Deck 3: Federalism

Question 1

All of the following are true EXCEPT

A)in unitary systems, the power is held by the central government.
B)in confederal systems, the power is held by the subdivisional units or states.
C)in federal systems, the power is held jointly by the national government and the subdivisional units or states.
D)in federal systems, the power is held by the national government.
E)in unitary systems, the power is not held by the subdivisional units or states.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Inherent powers derive from the fact that the United States is

A)a democratic republic.
B)a confederation formed by state governments.
C)a sovereign power among nations.
D)a federal system.
E)explicitly entitled by the Constitution to annex new territory.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Seeking trade, waging war, and entering into treaties are all a part of the United States'

A)enumerated powers.
B)inherent powers.
C)expressed powers.
D)separated powers.
E)police powers.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Police power is

A)the authority to legislate for the health, welfare, safety, and morals of the people.
B)reserved for the federal government to fight terrorism.
C)delegated to the states to make laws not prohibited by the national or state constitutions.
D)the power of local police to stop drivers suspected of being illegal immigrants.
E)the authority to legislate for the health, welfare, safety, and morals of the people, and is delegated to the states to make laws not prohibited by the national or state constitutions.

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT a defense of federalism?

A)Political experimentation at the state level can be used to see if policies are workable.
B)The government is in closer contact with the people because of the role given to state governments.
C)It allows for differences among the regions of the country.
D)The national government has all the power so states play a small role.
E)It is a better system for the United States than a unitary system because of the size of the country.

Question 6

State governments have ________________ but lack ___________________.

A)enumerated powers; reserved powers
B)reserved powers; concurrent powers
C)concurrent powers; reserved powers
D)reserved and concurrent powers; enumerated and inherent powers
E)reserved and enumerated powers; inherent powers

Question 7

The legalization of marijuana in some states had led to all of the following EXCEPT

A)an increase in tax revenues.
B)an increase in marijuana hospitalizations.
C)an increase in marijuana overdose deaths.
D)the opening of marijuana shops.
E)a decline in drug arrests.

Question 8

High school students who use marijuana

A)are less likely to get into college than non-users.
B)tend to get better grades than non-users.
C)have higher IQs than non-users.
D)are prohibited from getting drivers licenses in many states.
E)are prohibited from gaining employment, despite marijuana legalization.

Question 9

​A _____________ system of government is one in which the central government has ______________.

A)​federal; almost all the power
B)​unitary; equal power with the states/provinces
C)​unitary; almost all the power
D)​federal; almost no real power
E)​confederal; almost all the power

Question 10

In a federal political system, authority is

A)always vested in a bicameral legislature.
B)divided between the central government and regional or subdivisional governments.
C)bestowed upon the central government, with no power being granted to the regional governments.
D)concentrated in a unicameral legislature within a strong central government.
E)exercised by the national government only insofar as these powers are granted by the states.

Question 11

The expressed or enumerated powers include the ability of the federal government to

A)coin money, set standards for weights and measures, and determine rules for citizenship.
B)declare war and establish post offices.
C)increase the number of federal courts.
D)set up the national central banking system.
E)coin money, set standards for weights and measures, determine rules for citizenship, and to declare war and establish post offices.

Question 12

​All of the following factors led the founders to realize that a unitary system of government would be difficult to operate EXCEPT

A)slow communication.
B)​slow means of travel.
C)​large geographic spread among states.
D)​isolation among regions within the states.
E)​too few states participating.

Question 13

States cannot use their powers to thwart national policy because of

A)the supremacy clause.
B)the necessary and proper clause.
C)the general welfare clause.
D)the federalist clause.
E)the expressed powers clause.

Question 14

Powers held jointly by the national and state governments are called

A)cooperative powers.
B)statutory powers.
C)reserved powers.
D)concurrent powers.
E)inherent powers.

Question 15

Someone preferring a strong national authority might like a __________, while someone wanting a weak national authority would prefer __________.

A)a federal system; a confederal system
B)a federal system; a unitary system
C)a confederal system; a unitary system
D)a unitary system; a confederal system
E)a unitary system; a federal system

Question 16

​A _____________ system of government is one in which the central government has ______________.

A)​federal; almost all the power
B)​confederal; equal power with the states/provinces
C)​unitary; equal power with the states/provinces
D)​federal; almost no real power
E)​confederal; almost no real power

Question 17

Arguments against federalism include all of the following EXCEPT

A)state interests can impede national plans.
B)dominant groups in some states and localities have resisted equal rights for minority groups.
C)there is greater inequality across the states.
D)states and localities can block progress.
E)the supremacy of state laws over national laws makes it difficult to craft a universal policies for the country.

