AP Gov Chapter 3 Test Bank Questions
All of the following are examples of how federalism decentralizes our policies EXCEPT A) federal income tax. B) regulation of abortion. C) death penalty. D) funding of education. E) homeland security.
A
Federal policies to regulate food and drugs, build interstate highways, protect consumers, try to clean up dirty air and water, and do many other things are all justified as ________ of Congress. A) implied powers B) categorical grants C) constitutionally specified powers D) reserved powers E) enumerated powers
A
Federalism is A) a system of shared power by the state and national governments. B) the same as unitary government. C) sole government authority in the national government. D) sole government authority in the states. E) a three-branch government with a system of checks and balances.
A
Fiscal federalism is A) the pattern of spending, taxing, and providing grants in the federal system. B) the distinct separation of national government spending versus state and local government spending. C) the federal governmentʹs regulation of the money supply and interest rates. D) the federal income tax. E) a sharing of local and national resources practiced in other countries but not in the United States.
A
Grants for specific programs distributed according to community demographic factors, such as population or income, are A) formula grants. B) categorical grants. C) revenue sharing grants. D) project grants. E) block grants.
A
Most of the governments in the world today are ________, in which all power resides in the central national government. A) unitary B) federalist C) nationalist D) confederations E) fiscal
A
On the whole, federal grant distribution follows the principle of A) universalism. B) stinginess. C) cronyism. D) to the victors go the spoils. E) needs-testing.
A
States are responsible for most public policies dealing with each of the following issues EXCEPT A) economic issues. B) social issues. C) police powers. D) family issues. E) moral issues.
A
The Constitution states that Congress has the power to establish post offices. This is an example of A) enumerated powers. B) delegated powers. C) implied powers. D) reserved powers. E) shared powers.
A
The McCulloch v. Maryland case dealt with what specific grievance? A) a state taxing a national bank B) toll bridges on interstate roads C) the location of Marylandʹs capital city D) a state coining its own money E) import taxes on goods made in other states
A
The enumerated powers of Congress and the national government are those A) specifically spelled out in the Constitution. B) set out in the first ten amendments. C) involving taxes, spending, and fiscal policy. D) not specifically spelled out in the Constitution, but nonetheless acknowledged. E) requiring ratification by the states.
A
The main instrument the national government uses to influence state governments is A) grants-in-aid. B) mandates. C) judicial review. D) the Tenth Amendment. E) presidential decrees.
A
The national government has exclusive control over foreign and military policy, the postal system, and monetary policy, while the states have exclusive control over other specific areas. This division of responsibilities reflects A) dual federalism. B) divided government. C) tripartite federalism. D) cooperative federalism. E) fiscal federalism.
A
The principal type of federal aid for states and localities is A) categorical grants. B) disaster loans. C) revenue sharing. D) block grants. E) urban renewal grants.
A
The requirement of a drinking age provision before states can receive federal highway aid is an example of A) a string attached to categorical grants. B) an important element of the ʺformulaʺ used to calculate formula grants. C) a project grant supported by the interest groups. D) the efforts of state agencies to get federal funds. E) an unfunded mandate.
A
The supremacy clause A) establishes the Constitution, laws of the national government, and treaties as the supreme law of the land. B) establishes the Supreme Court as the final arbiter in all civil and criminal disputes. C) declares that the national government is superior to the states in every concern. D) states that powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by the states, are reserved to the states. E) states that the people are the supreme authority in the United States and that the government shall be subservient to them.
A
Which of the following federal policies exemplifies the implied powers of Congress? A) environmental protection law B) income tax C) the regulation of interstate commerce D) the provision of an army and a navy E) all of the above
A
Which of the following is NOT a standard operating procedure of cooperative federalism today? A) distinctly separated powers of state and national governments B) federal grants-in-aid C) shared administration of programs D) shared financing of government E) federal guidelines imposed on states
A
Which of the following is NOT an effect of federalism? A) It simplifies the governmental system. B) Courts are called upon to be referees, and they gain power. C) It decentralizes political power. D) It creates more access points to government. E) It increases bureaucracy.
A
Which of the following is NOT true about categorical grants? A) The federal government is less likely to apply conditions to these grants today than in the 1970s. B) There are several hundred specific purposes or categories for which these grants can be used. C) Virtually every one is enshrouded in rules and regulations for its use. D) A project grant is the most typical type of categorical grant. E) Categorical grants are monies that can be spent in broad categories of functions.
