Deck 3: American Federalism

Question 1

Which of the following is a limitation on states' taxing authority?

A)It cannot unduly burden commerce within a state.
B)It cannot unduly burden commerce among the states.
C)It cannot exceed a federal tax on the same goods or services.
D)It must be used to fund public services.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which type of federalism focuses on the national government's strong voice in shaping state action?

A)dual
B)competitive
C)new
D)coercive

Answer 2

D

Question 3

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)Gibbons v.Ogden
D)McCulloch v.Maryland

Answer 3

D

Question 4

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

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

Question 5

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

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

Question 6

Prior to the ratification of the Constitution,the 13 states were governed by the Articles of __________.

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

Question 7

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 8

In the 1980s,states raised the minimum drinking age to 21.What role did the federal government play in bringing this about?

A)Congress required states to raise the drinking age as a condition for receiving federal highway funding.
B)The president issued an executive order requiring states to raise the drinking age.
C)The Supreme Court issued a decision invalidating state laws that allowed drinking by people under 21.
D)Congress made raising the drinking age an eligibility requirement for a competitive grant program.

Question 9

__________ grants typically allocate federal dollars based upon population.

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

Question 10

The __________ Amendment says that says that those powers not given to the federal government are reserved for the states.

A)First
B)Eighth
C)Tenth
D)Fourteenth

Question 11

Which of the following countries has a unitary government?

A)Australia
B)Canada
C)United States
D)France

Question 12

Which of the following statements best characterizes Americans' attitudes toward government aid to the poor?

A)Aid to the poor should be the responsibility of state governments,not the federal government.
B)Aid to the poor should be the responsibility of private charities,not the government.
C)Government should help the less fortunate,but the less fortunate should also help themselves.
D)The federal government should be much more aggressive in helping the poor.

Question 13

__________ powers are shared by the federal and state governments.

A)Concurrent
B)Constitutional
C)Federal
D)Unified

Question 14

Decentralists justify their position on the basis of __________.

A)the Tenth Amendment
B)The Federalist
C)Article I of the Constitution
D)the Supreme Court's decision in Gibbons v.Ogden

Question 15

The __________ party favored a strong national government.

A)Anti-Federalist
B)Federalist
C)Libertarian
D)Whig

Question 16

In the United States,the relationship between a state and its local governments is best characterized as a(n)__________ system.

A)unitary
B)federal
C)restrictive
D)cooperative

Question 17

Which type of federalism is being practiced when a state is forced to operate a program without funding from the U.S.government?

A)new
B)cooperative
C)coercive
D)competitive

Question 18

The __________ Mandates Reform Act of 1995 prevents Congress from passing costly federal programs without a debate about how to fund them.

A)Cost
B)Commercial
C)Saving
D)Unfunded

Question 19

A federal program in which states compete with each other to secure grants for education funding is an example of __________.

A)restrictive federalism
B)competitive federalism
C)new federalism
D)layer-cake federalism

Question 20

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)federal

Question 21

Which of the following demonstrates the impact of the privileges and immunities clause on state governments?

A)States may not impose unreasonable residency requirements.
B)States must enforce judicial settlements from other states.
C)States must comply with federal law when federal and state laws conflict.
D)States must return individuals charged with crimes to the states in which the alleged crimes occurred.

Question 22

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

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

Question 23

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

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

Question 24

The Supreme Court found most of Arizona's immigration law to be a violation of whose broad control over immigration?

A)states
B)the federal government
C)local government
D)the United Nations

Question 25

Under restrictive federalism,which of the following is true?

A)The federal government is prohibited from creating unfunded mandates.
B)States are granted authority to act only when the federal government allows it.
C)States have tight control over local governments.
D)Authority is shifted from the federal government to the states.

Question 26

What position would a centralist be most likely to take on the restrictive immigration laws in Arizona and Alabama?

A)A centralist would support these laws,based on the principle that each state should be able to create its own immigration policy.
B)A centralist would oppose these laws,based on a preference for a consistent national policy over varying state policies.
C)A centralist would support Arizona's law,but oppose Alabama's.
D)A centralist would oppose both policies on the grounds that government should not be involved in immigration issues.

Question 27

Which of the following is a power delegated to the states?

A)conduct elections
B)create post offices
C)coin money
D)regulate interstate commerce

Question 28

What are reserve 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 29

Based on Supreme Court rulings in 1990 and 1997,the responsibility to pass laws either allowing or prohibiting doctor aid in ending life resides with __________.

A)the national government
B)states
C)local governments
D)the people

Question 30

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

A)charge;transact
B)create;produce
C)regulate;limit
D)tax;spend

Question 31

Which of the following is a delegated power of the national government?

A)criminal law
B)contract law
C)control over money supply
D)social welfare activities

Question 32

Where do a majority of foreign-born residents in the United States live?

A)in the nation's largest cities
B)in the South
C)in the Midwest
D)in suburban areas

Question 33

Before the __________,citizens saw the national government as a distant,even foreign,entity.

A)Revolutionary War
B)Civil War
C)First World War
D)Second World War

Question 34

Printz v.United States dealt with what question?

