Deck 3: Federalism States and Nations

Question 1

A confederation is

A) another name for a federal system.
B) similar to a unitary system in that constituent units trump central authority.
C) different from a federal system in that the constituent units retain ultimate authority.
D) different from a unitary system in that the national government has ultimate authority.
E) similar to a federal system in that the national government remains supreme.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Using the language of the US Constitution, one can predict that no states can be combined or divided into new states

A) unless approved by two-thirds vote of both the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.
B) without the consent of the state legislatures concerned.
C) without the consent of the federal judiciary.
D) without a vote of the citizens in the states affected.
E) without a vote at a state convention.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The privileges and immunities clause

A) guarantees that out of state residents have equal access to services in another state.
B) reserves power to individual states to restrict access to public services.
C) requires states to honor public acts of other states.
D) necessitates that states extradite criminals upon request from other states.
E) establishes that the federal government is the supreme law of the land.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Deciding who can vote for members of the US House of Representatives is granted to

A) the federal government.
B) the states.
C) the judiciary.
D) the bureaucracy.
E) the president.

Question 5

One reason the U.S. has a federal system is that

A) it was, in the late 1700s, a homogeneous country.
B) the Founders believed a federal system would be appropriate given the diversity of the states.
C) the national government was considered too strong under the Articles of Confederation.
D) the Founders copied the English system of government.
E) a parliamentary system works best in a federal system.

Question 6

Ratification of the Constitution, amending the Constitution, and choosing the president are examples of

A) roles states play in the national government.
B) national supremacy.
C) regulating relations among states.
D) limitations on state powers.
E) recent changes in the constitutional interpretation of federalism.

Question 7

State governments have more weight and permanence than county, city, or town governments because they are

A) more stable.
B) larger.
C) the oldest form of government in the United States.
D) detailed in the Constitution.
E) subordinate to the federal government.

Question 8

State to state relations is also known as

A) vertical federalism.
B) horizontal federalism.
C) reserve power relations.
D) national supremacy.
E) state regulation of federalism.

Question 9

Which aspect(s) of the Constitution is important for understanding federalism?

A) The Tenth Amendment.
B) The Preamble.
C) The Supremacy Clause.
D) B & C.
E) A & C.

Question 10

Unitary governments are found in such countries as

A) China.
B) the United States and Canada.
C) Mexico and Canada.
D) Britain and Israel.
E) Japan and France.

Question 11

According to Figure 3.2, which of the following powers are granted to the federal government?

A) establish local governments
B) conduct elections
C) regulate interstate commerce?D) provide public education?E) license professions

Question 12

The Katrina failure is most likely the result of what?

A) Bureaucratic red tape.
B) Poor communication between federal, state, and local authorities.
C) Inadequate resources at the federal level.
D) Inadequate resources at the state level.
E) The disaster was inevitable.

Question 13

U.S. Constitutional provisions requiring "full faith and credit" and "privileges and immunities" concern

A) supremacy of the national government.
B) limitations on state powers.
C) reserved powers.
D) regulation of relations among states.
E) none of the above

Question 14

The states hold the dominant power position in a

A) federalist system.
B) confederation.
C) a unitary form of government.
D) a centrist form of government.
E) a republican form of government.

Question 15

The Tenth Amendment of the US Constitution

A) is a feature that is common to most federal constitutions.
B) reflects a political environment that feared involvement of the states in national policies.
C) is also known as the reservation clause.
D) contains a specific list of powers that are to be retained by the states.
E) clearly restricts state action.

Question 16

Countries with federal governments tend to be

A) homogeneous.
B) communist.
C) Protestant.
D) theocracies.
E) large and diverse.

Question 17

The Supremacy Clause is found in which section of the US Constitution?

A) Article I
B) Article II
C) Article III
D) Article IV
E) Article VI

Question 18

Concurrent powers

A) are also known as reserve powers.
B) are shared powers between the states and federal government.
C) grant supremacy to the national government.
D) are granted to the states, except when associated with the elastic clause.
E) are examples of horizontal federalism.

Question 19

According to Figure 3.2, which of the following are concurrent powers?

A) establish local governments
B) conduct elections
C) regulate interstate commerce?D) establish courts?E) license professions

Question 20

Powers are divided between the central government and smaller governmental units in a

A) confederal government.
B) system of federalism.
C) unitary form of government.
D) centrist form of government.
E) republican form of government.