A
Which of the following statements about federalism is FALSE? A) Federalism was hotly debated at the Constitutional Convention. B) Eighteenth-century Americans had little experience in thinking of themselves as Americans first and state citizens second. C) There was no other practical choice in 1787 but to create a federal system of government. D) Loyalty to state governments was so strong that the Constitution would have been resoundingly defeated had it tried to abolish them. E) None of the above; all are TRUE.
A
Which of the following statements is TRUE? A) The American states have unitary governments. B) Federalism is the typical way nations organize their governments. C) Great Britain has a federal system. D) Most European countries are confederations. E) none of the above
A
Which of these was NOT a principle established in the case of McCulloch v. Maryland? A) State governments are forbidden spending more money than they raise each year, while there is no such requirement on the national government. B) The national government can establish a national bank, even though the Constitution does not say it can. C) The national government is supreme to the states when it is acting within its sphere of action. D) The national government has certain implied powers that go beyond its enumerated powers. E) State laws preempt national laws when the national government clearly exceeds its constitutional powers and intrudes upon state powers.
A
Which one of the following countries has federalism as its method of governing? A) Canada B) China C) France D) Kenya E) No other country uses federalism.
A
A marriage license issued in one state is valid and honored in all states under the constitutional provision of A) separation of powers. B) full faith and credit. C) national supremacy. D) national licensure. E) privileges and immunities.
B
About ________ of the funds state and local governments spend comes from the federal government. A) 33 percent B) 25 percent C) 50 percent D) 75 percent E) 90 percent
B
Almost every policy the national government has adopted has originated with A) the Senate. B) the states. C) the House of Representatives. D) the Supreme Court. E) the president.
B
Enumerated powers are those that are A) reserved for the states. B) stated in the Constitution. C) implied in the Constitution. D) involving money matters. E) granted specifically to the president.
B
Federalism is a way of organizing a nation so that A) power is centralized in state and local government. B) both national and state levels of government have authority over the same land and people. C) there is one federal government and all regional governments are administrative subunits of it. D) power is centralized in the national government. E) there are three branches of government and a system of checks and balances.
B
From clean-air legislation to welfare reforms, the states constitute a ________ to develop and test public policies and share the results with other states and the national government. A) major roadblock B) national laboratory C) neglected resource D) last chance E) severe reluctance
B
Funding for the interstate highway system is an example of A) dual federalism. B) cooperative federalism. C) tripartite federalism. D) a unitary system of government. E) national federalism.
B
How is a unitary system different from a federal one? A) The national government can coin money, conduct foreign relations, and declare war. B) The national government can change the boundaries of states, or abolish them. C) State governments have political autonomy and can nullify national laws. D) Administrative subunits, such as states, can collect taxes, conduct elections, and make laws independently of the national government. E) both B and C
B
In Saenz v. Roe, the Supreme Court ruled that A) California was required to recognize the legality of same sex marriages. B) California could not require a new resident to wait one year before being eligible for welfare benefits. C) California could withhold educational benefits from children of illegal immigrants. D) California was required to offer bilingual education programs in the public elementary schools. E) California could not provide welfare benefits to illegal immigrants.
B
In ________ federalism, the powers and policy assignments of the different levels of government are distinct, like a layer cake. A) fiscal B) dual C) tripartite D) cooperative E) anti-
B
In cooperative federalism, A) states and the national government each remain supreme within their own spheres. B) responsibilities are mingled and distinctions are blurred between the levels of government. C) powers and policy assignments of the layers of government are distinct. D) states are supreme over the national government. E) both A and B
B
In response to complaints from state and local governments about the paperwork and requirements attached to most grants, Congress has established ________ to support programs in areas like community development and social services. A) formula grants B) block grants C) project grants D) categorical grants E) computerized grant applications
B
In the Constitution, the powers to coin money, to enter into treaties, and to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the states were given to A) neither the individual states nor the national government. B) the national government. C) the individual states. D) the Senate only. E) both the individual states and the national government.
B
Laws that directly regulate abortion, drinking ages, marriage and divorce, or sexual behavior are policy prerogatives that belong to A) the bureaucracy. B) the states. C) Congress. D) local governments. E) federal courts.
B
Medicaid and Aid for Families with Dependent Children are examples of A) categorical grants. B) formula grants. C) project grants. D) state grants. E) block grants.
B
Only the national government is allowed to A) levy taxes. B) regulate commerce with foreign nations. C) take private property for public purposes. D) make and enforce laws. E) all of the above
B
Project grants A) have no strings attached. B) are awarded on the basis of competitive applications. C) are distributed according to a specific formula. D) are automatically given to states and communities. E) all of the above
B
The National Defense Education Act, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and the Interstate Highway System are all examples of A) dual federalism. B) cooperative federalism. C) triangulation. D) layer cake federalism. E) unitary federalism
B
The Supreme Court case of McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) A) established Baltimore as the capital of Maryland. B) stated that the Constitution gave Congress implied powers. C) established the principle of judicial review. D) established the supremacy of state governments. E) recognized that Congress was limited to its enumerated powers.
