Question 1

Which early court case reinforced the power of the supremacy clause?

Accepted Answer

A)   Barron v. Baltimore
B)   Gibbons v. Ogden
C)   McCulloch v. Maryland
D)   Dred Scott v. SandfordE) None of the above
F) A) and B)

Question 2

Which part of the Constitution emphasizes a state-centered perspective?

Accepted Answer

A)   First Amendment
B)   commerce clause
C)   forging treaties with foreign nations
D)   amending the U.S. ConstitutionE) A) and B)
F) All of the above

Question 3

Sovereign power means that

Accepted Answer

A)   the state governments have just as much power as the national government.
B)   each unit of government has some degree of authority and autonomy.
C)   the Constitution recognizes only national authority.
D)   local governments have no authority in the United States.E) C) and D)
F) None of the above

Question 4

Why do liberals generally favor strong national power while conservatives generally favor devolving power back to the states?

Accepted Answer

Liberals tend to prioritize social equal...

Question 5

In the first century of America's history, the national government played a relatively active role in the domestic economy.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Following the Civil War, why were the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments added to the Constitution?

Accepted Answer

A)   to guarantee African Americans seats in Congress
B)   to move the nation toward a unitary government
C)   to ensure that the Union's views on states' rights were the law of the land
D)   to ensure that northern states would dominate the national governmentE) B) and C)
F) None of the above

Question 7

Policy diversity and innovation are arguments in favor of a stronger role for the states in U.S. politics.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

Coercive federalism was last used in the 1960s.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

Why is the necessary and proper clause often a source of controversy and political disagreement?

Accepted Answer

A)   Some argue that it grants too much power to the Supreme Court by giving it the power to declare state laws unconstitutional.
B)   Some argue that the executive branch has abused its power through an overly broad interpretation of the necessary and proper clause.
C)   Some argue that the U.S. Congress has abused its power through an overly broad interpretation of the necessary and proper clause.
D)   Some argue that it makes the military too powerful without proper checks from civilian government.E) B) and D)
F) B) and C)

Question 10

Which one of the following statements would fall under the principle of coercive federalism?

Accepted Answer

A)   The president threatens the states with military might.
B)   Members of Congress create mandates without giving state leaders the money to execute and enforce the mandates in question.
C)   Members of Congress pass new constitutional amendments limiting state power.
D)   Members of Congress raise taxes in states aligned with the opposing political party.E) All of the above
F) A) and B)

Question 11

One advantage of decentralized power in a federal system is that it

Accepted Answer

A)   provides Congress with more power than the president.
B)   makes legislation easier to pass.
C)   is a natural check on the power of the federal government.
D)   leads to more coherent and unified ethnic and national identities.E) C) and D)
F) B) and C)

Question 12

Which of the following areas of policy would be reserved to the states based on the precedent established by United States v. Lopez?

Accepted Answer

A)   establishing security for schools
B)   creating background check data for gun purchases
C)   developing interstate transportation systems
D)   designing course requirements for high school graduationE) A) and D)
F) A) and B)

Question 13

The "rights revolution" and Great Society programs were made possible because of the doctrine of new federalism.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

Which system is most common among the world's democracies?

Accepted Answer

A)   federal system
B)   confederal system
C)   unitary system
D)   direct democratic systemE) A) and B)
F) None of the above

Question 15

What is the clearest statement of the nation-centered focus of the U.S. Constitution?

Accepted Answer

A)   supremacy clause
B)   reserved powers clause
C)   Tenth Amendment
D)   Electoral CollegeE) B) and D)
F) A) and B)

Question 16

In Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) , the justices ruled that

Accepted Answer

A)   the Missouri Compromise deprived slave owners of property without due process of law.
B)   previous Court rulings that relied on the principle of dual federalism were incorrect because this was not what the framers envisioned when drafting the Constitution.
C)   federal law was supreme over state law.
D)   the Bill of Rights did not apply to the states.E) B) and D)
F) C) and D)

Question 17

Which amendment stipulates "the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people"?

Accepted Answer

A)   First
B)   Second
C)   Fourth
D)   TenthE) A) and B)
F) B) and C)

Question 18

With regard to federalism,

Accepted Answer

A)   there is always clarity between federal and state authority on public policy issues.
B)   it is often difficult to ascertain when federal authority ends and state authority begins.
C)   the Tenth Amendment provides a great deal of clarity in the Constitution.
D)   there has been little conflict about the subject in U.S. history.E) All of the above
F) A) and B)

Question 19

The doctrine of states' rights

Accepted Answer

A)   was used as a rationale for upholding slavery.
B)   was rejected by Roger Taney in his decisions.
C)   disappeared in the nineteenth century.
D)   was overturned by the Fourteenth Amendment.E) A) and B)
F) B) and C)

Question 20

The Violence Against Women Act

Accepted Answer

A)   was passed during the George W. Bush administration.
B)   had strong Democratic support but no Republican support in Congress.
C)   was struck down, in part, by the Supreme Court justices.
D)   was based on the necessary and proper clause of the Constitution.E) All of the above
F) A) and B)

Exam 3: Federalism

Sovereign power means that

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which amendment stipulates "the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people"?

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The "rights revolution" and Great Society programs were made possible because of the doctrine of new federalism.

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Following the Civil War, why were the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments added to the Constitution?

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Which early court case reinforced the power of the supremacy clause?

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Coercive federalism was last used in the 1960s.

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With regard to federalism,

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One advantage of decentralized power in a federal system is that it

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Which one of the following statements would fall under the principle of coercive federalism?

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Which system is most common among the world's democracies?

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Why do liberals generally favor strong national power while conservatives generally favor devolving power back to the states?

Correct AnswerverifiedLiberals tend to prioritize social equal...View AnswerShow Answer

The Violence Against Women Act

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Why is the necessary and proper clause often a source of controversy and political disagreement?

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Policy diversity and innovation are arguments in favor of a stronger role for the states in U.S. politics.

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The doctrine of states' rights

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What is the clearest statement of the nation-centered focus of the U.S. Constitution?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) , the justices ruled that

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In the first century of America's history, the national government played a relatively active role in the domestic economy.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following areas of policy would be reserved to the states based on the precedent established by United States v. Lopez?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which part of the Constitution emphasizes a state-centered perspective?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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Liberals tend to prioritize social equal...
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