Deck 3: Federalism Federalism

Question 1

 For the Founders,federalism was a device to 

A) protect personal liberty. 
B) provide efficient local administration. 
C) encourage citizen participation. 
D) guarantee equality. 
E) protect against foreign invasion.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

 A federal republic derives its powers from 

A) the people. 
B) the states. 
C) the Congress. 
D) the courts. 
E) None of these are correct.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

 The early chief justice whose decisions generally gave the broadest possible sweep to federal powers was 

A) Roger Taney. 
B) Frederick Vinson. 
C) John Marshall. 
D) Alexander Hamilton. 
E) John Harlan.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

 John C.Calhoun used the concept of nullification to promote 

A) the taxing of state bonds. 
B) the taxing of federal bonds. 
C) free speech. 
D) slavery. 
E) tariffs.

Question 5

 The Civil War settled one part of the issue of national supremacy versus states' rights,namely,that 

A) state governments are supreme over the national government. 
B) the national government derives its sovereignty from the states. 
C) the national government derives its sovereignty from the people. 
D) the national government derives its sovereignty from both the people and the states. 
E) state governments derive their power from each other.

Question 6

 The doctrine of dual federalism grew out of a protracted debate on the subject of 

A) commerce. 
B) banking. 
C) manufacturing. 
D) welfare. 
E) licensing of commercial fishermen.

Question 7

 In 1798,Congress passed laws to punish newspaper editors who published stories critical of the federal government. James Madison and Thomas Jefferson opposed the laws,arguing that the states had the right to declare null and void federal laws that violated the Constitution.The Supreme Court eventually concluded that this argument was 

A) wrong. 
B) correct. 
C) impossible to settle. 
D) up to each individual state to settle.

Question 8

 Which statement BEST summarizes Madison's view of federalism? 

A) He was a consistent supporter of the notion of a supreme national government. 
B) He was a consistent supporter of the notion of the supremacy of state governments. 
C) He was first an ardent supporter of national supremacy, then of states' rights. 
D) He was first an ardent supporter of states' rights, then of national supremacy. 
E) He assumed the national government would be supreme except in times of war.

Question 9

 In a confederation,the national government derives its power from 

A) the people. 
B) the states. 
C) the Congress. 
D) the courts. 
E) None of these are correct.

Question 10

 At the Philadelphia Convention,the Founders realized that precisely spelling out everything the federal government was allowed to do was 

A) impossible and unnecessary. 
B) necessary but difficult. 
C) possible but unnecessary. 
D) eventually but not immediately necessary. 
E) desirable but not necessary.

Question 11

 Ultimate political authority is known as  

A) populism. 
B) confederacy. 
C) unitarianism. 
D) federalism. 
E) sovereignty.

Question 12

 When the Framers drafted the Constitution,the Antifederalists opposed it primarily on the grounds that the new government 

A) empowered state governments. 
B) created a bicameral Congress. 
C) gave states the power to coin money. 
D) created a navy. 
E) gave too much power to the national government.

Question 13

 An important outcome of Marshall's ruling in McCulloch v.Maryland (1819)was to 

A) place limits on the constitutional powers granted to Congress by refusing McCulloch's appeal. 
B) give greater power to the states in taxing agents of the federal government, including banks. 
C) protect newspaper editors who publish stories critical of the federal government. 
D) restrict the power of the Court in cases involving conflicts between states and the federal government. 
E) confirm the supremacy of the federal government in the exercise of the constitutional powers granted to Congress.

Question 14

 In McCulloch v.Maryland (1819),the Supreme Court ruled that 

A) states could form banks and tax them. 
B) the national government could charter banks and the states could not tax those banks. 
C) the national government's power was dependent on the states. 
D) Congress erred when it created a national banking system. 
E) states could not charter banks.

Question 15

 The doctrine of nullification refers to 

A) the power of Congress to veto state laws that violate the U.S. Constitution. 
B) the claimed authority of the states to declare a federal law void for violating the U.S. Constitution. 
C) the power of the president to veto state laws for violating the U.S. Constitution. 
D) the authority of the president to dissolve Congress and to call for new elections. 
E) the power of the federal government to invalidate state laws on matters of commerce.

Question 16

 Madison's description of federalism in Federalist No.46 suggests there should be little concern over conflicts between the federal and state governments because 

A) the federal government would clearly be the winner in such conflicts. 
B) the state government would clearly be the winner in such conflicts. 
C) such conflicts would occur only on minor issues of importance. 
D) they are different agents with different powers. 
E) the judicial branch would settle such disputes.

