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Chapter 3: Federalism: States and Nation

Multiple-Choice Quiz

Multiple-Choice Quiz
Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.

This activity contains 25 questions.

	Local governments in the United States such as cities and towns are legal creations of:   the national government. county governments. state governments. special districts. municipal districts

	Which of the following statements best describes a federal system?   a system of government in which the central government has complete control over regional governments a system of government in which regional governments have ultimate power a system of government in which significant governmental powers are divided between a central government and smaller units of government, such as states a system of government in which the central government has little power a system of government in which state governments have little power

	Most governments of the world are:   federal. confederate. unitary. interfederal. democratic

	In a confederation:   there is a balance of power between the national and state governments. the states hold the dominant power position. the national government holds the dominant power position. a constitution is unnecessary. there is no central government.

	Which of the following types of countries are most likely to have federal systems?   small countries countries with few religious, ethnic, or language differences countries that are geographically large and have regions that differ in terms of economic activity, religion, ethnicity, and language countries which have been dominated by large, neighboring countries developing nations

	Which of the following is an argument in FAVOR of federalism?   States may pursue unworthy policy goals. In a large and diverse country such as the U.S., the needs, wants, and conditions of one place may differ from those in other places. Americans know more about the national government than about their local government. Divergent regulations can cause confusion or inefficiency that may spill over from one state to another. Americans who don't participate in state and local elections will likely paricipate in national elections.

	The Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution declares that powers not delegated to the United States, nor prohibited by it to the states, are:   reserved to the national government. reserved to U.S. cities. delegated to the federal government. reserved to the states respectively, or to the people. open for debate in the House.

	Which of the following powers does the Constitution grant to the states?   coining money making treaties with foreign governments vetoing national legislation deciding who could vote for members of the U.S. House of Representatives establishing state banks

	Which of the following is NOT a state role in the national government?   ratification of the Constitution amending the Constitution the ability to declare national laws that conflict with state laws null and void apportionment and election of representatives participation in the electoral college system

	Which of the following is a provision in the Constitution which regulates relations among the states?   full faith and credit clause necessary and proper clause separation of powers checks and balances disclosure clause

	Bit by bit, over time, which level of government has gained more power?   national government state governments city governments county governments regional governments

	The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions were a reaction against which of the following?   the Alien and Sedition Acts the "tariff of abominations" the War of 1812 the "full faith and credit clause" in the Constitution the Stamp Act

	The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, secretly authored by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, declared that:   states could secede from the union. states did not have to obey unconstitutional national laws and that states could decide what was unconstitutional. Virginia and Kentucky would not ratify the U.S. Constitution without a Bill of Rights. political parties were "factions" and thus unconstitutional. states did not have to pay federal-mandated tariffs.

	In which of the following cases did the U.S. Supreme Court first exercise the power to hold state laws unconstitutional?   Marbury v. Madison Fletcher v. Peck Martin v. Hunter's Lessee Chisholm v. Georgia McCulloch v. Maryland

	Which of the following was a result of the Supreme Court's decision in the case of McCulloch v. Maryland?   The powers of the national government were greatly expanded. States were given more power than what had been stipulated in the Constitution. Maryland was allowed to impose a tax on the National Bank. In his written decision, Chief Justice Marshall declared that the Constitution emanated from the states. The Court had the right to declare state laws unconstitutional.

	The Fourteenth Amendment declares that no _______________ shall "deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."   citizen foreign government state legislature city or county court

	The vehicle by which the Supreme Court ruled that civil liberties in the Bill of Rights were also protected against the states was:   the Bill of Rights itself. the privileges and immunities clause. the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. the due process cause of the Fifteenth Amendment.

	The foundation used by the Supreme Court for protecting the rights of African-Americans, women, and other categories of people against discrimination by state and local governments is:   the Bill of Rights. the privileges and immunities clause in Article IV. the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Marbury v. Madison.

	On balance, U.S. Supreme Court rulings have:   expanded the power of the national government. expanded the powers of state governments. restricted the powers of federal courts to declare state and local laws unconstitutional. restricted the powers of the national government. denied virtually every piece of national legislation that has come before it.

	Which of the following metaphors is most accurate for today's federalism?   a layer cake a sheet cake a marble cake a cupcake a birthday cake

	Between the 1950s and 1970s, federal grants-in-aid:   declined precipitously. declined both in numbers and dollar amounts. increased dramatically in dollar amounts. remained basically unchanged peaked during the Carter and Reagan presidencies

	These grants give subnational governments money for general purposes and have fewer rules associated with them.   block grants categorical grants mandate grants project grants in-kind grants

	Which of the following was the most important theme of President Nixon's "New Federalism" program?   A constitutional convention should be called to rework what the Constitution says about federalism. The national government should be given more power to control what states do with grant money. There should be a move away from categorical grants toward block grants and general revenue sharing. States should be allowed to plan how categorical grant money is to be spent. Grants should be uniformly scaled back during times of economic downturn.

	The demand by the national government that states carry out certain polices when little or no aid is offered is called an "unfunded __________   dictate." enumerated power." mandate." wish." grant."

	In order to receive federal monies, the national government requires the states to impose a 55 mile-per-hour speed limit or set a minimum drinking age of 21. These requirements are called:   conditions on aid. enumerated powers. delegated powers. reserved powers. unfunded mandates.

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