Question 1

Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A) In a unitary government, there are no state governments so direction, and accountability are clear.
B) In a federal government, a national government and regional governments share power.
C) In a confederation, power resides with sovereign state governments; an overarching government has some defined powers.
D) In a unitary government power is shared between the federal government and subnational governments.

Accepted Answer

In a unitary government, power is centralized and not shared between a federal government and subnational governments. This contrasts with a federal system where power is indeed shared.

Question 2

Devolution is the transfer of power from a local authority to the federal government.

Accepted Answer

Devolution is the transfer of powers from a central government to local or regional administrations.

Question 3

The "Williamsburg Resolve" issued by the Republican governors in 1994 called for
A) a return to a confederacy of separate states.
B) reversing the power that had been going to Washington since the New Deal.
C) block grants rather than categorical grants from the federal government.
D) additional federal dollars to assist states with a high number of welfare recipients.

Accepted Answer

The "Williamsburg Resolve" aimed to reverse the trend of increasing federal power that had been occurring since the New Deal, advocating for more state autonomy and less federal intervention.

Question 4

The form of government enjoyed by the citizens of the United States is known as:
A) Unitary government
B) a commonwealth of sovereign states
C) a federal system
D) b and c

Accepted Answer

The United States operates under a federal system, where power is divided between a national government and various state governments.

Question 5

Picket fence federalism is a useful metaphor that suggests that bureaucrats can be seen as the horizontal pickets of the fence, and hence they are:
A) In touch with all three levels of government-federal, state and local.
B) Have more operational knowledge than their bosses who are elected and come and go.
C) Neither a or b
D) A and b

Accepted Answer

Picket fence federalism metaphorically illustrates how bureaucrats, represented as the horizontal pickets, interact closely with all three levels of government (federal, state, and local) and possess more operational knowledge than their elected superiors, who often change with elections.

Question 6

The process of the extradition of criminals from one state to another is an example of dual federalism.

Accepted Answer

Extradition between states is an example of cooperative federalism, where states work together to achieve a common goal, rather than operating independently as in dual federalism.

Question 7

Which of the following questions concerning fiscal federalism is frequently raised during elections?
A) Why shouldn't local government pay for local services with its own tax dollars?
B) Why can't there be more block grants rather than categorical grants from the federal government?
C) Why can't the citizens of the states just keep their money rather than paying it to the federal government so they can return it in grants and services?
D) Why can't the federal government simply take over the costs of areas such as public transportation, road maintenance, and other functions that severely drain the resources of the local governments?

Accepted Answer

The question of why citizens cannot keep their money rather than paying it to the federal government, which then returns it in grants and services, is frequently raised during elections because it taps into concerns about government spending and taxation.

Question 8

In 1997 in the Prinz v. United States case, the Supreme Court opined that "it is uncontestable that the Constitution established a system of dual sovereignty."

Accepted Answer

In the 1997 case Printz v. United States, the Supreme Court indeed referenced the concept of dual sovereignty as a fundamental principle underlying the Constitution, emphasizing the distinct and coexisting powers of the federal and state governments.

Question 9

Which of the following is an example of creative federalism?
A) Head Start
B) War on Drugs
C) Great Society programs
D) The War on Poverty

Accepted Answer

Creative federalism is associated with the Great Society programs initiated by President Lyndon B. Johnson, which aimed to address social issues through federal-state partnerships.

Question 10

Morton Grodzins' marble cake metaphor suggests that the boundary lines between federal state and local governments are blurred and intermingled on programs, procedures and activities.

Accepted Answer

Morton Grodzins coined the term "marble cake federalism" to describe a model of federalism where there is a mix of all levels of government (federal, state, and local) in policies, funding, and administration, indicating that the boundaries between these layers are not clear-cut but rather blended and intermingled.

Question 11

The theory that government needs to spend money ("pump priming") during periods of economic decline was developed by:
A) Ronald Wilson Reagan
B) John Maynard Keynes
C) Harry Truman
D) Theodore Roosevelt.

Accepted Answer

John Maynard Keynes developed the theory that during periods of economic decline, the government should spend money to stimulate the economy, a concept known as "pump priming." This approach is a key element of Keynesian economics.

Question 12

The "War on Poverty" was a policy and slogan used in:
A) The Franklin Roosevelt administration
B) Lyndon Johnson administration
C) The Ronald Reagan administration
D) None of the above.

