Deck 3: Federalism

Question 1

Which of the following was the earliest major Supreme Court decision to define the relationship between the federal and state governments?

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

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The Constitution says that states are required to return a person charged with a crime in another state to that state for trial or imprisonment,a practice called __________.

A) voir dire
B) sequestration
C) change of venue
D) extradition

Answer 2

D

Question 3

In __________,powers are shared by the federal and state governments in a marble-cake fashion.

A) cooperative federalism
B) constitutional government
C) a federal government system
D) unified government

Answer 3

A

Question 4

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 5

In Bond v.United States (2011),the Court held that a person could challenge a federal statute on the basis that it __________.

A) interferes with Congress's ability to exercise its enumerated powers
B) discriminates according to sexual orientation
C) hinders the execution of duly enacted state laws
D) involves a power that belongs to the states under the Tenth Amendment

Question 6

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

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

Question 7

What are the two types of federal powers derived from Article I,section 8 of the U.S.Constitution?

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

Question 8

__________ grants typically allocate federal dollars based on population.

A) Block
B) Formula
C) Commerce
D) Diversified

Question 9

Although federalism is not unique to the United States,it is not a common method of governing.Only __________ of the 190 or so nations of the world have federal systems.

A) five
B) eight
C) 11
D) 22

Question 10

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

A) centralizing power in the federal government
B) limiting the national government
C) regulating interstate commerce
D) challenging the power of the states

Question 11

Early Supreme Court decisions established the power of Congress to __________ through subsidies and services for business interests.

A) aid political allies
B) limit large financial transactions
C) suppress international trade
D) promote economic development

Question 12

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 13

Which amendment prohibits federal and state courts and federal administrative agencies from hearing cases in which a private party names a state as a defendant without the state's consent?

A) Third
B) Fifth
C) Eleventh
D) Twelfth

Question 14

In Gibbons v.Ogden,the Supreme Court held that Congress has broad authority to regulate __________.

A) interstate commerce
B) education
C) the national bank
D) religion

Question 15

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

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

Question 16

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

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

Question 17

Education and transportation policies are primarily state responsibilities.However,under __________ the federal government has also been making policy in these areas.

A) cooperative federalism
B) constitutional government
C) a federal government system
D) unified government

Question 18

Which clause of the U.S.Constitution did the Supreme Court interpret in McCulloch v.Maryland as allowing Congress to create a national bank?

A) commerce
B) necessary and proper
C) due process
D) equal protection

Question 19

In the 1994 elections,the Republican Party advocated for a(n)__________ of national government authority to state governments.

A) excavation
B) devolution
C) evolution
D) critical evaluation

Question 20

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 21

What model of federalism is sometimes described metaphorically as a marble cake?

A) cooperative federalism
B) dual federalism
C) progressive federalism
D) new federalism

Question 22

Which of the following best exemplifies devolution?

A) New Deal legislation
B) No Child Left Behind Act
C) welfare policy
D) Troubled Asset Recovery Program

Question 23

Which of the following is a shared power between states and the federal government?

A) controlling money supply
B) raising and maintaining an army
C) establishing a post office
D) the power to tax

Question 24

The power of both the state and federal governments to influence education policy is an example of __________ federalism.

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

Question 25

Which of the following grants minimizes the paperwork that must be filled out and the strings attached to using the grant?

A) block grants
B) business grants
C) categorical grants
D) programmatic requests

Question 26

The Constitution is more specific about the __________ states do not have than about those they possess.

A) grants
B) entitlements
C) powers
D) authorities

Question 27

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

A) Medicaid
B) the Clean Air Act
C) military funding
D) congressional salaries

Question 28

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 from a state government prohibiting a federal action

Question 29

Which of the following cases involved the commerce clause?

A) McCulloch v. Maryland
B) United States v. Morrison
C) Brown v. Board of Education
D) Marbury v. Madison

Question 30

Which of the following is a confederation?

A) the United States
B) the United Nations
C) Great Britain
D) China

Question 31

Which type of federalism is characterized by a system of state and national governments with separate but distinct authority?

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

Question 32

In United States v.Lopez,the U.S.Supreme Court scrutinized the use of which of the following powers as related to the possession of firearms in public schools?

A) educational
B) national defense
C) taxing
D) commerce

Question 33

__________ helped establish the preeminence of the federal government over the states.

A) The Revolutionary War
B) The Civil War
C) World War II
D) The Vietnam War

Question 34

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

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

Question 35

Many local school districts complain that the No Child Left Behind Act does not provide enough funding to implement the law.If this is the case,the law is a(n)__________.

A) block grant
B) unfunded mandate
C) categorical grant
D) programmatic request

Question 36

The Constitution denies the states the power to have __________.

