Constitution AP Classroom Questions

Cooperative federalism can best be described by which of the following statements?

Different levels of government are involved in common policy areas.

Which of the following is a fundamental element of the United States Constitution?

Division of government authority across political institutions

Under the Articles of Confederation, which of the following were true?I. Congress could not tax the states directly.II. The executive branch of government exercised more power than Congress.III. Congress was a unicameral body.IV. States were represented in Congress proportionally according to population.

I and III

Arizona enacted an immigration law in 2010, claiming the legislation complemented existing federal law. The Obama administration disagreed, claiming the state law conflicted with national law. Which clause of the Constitution did the Supreme Court most likely use to strike down a section of the state law?

Supremacy clause

Which of the following is a correct statement about the federal government's role in interstate commerce?

The federal government's role has been greatly expanded through the interpretation of the interstate commerce clause.

Which of the following is commonly identified as a failure of the Articles of Confederation?

The national government lacked an effective power to raise revenue.

The following questions refer to the following excerpt from a United States Supreme Court decision. "We are unanimously of opinion, that the law passed by the legislature of Maryland, imposing a tax on the Bank of the United States, is unconstitutional and void...This is a tax on the operation of an instrument employed by the government of the Union to carry its powers into execution. Such a tax must be unconstitutional..." Which of the following resulted from this Supreme Court decision?

The power of the national government was strengthened.

Which of the following is a method by which Congress is likely influencing state policy being depicted in the cartoon?

Unfunded mandates

The Connecticut (Great) Compromise provided for

a bicameral legislature with one house's composition based upon state population and another's on equal state representation

The Americans with Disabilities Act, which provides protections for the disabled, is an example of

a federal mandate

The following questions refer to the following clause from the Constitution: "The Congress shall have power...to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof." The practical effect of this clause has been to

allow the national government to extend its powers beyond those enumerated in the Constitution

All of the following were concerns about the Articles of Confederation that led to the calling of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 EXCEPT

dissatisfaction over safeguards of individual rights and liberties

In a federal system of government, political power is primarily

divided between the central government and regional governments

The terms "fiscal federalism" and "cooperative federalism" refer to situations in which

federal, state, and local governments work together to complete a project, with the federal government providing much of the project funding

Which of the following constitutional principles most directly addresses the relationship between the national and state governments?

federalism

The Americans with Disabilities Act was widely unpopular with governors and mayors because it

required that states and cities pay for federally mandated construction and remodeling

The clause in the United States Constitution that states that federal law will prevail in the event of a conflict between federal and state law is known as the

supremacy clause

All of the following issues were decided at the Constitutional Convention EXCEPT

voting qualifications of the electorate

According to James Madison, which of the following best controls the effects of faction?

A large republic

Which of the following is argued by James Madison in The Federalist paper number 10?

A system of republican representation helps to limit the excesses of factionalism.

Which of the following forms of financial aid from the national government gives the states the broadest discretion in the spending of money?

Block grants

Which of the following is the most accurate interpretation of the political cartoon?

C State governments prefer federal funding but do not want federal oversight over how the money is spent.

South Carolina passed a law to increase the state tax on gasoline to help fund repairs on highways and bridges. The state tax is in addition to the federal tax on every gallon of gasoline that is sold. Which of the following constitutional provisions does this scenario illustrate?

Concurrent Powers

Which of the following powers allows both the federal and state governments to make policies involving taxation?

Concurrent powers