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block grants
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federal programs that provide funds to state and local governments for broad functional areas, such as criminal justice or mental-health programs
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categorical grants
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federal grants to states or local governments that are for specific programs and projects
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concurrent powers
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powers held jointly by the national and state governments
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confederal system
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a system consisting of a league of independent states, each having essentially sovereign powers; the central government created by such a league has only limited powers over the states (Ex: US (under Articles of Confederation) and EU)
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cooperative federalism
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a model federalism in which the states and the national government cooperate in solving problems
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devolution
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the transfer of powers from a national or central government to a state or local government
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dual federalism
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a model of federalism in which the states and the national government each remain supreme within their own spheres; the doctrine looks on national and state as co-equal sovereign powers; neither the state government nor the national government should interfere in the others sphere
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elastic clause (or necessary and proper clause)
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the clause in Article I, Section 8, that grants Congress the power to do whatever is necessary to execute its specifically delegated powers
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enumerated powers
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powers specifically granted to the national government by the Constitution; the first seventeen clauses of Article I, Section 8, specify most of the enumerated powers of the national government
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federal mandate
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a requirement in federal legislation that forces states and municipalities to comply with certain rules
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interstate compact
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an agreement between two or more states; agreements on minor matters are made without congressional consent, but any compact that tends to increase the power of the contracting states relative to other states or relative to the national government generally requires the consent of Congress
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picket-fence federalism
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a model of federalism in which specific programs and policies (depicted as vertical pickets in a picket fence) involve all levels of government–national, state, and local (depicted by the horizontal boards in the picket fence)
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police power
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the authority to legislate for the protection of the health, morals, safety, and welfare of the people; in the US, most of this is reserved to the states
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supremacy clause
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the constitutional provision that makes the Constitution and federal laws superior to all conflicting state and local laws
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unitary system
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a centralized governmental system in which ultimate governmental authority rests in the hands of the national, or central, government (Ex: France)
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Which government system is used most in the world today?
a) Unitary system
b) Confederate system
c) Federal system
d) Bicameral system
e) none of the above
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a) Unitary system
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In a unitary system of government, ultimate government authority is located
a) at the state or provincial level
b) at the local or municipal level
c) at the regional level
d) at the national or central level
e) both a and b
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d) at the national or central level
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All of the following are true of a confederation or confederation or confederate political system, EXCEPT that
a) a confederate system or confederation is opposite that of a unitary system
b) this was the form of government used in the U.S> under the Articles of Confederation
c) the central government has only those powers
d) it is the form of government used in the US today
e) states have most of the power than the central government
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d) it is the form of government used in the US today
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In a federal political system, authority is
a) always vested in a bicameral legislature
b) divided between the central government and regional or sub-divisional governments
c) bestowed upon the central government, with no power being granted to the regional governments
d) concentrated in a unicameral legislature within a strong central government
e) exercised by the national government only insofar as these powers are granted by the states
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b) divided between the central government and regional or sub-divisional governments
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Which of the following is not a defense of federalism?
a) Political experimentation can be used to see if policies are workable
b) The government is in closer contact with the people because of the role given to state governments
c) It allows for differences among the regions of the country
d) The national government has all the power so states play a small role
e) it is a better system or the US than a unitary system because of the size of the US
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d) The national government has all the power so states play a small role
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One of the arguments against federalism is
a) that state and local interests can block progress and impede national plans
b) the creation of a strong party system
c) the rigidity of the national government in confronting change
d) that it is difficult for governors to become president
e) all of the above
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a) that state and local interests can block progress and impede national plans
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Constitutional powers can be classified as
a) powers of the national government
b) powers of the states
c) prohibited powers
d) all of the above
e) none of the above
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d) all of the above
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The powers that the Constitution specifically lists as belonging to the federal government are
a) implied powers
b) enumerated or expressed powers
c) reserve powers
d) concurrent powers
e) in the necessary and proper clause
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b) enumerated or expressed powers
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The clause in the Constitution that grants Congress the power to do whatever is necessary to execute its enumerated or expressed powers is called
a) the elastic or necessary and proper clause
b) supremacy clause
c) concurrent clause
d) reserved powers clause
e) due process clause
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a) the elastic or necessary and proper clause
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Which powers belong only to the national government?
a) International treaties, setting up the postal service, and printing money
b) taxing, establishing courts, and international powers
c) reserved powers
d) regulating public schools, licenses, and divorces
e) declaring war and holding elections
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a) International treaties, setting up the postal service, and printing money
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Inherent powers derive from the fact that the US is a
a) democratic republic
b) confederation formed by state governments
c) sovereign power among nations
d) federal system
e) explicitly entitled by the Constitution to annex new territory
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c) sovereign power among nations
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The 10th Amendment states that the powers not delegated to the US by the Constitution, nor prohibited to the states by it, are
a) the sole authority of Congress
b) reserved to the central government
c) reserved to the states respectively, or to the people
d) the sole authority of the executive branch
e) subject to judicial review
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c) reserved to the states respectively, or to the people
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Powers held jointly by the national and state governments are called
a) cooperative powers
b) statutory powers
c) reserved powers
d) concurrent powers
e) inherent powers
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d) concurrent powers
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All of the following are true of concurrent powers EXCEPT that they
a) are those held by both the national and state governments
b) are expressly given to the national government
c) include the power to establish courts
d) include the power to make laws and punish lawbreakers
e) include the power to tax
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b) are expressly given to the national government
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States may not
a) liscence marriages
b) pass laws regulating contracts
c) make laws on divorce
d) make treaties with foreign nations
e) impose taxes on income
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d) make treaties with foreign nations
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Which two sets of powers do state governments have?
