IV,Section 1
D)Article IV,Section 3

Question 27

One result of new federalism was that __________.

A)states and local governments were forced to rely less on federal money
B)local governments became far less important than in decades past
C)the federal government directed states through conditions attached to money grants
D)Congress assumed greater responsibility for regulating public health and welfare

Question 28

Which clause of the U.S.Constitution did the Supreme Court interpret in McCulloch v.Maryland?

A)Commerce
B)Necessary and proper
C)Due process
D)Equal protection

Question 29

The assumption behind the doctrine of __________ is that states can protect their citizens from unconstitutional laws because citizens are simultaneously citizens of states and of the United States.

A)secession
B)dual federalism
C)the compact theory of union
D)interposition

Question 30

Which form of federalism predominated in the United States from its founding until the end of the Civil War?

A)state-centered
B)centralized
C)competitive
D)cooperative

Question 31

Nullification was particularly prominent during which era in American history?

A)pre-Civil War
B)Reconstruction
C)the Roaring Twenties
D)the Great Depression

Question 32

Which type of federalism focuses on determining which economic tools should be used by which levels of government?

A)representational federalism
B)fiscal federalism
C)competitive federalism
D)cooperative federalism

Question 33

The box "The Game,the Rules,the Players," discusses how the U.S.Supreme Court has consistently rejected the Compact Theory of Union holding that __________.

A)a state legislature can determine whether a national law violates the Constitution
B)a state can impede the implementation of a law in its borders
C)the Constitution finds its authority in the people,rather than in the states
D)the Constitution finds its authority in the states,rather than in the people

Question 34

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.Sanford
C)Brown v.Board of Education
D)McCulloch v.Maryland

Question 35

Centralized federalism is characterized by the federal government assuming primary responsibility for __________.

A)running local elections
B)returning power to the states
C)bypassing state regulations
D)determining national goals

Question 36

How does representational federalism differ from other forms of federalism?

A)It claims that most political power and responsibility lies with the states rather than with the federal government.
B)It asserts that federalism is defined by the role of the states in electing members of Congress,not by any constitutional division of powers.
C)It suggest that the national government should have the primary responsibility for determining both national and state goals.
D)It holds that state legislatures can determine whether a national law violates the Constitution.

Question 37

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

A)emit bills of credit
B)make treaties with foreign nations
C)imposing a tax on goods imported from any state
D)regulating interstate commerce

Question 38

Which of the following was created by the Sixteenth Amendment?

A)racial equality
B)women's voting rights
C)an income tax
D)a federal air force

Question 39

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 40

What was the dominant model of federalism in the 1930s?

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

Question 41

Which of the following best exemplifies the intentions of the "devolution revolution"?

A)New Deal legislation
B)No Child Left Behind Act
C)Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
D)Violence Against Women Act

Question 42

Under competitive federalism,state and local governments are __________.

A)primarily responsible for determining national goals
B)highly dependent on federal funding
C)treated like businesses in a marketplace
D)presumed to have equal powers

Question 43

__________ grants typically allocate federal dollars based upon a project or formula basis.

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

Question 44

A __________ grant is a large grant to a state by the federal government with only general spending guidelines.

A)block
B)business
C)commerce
D)credit

Question 45

Under __________,decisions are made directly by the people.

A)representative democracy
B)federalism
C)direct democracy
D)republicanism

Question 46

State initiatives most often reflect __________.

A)the interests of a small minority of academics
B)partisan views of the major political parties
C)popular attitudes of the voters
D)positions taken by leading businesspeople

Question 47

Which of the following is the single most important source of federal influence over state and local activity?

A)devolution
B)gas mileage requirements
C)grant-in-aid programs
D)minimum wage legislation

Question 48

In this case,the U.S.Supreme Court reversed a Florida Supreme Court interpretation of that state's election laws and ruled that voting and vote counting are entitled to equal protection and due process under the Fourteenth Amendment.

A)Brown v.Board of Education
B)Bush v.Gore
C)Roe v.Wade
D)Marbury v.Madison

Question 49

Legislation such as the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act are most closely associated with which model of federalism?

A)environmental federalism
B)dual federalism
C)competitive federalism
D)new federalism

Question 50

What is a referendum?

A)a meeting of the members of a particular political party to select candidates or decide policy
B)a device by which the electorate must approve the legislature's decisions before they become law
C)an election that allows voters to decide whether or not to remove an elected official before his or her term expires
D)a device whereby a specific number or percent of voters may have a proposed constitutional amendment or law placed on the ballot

Question 51

The power to __________ and __________ includes the right to place conditions on the receipt of federal money.

A)buy; sell
B)charge; transact
C)create; produce
D)tax; spend

Question 52

Usually,a recall is initiated by a(n)__________.

A)referendum
B)petition
C)caucus
D)initiative

Question 53

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

A)nullification
B)devolution
C)interposition
D)secession

Question 54

Direct democracy became increasingly popular in the Midwestern and Western states when a strong __________ movement attacked large industries and the politicians considered to be under their control.