Question 17

 The argument over nullification was ended by 

A) the Civil War. 
B) US Supreme Court Cases arising from the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions. 
C) the Twelfth Amendment. 
D) legislation by Congress. 
E) a convention of the states.

Question 18

 The Founders did not include in the U.S.Constitution an explicit statement of state powers but added it later in 

A) the Second Amendment. 
B) the Seventh Amendment. 
C) the Tenth Amendment. 
D) the Fourteenth Amendment. 
E) None of these are correct.

Question 19

 According to John Marshall,Congress was allowed to exercise powers not specifically granted to it by the Constitution thanks to the 

A) Declaration of Independence. 
B) Preamble. 
C) Necessary and Proper Clause. 
D) Articles of Confederation. 
E) Supremacy Clause.

Question 20

 __________ is a political system in which the national government shares power with local governments. 

A) A unitary government 
B) Federalism 
C) A confederation 
D) A parliamentarian government 
E) A republic

Question 21

 William H.Riker's critical conclusion is that the main effect of federalism since the Civil War has been supporting 

A) poverty. 
B) racism. 
C) corruption. 
D) fraud. 
E) sexism.

Question 22

 In the United States,programs such as the interstate highway system and services to the unemployed are MOST accurately considered 

A) state functions that operate without any involvement on the part of the federal government. 
B) federal functions, although state governments pay some of the costs. 
C) state functions that are designated under the Tenth Amendment. 
D) federal functions that operate without any involvement on the part of state governments. 
E) state functions, although the federal government seeks to regulate them.

Question 23

 Which is a procedure that enables voters to reject a measure adopted by the legislature? 

A) Initiative 
B) Referendum 
C) Recall 
D) Logrolling 
E) Rollback

Question 24

 Which of the following forms of government accords the LEAST power to the national government? 

A) Unitary 
B) Federal 
C) Confederal 
D) Dual federal 
E) Cooperative federal

Question 25

 Daniel J.Elazar's argument that the "virtue of the federal system lies in its ability to develop and maintain mechanisms vital to the perpetuation of the unique combination of governmental strength,political flexibility,and individual liberty which has been the central concern of American politics" means that 

A) cities and towns can try new things before the rest of the country. 
B) different states can have different rules for their people. 
C) state governments can eliminate corruption that the national government cannot. 
D) different states can regulate their different economies. 
E) All of these are correct.

Question 26

 According to the text,the Supreme Court's division of intra- and interstate commerce ended because 

A) they could not find a clear principle that distinguished them. 
B) business interests wanted the distinction ended. 
C) politicians wanted the distinction ended. 
D) the Necessary and Proper clause granted Congress the power to regulate intrastate commerce, too. 
E) None of these are correct.

Question 27

 Which of the following countries does NOT have a federal system of government? 

A) The United States 
B) The United Kingdom 
C) Canada 
D) Germany 
E) Australia

Question 28

 The interstate commerce that the federal government can regulate is now interpreted to include 

A) almost any kind of economic activity. 
B) only the movement of goods between states. 
C) almost any commerce in goods, but not labor transactions. 
D) commerce between states and a handful of transactions within states. 
E) shipping and handling, but not production.

Question 29

 As of the most recent Supreme Court ruling on the matter,  

A) state governments can't tax federal bonds, but the federal government can tax state bonds. 
B) state governments and the federal government are free to tax each other's bonds. 
C) state governments and the federal government may not tax each other's bonds. 
D) state governments can tax federal bonds, but the federal government can't tax state bonds. 
E) whether a state government can tax federal bonds or the federal government can tax state bonds must be decided on a case-by-case basis.

Question 30

 Under their police powers,states can enact and enforce all of the following EXCEPT 

A) criminal codes. 
B) laws requiring children to attend school. 
C) restrictions on the availability of pornographic materials. 
D) standards for DUI convictions. 
E) the regulation of interstate commerce.

Question 31

 In __________,the Supreme Court held that Congress could not require local police officers to conduct background checks on all gun purchases because doing so would violate the Tenth Amendment. 

A) United States v. Morrison 
B) McCulloch v. Maryland 
C) United States v. Lopez 
D) Printz v. United States 
E) Marbury v. Madison

Question 32

 In United States v.Morrison,the Supreme Court ruled that violence against women 

A) was not an appropriate focus of punitive damages. 
B) did not substantially affect interstate commerce. 
C) could not be made the responsibility of distant relatives. 
D) was nonjusticiable. 
E) could not be regulated by law.

