Question 1

During the Nullification Crisis of 1833,South Carolina and several northern states attempted to nullify key provisions of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal.

Accepted Answer

The Nullification Crisis of 1833 was a dispute between South Carolina and the federal government over the idea of nullification - the belief that a state could declare a federal law unconstitutional and therefore void within its borders. It was not related to Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal, which was implemented more than a century later in the 1930s.

Question 2

The Tenth Amendment to the U.S.Constitution prevents state governments from imposing cruel and unusual punishments.

Accepted Answer

The Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits the federal government from imposing cruel and unusual punishments, while the Fourteenth Amendment applies this prohibition to state governments through the doctrine of incorporation. The Tenth Amendment pertains to states' rights and the division of powers between the federal government and state governments.

Question 3

The supremacy clause,stipulated in Article VI of the Constitution,holds that
A) in a conflict between federal and state laws, the former will override the latter.
B) in the federal system established by the Constitution, the true source of sovereignty is the people.
C) federal laws will be supreme in the national sphere, and state laws will be supreme in local affairs.
D) as a sovereign institution, the state government only needs to obey the limits that it establishes for itself.

Accepted Answer

The supremacy clause establishes that federal laws take precedence over state laws in the event of a conflict. This means that federal laws will be supreme in both national and local affairs. The clause is intended to ensure uniformity and consistency in the application of federal law across the country.

Question 4

In ________,the Supreme Court held that segregated public schools were inherently unequal.
A) Plessy v. Ferguson
B) Brown v. Board of Education
C) Edgewood ISD v. Kirby
D) San Antonio v. Rodriguez

Accepted Answer

In Brown v. Board of Education (1954), the Supreme Court ruled that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional because it violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The landmark decision declared that the doctrine of "separate but equal" (established in Plessy v. Ferguson) was inherently unequal and that separate educational facilities based on race were not equal.

Question 5

Replacing the Articles of Confederation in 1787,the new U.S.Constitution allowed both the federal government and state governments to retain significant measures of sovereignty.

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Constitution created a federal system of government that shared sovereignty between the federal government and the state governments. The federal government was granted certain powers, but the bulk of governmental authority remained with the states.

Question 6

The legal doctrine at issue in the Plessy v.Ferguson case is the
A) separate but equal doctrine.
B) privileges and immunities clause.
C) hold and save harmless doctrine.
D) supremacy clause.

Accepted Answer

The Plessy v. Ferguson case centered around the legal doctrine of "separate but equal," which allowed for racial segregation as long as separate facilities were deemed equal in quality. This doctrine was upheld by the Supreme Court in their decision.

Question 7

One advantage that a federal system has over a highly centralized government is that it allows states to experiment with ways to improve public policy.

Accepted Answer

In a federal system, each state has a certain amount of autonomy and can therefore try out different policies and programs within its borders. This allows for a variety of approaches to public policy and can lead to innovations and improvements that might not have been possible under a highly centralized government.

Question 8

Which court case in 2013 struck down the formula for determining the states covered under the Section 5 preclearance requirement of the Voting Rights Act of 1965?
A) Rick Perry et al. v. Holder
B) Shelby County v. Holder
C) Reynolds v. Simms
D) Texas v. Holder

Accepted Answer

The court case that struck down the formula for determining the states covered under the Section 5 preclearance requirement of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was Shelby County v. Holder, which was decided by the Supreme Court in 2013.

Question 9

Until a national database was created,background checks by local law enforcement under the Brady Act were suspended following the Supreme Court's ruling in
A) United States v. Lopez.
B) Gonzales v. Raich.
C) Printz v. United States.
D) South Dakota v. Dole.

Accepted Answer

The case in which the Supreme Court ruled to suspend background checks by local law enforcement under the Brady Act was Printz v. United States. The Court found that the requirement for local law enforcement to perform background checks was unconstitutional under the Tenth Amendment, which limits the powers of the federal government over the states. Therefore, until a national database was created, the Brady Act's background check provision could not be enforced by local law enforcement.

Question 10

New Federalism was President Richard Nixon's attempt to give individual states greater control over how they spent federal money.

Accepted Answer

New Federalism was a policy put forward by President Nixon that aimed to shift power and responsibilities from the federal government to the states, including greater control over how federal money was spent. Nixon believed that local officials were better equipped to address the needs of their communities, and that by giving them more authority, the government could be more efficient and responsive to the needs of citizens. This policy led to the devolution of many federal programs to state and local governments, including education, transportation, and welfare.

Question 11

In which 1989 court case did the Texas Supreme Court unanimously declare that the huge disparities between rich and poor school districts were unacceptable and order changes in the financing of Texas's public schools?
A) Edgewood v. Kirby
B) Edgewood v. Perry
C) Edgewood v. SAISD
D) Rodriguez v. Edgewood

Accepted Answer

The 1989 court case that declared the huge disparities between rich and poor school districts were unacceptable and ordered changes in the financing of Texas's public schools was Edgewood v. Kirby. The case was brought by the Edgewood Independent School District against the state of Texas, challenging the constitutionality of the state's school finance system. The Texas Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of Edgewood, declaring that the system was unconstitutional and ordering the state to make changes to ensure that all students in Texas had access to a "substantially equal" education.

Question 12

The Great Depression of 1929 was the catalyst that led many Americans to support the New Deal.

