Chapter 3: Multiple Choice Questions
With the benefit of your textbook and the Internet resources, study the following questions for the test.
1. The 10th Amendment states that the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are
A. the sole
authority of Congress.
B. reserved to the central government.
C. reserved to the states, or the people.
D. the sole authority of the executive branch.
2. Of the different ways of ordering relations between central governments and local units, the most popular method is
A. a unitary
system.
B. a confederal system.
C. a federal system
D. a bicameral system.
3. Of about 200 countries in the world,
A. the most common
political system is a unitary system.
B. the most common political system is a federal system.
C. the most common political system is a confederal system.
D. both b and c.
4. What kind of grant-in-aid allows the recipient of the grant the least independence in determining how the money will be spent?
A. Revenue sharing
B. Categorical grant
C. Block grant
D. None of the above
5. What event is most closely associated with the federal government assuming its greatest power?
A. The
Revolutionary War
B. The Civil War
C. The Great Depression
D. The Vietnam War
6. In 1857, the
Supreme Court ruled that slaves were not citizens, but property, in the case,
A. McCulloch v. Maryland.
B. Plessy v. Ferguson.
C. Gibbons v. Ogden.
D. Dred Scott v. Sandford.
7. The era of
dual federalism ended with the
A. Civil War.
B. Great Depression.
C. Sherman Anti-Trust Act.
D. passage of the 14th Amendment.
8. In the 1930s,
the era of dual federalism came to an end with the Great Depression. This crisis led to
A. a variety of innovative programs to combat unemployment.
B. a whole new ideology of government.
C. an increase in federal power.
D. all of the above.
9. During the
early years of the 'New Deal,' the Supreme Court
A. ruled many programs unconstitutional.
B. continued to enforce the supremacy clause, thus ruling New Deal programs
constitutional.
C. cooperated with the administration to combat the depression.
D. worked in favor of programs designed to combat the crisis.
10. During the
early years of the 'New Deal,' the attitude of the Supreme Court towards federal economic
intervention could be characterized as
A. reluctant.
B. laissez-faire.
C. interventionist.
D. activist.
11. In response to
the Supreme Court's opposition to many New Deal programs, FDR suggested
A. impeaching the entire Supreme Court.
B. reducing the pay of sitting Supreme Court justices.
C. increasing the number of justices from nine to thirteen.
D. all of the above.
12. New Deal
programs led to an era of federalism often referred to as __________ federalism.
A. dual
B. weak
C. layer-cake
D. cooperative
13. Cooperative
federalism is characterized by
A. a stronger, more influential national government.
B. stronger state governments.
C. a shift in power from the national to state governments.
D. increasing power of local governments.
14. The first true
federal grant program funded
A. roads and bridges.
B. welfare and pension payments.
C. land-grant colleges.
D. all of the above.
15. Federal grant
programs often have the effect of
A. reducing the power of the national government to influence state use of funds.
B. making it easier for the federal government to impose national goals on the states.
C. giving federal powers to the states with few strings attached.
D. forcing states to decline funding.
16. In 1964, the
Johnson administration launched a broad attempt to combat social ills called
A. the New Deal.
B. revenue sharing.
C. categorical grants.
D. the Great Society.
17. By 1970,
federal grants accounted for __________ percent of all state and local spending.
A. 20
B. 30
C. 40
D. 50
18. Programs
passed by Congress requiring state compliance that come with no appropriated funds are
called
A. unconstitutional.
B. federal block rules.
C. unfunded mandates.
D. unappropriated legislation.
19. President
Reagan preferred less restrictive funding to state and local governments called __________
grants.
A. creative
B. categorical
C. intergovernmental
D. block
20. Programs to
channel federal monies to the states with 'no strings attached' are known as
A. categorical grants.
B. block grants.
C. preemption.
D. grants-in-aid.
21. In a country administered under a UNITARY STATE system of government:
A. the national
government has only those powers delegated to it by the regional governments.
B. the national and regional governments have separate and distinct powers.
C. the national government has complete control over regional government.
D. the regional governments can overrule the decisions of the national government.
22. Federal courts created the doctrine of DUAL FEDERALISM in order to:
A. increase the
powers of the federal government.
B. increase the powers of state governments.
C. distinguish between the powers of the federal and state governments.
D. equalize the power between the federal and state governments.
23. In a federal political system, power is
A. always vested
in a bicameral legislature.
B. shared between the central government and constituent governments.
C. bestowed in the central government, with no power being granted to constituent
government.
D. concentrated in a unicameral legislature within a strong central government.
24. The concept of horizontal federalism deals with
A. relationships
between the national government and state governments.
