American Government

Question 1 of 20

5.0 Points

Which of the following is often seen as a benefit of federalism?

 

A. It encourages hyperpluralism.

 

B. It allows states to function as laboratories of democracy and policy innovation.

 

C. It creates conflict between national and state governments.

 

D. It creates more opportunities for interest groups to wield influence

 

Question 2 of 20

5.0 Points

   

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 some 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

 

Question 3 of 20

5.0 Points

   

The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks have had what impact on federal power?

 

A. Federal power has declined.

 

B. Federal power has increased at first, but declined substantially in subsequent years.

 

C. The attacks had no noticeable impact on federal power.

 

D. Federal power has increased

 

Question 4 of 20

5.0 Points

   

A major goal of the writers of the U.S. Constitution was to __________ .

 

A. empower the national government

 

B. prohibit state governments

 

C. prohibit national government

 

D. empower local governments

 

Question 5 of 20

5.0 Points

   

Which of the following is an example of a confederation?

 

A. state governments in the United States

 

B. the United Nations

 

C. Britain

 

D. OPEC

 

Question 6 of 20

5.0 Points

   

In our federal system, the powers of the state governments are ultimately granted by __________ .

 

A. their state's Supreme Court

 

B. the people of their state

 

C. their state legislature

 

D. the United States Constitution

 

Question 7 of 20

5.0 Points

   

The Constitution has a long list of enumerated federal powers, but few state powers are spelled out. This is because __________ .

 

A. the Framers thought the federal government was redundant

 

B. states were designed to be subservient to the federal government

 

C. there was consensus on what the powers of the federal government should be but not on the powers of the states

 

D. states had all the power at the writing of the Constitution and a list was deemed unnecessary

 

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Question 8 of 20

5.0 Points

The most numerous forms of government in the United States are __________ .

 

A. local county governments

 

B. local city governments

 

C. local school districts

 

D. local special districts

 

5.0 Points

The era of dual federalism ended with the __________ .

 

A. Civil War

 

B. Great Depression

 

C. Sherman Anti-Trust Act

 

D. passage of the Fourteenth Amendment

 

Question 10 of 20

5.0 Points

   

The full faith and credit clause __________ .

 

A. allows Indians to establish casinos on reservation lands

 

B. allows immigrants to commit crimes if that behavior is legal in their country of origin

 

C. prohibits state action to ban gay marriage

 

D. has become a controversial issue in light of the recent legalization of gay marriage in some states

 

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Question 11 of 20

5.0 Points

The first true federal grant program funded __________ .

 

A. roads and bridges

 

B. welfare and pension payments

 

C. land-grant colleges

 

D. railroads

 

Question 12 of 20

5.0 Points

   

At the founding, the most important unit of government in the U.S. was the __________ .

 

A. municipality

 

B. state

 

C. nation

 

D. colony

 

Question 13 of 20

5.0 Points

   

In situations of conflict between state and national law, national law prevails due to __________ .

 

A. federalism

 

B. the supremacy clause

 

C. the Tenth Amendment

 

D. the Bill of Rights

 

Question 14 of 20

5.0 Points

   

A concurrent power of the U.S. federal system is __________ .

 

A. setting the time and manner of elections

 

B. coining money

 

C. spending money for the general welfare

 

D. the ratification of constitutional amendments

 

Question 15 of 20

5.0 Points

   

Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath is an example of __________ federalism.

 

A. marble cake

 

B. layer cake

 

C. fruit cake

 

D. angel food cake

 

Question 16 of 20

5.0 Points

   

Federalism refers to how power is distributed __________ .

 

A. among the local governments of America

 

B. among the state governments

 

C. by a political system in which power is vested in the state governments

 

D. between national and state governments

 

Question 17 of 20

5.0 Points

   

New Federalism favors __________ over __________ grants.

 

A. block; categorical

 

B. categorical; block

 

C. funded mandates; categorical

 

D. block; funded mandates

 

Question 18 of 20

5.0 Points

   

A recent trend in addressing problems such as public health and youth violence has been __________ .

 

A. government consolidation and cooperation

 

B. home rule charters

 

C. commission governments

 

D. town meetings

 

Question 19 of 20

5.0 Points

   

The belief that the national government should not exceed its enumerated powers and that all other powers should be reserved to the states or the people is known as __________ .

 

A. the full faith and credit doctrine

 

B. the doctrine of implied powers

 

C. confederalism

 

D. dual federalism

 

Question 20 of 20

5.0 Points

   

The Framers created the federal system primarily to __________ .

 

A. eliminate the power of the elite

 

B. establish a less democratic political system that was also efficient

 

C. establish a powerful central government and minimize the authority of state and local governments

 

D. remedy problems experienced by the Framers under the Articles of Confederation

 

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