Accepted Answer

The Great Depression of 1929 caused widespread economic hardship and unemployment, leading to public support for government intervention and the policies of the New Deal under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Question 13

Controversy surrounding the Affordable Care Act is an example of the friction inherent in
A) confederal systems.
B) unitary systems.
C) federalism.
D) cooperative federal systems.

Accepted Answer

The Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) is a federal law that requires cooperation between the federal government and individual states in implementing health care reforms. As such, it highlights the frictions and tensions inherent in federalism, where power is divided between the national government and state governments. The controversy surrounding its implementation and continued existence is a result of disagreements between these levels of government and their respective political actors.

Question 14

As federal regulations became more intrusive,forcing states to change their policies in order to meet national goals,some people began calling our system a ________ federalism.
A) sovereign
B) dual
C) progressive
D) coercive

Accepted Answer

The term "coercive federalism" refers to the idea that the federal government is increasing its power and influence over state policies by using financial or regulatory means to force states to comply with federal goals and mandates. This can be seen as intrusive and coercive, as states may have little choice but to comply in order to receive federal funding or avoid penalties for non-compliance.

Question 15

Although James Madison personally did not believe that the Tenth Amendment was necessary,he urged that it be adopted.

Accepted Answer

James Madison initially did not believe that a Bill of Rights was necessary, as he believed that the Constitution already limited the powers of the federal government. However, he eventually came to support the addition of a Bill of Rights, including the Tenth Amendment, in order to protect individual liberties and prevent the federal government from overstepping its bounds.

Question 16

The Tenth Amendment is also known as the states' rights amendment.

Accepted Answer

The Tenth Amendment is commonly referred to as the states' rights amendment because it reinforces the principle of federalism by clarifying that powers not granted to the federal government are reserved for the states or the people.

Question 17

Local governments are the creation of the states.

Accepted Answer

Local governments are established and regulated by state laws and constitutions. Therefore, they are considered a creation of the states.

Question 18

________ provide(s)states constitutional protections that go above rights guaranteed by the U.S.Constitution.
A) The Fourteenth Amendment
B) The Fifteenth Amendment
C) Independent state grounds
D) The Tenth Amendment

Accepted Answer

Independent state grounds provide states with the ability to interpret their own state constitutions and provide additional protections beyond those guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. This is known as the "dual sovereignty" doctrine, where both the federal government and state governments have their own spheres of authority. The Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments are amendments to the U.S. Constitution and do not specifically provide additional state-level constitutional protections. The Tenth Amendment affirms the powers of the states, but does not provide specific protections.

Question 19

Many of the political conflicts in the nation have been fought over the proper roles of states versus the national government.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Many political conflicts throughout American history, such as the debate over slavery and states' rights leading up to the Civil War and the fight over the Affordable Care Act in recent years, have centered around the balance of power between the state and national governments.

Question 20

Which court case involved the University of Texas at Austin encouraging African American students to attend a black law school that had been set up by Texas to provide a separate but equal education for black Texans?
A) Sweatt v. Painter
B) Plessy v. Ferguson
C) Brown v. Board of Education
D) McCulloch v. Maryland

Accepted Answer

Sweatt v. Painter was a 1950 U.S. Supreme Court case that ruled against the University of Texas at Austin's attempt to encourage African American students to attend a separate law school for blacks that was set up by the state of Texas. The court found that the "separate but equal" doctrine was not being upheld in this case, as the black law school did not provide the same quality of education as the University of Texas at Austin's law school.

Quiz 3: Texas in the Federal System

During the Nullification Crisis of 1833,South Carolina and several northern states attempted to nullify key provisions of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal.

The Tenth Amendment to the U.S.Constitution prevents state governments from imposing cruel and unusual punishments.

The supremacy clause,stipulated in Article VI of the Constitution,holds that

In ________,the Supreme Court held that segregated public schools were inherently unequal.

Replacing the Articles of Confederation in 1787,the new U.S.Constitution allowed both the federal government and state governments to retain significant measures of sovereignty.

The legal doctrine at issue in the Plessy v.Ferguson case is the

One advantage that a federal system has over a highly centralized government is that it allows states to experiment with ways to improve public policy.

Which court case in 2013 struck down the formula for determining the states covered under the Section 5 preclearance requirement of the Voting Rights Act of 1965?

Until a national database was created,background checks by local law enforcement under the Brady Act were suspended following the Supreme Court's ruling in

New Federalism was President Richard Nixon's attempt to give individual states greater control over how they spent federal money.

In which 1989 court case did the Texas Supreme Court unanimously declare that the huge disparities between rich and poor school districts were unacceptable and order changes in the financing of Texas's public schools?

The Great Depression of 1929 was the catalyst that led many Americans to support the New Deal.

Controversy surrounding the Affordable Care Act is an example of the friction inherent in

As federal regulations became more intrusive,forcing states to change their policies in order to meet national goals,some people began calling our system a ________ federalism.

Although James Madison personally did not believe that the Tenth Amendment was necessary,he urged that it be adopted.

The Tenth Amendment is also known as the states' rights amendment.

Local governments are the creation of the states.

________ provide(s) states constitutional protections that go above rights guaranteed by the U.S.Constitution.

Many of the political conflicts in the nation have been fought over the proper roles of states versus the national government.

Which court case involved the University of Texas at Austin encouraging African American students to attend a black law school that had been set up by Texas to provide a separate but equal education for black Texans?