B. relationships between state governments.
C. relationships between state government and the local or county governments.
D. relationships between the national government and other democratic governments.
25. States may not
A. license
marriages.
B. regulate sale of liquor.
C. license occupations.
D. make treaties with foreign nations.
26. The privileges and immunities clause of the Constitution means
A. elected
officials of the national government cannot be tried by state governments.
B. elected officials of state government cannot be tried by the national government.
C. a citizen of one state cannot be treated as an alien in another state.
D. a citizen of another country cannot be treated as an alien in any state.
27. A league of independent states in which the central government handles only those matters of common concern EXPRESSLY delegated to it is referred to as a
A. federal system.
B. confederal system.
C. unitary system.
D. democratic system.
28. The state of Maryland imposed a tax on the Bank of the United States because
A. individuals
were not being taxed on their money by the national government.
B. the Bank of the United States was the only bank in Maryland.
C. Maryland taxed all banks at that time.
D. it feared an extension of centralized political power.
29. Unitary systems:
A. Have only one
branch of government.
B. have only one house in the national legislature.
C. do not have an independent judiciary.
D. do not have independent state governments.
30. The purposes of federal grants are to:
A. supply state
and local governments with revenue.
B. equalize resources among states.
C. attack major problems with a minimum growth in federal agencies.
D. all of the above.
31. The implied powers of the national government
A. are limited by
the decisions of state governments.
B. are delegated in Article II, section 6.
C. give elasticity to our constitutional system.
D. restricts Congress from passing legislation that is not specifically delegated in the
Constitution.
32. What is the constitutional basis for Congress's implied powers?
A. The concept of
checks and balances
B. The necessary and proper clause
C. the doctrine of separation of powers
D. The supremacy clause
33. This is not the state power according to the 10th amendment:
A. conduct
elections
B. determine qualifications of voters
C. establish local government
D. making treaties
E. provide public safety
34. To which government does eminent domain apply?
A. only federal
B. only state
C. both federal and state
D. neither federal nor state
35. Which amendments to the U.S. Constitution limited State sovereignty?
A. 14th Amendment
B. 16th Amendment
C. 24th Amendment
D. A & B
E. All of the above
36. Federal government obligations to states include all of the following except
A. provide
security
B. organize and hold elections for state office
C. respect territorial integrity
D. protect against domestic violence
E. guarantee a republican form of government
37. Which of the
following nations is governed by a unitary system of government?
a. Switzerland
b. India
c. Germany
d. Britain
e. Newfoundland
38. The concept of
dual federalism prevailed in the United States until the administration of
a. Richard Nixon
b. Lyndon Johnson
c. Franklin D. Roosevelt
d. Ronald Reagan
e. Bill Clinton
39 Which of the following is an example of a concurrent power?
a. the power to coin money
b. the power to tax
c. the power to make treaties
d. all of the above
e. none of the above
40 Which institution serves as an arbiter or umpire in questions of state versus national
power?
a. Congress
b. the presidency
c. the Supreme Court
d. the Federal Arbitration Commission
e. the National Association of Governors
41. In addition to the doctrine of implied powers, Chief Justice Marshall, in his decision
in the Supreme Court case of McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), established the key concept of
a. national supremacy
b. regulatory federalism
c. revenue sharing
d. inherent powers
e. "separate by equal" doctrine
42. Much of the growth of big government and of federal social welfare programs took place
during the New Deal in the 1930s and during the administration of
a. Dwight D. Eisenhower
b. Lyndon Johnson
c. Richard Nixon
d. Ronald Reagan
e. FDR
43. The case of
New Jersey v. New York (1999) is important because it
A. is an example of the Court interpretation of the Commerce Clause.
B. is an example of the Court interpretation of the Full Faith and Credit Clause.
C. illustrates the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.
D. illustrates the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.
44. The Framers
created the federal system in order to
A. preserve power for the elite in society.
B. establish a more democratic political system that was also efficient.
C. establish a powerful central government and minimize the authority of state and local
governments.