Accepted Answer

The "War on Poverty" refers to a set of initiatives proposed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, aimed at reducing poverty in the United States.

Question 13

Cooperative federalism
A) emerged during the New Deal
B) is the notion that national, state, and local governments are cooperating.
C) both a and b
D) none of the above.

Accepted Answer

Cooperative federalism emerged during the New Deal era as a way to manage the economic crisis, marking a shift towards greater collaboration between national, state, and local governments. This approach emphasizes the interdependence of these levels of government in addressing common issues.

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT an advantage of a federal system of government?
A) greater scope for diversity and experimentation in policy
B) a tendency toward policy incrementalism that is seen as integral to democracy
C) an ability to provide sufficient allowance for the needs of minorities
D) a clear national direction without negotiation or conflict with subnational states

Accepted Answer

A federal system of government inherently involves negotiation and sometimes conflict between national and subnational governments, which can complicate the pursuit of a clear, unified national direction.

Question 15

Creative federalism was the Great Society programs of the Johnson administration.

Accepted Answer

Creative federalism refers to the period of American federalism that occurred during the presidencies of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson from 1960 to 1968, which included the Great Society programs of the Johnson administration aimed at eliminating poverty and racial injustice.

Question 16

Partisan gerrymandering, when the electoral system is arranged in such a way that will consistently degrade voters' influence on the political process as a whole was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Accepted Answer

Partisan gerrymandering is a form of electoral manipulation that intentionally distorts the boundaries of electoral districts to give one political party an unfair advantage over its opponents. This practice has been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court because it violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which guarantees all citizens equal protection under the law.

Question 17

The National Academy of Public Administration's task force in 1999, identified a key issue in public administration in the 21^st century would be that governance in the U.S. and globally would undergo a fundamental transformation. This would include complexity in relationships between government and society, and a mix of national and international responsibilities.

Accepted Answer

The National Academy of Public Administration's task force indeed identified that governance would undergo a fundamental transformation in the 21st century, highlighting the increasing complexity in government-society relationships and the blend of national and international responsibilities as key issues.

Question 18

A grant-in-aid is the term used for federal to state payments to local governments for specified purposes and usually subject to supervision and review by the granting government or agency in accordance with prescribed standards and requirements.

Accepted Answer

A grant-in-aid is indeed a transfer of money from a higher level of government (like the federal government) to a lower level (such as state or local governments), often for a specific purpose, and typically comes with conditions or requirements that the recipient must meet.

Question 19

The greatest number of federal grants to states (almost half of them) is related to Medicaid.

Accepted Answer

Medicaid is the largest source of federal grants to states, accounting for nearly half of all federal funding provided to states, primarily due to its role in providing health insurance to low-income individuals and families.

Quiz 4: Intergovernmental Relations

Which of the following statements is NOT true?

Devolution is the transfer of power from a local authority to the federal government.

The "Williamsburg Resolve" issued by the Republican governors in 1994 called for

The form of government enjoyed by the citizens of the United States is known as:

Picket fence federalism is a useful metaphor that suggests that bureaucrats can be seen as the horizontal pickets of the fence, and hence they are:

The process of the extradition of criminals from one state to another is an example of dual federalism.

Which of the following questions concerning fiscal federalism is frequently raised during elections?

In 1997 in the Prinz v. United States case, the Supreme Court opined that "it is uncontestable that the Constitution established a system of dual sovereignty."

Which of the following is an example of creative federalism?

Morton Grodzins' marble cake metaphor suggests that the boundary lines between federal state and local governments are blurred and intermingled on programs, procedures and activities.

The theory that government needs to spend money ("pump priming") during periods of economic decline was developed by:

The "War on Poverty" was a policy and slogan used in:

Cooperative federalism

Which of the following is NOT an advantage of a federal system of government?

Creative federalism was the Great Society programs of the Johnson administration.

Partisan gerrymandering, when the electoral system is arranged in such a way that will consistently degrade voters' influence on the political process as a whole was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

A grant-in-aid is the term used for federal to state payments to local governments for specified purposes and usually subject to supervision and review by the granting government or agency in accordance with prescribed standards and requirements.

The greatest number of federal grants to states (almost half of them) is related to Medicaid.