a) enumerated and expressed powers
b) reserved and concurrent powers
c) direct and inherent powers
d) expressed and implied
e) none of the above
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b) reserved and concurrent powers
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The supremacy clause of the Constitution means that
a) the original Constitution is superior to any amendment
b) the original states have a superior status when dealing with states created after 1789
c) states can’t use their reserved or concurrent powers to thwart national policies
d) Congress cannot pass legislation that would violate state laws or constitutions
e) treaties with foreign governments can’t overturn state laws
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c) states can’t use their reserved or concurrent powers to thwart national policies
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In their dealings with each other, each state is required to do all of the following EXCEPT
a) give full faith and credit to other states’ other states’ official acts
b) extend to citizens of other states the privileges and immunities of its own citizens
c) return persons fleeing from justice back to the state requests them
d) not set itself apart from the other states
e) refrain from making agreements that don’t include all fifty states
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e) refrain from making agreements that don’t include all fifty states
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An agreement between two or more states is
a) shared governance
b) an interstate compact
c) an intrastate treaty
d) a cooperative agreement
e) unconstitutional
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b) an interstate compact
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States may enter into agreements with each other if
a) Congress is required to consent and does so
b) all states in that region approve the compact
c) 3/4 of both states’ legislative bodies approve
d) a majority of the people in each state approves
e) all of the above
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a) Congress is required to consent and does so
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In the early years, most of the disputes over the boundaries of national versus state power involved
a) different interpretations of the inherent powers of the national government
b) the role of the national government in mediating disputes between the states
c) the ability of the states to enter into international treaties
d) the enforcement of the Bill of Rights
e) the necessary and proper clause and the powers of the national government to regulate interstate commerce
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e) the necessary and proper clause and the powers of the national government to regulate interstate commerce
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All of the following are true about the case of McCulloch v. Maryland EXCEPT that
a) the case dealt with the issue of implied powers of the federal government
b) one issue was whether the federal government could create a national bank
c) the decision allowed the federal to grow and expand
d) the decision upheld the right of the federal government to use the necessary and proper clause
e) the Supreme Court ruled the national government could only use its express powers
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e) the Supreme Court ruled the national government could only use its express powers
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All of the following are true in the case of Gibbons v. Odgen EXCEPT that
a) commerce was defined as all commercial intercourse, all business dealings
b) it allowed increasing national authority over economic affairs
c) it was decided that the power to regulate interstate commerce was an exclusive national power
d) the commerce clause did not allow the national government to exercise its power in state jurisdictions
e) the national government had the right to set up a national bank
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d) the commerce clause did not allow the national government to exercise its power in state jurisdictions
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The section of the Constitution in which Congress is given the authority to regulate trade among the states and with foreign countries is called the
a) oversight clause
b) commerce clause
c) supremacy clause
d) necessary and proper clause
e) interstate compact clause
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b) commerce clause
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All of the following are true of the cases Gibbons v. Odgen, and McCulloch v. Maryland EXCEPT that
a) only state governments can regulate commerce
b) commerce is defined as all business transactions
c) the power to regulate interstate commerce is an exclusive national power
d) the national government can use its implied powers to carry out its expressed powers
e) it allows the federal government to greatly expand its powers
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a) only state governments can regulate commerce
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The controversy that led to the Civil War was
a) the dispute over states’ rights and national supremacy
b) interstate commerce
c) the application of the Bill of Rights to the states
d) taxation
e) he admission of Texas into the union
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a) the dispute over states’ rights and national supremacy
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South Carolina tried to nullify a tariff to
a) assert the power of the state governments over the national government
b) indicate that a state should have the ultimate authority over its citizens
c) protect slavery
d) say that a tariff is a bad thing
e) both a and b
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e) both a and b
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Results of the Civil War included all of the following EXCEPT
a) the defeate of teh South permanently ended the idea that a state could claim the right to secede
b) an increase in political power of the national government
c) thousands of people hired to deal with social and economic problems that had to be handled in the aftermath of the war
d) new amendments to the Constitution
e) an increase in the South’s desire for states’ rights
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e) an increase in the South’s desire for states’ rights
|
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The Civil War amendments
a) abolished slavery
b) sought to guarantee equal rights under state laws
c) gave the right to vote to African Americans
d) defined who was a citizen of the US
e) all the above
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e) all the above
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The doctrine of dual federalism meant
a) an increase in the powers of the national government
b) a revival of states’ rights and a reduction in national power
c) continued wartime expansion of the North’s powers
d) allowing the national government to regulate state actions affecting African Americans
