Question 1

In essence, the 50 individual American states are agencies of the national government.

Accepted Answer

While the individual American states have some obligations to follow national policies and rules, they are not agencies of the national government. States have their own powers and responsibilities, as outlined by the Constitution.

Question 2

For nearly 150 years after the ratification of the federal Constitution, most of the major policies affecting Americans' lives came from____________________.

Accepted Answer

For nearly 150 years after the ratification of the federal Constitution, most major policies affecting Americans' lives were made by state legislatures, even though the federal government was stronger than under the Articles of Confederation.

Question 3

During the Jacksonian era of the early nineteenth century, a states' rights coalition developed, because:

Accepted Answer

The answer of During the Jacksonian era of the early...

Question 4

The Constitution gives Congress the leeway to take actions or adopt initiatives seen as necessary and proper to carrying out its enumerated powers.

Accepted Answer

The Necessary and Proper Clause, also known as the Elastic Clause, in Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution grants Congress the authority to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution its enumerated powers.

Question 5

Despite lukewarm support from some national Republican figures when Donald Trump was running for president, a Republican-controlled Congress still managed to pass a major tax reform package in late 2017, one that reduced taxes for businesses and wealthy individuals.What did this suggest about how unified or one-party government, as opposed to divided government, works at the federal level?

Accepted Answer

When one party controls both the White House and Congress, it is generally easier to pass major legislation due to reduced partisan conflict, as opposed to divided government where gridlock is more common.

Question 6

The Supreme Court's interpretation of federalism over the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries kept Congress from passing many industrial regulations, including ones involving working hours and child labor, because justices held that:

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court held that manufacturing was not considered interstate commerce, and thus, regulation of such activities was deemed to be under state jurisdiction, not federal.

Question 7

Judicial review of acts of Congress or the president are:

Accepted Answer

Judicial review is relatively rare and typically occurs only when cases are brought before federal courts, particularly the Supreme Court, challenging the constitutionality of acts by Congress or the president.

Question 8

In a 1997 case, Printz v.United States, the Supreme Court ruled that states were not required to help the federal government enforce a portion of a federal gun control law, and that the federal government could not demand such of states with any regulatory program.Officials in cities and states with more liberal-leaning populations have, since that time, cited this case to argue that cities may refuse to assist federal law enforcement in deportations of undocumented immigrants.Interestingly, however, Printz had reflected a more conservative view of the _____________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In a 1997 case, Printz v.United States,...

Question 9

Federalism means that the national government is the only significant decision-making body in the United States.

Accepted Answer

Federalism in the United States means that power is divided between the national and state governments, allowing both to make significant decisions.

Question 10

The American president is often referred to as the world's most powerful leader.Despite this, presidents often find policymaking difficult.Why?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The American president is often referred to...

Question 11

One of the largest nonfederal government organizations in the United States is the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.It oversees airports, bridges, tunnels, and train systems, and developed New York City's One World Trade Center.It has its own police force.Governors of each state appoint board members.If states are supposed to be independent, how does this organization exist?

Accepted Answer

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey exists through an interstate compact, which is an agreement between two or more states, created with the consent of Congress as allowed by the U.S. Constitution.

Question 12

While their ability to do so, or ease of doing so, depends on their own statutes and constitutions, state legislatures may legally shift city limits and the boundaries of counties because:

Accepted Answer

Local governments are not mentioned in the federal Constitution, making them subject to state control as they are considered creations or conveniences of the states.

Question 13

In the American republic's early years, the Supreme Court held that Maryland could not tax a newly chartered Bank of the United States, on the grounds that:

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the American republic's early years, the...

Question 14

In 2017, Congress was unable to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (otherwise known as Obamacare), despite the fact that the White House and Congress were controlled by the same party, the Republicans.What does this suggest about how federal government policymaking operates?

Accepted Answer

This suggests that individual lawmakers have independence and may prioritize their constituencies or personal beliefs over party lines, reflecting the checks and balances in the U.S. political system.

Question 15

Federal judicial resistance to President Franklin D.Roosevelt's expansive New Deal programs, created to battle the Great Depression and involving extensive economic regulation, finally ended when:

Accepted Answer

Roosevelt's "court-packing" plan threatened to add more justices to the Supreme Court, which pressured the Court to start upholding New Deal legislation.

Question 16

Wherever there is a direct conflict of laws between the federal and the state levels, the issue will most likely be resolved in favor of states' rights.

Accepted Answer

This statement is incorrect. The Supremacy Clause of the US Constitution gives precedence to federal law over state law in cases of conflict.

Question 17

Even when the White House and Congress are controlled by the same party, roadblocks to the passage of legislation may be presented by the fact that each responds to different ___________, and not necessarily to party leadership, or each other:

Accepted Answer

Each branch of government responds to its own constituencies, which can lead to differing priorities and roadblocks in legislation, even within the same party.

Question 18

Federalism is a system of government in which the Constitution divides power between a central government and regional governments.

Accepted Answer

Federalism is indeed a system of government in which the Constitution divides power between a central government and regional governments.

Question 19

The framers of the Constitution reinforced the principle of federalism in the Bill of Rights.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The framers of the Constitution reinforced the...

Question 20

What does the state power of eminent domain, which allows for the taking of properties in exchange for fair compensation, require the land to be used for?

Accepted Answer

Eminent domain requires that the land taken must be used for a public purpose, ensuring that the property benefits the public or serves a public interest.

Quiz 3: Federalism and the Separation of Powers