Question 1

The elastic clause undermines the restrictive purpose of the carefully worded list of enumerated powers.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal was the first effort to expand the scope of federal authority.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 3

Which of the following best describes scholars who argue that the Tenth Amendment-which provides that the powers not taken by the national government belong to the states-is little more than a truism?

Accepted Answer

A)   They are originalists.
B)   They point to the powerful combination of the supremacy clause and the elastic clause to support their argument.
C)   They rely on the Declaration of Independence to maintain their argument.
D)   They fundamentally misconstrue state constitutions and their reliance on the Tenth Amendment.E) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Question 4

Who is the ultimate arbiter of controversies involving American federalism?

Accepted Answer

A)   the President of the United States
B)   the U.S. Congress
C)   the U.S. Supreme Court
D)   the U.S. Department of StateE) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Question 5

The United States has experienced both a unitary system of government and a confederation in its history.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Supporters of states' rights argue that ______.

Accepted Answer

A)   decentralization of authority leads to greater government innovation and policies that better suit the preferences of the residents of each state
B)   greater centralization is essential because it is hard to govern a nation like the United States, and problems often extend across state borders
C)   the federal government should have the ability to veto policies that have negative effects on neighboring states
D)   the only solution for fixing the problems in the United States is returning to a confederationE) All of the above
F) C) and D)

Question 7

Under what circumstances could Congress modify an established state by, for example, cutting it in half to create a new state?

Accepted Answer

A)   by a two-thirds vote
B)   only with the consent of the established state
C)   only if all existing states agree to the establishment of the new state
D)   as long as the Supreme Court concursE) None of the above
F) A) and B)

Question 8

When the federal government makes a block grant, ______.

Accepted Answer

A)   it will match whatever the state will spend on a specific purpose
B)   it gives an exact amount of money to spend for some purpose
C)   it can only be used at the local level
D)   it is tied to prison reformE) B) and C)
F) B) and D)

Question 9

The New Deal was innovative primarily because of which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)   it opened free trade with North American neighbors
B)   its size and scope
C)   its reliance on the gold standard
D)   its restructuring of some state geographical boundariesE) None of the above
F) A) and D)

Question 10

Certain federal laws allow the state to administer joint federal-state programs as long as they conform to federal guidelines. This is known as ______.

Accepted Answer

A)   full preemption
B)   crossover
C)   crosscutting
D)   partial preemptionE) B) and C)
F) None of the above

Question 11

The so-called elastic clause of Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution provides that Congress can "make all Laws which shall be ______.

Accepted Answer

A)   necessary and proper for carrying into Execution" the foregoing enumerated powers
B)   supreme over the laws of the several States"
C)   necessary to enact the enumerated powers, the propriety of said laws shall be determined by the several States"
D)   necessary so long as they are based on the common law of England or of the Colonies"E) All of the above
F) A) and D)

Question 12

The problems of pollution and conserving natural resources are examples of ______.

Accepted Answer

A)   free riding
B)   agency loss
C)   shirking
D)   tragedies of the commonsE) A) and B)
F) All of the above

Question 13

Which of the following is one of the general conditions of a federal system?

Accepted Answer

A)   The national government is supreme in matters of importance.
B)   Everyone gets a vote at both levels of government.
C)   Each level of government must have identical powers to foster the greatest possible competition.
D)   The Constitution protects units at each level of government from encroachment by the other units.E) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Question 14

The experience surrounding the creation and adoption of Common Core standards illustrates which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)   The national government has the ability to implement a single set of educational standards in order to provide benefits for the country.
B)   The administration can offer grant money to the states if they adopt common learning goals.
C)   Policies change, and the standards outlined in Common Core have been replaced by those contained in the No Child Left Behind program.
D)   The federal government has few incentives to encourage the states to adopt the new standards.E) None of the above
F) B) and C)

Question 15

In the case of McCulloch v. Maryland, the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice John Marshall upheld the right of the national government to create a bank based on which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)   The authority to create the bank was expressly enumerated as a governmental power in the Constitution.
B)   the elastic clause in the Constitution
C)   his hostility to the Federalist view of government relations
D)   Maryland's previous waiver of its sovereign right to prohibit the bank's establishmentE) B) and C)
F) B) and D)

Question 16

The original intent of the supremacy clause was to ensure which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)   The national government would prevail over states when both governments were acting in a constitutionally correct manner.
B)   The state governments would prevail over the traditional areas of state concern such as crime and education.
C)   The Supreme Court had the final say on what is or is not constitutionally permitted.
D)   The President was the supreme commander of the military.E) B) and C)
F) A) and D)

Question 17

What was the largest program within President Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty?

Accepted Answer

A)   Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program
B)   Medicaid
C)   Social Security
D)   Temporary Assistance for Needy FamiliesE) B) and D)
F) B) and C)

Question 18

Today's constitutional litigation over federalism typically concerns which of the following direct efforts?

Accepted Answer

A)   efforts by state governments to impose policy on the federal government
B)   efforts by citizens to control the actions of other citizens
C)   efforts by local governments to force state compliance with state law
D)   efforts by the federal government to regulate the activities of state and local governments and their employeesE) All of the above
F) A) and D)

Question 19

In a federal system, the constitution divides authority between which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)   the parliament and the king
B)   an executive, a legislative, and a judicial branch
C)   two or more distinct levels of government
D)   a unitary government and a confederationE) B) and D)
F) None of the above

Question 20

Give an example of an unfunded mandate and discuss the political logic that underlies it.

Accepted Answer

Allocation of costs ...

Exam 3: Federalism

What was the largest program within President Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Give an example of an unfunded mandate and discuss the political logic that underlies it.

Correct AnswerverifiedAllocation of costs ...View AnswerShow Answer

In the case of McCulloch v. Maryland, the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice John Marshall upheld the right of the national government to create a bank based on which of the following?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The New Deal was innovative primarily because of which of the following?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Who is the ultimate arbiter of controversies involving American federalism?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The experience surrounding the creation and adoption of Common Core standards illustrates which of the following?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The original intent of the supremacy clause was to ensure which of the following?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Supporters of states' rights argue that ______.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal was the first effort to expand the scope of federal authority.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The so-called elastic clause of Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution provides that Congress can "make all Laws which shall be ______.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following best describes scholars who argue that the Tenth Amendment-which provides that the powers not taken by the national government belong to the states-is little more than a truism?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

When the federal government makes a block grant, ______.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In a federal system, the constitution divides authority between which of the following?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The problems of pollution and conserving natural resources are examples of ______.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The elastic clause undermines the restrictive purpose of the carefully worded list of enumerated powers.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Today's constitutional litigation over federalism typically concerns which of the following direct efforts?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Certain federal laws allow the state to administer joint federal-state programs as long as they conform to federal guidelines. This is known as ______.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The United States has experienced both a unitary system of government and a confederation in its history.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following is one of the general conditions of a federal system?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Under what circumstances could Congress modify an established state by, for example, cutting it in half to create a new state?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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Allocation of costs ...
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