e) allowing the state and national governments to interfere in each other’s areas of influence
|
b) a revival of states’ rights and a reduction in national power
|
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In the civil War crisis, the Supreme Court
a) was drastically reduced in power
b) voted exclusively against the civil war
c) gained additional power, along with the rest of the national government
d) ruled that the initial plan of Congress to reconstruct the South was unconstitutional
e) none of the above
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a) was drastically reduced in power
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|
In 1895, the Supreme Court
a) was unable to reestablish its legitimacy
b) declared the national income tax to be unconstitutional
c) ruled that national child labor laws were unconstitutional
d) generally agreed that police power was a concurrent power
e) upheld the power of Congress to legislate under the commerce clause
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b) declared the national income tax to be unconstitutional
|
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All fo the following are true of the New Deal EXCEPT that
a) new federal laws regulating economic activity were introduced
b) new federal laws were struck down by the Supreme Court because they regulated intrastate commerce, not interstate commerce
c) the Supreme Court’s action caused Roosevelt to propose legislation that would allow him to choose more justices for the Court
d) after 1937 the Supreme Court continued to reject New Deal legislation
e) the commerce clause became an important tool for justifying the regulating of economics of the country
|
d) after 1937 the Supreme Court continued to reject New Deal legislation
|
|
The Supreme Court ceased to interfere with national legislation on the economy after
a) Congress threatened to impeach 2 of the most conservative justices
b) the death of Chief Justice Charles E. Hughes
c) both a and b
d) Roosevelt named 6 new justices to the Court
e) Roosevelt tried but failed to expand the Court by adding 6 new justices
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e) Roosevelt tried but failed to expand the Court by adding 6 new justices
|
|
All are true of federal grants EXCEPT that they
a) increased significantly during the 20th century
b) have been used for education, pollution, and highway construction
c) have quadrupled in the amount of dollars given by the national government
d) are given by the states for national projects
e) have given the national government a much greater role in state government
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d) are given by the states for national projects
|
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Categorical grants are
a) federal grants o state or local government for specific programs
b) emergency grants to states for unforeseen circumstances
c) a very recent form of national government support to school districts
d) unconstitutional because of separation of powers
e) none of the above
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a) federal grants o state or local government for specific programs
|
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Formula grants
a) are equivalent to program grants
b) dispense funds based on variables such as state population and need
c) are a relatively recent development
d) are unconstitutional
e) a, b, and c
|
b) dispense funds based on variables such as state population and need
|
|
A federal grant for a specific project or program is called a
a) project grant
b) block grant
c) community action grant
d) basic grant
e) categorical grant
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e) categorical grant
|
|
Federal mandates
a) have requirements in federal legislation that force states to comply with certain rules
b) use officials who are assistants to United States District Attorneys
c) have judicial officers whose positions were created by legislative action under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution
d) are given those powers that the Constitution reserves exclusively for the national government
e) are formula grants
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a) have requirements in federal legislation that force states to comply with certain rules
|
|
A federal grant that funds a general functional area with fewer restrictions on the states is a
a) matching grant
b) program grant
c) federal mandate
d) block grant
e) waiver
|
d) block grant
|
|
National authority has traditionally been preferred by
a) liberals
b) conservative
c) libertarians
d) those who are culturally conservative but economically liberal
e) the southern states
|
a) liberals
|
|
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
a) gave the states more control of their schools
b) established a school voucher system
c) increased the local school boards’ freedom in evaluating student achievement
d) increased federal control over education and educational learning
e) was enacted by Congress under Democratic President Bill Clinton
|
d) increased federal control over education and educational learning
|
|
In regard to federalism
a) conflicts between states and the federal government still are continuing
b) expansion of national authority has typically been an engine of social change
c) often stats’ rights has been used to support the status quo
d) all of the above
e) none of the above
|
d) all of the above
|
|
The United States Supreme Court
a) has the final say on constitutional issues
b) plays a significant role in determining the line between federal and state powers
c) has given increased emphasis to state powers under the 10th Amendment
d) all of the above
e) none of the above
|
d) all of the above
|
|
The Supreme Court
a) has been sending mixed signals in federalism cases
b) has changed some of its previous rulings about state and federal powers
c) has supported both the federal government and states in different rulings
d) all of the above
e) none of the above
|
d) all of the above
|
|
______ have traditionally opposed the increasing size and scope of the federal government
a) liberals
b) conservatives
c) libertarians
d) southern states
e) Individuals who are culturally conservative but economically liberal
|
b) conservatives
|
|
Since the 1990s, the Supreme Court’s decisions on federalism have
a) continued the precedents established by John Marshal in McCulloch v. Maryland and Gibbons v. Odgen
b) provided a broad interpretation of the commerce clause that justifies extensive national involvement in many areas
c) allowed the federal government to involve itself in areas that are primarily local in character
d) shown a willingness to allow the federal government to extend its power when it deals with sensitive areas such as gun control and violence against women
e) been establishing limits on the national government’s powers under the commerce clause
|
e) been establishing limits on the national government’s powers under the commerce clause
|
|
A bipartisan group of Senators have proposed comprehensive _______ reform
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immigration
|
