Question 1

How has the Constitution balanced the need for government to take effective action with the need to prevent abuse arising from an excessive concentration of power?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How has the Constitution balanced the need...

Question 2

How do federalism and the separation of powers limit the power of the national government?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How do federalism and the separation of...

Question 3

An older type of federal grant, in which statistical criteria are used to determine how much funding that a state or local government will receive, is the ___________ grant.

Accepted Answer

A)  project 
B)  formula 
C)  entitlement 
D)  community redevelopment

Question 4

The Tenth Amendment to the U.S.Constitution states that the powers the Constitution does not delegate to the national government are:

Accepted Answer

A)  reserved to the states or to the people. 
B)  reserved for county and municipal governments. 
C)  left to bargaining for control between states and the national government. 
D)  to be exercised only through specific legislation passed by Congress.

Question 5

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

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

The power delegated by the state to a local unit of government, typically a larger city, to manage its own affairs is called:

Accepted Answer

A)  home rule. 
B)  a municipal charter. 
C)  a corporate charter. 
D)  local autonomy.

Question 7

Separation of powers means that there is a clear decision-making hierarchy within the national government.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

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

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

Which clause in the Constitution prevents a state such as Florida from prohibiting legal residents of other states from buying property in Florida?

Accepted Answer

A)  commerce clause 
B)  supremacy clause 
C)  full faith and credit clause 
D)  comity, or privileges and immunities clause

Question 10

Explain the trade-offs that exist between concentrating power in the hands of the federal government and dispersing power across the 50 states.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain the trade-offs that exist between concentrating...

Question 11

A system of government in which fundamental governmental powers are shared between the federal and state governments and in which the states exercise the most important powers is known as:

Accepted Answer

A)  a confederacy. 
B)  bicameralism. 
C)  dual federalism. 
D)  marble cake federalism.

Question 12

What is the rationale behind the strategy of building checks and balances into the Constitution? Give examples of some of the most important checks.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the rationale behind the strategy...

Question 13

Which term describes the division of powers and functions between national and state governments?

Accepted Answer

A)  Parallelism 
B)  Checks and balances 
C)  Separation of powers 
D)  Federalism

Question 14

Judicial review of acts of Congress or the president are:

Accepted Answer

A)  a regular part of the policymaking process, coming before signed bills go into effect. 
B)  relatively rare, something especially true with presidential actions, where deference to the executive is traditional and expected. 
C)  relatively rare and only exercised in cases that go before federal courts, especially the Supreme Court. 
D)  relatively uncommon now, given increased judicial respect for the concepts of executive privilege and legislative supremacy.

Question 15

Over the course of American history, how has the Supreme Court interpreted the commerce clause of the Constitution when making decisions concerning the power of the national government relative to state governments?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Over the course of American history, how...

Question 16

In Gibbons v.Ogden, the Supreme Court held unconstitutional, under _______________, New York state's granting of a monopoly for steamboat service on the Hudson River, which passes through New York and New Jersey.

Accepted Answer

A)  the privileges and immunities clause 
B)  the commerce clause 
C)  the necessary and proper clause 
D)  the Tenth Amendment

Question 17

A kind of bribe, or "carrot," that Congress gives in the form of money to state and local governments with the condition that the money will be spent for a particular purpose as designed by Congress is called a:

Accepted Answer

A)  grant-in-aid. 
B)  funded mandate. 
C)  conditional subsidy. 
D)  block payment.

Question 18

In addition to the expressed powers granted to the federal government, which powers are derived from a broad interpretation of delegated powers?

Accepted Answer

A)  Implied powers 
B)  Essential powers 
C)  Expressed powers 
D)  Numerated powers

Question 19

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

A)  One-party government results in more effective use of the Constitution's checks and balance system, and thus better policies. 
B)  It suggests that the overwhelming influence that corporate and affluent interests have over American elected officials supercedes party differences. 
C)  It suggests that major pieces of legislation are more likely-although still not guaranteed-to pass when one party controls the White House and Congress, as contrasted with greater likelihood of gridlock in divided government eras. 
D)  Tax cuts are popular and thus easier to pass, no matter what party is in charge of either the White House or Congress.

Exam 3: Federalism and the Separation of Powers

How has the Constitution balanced the need for government to take effective action with the need to prevent abuse arising from an excessive concentration of power?

How do federalism and the separation of powers limit the power of the national government?

An older type of federal grant, in which statistical criteria are used to determine how much funding that a state or local government will receive, is the ___________ grant.

The Tenth Amendment to the U.S.Constitution states that the powers the Constitution does not delegate to the national government are:

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

The power delegated by the state to a local unit of government, typically a larger city, to manage its own affairs is called:

Separation of powers means that there is a clear decision-making hierarchy within the national government.

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

Which clause in the Constitution prevents a state such as Florida from prohibiting legal residents of other states from buying property in Florida?

Explain the trade-offs that exist between concentrating power in the hands of the federal government and dispersing power across the 50 states.

A system of government in which fundamental governmental powers are shared between the federal and state governments and in which the states exercise the most important powers is known as:

What is the rationale behind the strategy of building checks and balances into the Constitution? Give examples of some of the most important checks.

Which term describes the division of powers and functions between national and state governments?

Judicial review of acts of Congress or the president are:

Over the course of American history, how has the Supreme Court interpreted the commerce clause of the Constitution when making decisions concerning the power of the national government relative to state governments?

In Gibbons v.Ogden, the Supreme Court held unconstitutional, under _______________, New York state's granting of a monopoly for steamboat service on the Hudson River, which passes through New York and New Jersey.

A kind of bribe, or "carrot," that Congress gives in the form of money to state and local governments with the condition that the money will be spent for a particular purpose as designed by Congress is called a:

In addition to the expressed powers granted to the federal government, which powers are derived from a broad interpretation of delegated powers?