Question 33

 Initially,it was supposed that 

A) Congress could regulate interstate commerce. 
B) Congress could regulate interstate and intrastate commerce. 
C) the state governments could regulate interstate commerce. 
D) the state governments could regulate interstate and intrastate commerce. 
E) there was no distinction between interstate and intrastate commerce.

Question 34

 One of the reasons that our local governments are independent of the national government is 

A) Article III of the U.S. Constitution. 
B) the power of free elections. 
C) the commitment of Americans to the ideal of local self-government. 
D) the fact that the local tax structure requires local administration. 
E) the Fourteenth Amendment.

Question 35

 The concept of __________ holds that national and state governments are supreme in their respective spheres and that these spheres should be kept separate. 

A) dual federalism 
B) cooperative federalism 
C) antifederalism 
D) confederation 
E) state sovereignty

Question 36

 In Gibbons v.Ogden,the Supreme Court found that  

A) the Constitution's "necessary and proper" clause permits Congress to take actions when it is essential to a power that Congress has. 
B) the Constitution's commerce clause gives the national government exclusive power to regulate interstate commerce. 
C) Congress may not act to subject nonconsenting states to lawsuits in state courts. 
D) the states may not regulate interstate commerce. 
E) the national government's authority to require state officials to administer or enforce a federal regulation is limited.

Question 37

 In United States v.Lopez (1995),the Supreme Court ruled that Congress overstepped its power to regulate commerce by prohibiting __________ in a school zone. 

A) guns 
B) adult bookstores 
C) cigarette sales 
D) alcohol sales 
E) dog races

Question 38

 Which of the following allows national governments the right to alter or even abolish local government? 

A) A constitutional government 
B) Federalism 
C) A unitary system 
D) Socialism 
E) A confederation

Question 39

 In this 1999 decision,the Supreme Court ruled that state employees could not sue to force state compliance with federal fair-labor laws. 

A) McCulloch v. Maryland 
B) Printz v. United States 
C) Alden v. Maine 
D) United States v. Lopez 
E) United States v. Morrison

Question 40

 The Eleventh Amendment exempts states from 

A) commandeering by the Federal Government. 
B) lawsuits by citizens of other states or foreign nations. 
C) lawsuits under the Bill of Rights. 
D) following federal law in their own states. 
E) None of these answers is true.

Question 41

 A __________ is a decision by an administrative agency granting some other party permission to violate a law or administrative rule that would otherwise apply to it. 

A) waiver 
B) condition of aid 
C) mandate 
D) block grant 
E) categorical grant

Question 42

 __________ are terms set by the national government that states must meet whether or not they accept federal grants. 

A) Conditions of aid 
B) Mandates 
C) Strings-attached edict 
D) Court decisions 
E) Pontifications

Question 43

 In about half of the states,voters can use this procedure to place legislative measures directly on the ballot by getting enough signatures. 

A) Initiative 
B) Referendum 
C) Recall 
D) Logrolling 
E) Rollback

Question 44

 The grant-in-aid system began to grow rapidly 

A) in the 20th century. 
B) in the 19th century. 
C) a decade after the U.S. was formed. 
D) immediately after the U.S. Constitution was ratified. 
E) after September 11, 2001.

Question 45

 Judges have ordered Massachusetts to change the way it hires firefighters,even though the state does not receive aid from the federal government for firefighting.Such an order is referred to as a 

A) condition of aid. 
B) quid pro quo order. 
C) mandate. 
D) pro bono requirement. 
E) per curiam order.

Question 46

 The text suggests that we might expect to find more mandates in policy areas where the government 

A) spends less. 
B) spends more. 
C) wants the states to spend less. 
D) has been involved a longer period of time. 
E) cannot possibly enforce them.

Question 47

 In 1808 Congress gave __________ to the states to pay for their militias,with the states in charge of size,deployment,and command of these troops. 

A) $250 
B) $3,500 
C) $25,000 
D) $200,000 
E) $500,000

Question 48

 The push toward devolution-the shifting of responsibility from the federal government to state governments-has resulted in __________ government rules and regulations. 

A) less adherence to 
B) greater adherence to 
C) fewer 
D) more 
E) None of these are correct.

Question 49

 The first form of grant-in-aid from the national government to the states was 

A) cash grants-in-aid. 
B) block grants. 
C) revenue sharing. 
D) categorical grants. 
E) land grants.