Question 21

The Supreme Court decision in McCulloch v . Maryland (1819)

A) provided a legal basis for expanding the power of the national government.
B) declared slavery illegal.
C) led immediately to the Civil War.
D) declared a state law unconstitutional under the Constitution.
E) established state governments as dominant in the evolution of American federalism

Question 22

Which of the following is NOT example of privileges and immunities as protected by the US Constitution?

A) An individual from one state who visits the other state usually pays the same sales tax.
B) A citizen from one state receives the same police protection while visiting another state.
C) A citizen of one state can vote in the elections of any other state.
D) A citizen who is eligible to drive in one state is eligible to drive in another.
E) Out-of-state residents have same access to state courts as in-state residents.

Question 23

The Supreme Court's role in the expansion of national activity after the Civil War is best characterized as

A) initial reluctance followed by promoting the nationalist perspective after 1937.
B) consistently supportive.
C) supportive, but only after Franklin Roosevelt raised the number of justices on the Supreme Court and packed it with supportive justices.
D) non-existent, given the difficulties the Court has in answering constitutional questions about federalism.
E) none of the above

Question 24

During the ebb and flow in the relative power of the states and national government,

A) the national government eventually gained ground.
B) the states gradually have gained control.
C) the Supreme Court has been mostly silent on the matter of federalism.
D) the Supreme Court supported the states' rights to override national laws.
E) the national government was strong at the founding and continued to be so, except during the Civil War and reconstruction eras.

Question 25

The delegation of power to state and local governments is known as

A) deregulation.
B) federalism.
C) devolution.
D) decentralization.
E) none of the above

Question 26

__________ ruled in the case of Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857).

A) John Jay
B) Roger Taney
C) John Marshall
D) James Madison
E) Edward Samuel

Question 27

In terms of the evolution of American federalism, the war on terrorism

A) has tended to weaken national powers.
B) is a clear example of state push-back.
C) has increased the role that the national government plays in areas such as law enforcement.
D) has undermined the Supreme Court's role in interpreting constitutional law
E) all of the above

Question 28

According to Figure 3.3, which of the following court cases occurred most recently??A) Weberry v. Sanders
B) Griswold v. Connecticut
C) Brown v. Board of Education
D) Gitlow v. New York
E) Gibbons v. Ogden

Question 29

In McCulloch v. Maryland, the Court ruled that Congress had the right to establish a national bank under the

A) supremacy clause.
B) full faith and credit clause.
C) necessary and proper clause.
D) reservation clause.
E) privileges and immunities clause.

Question 30

The New Deal created the Federal Communications Commission, Securities Exchange Commission, and National Labor Relations Board to

A) regulate businesses in response to the Great Depression.
B) promote laissez-faire economics in the post-World War II era.
C) promote civil rights in places of business and employment.
D) oversee congressional oversight of the executive branch.
E) reduce the size of the federal government.

Question 31

Layer cake federalism involves the theory that

A) federal grants to the states should be used within programs largely shaped or regulated by the national government.
B) the national government should be dominant in most important policy areas.
C) state and national government powers are neatly divided and occupy separate spheres.
D) elements of national and state influences swirl around each other, without any clear boundaries.
E) is also associated with the notion of fiscal federalism.

Question 32

Which of the following gave the national government increasing power relative to the states?

A) the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890
B) Roosevelt's New Deal
C) the Civil Rights Act of 1964
D) Reconstruction
E) all of the above

Question 33

Marble cake federalism is synonymous with

A) picket-fence federalism.
B) dual federalism.
C) cooperative federalism.
D) decentralized federalism.
E) fiscal federalism.

Question 34

The principal architect of judicial review that enabled the evolution of federalism was the strong-willed but subtle chief justice

A) John Jay.
B) John Marshall.
C) Thomas Jefferson.
D) Warren Burger.
E) George Washington.

Question 35

__________ federalism is the idea that each level of government is sovereign in its own sphere.

A) cooperative
B) fiscal
C) horizontal
D) dual
E) preemptive

Question 36

The appropriateness of the marble cake metaphor for federalism

A) relates particularly to programs that are designed to deal with local problems of only very limited significance.
B) has been questioned as a significant departure from the constitutional principle of separation of powers.
C) reflects eighteenth-century philosophies and principles concerning the role of local governments within the federal system.
D) is especially evident in programs in which the national government grants money for use by the states within programs largely shaped or regulated by the national government.
E) is no longer applicable to federalism, now that state and federal governments maintain clear and separate policy roles.

