Deck 3: Federalism

Question 1

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

Answer 1

C

Question 2

All of the following are true of a confederation or confederate political system except

A) a confederation is a league of independent states.
B) in a confederation, a central government handles only matters delegated to it by the member states.
C) the United States was a confederation.
D) a confederation gives most of the power to the member states.
E) a confederate system is the same thing as a federal system.

Answer 2

E

Question 3

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.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The 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) Options A and C are true.

Question 5

Which government system is used most in the world today?

A) unitary system
B) confederate system
C) federal system
D) bicameral system
E) None of the above is true.

Question 6

State laws that have legalized the medical or recreational uses of marijuana conflict with federal law and may be invalidated because of

A) the necessary and proper clause.
B) the supremacy clause.
C) the commerce clause.
D) reserved powers.
E) Both A and C.

Question 7

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.

Question 8

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) Options A and B are true.

Question 9

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 10

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 11

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 12

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) Options A, B, and C are true.

Question 13

Over the last two decades, support for same-sex marriage among the public has

A) increased only a small amount and is still a minority opinion.
B) increased to where same-sex marriage is now supported by a majority of Americans.
C) stayed roughly the same.
D) declined a small amount.
E) declined a large amount.

Question 14

All of the following would be included in the inherent powers of the national government except

A) making treaties.
B) waging war.
C) providing for the general welfare.
D) engaging in trade.
E) acquiring territory.

Question 15

Which of the following is not true about the European Union (EU)?

A) The EU is a confederation of twenty-seven countries.
B) The EU is a federation of twenty-seven countries.
C) Seventeen of the EU countries have adopted a common currency-the euro.
D) EU countries such as Greece, Portugal, and Ireland have had financial difficulties of late.
E) The European Central Bank is prohibited from bailing out member countries in difficulty.

Question 16

State governments have the ________________ but lack the ___________________.

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 17

The Greek financial crisis has its roots in

A) overspending by previous Greek government officials.
B) excessive borrowing by previous Greek government officials.
C) the inability of Greece to devalue its currency.
D) the inability of Greece to be able to borrow from the European Central Bank.
E) All of the above are true.

Question 18

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) Options A and B are true.

Question 19

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 20

Since 2003, federal court rulings, including those by the Supreme Court, have _______________ but have not __________________.

A) generally loosened same-sex marriage restrictions; overruled same-sex marriage bans nationwide
B) banned same-sex marriages; banned same-sex civil unions
C) taken marriage powers away from the states; taken away powers over civil unions
D) given the power over marriage to the federal government; overturned same-sex marriage bans
E) Both B and C.

Question 21

All are true of concurrent powers except that they

A) are generally not listed specifically in the Constitution.
B) are expressly written in the Constitution.
C) include the power to borrow funds, pass laws, and levy taxes.
D) are generally limited to state borders.
E) include the power to establish courts and charter banks.

Question 22

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) Both B and C.

Question 23

As a result of the Civil War crisis, the Supreme Court

A) was drastically reduced in influence.
B) voted exclusively against the Civil War.
C) gained additional power, along with the state governments.
D) ruled that the initial plan of Congress to reconstruct the South was unconstitutional.
E) None of the above is true.

Question 24

The expansion of national governments power and regulations can be found rooted in

A) the implementation of the Bill of Rights.
B) Chief Justice John Marshall's interpretation of the commerce clause.
C) the necessary and proper clause.
D) the states' inability to exercise their police powers.
E) All of the above.

Question 25

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 26

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) Options A and B are true.

Question 27

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 28

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 29

The national government cannot create a national divorce law system because

A) certain powers are reserved for the states.
B) the Constitution prohibits a number of powers to the national government.
C) the regulation of marriage is explicitly reserved for state governments in the Constitution.
D) Options A and B are true.
E) All of the above are true.

Question 30

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 31

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 the above are true.

Question 32

Outcomes of the Civil War included

A) a dramatic increase in the federal budget.
B) the implementation of the first income tax on citizens.
C) the end of slavery.
D) new amendments to the Constitution that allowed African American males the right to vote.
E) All of the above are true.

Question 33

"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) Both A and D.

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 the above are true.

Question 35

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 36

Despite the South's desire for ______________, the Civil War actually brought about ______________.

A) increased states' rights; a stronger national government
B) the expansion of slavery; a competitive, free labor force
C) a strong national government; regionalism in politics
D) free trade; significant export taxes
E) None of the above.

Question 37

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 38

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 39

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 40

States may enter into agreements called interstate compacts

A) with congressional approval on major matters.
B) without congressional approval on minor matters.
C) to settle matters in chronic dispute between two or more states.
D) to manage water resources that cross state lines.
E) All of the above are true.

Question 41

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 the above are true.
E) None of the above is true.

Question 42

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) libertarians; states' rights advocates
E) liberals; conservatives

Question 43

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 44

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 45

Categorical grants are

A) federal grants to state or local governments for specific programs.
B) emergency grants to states for unforeseen circumstances.
C) a very recent form of national government support to school districts.
D) unconstitutional because of separation of powers.
E) None of the above is 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

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) Options A and C are true.

Question 48

__________ 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 49

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 the above.

Question 50

The U.S. Supreme Court

A) has the final say on constitutional issues.
B) plays a significant role in determining the line between federal and state powers.
C) has given increased emphasis to state powers under the Tenth Amendment.
D) All of the above are true.
E) None of the above is true.

Question 51

In United States v. Lopez (1995), the Supreme Court

A) held that Congress exceeded its constitutional authority.
B) said that Congress, in passing the Gun-Free School Zones Act, attempted to regulate an area that had nothing to do with commerce.
C) placed a limit on national government authority under the commerce clause.
D) All of the above are true.
E) None of the above is true.

Question 52

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 53

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 54

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 55

A federal grant that funds a general functional area with fewer restrictions on the states is a

A) matching grant.
B) program grant.
C) federal mandate.
D) block grant.
E) waiver.

Question 56

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 57

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) Options A and B are true.

Question 58

Competitive federalism can cause

A) states to compete for business investment.
B) financial pressures as states try to respond to demands for services.
C) state revenue shortfalls for essential programs like pension funds.
D) states to cooperate for business investment.
E) Options A, B, and C are true.

Question 59

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 60

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 the above are true.

Question 61

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 62

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 63

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

Question 64

There are three different models for organizing relations between a central government and local or subdivisional governments. Define all three models and list advantages of each model.

Question 65

Explain the concept of concurrent powers and provide examples.

Question 66

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 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.

Question 68

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 69

Explain why liberals have traditionally endorsed national authority.

Question 70

Explain how the federal government has gained power at the expense of state governments at different points in American history. Describe the essential elements in some court cases where the states have regained power from the federal government.