Question 18

The legalization of marijuana

A)has been led by the federal government.
B)has been led by the state governments.
C)has been led by local governments.
D)is prohibited by the Constitution.
E)requires a Constitutional Amendment.

Question 19

In a unitary system of government, ultimate government authority is located at

A)the state or provincial level.
B)the local or municipal level.
C)the regional level.
D)the national or central level.
E)the state or provincial level and the local or municipal level.

Question 20

The clause in the Constitution that grants Congress the power to do whatever is necessary to execute its enumerated or expressed powers is called

A)the elastic or necessary and proper clause.
B)the supremacy clause.
C)the concurrent clause.
D)the reserved powers clause.
E)the due process clause.

Question 21

The controversy that led to the Civil War was

A)the dispute over states' rights and national supremacy.
B)interstate commerce.
C)the application of the Bill of Rights to the states.
D)taxation.
E)the admission of Texas into the union.

Question 22

The commerce clause is the basis for

A)the states' increasing economic powers.
B)the decline of international trade.
C)the expansion of federal power, especially in the 20th century.
D)the decline of federal power, especially in the 20th century.
E)the expansion of voting rights.

Question 23

A style of federalism in which the states and national government act as equals with independent spheres of authority is

A)fiscal federalism.
B)mandate federalism.
C)New Deal federalism.
D)cooperative federalism
E)dual federalism.

Question 24

All are true of federal grants EXCEPT that they

A)increased significantly during the twentieth century.
B)have been used for education, pollution, and highway construction.
C)have quadrupled in the amount of dollars given by the national government.
D)are given by the states for national projects.
E)have given the national government a much greater role in state governments.

Question 25

After the Civil War, the Supreme Court

A)limited the police power to the national government.
B)declared a ban on child labor as unconstitutional.
C)allowed Congress great latitude in regulating commerce.
D)supported a strong central government and reduced state power.
E)tended to oppose dual federalism and supported single federalism.

Question 26

States have the power to ________________ but cannot _________________.

A)impose taxes on income and license marriages; make treaties or wage war with foreign nations
B)enter into treaties with foreign nations; wage war
C)regulate marriage and divorce; impose taxes on income
D)impose taxes on income; license marriages
E)enter into treaties with foreign nations and regulate marriage and divorce; wage war or impose taxes on income.

Question 27

"Full faith and credit" means that states must

A)prosecute individuals who have broken other states' laws.
B)return persons fleeing justice back to their home state.
C)honor the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of other states.
D)extend to citizens of other states the privileges and immunities of its own citizens.
E)prosecute individuals who have broken other sates' laws and honor the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of other states.

Question 28

The famous court case of ​McCulloch v. Maryland dealt with the issue of

A)​the supremacy clause.
B)​legalizing slavery.
C)​the commerce clause.
D)​of police power.
E)​of abolishing slavery.

Question 29

The Civil War led to the expansion of national governmental power in all of the following ways EXCEPT

A)thousands of new government workers were hired.
B)the federal government passed its first billion dollar budget.
C)an income tax was imposed on citizens for the first time.
D)Constitutional amendments were passed restricting states' control over citizen rights.
E)governors of Confederate states were directly appointed by the U.S.President.

Question 30

In the case of Gibbons v. Ogden

A)the national government lost the power to regulate intrastate commerce.
B)state governments won the right to control navigation in interstate waters.
C)the power to regulate interstate commerce was determined to be an exclusive national power of the federal government.
D)the ruling provided the national government with decreasing power over economic affairs throughout the land.
E)the Supreme Court found that commerce was defined as the exchange of goods and not navigation or transport of people.

Question 31

After the Civil War, the __________ Amendment abolished slavery while the __________ Amendment gave African Americans the right to vote.

A)Thirteenth; Fourteenth
B)Thirteenth; Fifteenth
C)Fourteenth; Fifteenth
D)Fourteenth; Thirteenth
E)Fifteenth; Thirteenth

Question 32

Minimum wage laws are __________ but __________.

A)popular among voters; unpopular among economists
B)popular among economists; unpopular among voters
C)popular among Republicans; unpopular among Democrats
D)unpopular among voters; popular among non-voters
E)popular among economists; unpopular among bureaucrats

Question 33

Over time, the Supreme Court has interpreted the __________ to mean that the Bill of Rights also applies to state governments.