Question 50

 __________ are terms set by the national government that states must meet in order to receive certain federal funds. 

A) Block grants 
B) Waivers 
C) Mandates 
D) Conditions of aid 
E) Categorical grants

Question 51

 According to the text,block grants have enjoyed only marginal success in part because 

A) the federal government steadily increased the number of strings attached to such grants. 
B) money from categorical grants shrank so low as to make these other grants essential. 
C) these grants were based on local priorities rather than on the needs of the nation as a whole. 
D) these grants discouraged federal control over how the money was to be used. 
E) these grants were not attractive to members of Congress.

Question 52

 Of the following,which is NOT an example of the intergovernmental lobby? 

A) Local police chiefs 
B) Local gas station owners 
C) County highway commissioners 
D) Superintendents of schools 
E) Mayors

Question 53

 This procedure,which is in effect in over 20 states,permits voters to remove an elected official from office. 

A) Initiative 
B) Referendum 
C) Recall 
D) Logrolling 
E) Rollback

Question 54

 A categorical grant is a transfer of federal funds designed for 

A) the private sector. 
B) discretionary use by a state. 
C) the accomplishment of broad goals. 
D) programs with matching grants. 
E) specific purposes.

Question 55

 According to Table 3.2 in the textbook,this program represented the largest federal grant to state and local governments for fiscal year 2015. 

A) Medicaid 
B) Income security 
C) Education and training 
D) Transportation 
E) Community development

Question 56

 An interest group with a strong following in only one region of the country would have the best chance to achieve its goals under which type of system? 

A) Democratic 
B) Republican 
C) Federal 
D) Unitary 
E) Provincial

Question 57

 During the 1960s,federal grants to states were increasingly based on 

A) the demands of the individual states. 
B) what state officials perceived to be important state needs. 
C) the power of organized interest groups. 
D) what federal officials perceived to be national needs. 
E) the demands of coalitions of states.

Question 58

 In 1996,the voters of __________ passed Proposition 215,a ballot measure permitting the "compassionate use" of marijuana for medicinal purposes. 

A) California 
B) Colorado 
C) Washington 
D) Oregon 
E) Texas

Question 59

 The primary purpose of the intergovernmental lobby is to 

A) provide federal jobs. 
B) increase taxes. 
C) lower taxes. 
D) reduce federal spending. 
E) get more federal money.

Question 60

 Clinton's declaration that the era of big national government was over proved to be 

A) harmful. 
B) beneficial. 
C) difficult to gauge. 
D) accurate. 
E) inaccurate.

Question 61

 Over the last half-century,state and local government spending has declined significantly. 

Question 62

 The concept of dual federalism grew out of a debate on the issue of commerce. 

Question 63

 Chief Justice John Marshall was an early advocate of states' rights. 

Question 64

 The Founders envisioned a system in which the national government would have supreme authority over the state governments. 

Question 65

 In McCulloch v.Maryland,the Supreme Court ruled that the state of Maryland could not tax a bank chartered by the national government. 

Question 66

 The American experience suggests that many of the Antifederalists' primary concerns were warranted. 

Question 67

 In United States v.Lopez,the Supreme Court said that Congress had exceeded its commerce clause power by creating gun-free zones around schools. 

Question 68

 The wording of the U.S.Constitution regarding the federal government's right to make laws is purposely vague and elastic. 

Question 69

 A categorical grant is one made for a specific purpose defined by federal law. 

Question 70

 An initiative allows voters to place legislative measures directly on the ballot by getting enough signatures. 

Question 71

 The Supreme Court ruled in National Federation of Independent Business v.Sebelius that holding all Medicaid funding back from states that did not expand Medicaid was unconstitutional because it was coercive. 

Question 72

 The writings of Jefferson and Madison influenced John C.Calhoun's arguments for nullification of a federal tariff. 

Question 73

 The states play a key role in social welfare,public education,and law enforcement. 

Question 74

 Many of the powers of the federal government are exercised through the states. 

Question 75

 The police power is generally recognized as a state power. 

Question 76

 The Supreme Court cases surrounding the Affordable Care Act were essentially debates about federalism. 

Question 77

 Great Britain has a federal system much like our own. 

Question 78

 More than two centuries after its ratification,the Constitution is no longer the supreme law of the land. 

Question 79

 According to Thomas Jefferson,the principal threat to people's liberties were the people themselves. 

Question 80

 In the first quarter of the 20th century,the vast majority of state revenues did not come from federal aid.