D. prevent tyranny by dividing the powers of government.
45. Federalism
refers to a
A. relationship between the national and state governments.
B. relationship among the state governments.
C. political system in which power is vested in the national government.
D. political system in which power is vested in the state governments.
46. Under the
Constitution, national and state governments are
A. totally autonomous.
B. endowed with exclusively separate powers.
C. accountable to the people.
D. inherently separate spheres of government.
47. The supremacy
clause is found in
A. the Declaration of Independence.
B. the Preamble.
C. Article II.
D. Article VI.
48. The meaning of
the supremacy clause has been
A. clear and explicit.
B. unambiguous.
C. changed by Congress.
D. continuously reinterpreted.
49. In situations
of conflict between state and national law, national law prevails due to
A. federalism.
B. the supremacy clause.
C. the Tenth Amendment.
D. full faith and credit.
50. The new
Constitution clearly established the federal government's right to tax in order to
A. avoid the financial problems of the Articles of Confederation.
B. diminish the powers of the state governments.
C. establish a unitary system of government.
D. maintain one of the strengths of the Articles of Confederation.
51. Suffrage
rights are constitutionally determined by
A. the Tenth Amendment.
B. state governments.
C. the federal government.
D. Congress.
52. Among the
concurrent powers of the U.S. system are
A. taxation.
B. coining money.
C. establish courts.
D. all of the above
53. Article I,
section 8 gives Congress the power to pass all laws "necessary and proper" to
carrying out its enumerated powers. This clause is also known as the
A. enumerated powers clause.
B. reserve powers clause.
C. elastic clause.
D. full faith and credit clause.
54. The
Constitution has a long list of federal powers, but few powers are listed for the states.
This is because
A. the Framers thought the federal government was more important and should be more
powerful.
B. states were designed to be subordinate to the federal government.
C. there was consensus on what the powers of the federal government should be, but not on
the powers of the states.
D. states had all the power at the writing of the Constitution and a list was deemed
unnecessary.
55. The Tenth
Amendment provides for
A. states' reserve or police powers.
B. implied power.
C. concurrent powers.
D. all of the above.
56. In addition to
granting certain powers to state and national government, Article I also denies some
powers to those governments, for example,
A. bills of attainder.
B. entering into compacts with other states.
C. ex post facto laws.
D. all of the above.
57. A law
declaring an act illegal without a judicial trial is called a(n)
A. bill of attainder.
B. ex post facto law.
C. habeas corpus act.
D. ex officio law.
58. The clause
that ensures that judicial decrees and contracts made in one state will be binding and
enforceable in another is called the __________ clause.
A. privileges and immunities
B. full faith and credit
C. bill of attainder
D. supremacy
59. The first
major federalism decision by the Marshall Court was
A. Marbury v. Madison.
B. Gibbons v. Ogden.
C. McCulloch v. Maryland.
D. New York v. Hunter's Lessee.
60. In McCulloch
v. Maryland (1816), the Supreme Court ruled that
A. Congress had the power to charter a bank due to the necessary and proper clause.
B. states had the power to tax creations of Congress due to concurrent powers.
C. the commerce clause allowed Congress to charter a bank.
D. the supremacy clause did not apply.
61. Gibbons v.
Ogden (1824) addressed the important question of
A. Congressional ability to charter a national bank.
B. the scope of Congressional authority under the commerce clause.
C. taxation powers.
D. the supremacy clause.
62. The doctrine,
applied by the Taney Court, that the national government should not exceed its enumerated
powers is called
A. full faith and credit doctrine.
B. doctrine of implied powers.
C. confederalism.
D. dual federalism.
63. During the
Taney Court, the Court articulated the notion of
A. concurrent powers.
B. implied powers.
C. federal powers.
D. cooperative powers.
64. The Supreme
Court ruled in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) that
A. separate but equal was inherently unconstitutional.
B. the states had very limited police powers under the Tenth Amendment.
C. racial segregation was constitutional.
D. states could not protect the general welfare of their citizens.
65. The nature of
federalism was changed forever by
A. Chief Justice Rutledge.
B. the Civil War.
C. Missouri v. Department of Interior.
D. Gibbons v. Ogden.
66. "Dual federalism" is the practice of
A. allowing state
governments to compete aggressively with each other for federal funds.
B. allowing the states and the federal government to separately exercise power in areas of
legitimate concern to them.
C. close cooperations between the states and the federal government.
D. continually increasing the power of the federal government.
67. In a confederal political system the central governing unit
A. has total power
over state governments.
B. has total power over local governments.
C. has no ability to make laws directly applicable to individuals without the authority of
state governments.
D. has the ability to revoke laws that are directly applicable to individuals without the
approval of state governments.
68. The term ENUMERATED POWERS refers to:
A. those powers
that a federal government has by definition of being a national government
B. the powers specifically granted to the federal government by the Constitution.
C. powers granted to both the federal government and the state governments.
D. the power of the federal government to make laws to implement stated policies.
69. The term IMPLIED POWERS refers to:
A. those powers
that a federal government has by definition of being a national government.
