Question 1

President Johnson sought to hand over powers to the states using creative federalism.

Accepted Answer

Creative federalism was associated with President Lyndon B. Johnson's administration, but it aimed to expand the power of the federal government, not hand over powers to the states. It was part of his Great Society program to address issues of poverty and civil rights.

Question 2

Categorical grants are a form of financial aid from one level of government to another to be used for a narrowly defined purpose.

Accepted Answer

Categorical grants are targeted funds given by one level of government to another for specific purposes such as education, transportation, or healthcare.

Question 3

Devolution involves delegating power and programs from the federal to state and local governments.

Accepted Answer

Devolution involves transferring power and responsibilities from the federal government to state and local governments. This can include programs, functions, and authority in areas like education, healthcare, housing, and transportation. The intent is to give states and localities more flexibility in addressing specific needs and priorities within their communities.

Question 4

The model of federalism currently in use is considered new federalism.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The model of federalism currently in use...

Question 5

Block grants are a form of financial aid from one level of government to another for use in a broad, functional area.

Accepted Answer

This is an accurate definition of block grants. They provide funding from the federal government to state or local governments for a specific policy area, such as healthcare or education. The recipient governments have greater flexibility in how they allocate the funds than they would with categorical grants, which are much more restricted in their use.

Question 6

Congress tried to resolve the unfunded mandate issue through the Unfunded Mandate Reform Act of 1995, which stated that any bill imposing a mandate of more than $50 million on a state or local government must include a cost estimate.

Accepted Answer

The Unfunded Mandate Reform Act of 1995 did indeed state that any bill imposing a mandate of more than $50 million on a state or local government must include a cost estimate in order to address the issue of unfunded mandates.

Question 7

The commerce clause allows Congress to regulate commercial activities as long as the activities are involved in intrastate commerce.

Accepted Answer

The commerce clause allows Congress to regulate activities that have a substantial effect on interstate commerce, which can include some activities involved in intrastate commerce. However, it is not limited to intrastate commerce.

Question 8

The Ninth Amendment reserves to the states all powers not specifically granted to the national government or prohibited to the states.

Accepted Answer

The Ninth Amendment reserves to the people rights not specifically granted to the national government or prohibited to the states. It does not address the division of powers between the national government and states. That is addressed in the Tenth Amendment.

Question 9

The metaphor for dual federalism is that of a layer cake, with two separate colored layers, one on top of the other.

Accepted Answer

The metaphor for dual federalism is indeed that of a layer cake, with two separate colored layers, one on top of the other, representing the clear separation of powers between the federal and state governments.

Question 10

In McCulloch v. Maryland, the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution contained implied powers.

Accepted Answer

In McCulloch v. Maryland, the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution contained implied powers, particularly through the necessary and proper clause.

Question 11

The Supreme Court interpretations of the necessary and proper clause of the Constitution have allowed Congress to enact a great many laws that stretch the phrase necessary and proper beyond its logical limits.

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court has interpreted the necessary and proper clause broadly, allowing Congress to pass laws that go beyond a narrow interpretation of what is "necessary and proper." This has allowed for the expansion of federal power in areas such as commerce, taxation, and regulation.

Question 12

The principle of preemption holds that state laws take precedence over national laws.

Accepted Answer

The principle of preemption holds that national laws take precedence over state laws. This means that if there is a conflict between state and federal law, federal law supersedes state law.

Question 13

Currently, the principal tool for transferring money from the national to the state and local governments is the grant-in-aid.

Accepted Answer

Grant-in-aid is the principal tool for transferring money from the national to the state and local governments. It includes grants, subsidies, and other forms of financial assistance given by the central government to the state and local governments to fund specific programs or services.

Question 14

The Sixteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gave the federal government the power to levy a national income tax.

Accepted Answer

The Sixteenth Amendment, ratified in 1913, gave the federal government the authority to impose an income tax on all Americans.

Question 15

Creative federalism was devised by President Johnson to promote his vision of a Great Society.

Accepted Answer

Creative federalism was indeed devised by President Johnson as a way to implement his Great Society programs, which aimed to improve social welfare and tackle issues related to civil rights, poverty, education, and healthcare, among others. Creative federalism involved the use of federal funding, incentives, and regulations to encourage state and local governments to participate in and adapt to the federal agenda, while also giving them greater flexibility and discretion in their policymaking and implementation. This approach represented a shift from the cooperative federalism model of the past, which relied more on direct federal intervention and control, to a more cooperative and collaborative form of federalism that emphasized shared responsibility and innovation.

Question 16

Discuss how powers and responsibilities are divided among levels of government in unitary, confederate, and federal systems of government.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss how powers and responsibilities are divided...

Question 17

Compact theory has had little impact on the states' rights arguments.

Accepted Answer

Compact theory is often cited as a basis for the states' rights arguments, particularly in relation to the ability of states to nullify federal laws. However, the concept of compact theory has been largely rejected by the Supreme Court and has not been influential in shaping modern states' rights arguments. Instead, other legal theories and doctrines, such as federalism and the Tenth Amendment, have been used to advance states' rights arguments.

Question 18

The Seventeenth Amendment grants the national government the power to levy income taxes.

Accepted Answer

The Seventeenth Amendment (passed in 1913) actually deals with the direct election of US Senators, not income taxes. The power to levy income taxes was granted by the Sixteenth Amendment (also passed in 1913).

Question 19

Decriminalizing medical marijuana, which allows physicians to prescribe modest use of marijuana for the treatment of various medical conditions, is an example of a federalism issue.

Accepted Answer

Federalism issues involve the division of power between the federal government and state governments. Decriminalizing medical marijuana is an example of a federalism issue because it involves state laws that contradict federal laws related to marijuana. States have been able to pass their own medical marijuana laws because of the constitutional principle of federalism, which allows them to have some autonomy in governing their own citizens.

Question 20

State and local governments depend on federal grants for about 38 percent of their revenues.

Accepted Answer

State and local governments do depend on federal grants for about 38 percent of their revenues.

Quiz 2: Federalism and the States