Question 37

Under the full faith and credit clause of the Constitution, the states

A) can coin money if they choose, but then they cannot use the national currency.
B) are entitled to three senators, though one of the three must be nonvoting.
C) must honor the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state.
D) are not required to return fugitives of justice from other states.
E) have representation in Congress equal to their population.

Question 38

The states' rights position in the debate on the nature of American federalism

A) failed to influence the framing of the US Constitution.
B) holds that Article IV of the Constitution grants states a prominent role in government.
C) was only marginally influenced by decisions of the Supreme Court.
D) has prevailed in its competition with the nationalist position.
E) no longer remains a viable position to oppose the government in Washington.

Question 39

How did George W. Bush work to expand the scope of the federal government?

A) by cutting taxes
B) by supporting "No Child Left Behind"
C) by relaxing environmental regulations
D) by eliminating the Department of Labor
E) none of the above

Question 40

The belief that the framers meant for the states to be coequal with the national government is a position held by

A) federalists.
B) republicans.
C) states' rights supporters.
D) supremacists.
E) confederalists.

Question 41

President Nixon's "New Federalism" pushed

A) categorical grants.
B) nonformula grants.
C) antipoverty grants.
D) block grants.
E) unfunded mandates.

Question 42

What is the point of the figure in the "mapping American politics" section in the text??A) To demonstrate the relative imbalance of early primaries and caucuses to presidential nominations.
B) To demonstrate the relative winners and losers in the federal grants game, from federal taxes paid to federal monies received.
C) To demonstrate the relative differences in representation by the states for the US Senate.
D) To demonstrate the relative power that farm states have over agriculture policy.?E) To demonstrate and predict which states are likely to receive more grant money, or pay more in taxes to the federal government

Question 43

According to Figure 3.4, when have federal grants to state and local budgets been greater than one-third??A) 1980
B) 1985
C) 1995
D) 2005
E) never

Question 44

States rights proponents are likely to support ___________ federalism??A) cooperative
B) fiscal
C) dual
D) horizontal
E) preemptive

Question 45

Federal grants-in-aid increased dramatically between

A) the 1820s and 1840s.
B) the 1860s and 1880s.
C) the 1890ss and 1910s.
D) the 1920s and 1940s.
E) the 1950s and 1970s.

Question 46

According to the authors of Struggle for Democracy, the biggest growth in federal grants-in-aid occurred during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, under

A) primarily Republican administrations.
B) both Republican and Democratic administrations.
C) primarily Democratic administrations.
D) conditions of divided government.
E) none of the above

Question 47

Funds to be spent on a specific activity or programs are known as

A) block grants.
B) categorical grants.
C) fiscal grants.
D) state grants.
E) federal grants.

Question 48

_______________ is taking estimates of the characteristics of people that the census was unable to count based on the characteristics of their neighbors.

A) Census-building
B) Imputing
C) Grant-building
D) Statistical sampling
E) Door-to-door counting

Question 49

Block grants were begun in the late 1960s by the Nixon Administration to accomplish which of the following?

A) Increase the amount of control that the federal government would have over federal money spent by state and local governments.
B) Increase the overall size and responsibility of the federal government.
C) Offset recent gains that state government had made vis-à-vis national authority.
D) Diminish the amount of federal money going to state and local governments.
E) Reduce federal government power to better fit Republican ideas about the proper role of government

Question 50

The "by the numbers" figure illustrates that

A) most people who are imputed by the US Census Bureau live in the Midwest.
B) the fewest people who are imputed by the US Census Bureau live in the East.
C) the fewest people who are imputed by the US Census Bureau live in the South.
D) the fewest people who are imputed by the US Census Bureau live in the West.
E) the fewest people who are imputed by the US Census Bureau live in the Midwest.

Question 51

Fiscal Federalism

A) is a special form of income tax paid by corporations.
B) allows national government to give money directly to state and local governments.
C) is a program that gives state and local money to the national government.
D) requires the national government to issue loans to corporations.
E) is an example of state control over block and categorical grants.