A)Thirteenth Amendment
B)Fourteenth Amendment
C)Fifteenth Amendment
D)Nineteenth Amendment
E)Twentieth Amendment

Question 34

The Civil War amendments

A)abolished slavery.
B)sought to guarantee equal rights under state laws.
C)gave the right to vote to African Americans.
D)defined who was a citizen of the United States.
E)All of these choices are true.

Question 35

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is an example of

A)an interstate accord.
B)an interstate compact.
C)an interstate accommodation.
D)a multi-state compact.
E)a multi-state accord.

Question 36

After early rulings by the Supreme Court increased the power of the national government, states sought a shift back to states' rights due to

A)increasing divisions between the North and the South over the slavery issue.
B)conflict over congressional passage of a tariff on trade in 1828.
C)concern over expanding power by the federal government in the regulation of commerce.
D)conflict over the role of the national government and that of the states.
E)All of these choices are true.

Question 37

An agreement between two or more states is

A)shared governance.
B)an interstate compact.
C)an intrastate treaty.
D)a cooperative agreement.
E)unconstitutional.

Question 38

When Congress passed a tariff in 1828, South Carolina tried to nullify it to

A)assert the power of the state governments over the national government.
B)indicate that a state should have the ultimate authority over its citizens.
C)protect slavery.
D)increase the price of exported and imported goods.
E)assert the power of the state governments over the national government and to indicate that a state should have the ultimate authority over its citizens.

Question 39

A government program that is funded by the national government but run and managed by state governments is emblematic of

A)dual federalism.
B)cooperative federalism.
C)enumerated powers.
D)reserved powers.
E)the supremacy clause.

Question 40

All of the following are true about the case of McCulloch v. Maryland EXCEPT that

A)the case dealt with the issue of implied powers of the federal government.
B)one issue was whether the federal government could create a national bank.
C)the decision allowed the federal government to grow and expand.
D)the decision upheld the right of the federal government to use the necessary and proper clause.
E)the Supreme Court ruled that the national government could only use its express powers.

Question 41

Which of the following can be said of a "favorable business environment"?

A)It can result from competitive federalism.
B)It can result from state spending on infrastructure.
C)It can result from a well-educated workforce.
D)It can result in businesses paying lower taxes.
E)All of the above are true.

Question 42

​In response to the Great Recession of 2000s, we initially saw _________________, followed by _________________.

A)​a boost in federal funding to the states; states cutting spending and government employment
B)​a boost in federal funding to the states; job growth in states' governments
C)​major cuts to federal spending; increased taxes to reduce the deficit
D)​major cuts to federal spending; growth in private business employment
E)​significant job losses; major cuts in federal spending

Question 43

In United States v. Windsor, the Supreme Court found that

A)states must recognize same sex marriages performed in other states.
B)states may refuse to recognize same sex marriages performed in other states.
C)the federal government must recognize state approved same sex marriages.
D)the federal government may refuse to recognize state approved same sex marriages.
E)all states must legalize same sex marriage.

Question 44

Under Presidents Nixon and Reagan, we saw a __________, mainly through __________.

A)centralization of power; use of the supremacy clause
B)centralization of power; use of the commerce clause
C)centralization of power; Constitutional amendments
D)devolution of power to the states; block grants
E)devolution of power to the states; categorical grants

Question 45

Since the Great Depression

A)local government spending is greater than central government spending in total dollars.
B)central government spending is greater than local government spending in total dollars.
C)government spending has decreased in both the local and central government sectors.
D)spending has increased faster as a percentage of all government spending at the local level than at the national level.
E)All of these choices are true.

Question 46

​Through recent decisions on immigration and voting rights, the Supreme Court has

A)​sent a consistently pro-states' rights message.
B)​sent a consistently anti-states' rights message.
C)​avoided addressing states' rights and powers altogether.
D)​sent a mixed message on states' rights.
E)​encouraged the nullification of national laws.

Question 47

Compare the features of federalism with one other form of government (unitary or confederal) and craft an argument in which you demonstrate why one of these styles of government is superior.

Question 48

Federal mandates are

A)rules for operation in the Supreme Court.
B)requirements attached to state laws to dispense state grants.
C)requirements in federal legislation that force states to comply with federal rules.
D)always accompanied by ample federal funding to cover costs of the mandate.
E)unconstitutional.