B
The constitutional requirement that the states return a person charged with a crime in another state to that state for trial or imprisonment is known as A) forfeiture. B) extradition. C) privileges and immunities. D) full faith and credit. E) the elastic clause.
B
The primary thrust of the original intent and wording of the Tenth Amendment is that A) state legislatures have the ultimate authority to determine what a state governmentʹs powers are. B) states have certain powers that the national government cannot encroach upon. C) the national government can take control of a state government during a national emergency. D) national laws override state laws when there is a conflict between the two. E) both the states and national government are bound by the limitations in the Bill of Rights.
B
The workings of the federal system are sometimes called A) internal relations. B) intergovernmental relations. C) intrastate relations. D) interstate relations. E) international relations.
B
Which of the following is an example of a confederation? A) state governments in the United States B) the United Nations C) OPEC D) Britain E) France
B
Which of the following statements about federalism is false? A) In cooperative federalism, sometimes even blame is shared when programs do not work well. B) The American system has always been neatly separated into purely state and purely national responsibilities. C) In cooperative federalism, policy assignments are shared between states and the national government. D) Cooperative federalism today rests on several standard operating procedures. E) None; all are true.
B
A form of governmental structure in which the national government is weak and most or all power is in the hands of its components (e.g., states) is known as A) federalism. B) statist. C) a confederation. D) parliamentary. E) a unitary government.
C
A project grant is A) money awarded for public housing in urban areas of the nation. B) awarded more or less automatically to states or communities. C) awarded on the basis of competitive application. D) restricted to construction projects. E) distributed on the basis of population, per capita income, percentage of rural population, or some other factor.
C
A unitary system is a way of organizing government so that A) power is concentrated in state and local governments. B) national and state governments have separate powers over different areas and people. C) power is concentrated in a central government. D) both national and state levels of government have authority over the same land and people. E) every single government is independent of the others and possesses its own specialized power and authority.
C
Federal regulation of state governments is usually accomplished through A) United States Supreme Court decisions. B) presidential decrees. C) attaching conditions to grants it gives them. D) federalization of a stateʹs national guard. E) direct, executive orders.
C
Federal support for public education is an example of a A) pragmatic federalism. B) dual federalism. C) cooperative federalism. D) layer cake federalism. E) separation of powers
C
In contrast to the Democratic Congress of recent decades, the new Republican majority in Congress is passing more federal aid in the form of A) revenue sharing. B) categorical grants. C) block grants. D) tax credits. E) tax expenditures.
C
In its McCulloch v. Maryland decision, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of A) judicial restraint. B) judicial review. C) the supremacy of the national government over the states. D) the supremacy of the states over the national government. E) Maryland in a dispute with the national government.
C
In the 1950s and 1960s, the proclamation of statesʹ rights was usually made by those opposing the national governmentʹs efforts in the area of A) the Vietnam War. B) abortion rights. C) civil rights for African Americans. D) the interstate highway system. E) the Korean War.
C
Of all the funds spent by state and local governments, federal aid accounts for about A) two-thirds. B) one-half. C) one-fourth. D) three percent. E) one-third.
C
One recently controversial application of the ʺfull faith and creditʺ provision of the Constitution is for A) extradition. B) birth certificates. C) same gender marriages. D) bigamy. E) abortion
C
Programs such as Medicaid and Aid for Families with Dependent Children, where applicants automatically qualify for aid if they meet the requirements, are examples of A) dual federalism. B) project grants. C) formula grants. D) block grants. E) welfare.
C
Since the ratification of the Constitution, American federalism has gradually changed from A) cooperative to dual federalism. B) state domination to national domination. C) dual to cooperative federalism. D) a unitary to a federal system. E) a federal system to a unitary one.
C
Standard operating procedures in cooperative federalism include each of the following EXCEPT A) shared administration. B) shared costs. C) federal funding with no strings attached. D) federal guidelines. E) categorical and block grants.
C
The Constitution requires that states give ________ to the public acts, records, and civil judicial proceedings of every other state. A) privileges and immunities B) due process C) full faith and credit D) some consideration E) extradition
C
The Constitutionʹs supremacy clause A) does not apply to state and local matters. B) gives the states superiority over the national governmentʹs Constitution and laws. C) made the Constitution, the laws of the national government, and the national governmentʹs treaties the supreme law of the land. D) is vague about which level of government should prevail in a dispute involving federalism. E) makes the president supreme in any constitutional conflicts with the other two branches.