Question 52

By the late ________, general revenue sharing had been eliminated.

A) 1950s
B) 1960s
C) 1970s
D) 1980s
E) 1990s

Question 53

Which of the following is a problem with categorical grants?

A) If national rules and regulations are vague, states and cities use funds for purposes different from what Congress intended.
B) Federal rules and regulations result in "red tape."
C) Sometimes states and local governments are "bypassed" in the funding process.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 54

One of the key reasons for the increase in national grant money to the states during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s was

A) to fight nationwide problems like poverty, crime, and pollution.
B) that the national government wanted to weaken the sovereignty of state governments.
C) that by and large most state governments simply refused to provide fiscal aid to cities.
D) that local problems could more easily be solved with money from the federal government.
E) to expand the role states played in public policy.

Question 55

Which of the following statements best reflects the relationship between federalism and politics?

A) Federalism is unrelated to politics.
B) Disputes arise frequently when grant-in-aid formulas benefit one state over another.
C) Democrats usually push for grants-in-aid programs.
D) Republicans usually oppose grants-in-aid programs.
E) none of the above

Question 56

Dual federalism

A) is like a marble cake.
B) holds that there are distinct, nonoverlapping areas of responsibility for the national government and the state governments.
C) is the idea that federal and state government work together to solve policy problems.
D) requires massive amounts of federal spending through grants.
E) none of the above

Question 57

Why is the census important to the distribution of federal grant dollars?

A) If a state's population changes, it would be entitled to more or less federal support.
B) The census must be counted, door-to-door, requiring federal money to hire census counters.
C) The House of Representatives is reapportioned after every census.
D) It is not that important because all states receive block grants, no matter their population change.
E) Both A and C

Question 58

Categorical grants are an example of

A) dual federalism.
B) "marble cake" federalism.
C) "layer cake" federalism.
D) "cupcake" federalism.
E) "picket fence" federalism

Question 59

Block grants

A) provide state and local governments money for general purposes and have fewer rules than categorical grants.
B) are very restrictive in that they can be used only for specific activities.
C) are generally disliked by local officials.
D) are intended to tighten national control over local affairs.
E) were phased out during the 1960s.

Question 60

Categorical grants are federal grants awarded to the states for

A) funds be spent on a specific activity or program.
B) general purposes and with fewer rules than many other programs, such as community development.
C) programs established by the states, with no federal rules or strings attached.
D) activities for which an automatic formula is used to define eligibility, with no restrictions on expenditures.
E) only state-funded education or health care programs.

Question 61

Factories in the Midwest spew out oxides of nitrogen and sulfur that fall as acid rain in the Northeast, and Northeastern states can do nothing about it. This is an example of

A) why federalism is often viewed as a positive feature of American government.
B) a spill-over effect in the absence of consistent national standards.
C) a state government mandate.
D) an issue of federal sovereignty.
E) the necessity for state innovation in public policy.

Question 62

The authors of your text conclude that arguments in favor of federalism have to do with

A) diversity of needs.
B) closeness to the people.
C) experimentation.
D) innovation.
E) all of the above

Question 63

According to your text, which of the following statements is TRUE??A) Federalism is a system under which political powers are divided and shared between the state and federal governments.
B) The U.S. Constitution specifies the powers of the national government.
C) The U.S. Constitution reserves some powers to the states.
D) Concurrent powers, fall within the powers of both the national government and the states.
E) All of the above

Question 64

Which of the following occurs when the national government demands that states carry out a policy even when little or no government aid is offered?

A) mandate
B) preemption
C) condition on aid
D) executive order
E) devolution

Question 65

The doctrine of preemption

A) proposes that governors may interpose their authority between the national government and the citizens of the state.
B) provides that federal law should take precedence over state actions only when one of the enumerated powers of Congress is involved.
C) excludes the states from acting on certain subjects when the national government has already acted.
D) permits the Supreme Court to override an action of the executive or legislative branch.
E) necessitates that the 14ᵗʰ Amendment only preempts federal action.

Question 66

An example of a condition on aid is when

A) the national governments require states to set a 55 mile-per-hour speed limit to receive federal dollars.
B) the national government gives money as part of a block grant.
C) the national government provides federal dollars for health care in proportion to the percentage of those in need.
D) states refuse to abide by federal requests for policy change.
E) states and national governments cooperate to impose sanctions on other states that are not complying with federal law.