B. the powers specifically granted to the federal government by the Constitution.
C. powers granted to both the federal government and the state governments.
D. the power of the federal government to make laws to implement stated policies.
70. The supremacy clause of the Constitution means
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 cannot use their reserved or concurrent powers to thwart national policies.
D. the Congress cannot pass legislation that would violate state laws or constitutions.
71. An example of an IMPLIED POWER is the federal government's right to:
A. tax citizens.
B. declare war.
C. forbid the exportation of U.S. weapons.
D. create a national bank.
72. States are obligated constitutionally by all but:
A. the interstate
commerce clause.
B. the extradition clause.
C. the interstate privileges and immunities clause.
D. the full faith and credit clause.
73. Federal systems include:
A. U.S.A.,
Britain, and Canada
B. U.S.A., Britain, and Australia
C. U.S.A., Mexico, and Switzerland
D. a and b.
74. The goal of new federalism is to
A. reduce the
restrictions attached to federal grants.
B. increase the restrictions attached to federal grants.
C. reduce the role of state governments concerning federal grants.
D. increase the role of the federal government concerning grants.
75. A major reason for the idea of full faith and credit clause is
A. to insure that
rights established in contracts in one state will be honored by other states.
B. to insure that laws passed by Congress will be enforced with full faith by state
governments.
C. to insure that goods produced in the United States will have priority over goods
produced in another country.
D. to insure that goods produced in a state will have priority over goods produced in
another state.
76. In the case of McCulloch v. Maryland, the Supreme Court held
A. McCulloch had
violated state law and must pay the tax with interest.
B. that only when acts of Congress are forbidden by the Constitution are they
unconstitutional.
C. that the matter was not a federal question and should be decided in the state court
system.
D. Maryland could only tax the value of the money at a rate that could not exceed 10% of
the total assets of the Bank of the United States.
77. In the United States, citizens live under:
A. only the U.S.
Constitution
B. only the constitution of the state in which they reside
C. no constitution
D. both the U.S. and a state constitution
78. The federalism of the Constitution
A. placed all
power in a central government.
B. granted greater political power to the states than to the national government.
C. conferred more substantial powers on the national government, at the expense of state
powers.
D. granted greater political power to local governments than to the states.
79. The federal government has compelled the states to raise their drinking age by
A. threatening to
withhold highway funds.
B. invoking the federal government's police power.
C. creating a national drinking age through Congressional legislation.
D. invoking the supremacy clause.
80. The basic premise of federalism is that
A. two or more
governments share power over the same land and people.
B. a national government has ultimate sovereignty over a country's land and people.
C. ultimate authority rests with the small political units closest to the people.
D. supreme political authority remains with the states.
81. The first
president to reduce intergovernmental grant expenditures was
A. Jimmy Carter.
B. Ronald Reagan.
C. George Bush.
D. Bill Clinton.
82. The president
who was elected to office, at least in part, due to a promise to return power to the
states was
A. Richard Nixon.
B. Ronald Reagan.
C. Jimmy Carter.
D. George Bush.
83. The effect of
Reagan's new federalism was
A. little change in federal relations.
B. tax reduction in the states.
C. a strengthening of state power.
D. state dependency on federal aid.
84. State and
local governments often hire lobbyists today due to the
A. intense competition for federal funds.
B. strength of the intergovernmental lobby.
C. rapidly increasing range and scope of state powers.
D. all of the above.
85. The pressure
group or groups that are created when state and local governments hire lobbyists to lobby
the national government are called the __________ lobby.
A. governor's
B. intergovernmental
C. local
D. federal
86. In 1998,
President Clinton issued an executive order on federalism that
A. usurped power from the states.
B. was favored by the intergovernmental lobby.
C. weakened the federal government.
D. caused a political firestorm.
87. Contrary to
what Alexander Hamilton thought, many people today argue that the federal-state
relationship has become one of
A. realignment.
B. state usurpation of powers.
C. coercion.
D. cooperation.
88. The method by
which the federal government can override state or local actions is called
A. presumption.
B. regulatory federalism.
C. mandation.
D. preemption.
89. Republicans,
in 1994, ran for election on a campaign pledge to force a national debate on the role of
the national and state governments under the rubric of
A. the Contract with America.
B. cooperative federalism.
C. states' rights.
D. new federalism.
90. National laws
that direct states or local governments to comply with federal rules and regulations are
called
A. statutes.
B. decrees.
C. mandates.
D. dedicts.
91. Many states in
the 1990s were unhappy with their position in the federal system due to
A. unfunded mandates.
B. taxation policies.
C. Republican control of many statehouses.
D. dual federalism.
92. Although
education is usually considered a state function, the federal government became actively
involved in ending state mandated segregation through the case of
A. Plessy v. Ferguson.
B. Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka Kansas.
