3 Week T/F

Question 1

Federalism means that the national government is the only significant decision-making body in America.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Federalism is a system of government in which the Constitution divides power between a central government and regional governments.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

In essence, the 50 individual American states are agencies of the national government.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

In the United States, states have a considerable measure of sovereign power

Answer 4

True

Question 5

Americans have always been more loyal to their national government than their states.

Answer 5

False

Question 6

The necessary and proper clause of the Constitution puts severe restrictions on what actions the federal government could take.

Answer 6

False

Question 7

Shortly after its founding, the Supreme Court quickly encouraged Congress to exercise the power granted in the necessary and proper clause.

Answer 7

False

Question 8

The necessary and proper clause allowed the national government to expand considerably the scope of its authority, although the process was a slow one.

Answer 8

True

Question 9

Wherever there is a direct conflict of laws between the federal and the state levels, the issue will most likely be resolved in favor of states’ rights.

Answer 9

False

Question 10

The framers of the Constitution reinforced the principle of federalism in the Bill of Rights.

Answer 10

True

Question 11

Powers not granted to the federal government in the Constitution are reserved for the states or for the people.

Answer 11

True

Question 12

State governments have the power to define private property.

Answer 12

True

Question 13

Under the U.S. Constitution, state governments can enter into agreements with one another, subject to congressional approval.

Answer 13

True

Question 14

In the early years of the Republic, states turned to compacts primarily to settle border disputes.

Answer 14

True

Question 15

Local government entities such as counties and cities have no status in the U.S. Constitution.

Answer 15

True

Question 16

Local governments have always been mere conveniences of the states.

Answer 16

True

Question 17

The U.S. Constitution recognizes local governments as a third level of federalism

Answer 17

False

Question 18

After 1937, the Supreme Court minimized the old distinction between interstate and intrastate commerce.

Answer 18

True

Question 19

Congress uses grants-in-aid because it does not have the political or constitutional power to command local governments to do its bidding.

Answer 19

True

Question 20

The no-strings-attached stimulus spending bill enacted in 2009 marked a significant shift away from regulated federalism.

Answer 20

False

Question 21

The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) represents a serious effort to strengthen the domination of the federal government over the states.

Answer 21

False

Question 22

The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) combined the various unfunded mandates Congress has imposed over the years into three block grant programs.

Answer 22

False

Question 23

Separation of powers means that within the national government there is a clear decision-making hierarchy.

Answer 23

False

Question 24

In the United States, each of the three branches of government exercises some power over the other two.

Answer 24

True

Question 25

James Madison advocated a complete separation among the branches of government.

Answer 25

False