1. (1.0 point)
According to Government in America, the central issue surrounding the government's response to Hurricane Katrina is
a. whether or not the government knew the levies in New Orleans were going to break.
b. how to avoid blame from the media and the American people for the failed government response.
c. an example of the political battlegrounds that result from federalism.
d. how to rebuild the levees so that they will not be vulnerable to future disasters.
e. whether or not the government should aid disaster victims.
Answer: _____
2. (1.0 point)
The workings of the federal system are sometimes called
a. intrastate relations.
b. international relations.
c. internal relations.
d. intergovernmental relations.
e. interstate relations.
Answer: _____
3. (1.0 point)
The federal system
a. decreases opportunities for political participation.
b. decentralizes our politics.
c. decreases the number of government officeholders.
d. decreases judicial power.
e. centralizes our politics.
Answer: _____
4. (1.0 point)
Which of the following is NOT among the factors responsible for the growing power of the federal government relative to the states?
a. Evolution of the definition of the commerce clause.
b. Elaboration of the doctrine of implied powers.
c. The struggle for racial equality.
d. The Civil War.
e. The struggle for the ERA.
Answer: _____
5. (1.0 point)
In its McCulloch v. Maryland decision, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of
a. the supremacy of the states over the national government.
b. judicial restraint.
c. Maryland in a dispute with the national government.
d. judicial review.
e. the supremacy of the national government over the states.
Answer: _____
6. (1.0 point)
In 1964, when Congress prohibited racial discrimination in public places such as restaurants, it used______as a basis for this ruling.
a. Article VI of the Constitution
b. the full faith and credit clause
c. its privileges and immunities
d. its enumerated powers
e. its power to regulate interstate commerce
Answer: _____
7. (1.0 point)
The fact that a driver's license from one state is valid in other states is an example of
a. full faith and credit.
b. privileges and immunities.
c. implied powers.
d. Un-mandated reciprocity.
e. extradition.
Answer: _____
8. (1.0 point)
In ______federalism, the powers and policy assignments of different levels of government are like a marble cake, with mingled responsibilities and blurred distinctions between layers of government.
a. fiscal
b. dual
c. tripartite
d. mixed
e. cooperative
Answer: _____
9. (1.0 point)
In dual federalism,
a. there are only two branches of government.
b. powers are shared between states and the federal government.
c. states and the national government each remain supreme within their own spheres.
d. the state governments assume greater fiscal responsibility.
e. the federal government assumes greater fiscal responsibility.
Answer: _____
10. (1.0 point)
Which of the following is NOT true about categorical grants?
a. Virtually every one is enshrouded in rules and regulations for its use.
b. Categorical grants are monies that can be spent in broad categories of functions.
c. The federal government is less likely to apply conditions to these grants today than in the 1970s.
d. There are several hundred specific purposes or categories for which these grants can be used.
e. A project grant is the most typical type of categorical grant.
Answer: _____
11. (1.0 point)
An example of an unfunded mandate issued by the federal courts is
a. school desegregation
b. court orders in prison construction and management
c. required provision of mental health facilities in hospitals
d. all of the above
e. none of the above
Answer: _____
12. (1.0 point)
Federalism is advantageous for democracy for each of the following reasons EXCEPT
a. allows customization of policies for local needs.
b. increases access to government.
c. increases the number of decisions and compromises made at the national level.
d. allows more opportunities for political participation.
e. allows for a greater diversity of opinion to be reflected in public policies.
Answer: _____
13. (1.0 point)
Each of the following is considered a disadvantage of federalism for democracy EXCEPT
a. voter turnout rates in state and local elections are even lower than in national elections.
b. powerful interests in a state can use the state as a power base to promote their interests.
c. large number of governments in the United States make exercising democratic control more difficult.
d. local interests may be able to thwart national majority support of certain policies.
e. policy diversity can discourage states from providing services that would otherwise be available.
Answer: _____
14. (1.0 point)
Since 1929, the national government's share of American governmental expenditures has
a. dropped.
b. grown rapidly.
c. remained the same.
d. approached nearly 100 percent.
e. grown at a slower rate than the states' share.
Answer: _____
15. (1.0 point)
Over the last 125 years the people of the United States have turned increasingly to the national government to solve problems or provide assistance because
a. we have a unitary government.
b. the Tenth Amendment gave increased power to the national government.
c. of corruption at the state level.
d. of persistent corruption in state and local government.
e. a problem or policy often requires the authority and resources of the national government.
Answer: _____
16. (1.0 point)
Federalism is unique to the Western Hemisphere.
a. True
b. False
Answer: _____
17. (1.0 point)
Federalism decentralizes policies.
a. True
b. False
Answer: _____
18. (1.0 point)
The Constitution specifically denies states the power to coin money, to enter into treaties, or to tax imports or exports.
a. True
b. False
Answer: _____
19. (1.0 point)
McCulloch v. Maryland resulted in greater power for the national government.
a. True
b. False
Answer: _____
20. (1.0 point)
Article IV of the Constitution requires that states provide one another with full faith and credit.
a. True
b. False
Answer: _____
21. (1.0 point)
A system in which the national government and state governments remain supreme within their own spheres is called supreme federalism.
a. True
b. False
Answer: _____
22. (1.0 point)
Shared costs refers to the fact that cities and states can receive federal money for programs such as airport construction, sewage treatment plants, and youth programs, but only if they pay part of the bill.
a. True
b. False
Answer: _____
23. (1.0 point)
Devolution refers to the transferring of responsibilities for public policies from the federal government to state and local governments.
a. True
b. False
Answer: _____
24. (1.0 point)
The percentage of federal aid to state and local governments in the form of block grants began decreasing in 1995 as the new Republican majority in Congress passed more federal aid in the form of formula grants, including grants for welfare programs.
a. True
b. False
Answer: _____
25. (1.0 point)
The federal system of government increases opportunities for participation in American politics.
a. True
b. False
Answer: _____