Deck 3: Federalism: Forging a Nation

Question 1

The 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

A)was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2012.
B)initially had the support of nearly every single state.
C)was passed by strong bipartisan majorities.
D)is a voluntary program with no penalties for nonparticipation.
E)None of these answers are correct.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

The elastic clause is related to which of the following concepts?

A)enumerated powers
B)reserved powers
C)implied powers
D)concurrent powers
E)All of these answers are correct.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Sovereignty refers to

A)a government headed by a king.
B)a division of authority between the national government and the states.
C)supreme and final governing authority.
D)sub-national (state)governments.
E)None of these answers is correct.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following is a national power only?

A)law enforcement
B)intrastate commerce
C)borrowing money
D)transportation
E)national defense

Question 5

Which of the following is most closely related to the concept of implied powers?

A)necessary and proper clause
B)supremacy clause
C)Tenth Amendment
D)the commerce clause
E)the power to tax

Question 6

According to the Anti-Federalists,too strong of a national government meant

A)eventual encroachment upon the sovereignty of the states.
B)that a new constitutional convention would have to convene every few years.
C)that a monarchy was preferable to a republic.
D)that effective commerce between and among the states was an impossibility.
E)that slavery would be abolished immediately.

Question 7

In America today,public education is primarily the responsibility of

A)the national government.
B)state and local governments.
C)the National Education Association (NEA).
D)the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).
E)the U.S.Department of Education.

Question 8

Which of the following was an argument in favor of federalism at the time of the writing of the Constitution?

A)Federalism will protect liberty.
B)Federalism will force officials to be more responsive to the people.
C)Federalism will provide for a stronger national government than existed under the Articles of Confederation.
D)Federalism will be less likely to produce an all-dominant faction.
E)All of these answers are correct.

Question 9

The federal government's power to tax,regulate commerce among the states,and declare war are all examples of ________ powers.

A)reserved
B)enumerated
C)implied
D)concurrent
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 10

The enumerated powers in Article I of the Constitution were intended to

A)limit the powers of the state governments.
B)ensure that neither small nor large states would be at a disadvantage.
C)ensure that neither northern nor southern states would be at a disadvantage.
D)establish a government strong enough to forge a union that was secure in its defense and stable in its economy.
E)limit the power of the presidency.

Question 11

In 1787,most countries in the world had a(n)__________ form of government.

A)confederal
B)federal
C)unitary
D)democratic
E)theocratic

Question 12

The Constitution allows states to

A)raise an army in peacetime.
B)print money.
C)make commercial agreements with other states without the consent of Congress.
D)govern intrastate commerce.
E)govern interstate commerce.

Question 13

All the following countries have a unitary or modified unitary form of government EXCEPT

A)Canada.
B)Sweden.
C)France.
D)Japan.
E)Great Britain.

Question 14

Which of the following is almost exclusively a state power?

A)chartering banks
B)delivering mail
C)law enforcement
D)registering voters
E)loaning money

Question 15

The writers of the Constitution established a federal system of government in part because

A)the states already existed as established entities and had to be preserved.
B)few states in history had successfully established unitary governments.
C)Locke and Montesquieu had concluded it was superior to other systems of government.
D)the British political system was based on the federal principle.
E)the states would be valuable sources of revenue for a federal government.

Question 16

Which choice below describes the American change in governmental structure in 1787?

A)unitary to confederal
B)confederal to unitary
C)federal to unitary
D)confederal to federal
E)federal to confederal

Question 17

Which of the following is a concurrent power held by both the national government and state governments?

A)chartering local governments
B)issuing currency
C)taxation
D)foreign affairs
E)national defense

Question 18

________ opposed the ratification of the U.S.Constitution.

A)George Washington
B)Patrick Henry
C)James Madison
D)Benjamin Franklin
E)John Adams

Question 19

The Tenth Amendment addressed the concerns of Anti-Federalists about

A)individual freedoms.
B)the meaning of the commerce clause.
C)popular representation in Congress.
D)the powers of state governments.
E)the Electoral College.

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT an enumerated power?

A)public education
B)regulation of commerce
C)declaration of war
D)taxation
E)All of these answers are correct.

Question 21

During the Great Depression of the 1930s,the national government

A)provided vast sums to business firms to keep them out of bankruptcy.
B)provided health care to Americans on a temporary basis as a means of alleviating economic hardships.
C)asserted the power to regulate the nation's economy.
D)provided vast sums to the states so they could meet their citizens' welfare needs.
E)utilized laissez-faire capitalism in its policies.

Question 22

was marked by

A)congressional supremacy in the area of commerce.
B)state-government supremacy in the area of commerce.
C)presidential supremacy in the area of commerce.
D)business supremacy in the area of commerce.
E)national supremacy in the area of commerce.