C
The Supreme Court case of Gibbons v. Ogden A) defined the meaning of the elastic clause. B) settled the contested presidential election of 1824. C) defined commerce as virtually every form of commercial activity. D) established the principle of implied powers. E) established the supremacy of the national government.
C
The Supreme Court case of Printz v. United States A) enhanced the powers of Congress by expanding its interpretation of commerce. B) denied Congress the power of regulating guns in school zones. C) voided the congressional mandate in the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act requiring local community officials to conduct background checks on prospective gun purchasers. D) affirmed the provisions of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act. E) none of the above
C
The main instrument the national government uses for both aiding and influencing states and localities is A) judicial decisions. B) politics. C) grants-in-aid. D) mandates. E) revenue sharing.
C
The main type of federal aid to state and local governments is in the form of A) block grants. B) formula grants. C) categorical grants. D) project grants E) revenue sharing.
C
The most common type of categorical grant is A) block grants. B) a rescission fund. C) project grants. D) disaster relief. E) revenue sharing.
C
The supremacy clause of the Constitution states that all of the following are the supreme law of the land, EXCEPT A) laws of the national government (when consistent with the Constitution). B) the United States Constitution. C) state constitutions. D) treaties of the national government (when consistent with the Constitution). E) both C and D
C
A tuition difference between in-state and out-of-state students is an example of A) dual federalism. B) federal exceptions to the full faith and credit provision. C) full faith and credit being extended to all students. D) how states make exceptions to the privileges and immunities clause. E) project grants to the states.
D
As the framers wrote the Constitution they had no practical choice but to adopt a federal system for all but which of the following reasons? A) The confederation had clearly failed in managing the countryʹs problems. B) The population was too dispersed for a unitary system to work. C) Americansʹ loyalty to state governments was stronger than it was to the United States. D) America had always had a federal system and it would have been too radical and disruptive a change to adopt another system. E) The countryʹs transportation and communication systems were too primitive for a unitary government to work.
D
Extradition is the requirement that states A) provide sanctuary for federal criminals. B) cannot discriminate against citizens of other states. C) recognize each others public acts, records, and civil judicial proceedings. D) must return a person charged with a crime in another state to that state for trial or imprisonment. E) enforce federal law within their state.
D
Federal aid to state and local governments accounts for how much of federal spending? A) 33 percent B) 50 percent C) 2 percent D) 18 percent E) 75 percent
D
Federal policies to regulate food and drugs, build interstate highways, and protect consumers are all justified as A) presidential prerogatives. B) enumerated powers of Congress. C) delegated powers of Congress. D) implied powers of Congress. E) both C and D
D
If the allocation of power in a cooperative federal system were compared to a cake it would be most like A) a layer cake with two distinct layers. B) a single-layer cake. C) a cake walk: who gets what is random. D) fifty marbled cupcakes. E) a layer cake with many layers.
D
If the allocation of power under dual federalism were compared to a cake it would be most like A) a marbled cake where the flavors blend into each other. B) an angel food cake- fluffy with little substance. C) New York cheesecake- heavy and crushing under its own weight. D) a layer cake, with two distinct layers. E) a cupcake.
D
In ________ federalism, the powers and policy assignments of different levels of government are like a marble cake, with mingled responsibilities and blurred distinctions between layers of government. A) fiscal B) mixed C) dual D) cooperative E) tripartite
D
In cooperative federalism, in order to qualify for federal grant money, cities and states must A) match federal funding dollar for dollar. B) propose standard operating procedures. C) allow federal agencies to administer the funds. D) follow federal guidelines for adopting and enforcing federal laws. E) all of the above
D
In our federal system, the powers of the state governments are ultimately granted by A) their stateʹs Supreme Court. B) the people of their state. C) their state legislature. D) the United States Constitution. E) the United States government.
D
Over time, there has been a gradual change from a dual federalism to a(n) ________ federalism. A) unitary B) single C) tripartite D) cooperative E) fiscal
D
The Constitutionʹs provision that Congress has the right to ʺmake all laws necessary and proper for carrying into executionʺ its powers is often referred to as the A) enumerated powers. B) heart of fiscal federalism. C) Unwritten Amendment. D) elastic clause. E) privileges and immunities.
D
The fact that a driverʹs license from one state is valid in other states is an example of A) privileges and immunities. B) extradition. C) implied powers. D) full faith and credit. E) unmandated reciprocity.