Question 49

Since the mid-1990s, the Supreme Court's decisions on federalism have

A)continued the precedents established by John Marshall in McCulloch v.Maryland and Gibbons v.Ogden.
B)provided a broad interpretation of the commerce clause that justifies extensive national involvement in many areas.
C)allowed the federal government to involve itself in areas that are primarily local in character.
D)shown a willingness to allow the federal government to extend its power when it deals with sensitive areas such as gun control and violence against women.
E)been establishing limits on the powers of the national government under the commerce clause.

Question 50

​While most __________ would be pleased that the Supreme Court upheld the individual insurance mandate of the Affordable Care Act, most __________ would be encouraged that the Court made Medicaid expansion optional for the states.

A)​conservatives; libertarians
B)​conservatives; liberals
C)​socialists; liberals
D)​states' right activists; liberals
E)​liberals; conservatives

Question 51

In the years after 1968, there was a transfer of power from the national government to the state governments. This transfer of power is called

A)cooperative federalism.
B)revolution.
C)regression.
D)devolution.
E)dual federalism.

Question 52

In regard to federalism

A)conflicts between states and the federal government have largely subsided.
B)expansion of national authority has typically been an engine of social change.
C)often states' rights are not used to support the status quo.
D)All of these choices are true.
E)None of these choices is true.

Question 53

__________ have traditionally favored state government over federal government.

A)Liberals
B)Conservatives
C)Socialists
D)Southern states
E)Individuals who are culturally conservative but economically liberal

Question 54

​Devolution is defined as

A)the transfer of government power from the national government to state governments.
B)​the transfer of power from state governments to local governments.
C)​the transfer of government from federalism to confederalism.
D)​the process of moving from dual federalism to cooperative federalism.
E)​None of these choices is true.

Question 55

The federal government supplies

A)an increasing share of state and local government revenues.
B)a decreasing share of the state and local government revenue.
C)revenue to state governments in the form of block and categorical grants.
D)revenue to state governments in the form of federal mandates.
E)an increasing share of state and local government revenues, and revenue to state governments in the form of block and categorical grants.

Question 56

National authority has traditionally been preferred by

A)liberals.
B)conservatives.
C)libertarians.
D)those who are culturally conservative but economically liberal.
E)the southern states.

Question 57

Grants given to the states to fund specific programs are called ___________, while grants given for less restrictive purposes are called __________.

A)categorical grants; block grants
B)block grants; categorical grants
C)mandates; categorical grants
D)block grants; mandates
E)cooperative grants; block grants

Question 58

​The Supreme Court's recent ruling on the Voting Rights Act

A)​overturned parts of the act, taking power away from the states.
B)​overturned parts of the act, making for a major states' rights victory.
C)​upheld the act, taking power away from the states.
D)​upheld the act, making for a major states' rights victory.
E)​opened the way for voting by non-citizens.

Question 59

Some federal grants, such as categorical grants, ____________, while others, such as block grants, ____________.

A)are for social welfare projects; are for maintenance of infrastructure
B)fund only individual citizens; fund only projects for states and localities
C)permit only government officials to spend funds; allow the public at large to guide funding
D)fund projects in broad categories; impede states' abilities to spend as they wish
E)fund specific programs or projects; give states greater flexibility in spending

Question 60

Strings attached to federal grants are

A)called federal mandates.
B)designed to force states to comply with federal policies.
C)designed to force states to save money.
D)called federal rules.
E)called federal mandates and are designed to force states to comply with federal policies.

Question 61

Give examples of powers reserved for state governments and provide the constitutional source of that power.

Question 62

Explain the concept of concurrent powers and provide examples.

Question 63

In light of recent Supreme Court decisions on issues as diverse as voting rights, same-sex marriage, immigration, and healthcare, craft an argument in which you discuss whether power is shifting toward or away from the states and assess this move as good or bad for politics.

Question 64

From 1801 to 1835, the Supreme Court was headed by Chief Justice John Marshall, a Federalist, who advocated a strong central government. Using cases heard by the Supreme Court during that period, show how John Marshall's political belief affected the relationship between states and the federal government.

Question 65

Compare and contrast categorical and block grants. How do federal mandates have an impact on the states when getting grant money and different types of federal grants?

Question 66

Compare dual and cooperative federalism, being sure to use examples from U.S. political history to highlight their differences.

Question 67

Discuss the conflict between states' rights and powers to control the institution of marriage with their constitutional obligations toward the citizens and legal acts of other states.