C. Casey v. Georgia.
D. Washington v. Mississippi.
93. During the
1960s, in an effort to end segregation, the federal government began encroaching on one of
the most sacred areas of state regulation in the federal system,
A. the conduct of elections.
B. interstate commerce.
C. criminal law.
D. all of the above.
94. One of the
rationales for federal intervention in state and local government affairs is the
A. judicial branch.
B. necessary and proper clause.
C. commerce clause.
D. Tenth Amendment.
95. New Jersey
sued New York over the ownership of Ellis Island under the original jurisdiction of the
Supreme Court.
True/False
96. There are
almost 90,000 state and local governments in the United States.
True/False
97. The challenge
for the U.S. has always been to preserve the independence and rights of the states while
establishing an effective national government.
True/False
98. The Framers
divided the power between state and national government in order to create a confederal
system.
True/False
99. The word
"federal" is used in the Constitution to describe the system of divided powers.
True/False
100. The
philosophy that describes the relationship between the state and national governments
created by the Framers is called federalism.
True/False
101. The supremacy
clause of the Constitution mandates that state laws supercede national laws.
True/False
102. The necessary
and proper clause is the root of Congress' implied powers.
True/False
103. Implied
powers are derived from constitutionally enumerated powers.
True/False
104. Suffrage
rights are left to the states to decide in the U.S. Constitution.
True/False
105. The federal
government's right to tax was left vague in the Constitution.
True/False
106. The
Constitution specifically enumerates powers to the state and national governments.
True/False
107. Police powers
are federal in nature according to the Tenth Amendment.
True/False
108. Taxation is a
concurrent power in the U.S. federal system.
True/False
109. The
Constitution guarantees that Congress would not limit the slave trade before 1808.
True/False
110. Throughout
our history, the nature of federalism has been fairly constant.
True/False
111. Many people
today are calling for a return of power to the states.
True/False
112. In McCulloch
v. Maryland (1819), the Supreme Court ruled that the commerce clause could not be used to
reduce state powers.
True/False
113. The Civil War
and the Great Depression were two of the historical incidents that tended to consolidate
national powers at the expense of state powers.
True/False
114. During the
late 1880s and 1990s, the Supreme Court consistently ruled to enlarge the scope of federal
powers.
True/False
115. The New Deal
was a package of policies introduced by the Roosevelt administration to remedy the Great
Depression through federal action.
True/False
116. The Supreme
Court was generally supportive of FDR's attempts to deal with the Great Depression.
True/False
117. Federal
grants have been used since the Civil War to allocate federal funds to the states.
True/False
118. Block grants
are federal monies given to the states with few strings attached.
True/False
119. Preemption is
one way for states to prevent federal usurpation of their power.
True/False
120. One of the
original reasons for federal grants was to counteract the perceived overrepresentation of
rural interests in state legislatures.
True/False
121. Despite
several large grant programs and other national interventions, education is primarily a
state responsibility.
True/False
122. In 1995, the
Supreme Court reasserted state control over suffrage and elections in U.S. Term Limits v.
Thornton.
True/False
Key to the questions:
1. C
2. A
3. A
4. B
5. C
6. D
7. B
8. D
9. A
10. B
11. C
12. D
13. A
14. C
15. B
16. D
17. A
18. C
19. D
20. B
21. C
22. C
23. B
24. B
25. D
26. C
27. B
28. D
29. D
30. D
31. C
32. B
33. D
34. C
35. E
36. B
37. D
38. C
39. B
40. C
41. A
42. E
43. C
44. D
45. A
46. C
47. D
48. D
49. B
50. A
51. B
52. A
53. C
54. D
55. A
56. D
57. A
58. B
59. C
60. A
61. B
62. D
63. A
64. C
65. B
66. B
67. C
68. B
69. D
70. C
71. D
72. A
73. C
74. A
75. A
76. B
77. D
78. C
79. A
80. A
81. A
82. B
83. D
84. A
85. B
86. D
87. C
88. D
89. A
90. C
91. A
92. B
93. A
94. C
95. True
96. True
97. True
98. False
99. False
100. True
101. False
102. True
103. True
104. True
105. False
106. False
107. False
108. True
109. True
110. False
111. True
112. False
113. True
114. False
115. True
116. False
117. True
118. True
119. False
120. True
121. True
122. True