Question 67

Allowing women the right to vote and pioneering efforts to fight air and water pollution are examples of

A) policies first formulated and implemented by the federal government.
B) unworthy policies pursued by state governments.
C) policies first formulated and implemented by state governments.
D) state policies that were mandated by the U.S. Supreme Court.
E) policy ideas generated by Congress.

Question 68

Which of the following is NOT a "pro" of American federalism?

A) In a large and diverse country, needs, wants, and conditions differ from one place to another.
B) Different states may pursue unworthy policy goals.
C) States with independent authority can generate innovation in policy.
D) People are "closer" to states than national government.
E) none of the above

Question 69

Which of the following illustrates a mandate imposed by the federal government?

A) Education policies that establish state-by-state criteria for certification of public school teachers.
B) Policies that use money for leverage, such as the requirements that states had to impose a 55-mph speed limit or lose federal highway assistance.
C) Federal policies that would cut off money that goes to universities to help with teaching and research if universities discriminate in admissions or hiring.
D) Civil rights policies that restrict state action and impose uniform national standards.
E) none of the above

Question 70

____________ is the doctrine that excludes states from actions that might interfere with federal authority or statutes.

A) preemption.
B) devolution.
C) dual federalism.
D) horizontal federalism.
E) nullification.

Question 71

Which of the following involve(s) no aid to the state at all or less aid than compliance would cost?

A) An unfunded mandate
B) The doctrine of enumerated power
C) Block grants
D) Conditional grants-in-aid
E) Categorical grants

Question 72

Why does the federal government not use statistical sampling for the census?

A) The Supreme Court ruled that the Census Bureau could not do so for the reapportionment of congressional seats, in violation of the Constitution.
B) President Bush decided that sampling would not be used to distribute federal funds.
C) The Constitution specifically requires "inputting".
D) A&B.
E) none of the above

Question 73

In 1984, the national government declared that all states must set a minimum drinking age of 21 or have their highway aid cut by 15 percent. This is an example of

A) a suggestion.
B) conditions on aid.
C) a block grant.
D) a Supreme Court ruling.
E) dual federalism

Question 74

Which of the following might be used as an argument against federalism?

A) Federalism leads to consistency in program implementation.
B) People are closer to state and local government than to national government.
C) State and local governments are often the "laboratories" of innovation and experimentation.
D) Historically, one of the main effects of federalism was to let white majorities in the southern states enslave and then discriminate against black people.
E) Needs may differ across the states.

Question 75

American federalism is consistent with the Founders' contention that

A) direct democracy works best in a large country.
B) tyranny is less likely when government's power is dispersed.
C) power should be concentrated in the federal government.
D) a strong military is necessary to prevent uprisings.
E) state governments should remain dominant.

Question 76

Which of the following is an argument in favor of federalism?

A) States may pursue unworthy policy goals.
B) In a large and diverse country, the needs, wants, and conditions of one place may differ from those in other places.
C) Americans know more about the national government than about their local government.
D) Only the federal government can issue mandates.
E) Divergent regulations can cause bad effects that spillover from one to another state.

Question 77

According to the "Using the Framework" figure, one could conclude that

A) the federal government has primary control and influence over college tuition.
B) local governments have primary control and influence over college tuition.
C) universities have primary control and influence over college tuition.
D) state legislatures have primary control and influence over college tuition.
E) none of the above

Question 78

The difference between mandates and conditions on aid is that mandates

A) refer to states, and conditions on aid to localities.
B) comes from Congress, and conditions on aid come from the executive branch.
C) refer to federal regulations, and conditions on aid refer to state regulations.
D) can be introduced without money involved, and conditions on aid are connected with federal money.
E) are declarations from the Supreme Court.

Question 79

Some say the national government is actually "closer" to most citizens than their nearby state capitals because

A) citizens are more likely to vote in national elections than in state and local elections.
B) the president is often more accessible than state governors.
C) the elite press pays little attention to national politics.
D) more people know about the activities of the national government than of state governments.
E) states offer better policy solutions than the national government.

Question 80

The doctrine of preemption is based on

A) the establishment clause.
B) the Declaration of Independence.
C) the Bill of Rights.
D) the supremacy clause.
E) congressional statute.