Question 1

Under the Articles of Confederation, states played a primary role in governing Americans, while the national government had very limited powers.

Accepted Answer

The Articles of Confederation gave most power to the states and had limited the power of the national government.

Question 2

In Plyler v. Doe, the Supreme Court held that Texas may not deny a free public education to the children of illegal aliens. How did the Court justify its decisions?
A) The statute lacked a rational basis.
B) Alienage is a suspect classification and Texas could not show it had a compelling interest.
C) Education is a fundamental right and Texas could not show that the statute was narrowly tailored.
D) The Court held for the aliens on procedural grounds.
E) The Court found that funding for schools came from both the state and federal governments and it was based on the number of students enrolled.

Accepted Answer

The Court justified its decision by stating that the Texas statute lacked a rational basis, as it did not further a substantial state interest and imposed a discriminatory burden on the children of illegal aliens.

Question 3

In the Brown v. Board of Education case, segregated school districts were ordered to
A) double the funding for African American integrated schools.
B) desegregate their schools within the next 10 years.
C) desegregate their schools with all deliberate speed.
D) appoint a commission to study the Texas school system and make recommendations to the governor.
E) redraw school district lines to improve funding for all schools on a more equitable basis.

Accepted Answer

The Brown v. Board of Education case ordered segregated school districts to desegregate their schools with all deliberate speed, meaning they were to do so as quickly as possible. This ruling was a major step towards ending segregation in education in the United States.

Question 4

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
E) utopian

Accepted Answer

Coercive federalism refers to a system where the federal government uses its power and authority to force states to comply with its policy goals, often using conditions attached to grants or funding as leverage. This can be seen as intrusive and controlling, leading to criticisms that it undermines the principle of state sovereignty and limits the ability of states to pursue their own policies.

Question 5

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

South Carolina did attempt to nullify federal tariffs in 1832, but the Nullification Crisis did not relate to FDR's New Deal programs, which were implemented more than 80 years later during the Great Depression.

Question 6

Federal laws provide the regulation for birth, death, marriage, divorce, and most crime and punishment.

Accepted Answer

Federal laws in the United States do not primarily regulate birth, death, marriage, and divorce; these are typically governed by state laws. Federal laws mainly address issues that cross state lines or national concerns, such as immigration, federal crimes, and interstate commerce.

Question 7

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.
E) doctrine of eminent domain.

Accepted Answer

The Plessy v. Ferguson case was a Supreme Court decision in 1896 that upheld the "separate but equal" doctrine, which meant that racial segregation was legal as long as the separate facilities provided for Blacks were deemed equal to those provided for Whites. This doctrine was later overturned by the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.

Question 8

Until a national database was created, background checks 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.
E) Wickard v. Filburn.

Accepted Answer

In Printz v. United States (1997), the Supreme Court struck down a provision of the Brady Act that required local law enforcement officers to conduct background checks on handgun purchasers. The Court held that this provision violated the Tenth Amendment by commandeering state and local officers to perform federal functions. As a result of this decision, the background checks were suspended until a national database could be created to perform them.

Question 9

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 in 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 only limits that the federal government need obey are ones that it establishes for itself.
E) despite temporarily sacrificing certain powers to the federal government, the state governments remain sovereign entities.

Accepted Answer

The supremacy clause establishes that in cases where there is a conflict between federal and state laws, the federal law will prevail and be the ultimate authority. This is because the Constitution establishes the federal government as the supreme law of the land, and therefore, its laws take precedence over state laws in matters within the national domain.

Question 10

The Constitution was created out of a fear of disunity.

Accepted Answer

The Constitution was created to replace the Articles of Confederation, which had been ineffective in bringing unity to the newly formed United States. The framers of the Constitution wanted to create a more centralized government that could effectively address issues facing the country and prevent disunity among the states.

Question 11

The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Plessy v. Ferguson in
A) Gilmer v. Aikin.
B) San Antonio v. Rodriguez.
C) Edgewood ISD v. Kirby.
D) Roe v. Wade.
E) Brown v. Board of Education.