Question 23

A public policy program on which national,state,and local policymakers collaborate is an example of

A)dual federalism.
B)cooperative federalism.
C)unitary federalism.
D)confederal federalism.
E)cosponsor federalism.

Question 24

Viewed in historical terms,federalism has been a

A)contentious and dynamic system that has adapted to the needs of the time.
B)theoretical principle,in that constitutional provisions for federalism have had virtually no impact on the relationship between the nation and the states.
C)flawed principle,in that the relationship between the nation and the states has been a constant source of problems without many positive benefits.
D)fixed principle,in that the relationship between the nation and states is almost completely defined by provisions of the Constitution.
E)poor replacement for the confederal system which existed before the Constitution.

Question 25

The "separate but equal" standard was created by

A)Congress.
B)the Supreme Court.
C)the state supreme court of Virginia.
D)President Ulysses S.Grant.
E)Justice John Marshall Harlan.

Question 26

National authority has greatly expanded in the twentieth century in large part because

A)the states and the federal government have become increasingly interdependent.
B)constitutional amendments have opened the way for wider application of national authority.
C)the state governments have shown themselves to be an ineffective level of government.
D)the Democrats have been in control of Congress for most of the century.
E)Americans like the idea of "big government."

Question 27

The only counterforce that was potentially strong enough to control the business trusts of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was

A)government.
B)the buying public.
C)organized labor.
D)business competitors.
E)farmers.

Question 28

In its 1954 Brown v.Board of Education decision,the Supreme Court gave the federal government more power in the area of

A)business regulation.
B)labor organizing.
C)environmental policy.
D)civil rights enforcement.
E)All of these answers are correct.

Question 29

Through its Dred Scott decision,the Supreme Court

A)ruled that "free land" made "free men."
B)upheld free blacks' rights of citizenship.
C)upheld the principles of the Missouri Compromise.
D)soothed sectarian tensions.
E)ruled that Congress could not outlaw slavery anywhere in the United States.

Question 30

What was the impact of the Industrial Revolution upon the concept of dual federalism?

A)It brought about the immediate end of the concept.
B)It created dominant business interests that raised questions about the suitability of dual federalism as a governing concept.
C)It had no impact at all upon the concept.
D)It led to passage of the Tenth Amendment.
E)It made the doctrine of nullification a political reality.

Question 31

The expansion of national authority in the twentieth century first became evident in this decade:

A)1930s.
B)1950s.
C)1960s.
D)1980s.
E)1990s.

Question 32

A blending of state and national authority is associated with ________ federalism,while a separation of national and state authority is associated with ________ federalism.

A)dual;fiscal
B)dual;cooperative
C)cooperative;dual
D)picket-fence;cooperative
E)cooperative;pyramid

Question 33

Dual federalism held that

A)the states were equal to the national government in all respects.
B)a precise separation of national and state authority was both possible and desirable.
C)national and state authority were indivisible.
D)the Senate and the House were equal in their federal authority.
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 34

McCulloch v.Maryland

A)ruled in favor of state-centered federalism.
B)asserted that the necessary and proper clause was a restriction on the power of the national government.
C)affirmed that national law is supreme to conflicting state law.
D)established the Supreme Court's power to judge constitutional issues.
E)allowed for a narrow reading of the Constitution.

Question 35

From President Abraham Lincoln's perspective,the decision to wage a civil war against the southern states is best summarized in what fashion?

A)States that allowed slavery were no longer sovereign.
B)The states were older than the union.
C)Southern states had abused the "reserved powers" amendment.
D)The union was older than the states.
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 36

,the Supreme Court ruled that

A)the doctrine of separate but equal was constitutional.
B)state regulation of labor practices violated firms' property rights.
C)the Fourth Amendment did not apply to interstate commerce.
D)factory practices could only be regulated by the states.
E)factory practices could only be regulated by the federal government.

Question 37

Which decision is indicative of how the Supreme Court interpreted the Fourteenth Amendment and state discretion in civil rights matters in the decades after the Civil War?

A)Brown v.Board of Education
B)the Dred Scott decision
C)Plessy v.Ferguson
D)McCulloch v.Maryland
E)Gibbons v.Ogden

Question 38

In key decisions early in the New Deal era,the Supreme Court

A)invalidated key pieces of FDR's New Deal legislation.
B)upheld FDR's "court-packing" proposal.
C)ruled that segregation violated the Fourteenth Amendment.
D)ruled that public accommodations were part of interstate commerce.
E)invalidated the commerce clause.

Question 39

At the worst depths of the Great Depression,approximately __ percent of workers were unemployed.

A)10
B)15
C)25
D)40
E)60

Question 40

Devolution is the

A)passing of authority from the national government to the state and local levels.
B)expansion of national authority that began in the 1930s.
C)contraction of state authority and the expansion of local government authority.
D)expansion of national authority that began in the 1960s.
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 41

In what decade did federal grants-in-aid NOT expand significantly?