D
The fact that the former Republican majority in Congress prefers block grants to categorical grants indicates that A) they want to increase federal aid to state governments. B) they want federal money to be spent at the neighborhood level rather than the state level. C) they want to decrease federal aid to state governments. D) they want the federal government to exercise less authority over the states. E) they intend to raise more money from state governments to reduce the federal budget deficit.
D
The governmentʹs responses in the wake of Hurricane Katrina underscores A) the neccesity of complying with the letter and the spirit of the Third Amendment. B) the tensions between Congress and the president. C) the ability of the U.S. military to mobilize and deploy quickly. D) the complexity of American federalism. E) all of the above
D
The pattern of spending, taxing, and providing grants in the federal system is called A) economic federalism. B) dual federalism. C) cooperative federalism. D) fiscal federalism. E) monetary federalism.
D
The power to directly regulate such things as drinking ages, marriage and divorce, and sexual behavior has been granted A) to all governments by the Bill of Rights. B) to the national government. C) to the president. D) to state governments. E) to both the state and national governments.
D
The principle of the supremacy of federal law over state law was affirmed in A) Marbury v. Madison. B) the Tenth Amendment. C) United States v. Darby. D) McCulloch v. Maryland. E) the presidential election of 1804.
D
The principle that the national government has certain implied powers that go beyond its enumerated powers was first elaborated in the Supreme Courtʹs decision in A) United States v. the States. B) Gibbons v. Ogden. C) Miranda v. Arizona. D) McCulloch v. Maryland. E) Marbury v. Madison.
D
What was the main criticism of the national bank created by the United States government? A) It was printing too much worthless paper money which debtors were using to pay off their debts. B) It was charging exorbitant interest rates on its loans. C) It was borrowing too much money, putting the United States government hopelessly in debt. D) It was an instrument of the elite and gave the national government too much control of the economy. E) It did not efficiently distribute money to the states.
D
Which of the following does NOT characterize the standard operating procedure of cooperative federalism today? A) federal guidelines B) grants-in-aid C) shared costs D) separate and distinct roles for the national and state governments E) shared administration
D
Which of the following is NOT true? A) Few countries have federal systems. B) Most federal systems are democracies. C) Authoritarian regimes generally do not use federalist systems. D) No unitary governments are democratic. E) Only some democracies use federal systems.
D
Abraham Lincoln announced in his 1861 inaugural address that he would willingly support a constitutional amendment to A) prohibit states from seceding from the Union. B) return the United States to a confederation, with greater powers given to the states. C) establish the United States as a unitary system, where states would have to obey all national government decisions. D) outlaw slavery. E) guarantee slavery.
E
Contracts between business firms can be enforced across state boundaries as part of the constitutional provision of A) interstate compacts. B) privileges and immunities. C) implied powers of the states. D) extradition. E) full faith and credit.
E
Federalism is A) unique to the United States alone. B) practiced by about half the nations worldwide. C) practiced in about half the American states. D) practiced by nearly all of the 190 nations worldwide. E) practiced by fewer than 20 nations worldwide.
E
In determining the power of Congress to regulate commerce in the case of Gibbons v. Ogden (1824), the Supreme Court A) prohibited Congress from regulating business activity on the grounds it violated private property rights. B) listed the implied powers of Congress and the national government. C) defined commerce very narrowly in considering the right of Congress to regulate it. D) listed the enumerated powers of Congress and the national government. E) defined commerce very broadly, encompassing virtually every form of commercial activity.
E
In dual federalism, A) the state governments assume greater fiscal responsibility. B) there are only two branches of government. C) the federal government assumes greater fiscal responsibility. D) powers are shared between states and the federal government. E) states and the national government each remain supreme within their own spheres.
E
The Tenth Amendment A) declares that the national government is superior to the states in every concern. B) establishes the Constitution, laws of the national government, and treaties as the supreme law of the land. C) establishes the Supreme Court as the final arbiter in all civil and criminal disputes. D) establishes the number of electoral votes each state can cast in the electoral college. E) states that powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by the states, are reserved for the states.
E
The efforts of Candy Lightner and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to raise the legal drinking age to 21 are an example of A) the supremacy of state government to regulate its own affairs. B) the constitutional authority of the national government to impose policies on state governments. C) states acting as policy innovators. D) the unconstitutionality of age discrimination. E) the ability of the national government to influence state policy.
E
The federal system A) decreases judicial power. B) centralizes our politics. C) decreases opportunities for political participation. D) decreases the number of government officeholders. E) decentralizes our politics.
E
Which of these is NOT among the factors that tend to lead to the creation of a federal form of government in a country? A) large population B) diverse population C) large land area D) the existence of multiple religions E) industrialization
E
