American Gov't- Unit 2

In the past decade, approximately what percentage of expenditures by state and local governments has come from federal grants?

30 percent

Which one of the following correctly states the difference between a block grant and a grant-in-aid?

A grant-in-aid can be spent only for specific purposes; block grants can be used for broad, general purposes.

The appointment of two Supreme Court justices by a Republican president to take the seats formerly held by Democratic appointees would be most likely to have which of the following effects?

A shift in power from the national government to the states

Which one of the following is the primary reason for the growth of the grant system?

Dissatisfaction with state and local government actions

During times of domestic violence, the federal government can intervene only at the invitation of state officials.

False

The Constitution prohibits states from signing treaties with foreign countries and from participating in interstate compacts with other states.

False

The federal government prohibits issuing writs of habeas corpus.

False

The term centralized federalism is often used to describe the relationship between the states and national government that developed during the 1930s.

False

Under the U.S. Constitution, the powers of the states are referred to as delegated powers.

False

Which of the following is a central element of cooperative federalism?

Federal grants-in-aid

What was the largest source of federal tax revenue in 2011?

Individual income taxes

Which one of the following is an inherent part of any federal system

Neither the central government nor state governments exercise total power.

Which of the following best illustrates new federalism?

The 1996 welfare reform legislation

Which one of the following is true of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in United States v. Lopez?

The Court's decision limited the implied powers of the national government to regulate firearms.

What issue was at stake in the Supreme Court's decision in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)?

The authority of the Congress to establish a system of national banks

Which of the following places the greatest limitations on the power of state governments?

The equal protection clause

Which delegated power did Congress use as the basis for outlawing racial discrimination in hotels, motels, and restaurants?

The power to regulate interstate commerce

Which one of the following statements regarding block grants is TRUE?

They have become a decreasing part of federal aid.

An ex post facto law imposes a penalty for performing an act that was legal at the time it was committed.

True

Concurrent powers are those that can be exercised by both the states and the federal government.

True

Congress used its spending authority to coerce the states to increase the drinking age to twenty-one.

True

Cooperative federalism was based on the recognition that not all problems are best solved by concentrating authority in Washington.

True

Federal aid to the states has increased since the end of the Reagan administration.

True

In a unitary government, the central government has ultimate legal authority over its citizens.

True

The Constitution provides only an outline of the American federal system.

True

The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 set wage and hour standards for workers engaged in interstate commerce.

True

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act expanded the scope of the national government's involvement in health care.

True

The Supreme Court has always refused to get involved in issues arising under the so-called guarantee clause.

True

The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction if there is a dispute between two or more states.

True

The U.S. Constitution created the world's first federal form of government.

True

The due process and equal protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment place limits on the states.

True

The full faith and credit clause generally requires the states to honor the final civil rulings of other states.

True

The guarantee clause refers to the Constitution's "guarantee" of a republican form of government for the states.

True

In legal disputes between two or more states, original jurisdiction for hearing cases rests with the

U.S. Supreme Court

Under the federal system of government used in the United States,

central government has exclusive powers in the area of national security.

The powers under the U.S. Constitution that can be exercised by both state and national governments are known as

concurrent powers.

Under the Articles of Confederation, power was

distributed among largely independent states.

In cases of domestic violence, such as a riot within a state, the national government has the right to intervene

even if there is no request for help from any state authority

The delegated powers in the Constitution are

expressly stated or enumerated

In a confederation, powers of the central government are

granted to it by the state or provincial governments.

Federal aid to the states

has increased since the Reagan administration.

In a unitary government, the central government

has ultimate legal authority over citizens.

Following the theory of new federalism, President Reagan

increased block grants.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is an example of the use of

interstate compacts

When a person charged with a crime in Wyoming flees to Nevada and the governor of Wyoming asks the governor of Nevada to return the fugitive, the governor of Nevada

must return the fugitive.

Although the Constitution gives Congress the expressed power to raise an army and a navy, it does not say how that is to be done. How Congress does this is based on its use of the

necessary and proper clause.

The Supreme Court refuses to get involved in issues involving the guarantee clause because they believe that such questions are

political, not judicial questions

A businessman from New York is mugged in Florida. He must be afforded the same police services as a Florida resident because of the

privileges and immunities clause.

Those who unsuccessfully challenged the practice of charging out-of-state students who attend a state college or university higher tuition than in-state students did so on the basis of the

privileges and immunities clause.

The powers under the U.S. Constitution that give states authority to pass laws that promote the health, welfare, safety, and morals of their citizens are referred to as

reserved powers

The framers of the Constitution created a form of government that delegated specific powers to the national government and

reserved the remaining powers for the states.

The Supreme Court case McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

set a precedent for a broad interpretation of the implied powers of Congress.

The constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is most likely to hinge on the Supreme Court's interpretation of

the commerce clause.

In the case of Gonzalez v. Raich, the Supreme Court ruled that the federal ban on marijuana was constitutional because

the sale of marijuana affects interstate commerce

A court order that protects people from arbitrary imprisonment by requiring officials of the government to bring them before a court and state the reasons for detaining them is called a(n)

writ of habeas corpus.