A)populist
B)states' rights
C)federalist
D)devolution

Question 55

What is an initiative?

A)a meeting of the members of a particular political party to select candidates or decide policy
B)a device by which the electorate must approve the legislature's decisions before they become law
C)an election that allows voters to decide whether or not to remove an elected official before his or her term expires
D)a device whereby a specific number or percent of voters may have a proposed constitutional amendment or law placed on the ballot

Question 56

Since the 1990s,what has been the stance of the U.S.Supreme Court in regard to federalism?

A)The Court has suggested that state power is protected only via the national political process.
B)The Court has affirmed that the federal government is subservient to state governments.
C)The Court has been more willing to recognize the reserved powers of the states.
D)The Court has permitted a wide expansion of federal powers over the states.

Question 57

In the United States today,direct democracy is practiced __________.

A)only in local governments
B)only in state and local governments
C)only in the national government
D)in all levels of government

Question 58

Voters in Wisconsin went to the polls to decide whether or not to remove their state's governor before his term was finished.This is an example of a(n)__________.

A)recall
B)caucus
C)initiative
D)petition

Question 59

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

A)Commerce
B)Full Faith and Credit
C)Supremacy
D)Due Process

Question 60

In this case,the U.S.Supreme Court found the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act unconstitutional because it exceeded Congress's powers under the Interstate Commerce Clause.

A)Seminole Tribe v.Florida
B)Alden v.Maine
C)Texas v.White
D)U.S.v.Lopez

Question 61

What is a mandate?

A)an order from the federal government requiring the states to take a certain action
B)an order from a state government requiring a federal action
C)an order from the federal government prohibiting the states to take a certain action
D)an order requiring joint state and federal action

Question 62

While there are many forms of local government,the U.S.Constitution recognizes only the national government and the states.

Question 63

The Americans with Disabilities Act is an example of which of the following?

A)a tax
B)a regulation
C)a grant
D)a mandate

Question 64

Which is an example of a federal mandate?

A)Congress passes a law requiring all nuclear power plants to revise and strengthen their safety protocols.
B)Congress passes a law requiring all states to adopt a sex offender registry system categorizing offenders based on conviction,not future threat.
C)The Environmental Protection Agency sends money to Louisiana to help with cleanup from the gulf oil spill.
D)The Nevada legislature passes a law requiring all public school teachers to spend twenty hours per week preparing students for the state achievement test.

Question 65

Under current federal law,Ohio would not have to give "full faith and credit" to a(n)__________.

A)adoption from Michigan
B)divorce from Canada
C)opposite sex marriage from Massachusetts
D)same-sex marriage from Iowa because same-sex marriage is illegal in Ohio.

Question 66

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

Question 67

Federalism encourages the states to create local solutions to national problems.

Question 68

Congress undertaking direct regulation of areas traditionally reserved to the states and restricting state authority to regulate these areas is known as __________ federalism.

A)environmental
B)coercive
C)representational
D)dual

Question 69

Which of the following did Roosevelt's Aid to Families with Dependent Children create for low-income mothers and children?

A)a federal entitlement to health care
B)a federal entitlement to welfare
C)an unfunded mandate for school choice
D)an unfunded mandate for housing assistance

Question 70

Proponents of the "devolution revolution" argue that the authority of __________ should be expanded.

A)the military
B)state governments
C)the federal government
D)the president

Question 71

All locally run schools must inspect for and remove asbestos as part of a __________.

A)federal grant program
B)state mandate
C)state grant program
D)federal mandate

Question 72

The power to regulate immigration is best described as a(n)__________ power.

A)concurrent
B)enumerated
C)implied
D)reserved

Question 73

In __________ preemption,the federal government assumes all regulatory powers in a particular field.

A)total
B)supreme
C)partial
D)standard partial

Question 74

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

A)Funds provided by Congress to the states for education generally.
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 75

Preemption is based on which clause of the U.S.Constitution?

A)Commerce
B)Due Process
C)Equal Protection
D)Supremacy

Question 76

The federal system established in the United States was a direct response to the ineffective national government under the Articles of Confederation.

Question 77

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

Question 78

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

A)partial preemption
B)business grant
C)unfunded mandate
D)categorical grant

Question 79

One major political obstacle to the practice of devolution is that __________.

A)the Supreme Court has consistently ruled against it since the 1990s
B)most states require a favorable referendum vote to put it into practice
C)members of Congress enjoy their power and are reluctant to turn it over to the states
D)most Americans generally prefer state and local governments that are "closer to home"

Question 80

Which best describes the difference between total preemption and partial preemption?

A)In partial preemption,state regulatory standards need to be as least as stringent as those of the federal government.
B)In partial preemption,states can determine which regulatory standards need to match that of the federal government.
C)In partial preemption,state law in a particular field is valid as long as it does not conflict with federal law.
D)In partial preemption,state law in a particular field is valid even if the federal government has all regulatory powers in the field.