A) prisons
B) schools
C) a military
D) a court system

Question 37

Which of the following is an example of fiscal federalism?

A) a blue ribbon task force on education
B) gas mileage requirements
C) grants-in-aid
D) minimum wage legislation

Question 38

Of the following,which is a power denied states by the Constitution?

A) establishment of criminal laws
B) the power to enter into treaties
C) imposing taxes
D) supervision of contracts between individuals

Question 39

The Supreme Court ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act __________.

A) was a violation of equal rights
B) was constitutional
C) could only be enforced in those states that did not explicitly forbid same-sex marriage
D) was a violation of the supremacy clause

Question 40

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

A) confederation
B) federation
C) oligarchy
D) conglomeration

Question 41

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

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

Question 42

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

Question 43

Which of the following best describes the death penalty in the United States?

A) All death penalty cases are handled by the federal government.
B) Some states allow the death penalty and others do not.
C) All states allow the death penalty.
D) In 2013, the Supreme Court ruled that all death penalty statutes are unconstitutional.

Question 44

An advantage of federalism is that it allows states to __________.

A) restrict civil rights for members of disliked groups
B) be policy innovators
C) have uniform policies
D) be supreme over the national government

Question 45

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 46

Which best describes the decision in Printz v.United States?

A) State governments cannot require federal officials to perform state functions.
B) State officials are prohibited from performing federal functions.
C) The federal government cannot require state officials to perform federal functions.
D) The government of one state cannot regulate the conduct of citizens from another state.

Question 47

A disadvantage of federalism is that __________.

A) the quality of education a child receives varies from state to state
B) states can figure out which policies work best for them
C) citizens can choose to live in those areas that have the policies they prefer
D) the state governments can nullify laws passed by Congress

Question 48

Which of the following is a reason why the Framers created a federal system?

A) The Framers wanted to ensure that there was a centralized policymaking system.
B) The Framers believed that federalism best ensured economic equality.
C) The Framers were concerned that a central government could become too powerful.
D) The Framers wanted to re-create the successes they experienced under the Articles of Confederation.

Question 49

Federalism allows citizens significantly more opportunities to __________.

A) invest in the stock market
B) become a civil engineer
C) find gainful employment
D) participate in politics

Question 50

The goal of the privileges and immunities clause is to keep states from discriminating against which of the following?

A) the poor
B) the federal government
C) minority citizens
D) citizens of other states

Question 51

Devolution played a central role in the 1994 elections.

Question 52

Under dual federalism,the states and the national government have separate responsibilities.

Question 53

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

Question 54

Which of the following is the best definition of federalism?

A) A constitutional arrangement by which two or more levels of government share formal authority over the same area and people.
B) A constitutional arrangement concentrating power in a 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 55

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

Question 56

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

A) federal
B) state
C) implied
D) reserved

Question 57

Which is an example of a federal mandate?

A) The Supreme Court upholds a federal law requiring all citizens to wear a seatbelt while operating a motor vehicle.
B) Congress passes a law requiring all states to adopt a sex offender registry system.
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 20 hours per week preparing students for the state achievement test.

Question 58

How does federalism contribute to democracy?

A) It increases citizens' access to government.
B) It increases the gross domestic product.
C) It lowers voter turnout.
D) It lowers overall tax rates.

Question 59

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

Question 60

Proponents of devolution argue that the authority of __________.

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

Question 61

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

Question 62

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

Question 63

The Constitution gives the power to coin money to both the state and federal governments.

Question 64

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

Question 65

Any power not specifically delegated to the states by the Constitution is reserved to the national government.

Question 66

In a(n)__________ system,two or more levels of government share power.

Question 67

In United States v.Lopez and United States v.Morrison,the Supreme Court __________ the scope of congressional power to regulate interstate commerce.

Question 68

The U.S.Supreme Court has been vague about which specific privileges the states must make available to all Americans under the privileges and immunities clause.

Question 69

The power to regulate interstate commerce belongs to the __________ government.

Question 70

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

Question 71

The newly adopted national welfare system means that there is no longer an incentive for poor people to move to a different state in search of better welfare benefits.

Question 72

Proponents of states' rights believe that the Constitution strictly limits the national government and establishes broad authority for the states.

Question 73

The case of __________ established that the federal government could create a central bank.

Question 74

The chances that you will be sentenced to death by a court differ according to where in the United States you live.

Question 75

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

Question 76

Funds awarded by the National Science Foundation to university professors are an example of __________ grants.

Question 77

Federal mandates are direct judicial orders requiring state governments to comply with the Constitution.

Question 78

__________ powers are those that Congress can use in order to exercise its enumerated powers.

Question 79

There are over 50,000 governments in the United States.

Question 80

Most disputes over policy are handled at the state and local levels.