Accepted Answer

Brown v. Board of Education was the landmark case in 1954 that overturned Plessy v. Ferguson's "separate but equal" doctrine, stating that segregation in public schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

Question 12

Which of the following theories about the applicability of the Bill of Rights to the states can be said to have emerged victorious?
A) the "No Incorporation" theory
B) the "Selective Incorporation" theory
C) the "Total Incorporation" theory
D) the "Total Incorporation Plus" theory
E) the "Partial Incorporation" theory

Accepted Answer

The Selective Incorporation theory emerged victorious, which holds that the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment incorporates some, but not all, of the protections in the Bill of Rights and applies them to the states. This has been the prevailing view of the Supreme Court since the mid-20th century.

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

The Great Depression caused widespread economic hardship and poverty, which led many Americans to support the New Deal policies of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, aimed at stimulating economic growth and providing relief to those in need.

Question 14

A federal program that gives a state government federal funds to address a specific need but gives the state wide latitude in deciding how the funds will be spent is known as a(n)
A) categorical grant.
B) block grant.
C) program grant.
D) formula grant.
E) unfunded mandate.

Accepted Answer

A block grant is a federal program that gives a state government federal funds to address a specific need but gives the state wide latitude in deciding how the funds will be spent. Categorical grants have more restrictions on how the funds can be used, program grants are specific to a particular program, and formula grants have a set formula for distributing funds based on specific criteria. Unfunded mandates do not provide any funding and simply require states or localities to comply with certain regulations or requirements.

Question 15

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 new U.S. Constitution did allow for both the federal and state governments to retain sovereignty, as it created a system of government with checks and balances and a division of powers between the two levels of government.

Question 16

In general, Governor Perry's position on Obamacare
A) is that it is an unconstitutional, overly broad exercise of Congress' power to regulate interstate commerce.
B) is that it is fully supported under the interstate commerce clause.
C) is that it is justified under the precedent set in Wickard v. Filburn (1942).
D) is that it can be properly defended under the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
E) remains unclear, as Governor Perry generally takes a pragmatic approach to social legislation and withholds judgment, depending upon the program's effectiveness.

Accepted Answer

Governor Perry has been a vocal critic of Obamacare and has repeatedly stated that it is an unconstitutional exercise of federal power. He has argued that the interstate commerce clause is being used as a justification for federal overreach and has called for its repeal.

Question 17

________ 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
E) Intermediate standard of review

Accepted Answer

Independent state grounds are specific provisions in state constitutions that provide additional protections to citizens in that state. These protections can go beyond those provided by the U.S. Constitution or federal law. This means that states can create and enforce laws that protect their citizens beyond what is guaranteed federally.

Question 18

Which of the following requires state governments to spend their own money to meet standards imposed on them by the federal government?
A) categorical grants
B) block grants
C) program grants
D) formula grants
E) unfunded mandates

Accepted Answer

Unfunded mandates are requirements imposed on state or local governments by the federal government without accompanying funding. This means that state governments are forced to spend their own money in order to comply with federal standards.

Question 19

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, and through the incorporation doctrine, this prohibition has been applied to the states. The Tenth Amendment reserves powers not delegated to the federal government to the states or the people.

Question 20

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
A) invalidated the state-imposed racial segregation in Texas.
B) validated the election of State Board of Education members.
C) overturned the Brown v. Board of Education U.S. Supreme Court case of 1954.
D) was reinforced by Edgewood ISD v. Kirby.
E) validated the Texas state-imposed racial segregation in public schools.

Accepted Answer

Plessy v. Ferguson upheld the constitutionality of segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine, which allowed states to legally segregate public facilities such as schools, transportation, and housing. This decision helped to validate the Texas state-imposed racial segregation in public schools.

Quiz 3: Texas in the Federal System

Under the Articles of Confederation, states played a primary role in governing Americans, while the national government had very limited powers.

In Plyler v. Doe, the Supreme Court held that Texas may not deny a free public education to the children of illegal aliens. How did the Court justify its decisions?

In the Brown v. Board of Education case, segregated school districts were ordered to

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.

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

Federal laws provide the regulation for birth, death, marriage, divorce, and most crime and punishment.

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

Until a national database was created, background checks under the Brady Act were Suspended following the Supreme Court's ruling in

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

The Constitution was created out of a fear of disunity.

The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Plessy v. Ferguson in

Which of the following theories about the applicability of the Bill of Rights to the states can be said to have emerged victorious?

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

A federal program that gives a state government federal funds to address a specific need but gives the state wide latitude in deciding how the funds will be spent is known as a(n)

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.

In general, Governor Perry's position on Obamacare

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

Which of the following requires state governments to spend their own money to meet standards imposed on them by the federal government?

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

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)