Ch. 3 Federalism Practice Test

Which of the following best describes New Federalism?

A set of policies designed to shift federal power to states New Federalism, began under President Nixon and was intended to shift federal power to the states, in order to increase efficiency.

Why were the Framers unwilling to adopt a unitary system of government?

A unitary system of government put too much power in the hands of the national government.

The powers specifically granted to Congress in Article 1, Section 8 are known as the ________ powers.

enumerated

Contracts made in one state are generally accepted in other states due to the ________.

full faith and credit clause

Dual federalism is sometimes described as a _____, because the powers of the state and national governments are not allowed to overlap in any areas.

layer cake

In the Civil Rights Cases (1883), the Supreme Court ruled that Congress had the authority to regulate discrimination by _____.

state governments, but not businesses and citizens This ruling effectively overruled the Civil Rights Act of 1875, which would have prohibited private discrimination.

Under the Constitution, who was given the ability to regulate national and international commerce?

-Congress -The Federal Trade Commission As part of the Constitution, Congress was given the authority to regulate both national and international commerce., Correct. As part of the Constitution, Congress was given the authority to regulate both national and international commerce.

Which of the following would best describe the federal government's power during cooperative federalism (starting roughly in 1932)?

-Expanded, compared to dual federalism -Reduced, compared to dual federalism As a result of new federal policies and Supreme Court rulings, federal power generally expanded after 1932., Correct. As a result of new federal policies and Supreme Court rulings, federal power generally expanded after 1932.

Education is an example of a ________ power.

concurrent

Prior to the Constitutional Convention, what form of government existed in the American colonies?

Confederal The government formed after the Constitutional Constitution was federal and designed to address some of the weaknesses of the older, confederal system.

During the Great Society, the federal government became involved with which new issue areas?

Education and health care

President Roosevelt's court packing plan was ultimately successful in remaking the Supreme Court.

False President Roosevelt's court packing plan was ultimately unnecessary, as the Supreme Court started allowing Congress broader power to regulate the economy.

Which answer best describes President Reagan's approach to federalism?

He allowed states more flexibility in running programs funded by federal grants. President Reagan generally supported block grants that allowed states more flexibility over the programs funded by federal grants.

The case of McCullough v. Maryland (1819) established what major constitutional concept?

Implied powers In McCullough v. Maryland, the Supreme Court ruled that the Congress had the authority to establish a bank and the state of Maryland had no authority to tax it.

Despite being a Republican, President George W. Bush was known for ________.

Increasing the size of the federal government President George W. Bush's main domestic legislative accomplishments, No Child Behind and the Medicare drug benefit, both increased the size of the federal government.

Why was the Sixteenth Amendment critical to the expansion of the federal government in the early part of the twentieth century?

It gave the federal government broad taxing powers

What is the importance of the necessary and proper clause?

It gives Congress the ability to implement to the enumerated powers.

How does equal representation of each state in the Senate affect the allocation of federal grants?

It leads to smaller states getting more grant money on a per-person basis In most policy areas, smaller states get more grants on a per-person basis than larger states, an effect likely caused by the fact that the Senate has equal representation by state.

Why was decision making difficult under the Articles of Confederation?

Most decisions required a supermajority or unanimity of the state governments to agree.

What was a major impediment to President Roosevelt's early efforts to implement legislative changes in response to the Great Depression?

Opposition from the Supreme Court Despite broad public and political support, Roosevelt's early legislative efforts were limited by Supreme Court decisions limiting the ability of the federal government to intervene in the economy.

Which of the following best describes the federal government's power under dual federalism (roughly 1865-1932)?

Reduced after the Civil War During dual federalism, the federal government had very limited authority to regulate business and protect civil rights.

Which Chief Justice is most associated with a shift toward state-centered federalism?

Rehnquist

Why did the original Constitution not specifically describe any state powers?

State governments held all of the power at the time.

Franklin Roosevelt was associated with what plan to help Americans during the Great Depression?

The New Deal

Which of the following is one of the three elements of cooperative federalism?

The nation and states routinely share power. First, national and state agencies typically undertake government functions jointly rather than exclusively. Second, the nation and states routinely share power. And third, power is not concentrated at any government level or in any agency; the fragmentation of responsibilities gives people and groups access to many venues of influence.

During cooperative federalism, how did the federal government use categorical grants?

They were used to fund very specific programs at the state level Categorical grants are generally for very specific purposes while block grants tend to be for broad purposes such as education or health care.

Why was the Tenth Amendment passed?

To allay the fears of the anti-Federalists who were concerned about the expansion of federal power The Tenth Amendment was designed to satisfy the anti-Federalists by adding a provision to the Constitution protecting state power.

The reserve powers are described in the Tenth Amendment and are powers retained by the state governments.

True

The supremacy clause means federal laws supersede state laws.

True

Dual federalism largely ended in the early twentieth century.

True A number of factors led to the end of dual federalism, such as the passage of the 16th amendment and the New Deal.

During President Clinton's term, a significant amount of federal power was devolved to the states.

True President Clinton supported the devolution of federal power to the states through, in part, significant changes to federal welfare policy.

The Seventeenth Amendment made the federal government generally more responsive to the wishes of the public.

True The Seventeenth Amendment, which required the direct election of senators, made the federal government, especially Congress, more reactive to public sentiment.

The decision to allow states to adopt stricter auto emission standards is an example of state-centered federalism.

True This Obama-era policy allowed states to set their own auto emissions standards, provided that that those standards exceeded those set by the federal government.

Why do state officials generally prefer block grants to categorical grants?

Unlike with categorical grants, block grants allow states more flexibility in terms of how money is spent. Due the increased flexibility and the ability to target money to the areas most needed, state officials generally prefer block grants to categorical grants.

Federal legal requirements compelling state governments to act without providing resources is known as ________.

an unfunded mandate During the 1990s, Congress attempted to limit unfunded mandates, which required state governments to act but without providing them adequate resources or funding.

The idea that state and federal governments have distinct and separate areas of authority is known as _____.

dual federalism After the Civil War, the Supreme Court endorsed dual federalism, which generally prevented the national government from working on any area where state governments had authority.