A)whether states can impose taxes on the federal government
B)whether states can prohibit medical assistance in ending life
C)whether states can require schools to ask citizens for proof of citizenship
D)whether states are required to conduct background checks for handgun sales

Question 35

The National School Lunch Program,whereby school districts receive federal funding for more meals served to qualified students,is both a __________ and a ___________ grant.

A)project,formula
B)block,project
C)categorical,formula
D)categorical,block

Question 36

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 37

The national and state governments may have their own lists of powers,but the national government relies on four constitutional pillars for its ultimate authority over the states.Of the following,which is one of those four pillars?

A)the excise power
B)the commerce clause
C)the full faith and credit clause
E)the equal protection clause

Question 38

A grant to a university medical school to support cancer research is an example of a(n)__________ grant.

A)project
B)flexible
C)academic
D)categorical

Question 39

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

A)commerce
B)due process
C)equal protection
D)supremacy

Question 40

The federal government's power to use any airports it needs at any time is a direct result of the __________.

A)war power
B)supremacy clause
C)commerce clause
D)reserve power

Question 41

A proponent of devolution would most likely favor expanding the authority of __________.

A)the military
B)state governments
C)the president
D)Congress

Question 42

The power of both the state and federal governments to levy taxes is an example of __________.

A)layer-cake federalism
B)marble-cake federalism
C)devolution
D)a mandate

Question 43

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

Question 44

Most __________ grants are awarded through a competitive application process.

A)project
B)formula
C)business
D)block

Question 45

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

Question 46

A disadvantage of federalism is that variations in which of the following can create redundancies,inefficiencies,and inequalities?

A)attitudes
B)resources
C)education
D)policies

Question 47

An advantage of federalism is that it checks the growth of which of the following?

A)violence
B)inequality
C)wealth
D)tyranny

Question 48

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

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

Question 49

The Supremacy Clause establishes that state laws will prevail over conflicting federal laws.

Question 50

Article IV,Section 1,the "full faith and credit" clause,applies primarily to __________.

A)allowing recognition of foreign laws in the United States
B)laws between states
C)enforcing judicial settlements and court awards
D)sorting out jurisdiction in criminal proceedings between two different states

Question 51

Which is an example of a federal mandate?

A)Congress passes a law requiring all states to adopt a sex offender registry system categorizing offenders based on conviction,not future threat.
B)The Environmental Protection Agency sends money to Louisiana to help with cleanup from the Gulf oil spill.
C)The Nevada legislature passes a law requiring all public school teachers to spend 20 hours per week preparing students for the state achievement test.
D)The Supreme Court upholds a federal law requiring all citizens to wear a seatbelt while operating a motor vehicle.

Question 52

When your local police and the DEA work together to shut down illicit drug operations,they are operating under what is called __________.

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

Question 53

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

Question 54

The closest contemporary example of a confederation is __________.

A)the Arab League
B)the European Union
C)Great Britain
D)China

Question 55

What impact did the Great Depression of the 1930s have on federalism in the United States?

A)It marked the end of the era of cooperative federalism.
B)It marked the beginning of the era of dual federalism.
C)It stimulated programs that expanded the power of state governments.
D)It stimulated national programs that expanded the powers of the federal government.

Question 56

The power to protect civil rights is best described as a(n)__________ power.

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

Question 57

Which statement best describes the decision in Gibbons v.Ogden of 1824?

A)The federal government has the ultimate power to regulate interstate commerce.
B)States can regulate any product that crosses state lines.
C)Congress can regulate activity that affects commerce within a state.
D)States can regulate any activity that affects commerce within a state.

Question 58

Which of the following is a concurrent power?

A)control over the money supply
B)social welfare activities
C)criminal law
D)power to tax

Question 59

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 enforce certain national laws.
D)The federal government cannot sue the state governments in federal court.

Question 60

Which of the following is a delegated power of the federal government?

A)policing citizens
B)coining money
C)creating banks
D)levying taxes

Question 61

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

Question 62

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is based on preemption.

Question 63

Proponents of states' rights believe that the Constitution strictly limited the national government and established broad autonomy for the states.

Question 64

Federalism encourages the states to create local solutions to issues that are often debated at the national level.

Question 65

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

Question 66

__________ powers are the functions and actions that Congress could perform in order to exercise its enumerated powers.

Question 67

The most important purpose of national grants is to solve national problems while
minimizing growth in national agencies.

Question 68

Devolution was particularly strong during the 1990s.

Question 69

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

Question 70

State officials generally prefer categorical grants over block grants.

Question 71

Dual federalism is an interpretation of federalism in which the states and the national government have separate jurisdictions and responsibilities.

Question 72

Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes stated that "The power to wage war is the power to wage war __________."

Question 73

Under __________ federalism,the national government has tight control of states through orders or mandates,often without accompanying financial resources.

Question 74

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

Question 75

The power to oversee primary and elementary education is reserved for state
governments.

Question 76

Section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment,ratified in 1868,gives Congress the power to enact legislation to remedy constitutional violations and the denial of due process or equal protection of the laws.

Question 77

States may not levy taxes on the same items that are taxed by the national government.

Question 78

Thomas Jefferson would be considered a decentralist.

Question 79

Within the federal system in the United States,cities are considered sovereign entities.

Question 80

McCulloch v.Maryland provided crucial legal justification for the expansion of federal power.