A)1960s
B)1970s
C)1980s
D)1990s
E)2000s

Question 42

Political conservatives who favor more political power devolved back to the states would likely prefer which of the following?

A)categorical grants
B)block grants
C)Pell grants
D)higher tax rates for the wealthy
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 43

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

A)increased state control over health insurance.
B)decreased state control over health insurance.
C)had no significant impact on state control over health insurance.
D)ended government regulation of health insurance.
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 44

Describe the differences between a federal system of government and a unitary system.

Question 45

What did Newt Gingrich declare about federalism in 1994?

A)that government had moved too far away from the federalism of the early twentieth century
B)that power was beginning to swing back to the federal government
C)that the 1960s-style federalism was dead
D)that federalism was the only system that could preserve the power of the states
E)that the federal government had betrayed the promise of states' rights in the Constitution

Question 46

Roughly one in every ________ dollars spent by local and state governments in recent decades was raised not by them but by the government in Washington.

A)two
B)five
C)ten
D)fifty
E)one hundred

Question 47

States in which region receive more of their revenue from the federal government than do most other states?

A)the West
B)the Northeast
C)the Midwest
D)the South
E)the noncontiguous states of Alaska and Hawaii

Question 48

Beginning with the Articles of Confederation and continuing through the modern period,explain how the commerce power of the national government has related to the issue of national authority.

Question 49

The TANF aspect of the Welfare Reform Act

A)was a categorical grant that restricted federal assistance to three years but limited state discretion in how to use the funds.
B)was a block grant that,among other aspects,restricted federal assistance to five years.
C)was a categorical grant that placed no time restrictions on federal assistance but dramatically limited state discretion in how to use the funds.
D)was a block grant with no time or activity restrictions on how to use federal funds.
E)ended direct federal welfare assistance to the states in grants of any form.

Question 50

________ advocated a "new federalism."

A)President Ronald Reagan
B)President George W.Bush
C)President John Kennedy
D)President Lyndon Johnson
E)President Jimmy Carter

Question 51

From 1789 to 1865,the most significant issue of federalism was

A)the application of the Bill of Rights to action by the state governments.
B)whether the states would accept the lawful authority of the national government.
C)whether business trusts would be regulated primarily by the states or by the national government.
D)whether the states would respect the sovereignty of neighboring states.
E)laissez-faire capitalism.
Essay Questions

Question 52

If a state accepts a federal grant-in-aid,it must

A)comply with federal restrictions on its use.
B)reimburse the federal government after a specified period.
C)match the funds with twice that amount in state funds.
D)reduce its income tax rates to adjust for the increased income.
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 53

The No Child Left Behind Act

A)increased state authority over education policy but provided greater federal funds for education.
B)dramatically increased state authority over education policy.
C)was part of the reversal of the devolution movement.
D)was the last significant piece of legislation that contributed to devolution of authority to the states.
E)was the centerpiece to President George W.Bush's version of "new federalism."

Question 54

Which of the following statements is true?

A)The federal government raises roughly as much revenue from taxation as all state and local governments combined.
B)The federal government raises significantly more tax revenue than all state and local governments combined.
C)State and local governments combined raise twice as much revenue from taxation as the federal government.
D)State and local governments combined raise three times as much revenue from taxation as the federal government.
E)State and local governments combined raise six times as much revenue as the federal government.

Question 55

Starting in the 1990s,the Supreme Court has rolled back some of the power of the national government,basing its decisions primarily on interpretations of these two amendments:

A)First and Fourth.
B)First and Fourteenth.
C)Tenth and Fourteenth.
D)Eleventh and Fourteenth.
E)Tenth and Eleventh.

Question 56

________ is an illustration of cooperative federalism.

A)The U.S.Postal Service
B)Medicaid
C)A marriage license
D)A driver's license
E)All of these answers are correct.

Question 57

Federal grants-in-aid used only for a designated activity are called

A)categorical grants.
B)block grants.
C)revenue-sharing grants.
D)targeted grants.
E)streamlined grants.

Question 58

Fiscal federalism refers to the

A)coordinated fiscal policy decisions of the federal government and the states.
B)expenditure of federal funds on programs run in part through state and local governments.
C)national banking system first established by Alexander Hamilton in the 1790s.
D)fact that both the federal government and the states have the power to tax.
E)ability of the states to manipulate federal decision making.

Question 59

Explain the differences among enumerated,implied,and reserved powers.

Question 60

What did Reagan promote as part of his version of "new federalism"?

A)an increase in federal funding of state education initiatives
B)a reduction of the Supreme Court's role in determining the line between federal and state finance
C)the use of block grants over categorical grants
D)increased policy collaboration between states and the federal government
E)a reduction in federal enumerated powers

Question 61

Explain what is meant by fiscal federalism and describe how it has strengthened the authority of the federal government.