Midterm

Question 1

Among the major features of the federal form of government are that it is a system in which:

Answer 1

All of the above

Question 2

That government model characterized as a “league of equal and sovereign members,” where only member units affect people directly, and member units are equally represented in the national legislature is known as a _______ model

Answer 2

Confederal

Question 3

The government model in which all power resides in the central government and the central government can alter or abolish member units is known as a _____ model.

Answer 3

Unitary

Question 4

Most federal systems of the world were created in the 1800s, within about 50 years of the adoption of the American model.

Answer 4

False

Question 5

The federal system appears to appeal especially to large countries with large and diverse populations.

Answer 5

True

Question 6

The Framers of the U.S. Constitution made sure to include a long and detailed listing of specified powers and authorities belonging to state and local governments.

Answer 6

False

Question 7

Among the benefits often said to be associated with the federal form of government are:

Answer 7

policy flexibility and experimentation

Question 8

Among the negative aspects often identified with the federal form of government is the difficulty of coordinating policy responsiveness and policy impacts among multiple units of government.

Answer 8

True

Question 9

Of the major elements of the U.S Constitution (like separation of powers, checks and balances, etc.), the concept of federalism was oldest and best known by the framers.

Answer 9

false

Question 10

“Federalism” is a system of governing that constitutionally apportions authority between a national-level government and various subnational governments. The subject of how those subnational governments relate to and interact with the national government and with each other is known as:

Answer 10

Intergovernmental relations

Question 11

Those constitutional powers that are recognized as belonging to both the national and state governments (such as power to tax, to spend, to make and enforce laws, and so forth) are known as:

Answer 11

Concurrent powers

Question 12

Under our constitution, both the national government and the states are prohibited from:

Answer 12

All of the above
Granting titles of nobility, making ex post facto laws, issuing bills of attainder

Question 13

An examination of spending patterns by the federal, state, and local governments shows that in our federal system, responsibilities are pretty neatly and discretely divided among the several levels of government: rarely does more than one level spend on any particular function

Answer 13

False

Question 14

Today, spending by the federal government is largely confined to four large functional areas: national defense, health (including Medicaid), welfare, and income security (including social security).

Answer 14

True

Question 15

Comparing spending by state and local governments, we see that in the U.S. today, local governments are largely, or almost exclusively, responsible for:

Answer 15

All of these
FD, PD, Water, Sewer, Parks

Question 16

Which of the following does not today have a federal structure?

Answer 16

France

Question 17

In terms of expenditure of dollars, the most active level (federal, state, or local) of government in the area of elementary and secondary education in the United States today is the local level.

Answer 17

True

Question 18

That level of government (state, local, or federal) that today is the most active in the areas of prisons, highways, and higher education is the federal level.

Answer 18

False

Question 19

At the Constitutional Convention, James Madison was one of those delegates advocating for a stronger national government than existed under the Articles of Confederation.

Answer 19

True

Question 20

The Constitution unequivocally identifies the Supreme Court as the final arbitrator of disputes between the national government and the states.

Answer 20

False

Question 21

The original “Virginia Plan” introduced at the 1787 Constitutional Convention would have provided the national government with the authority to legislate in all cases in which the states were found to be “incompetent.”

Answer 21

True

Question 22

The very first power awarded to Congress by the 1787 Constitution is the power to tax.

Answer 22

True

Question 23

Madison very much agreed with Montesquieu’s argument that liberty could only exist in small republican forms of societies.

Answer 23

False

Question 24

The two “auxiliary precautions” that Madison argued the U.S. Constitution provided as a check on tyranny are:

Answer 24

Federalism and Separation of Powers

Question 25

Most everyone agrees that the Americans’ experience under the Article of Confederation was one of universal harmony and tranquility, especially in affairs of business and the economy.

Answer 25

False

Question 26

In pre-revolutionary America, the colonists were generally pleased with the process by which Britain made various policies affecting the colonies; they mainly were upset with the policy themselves.

Answer 26

False

Question 27

The Albany Plan of 1754, as proposed by Benjamin Franklin, would have included a President appointed by the Crown with authority to veto acts of a representative council of the colonies.

Answer 27

True

Question 28

All of the following are elements that were included in the government established by the Articles of Confederation, except:

Answer 28

A strong Executive

Question 29

The “Virginia Plan,” introduced at the Constitutional Convention, would have pretty much eliminated the states as sovereign features of the new government.

Answer 29

True

Question 30

Fortunately, patriots like Patrick Henry lent their considerable prestige to the creation of a strong, central national government and consequently were able to defeat attempts by state interests to weaken the new government.

Answer 30

False

Question 31

Who among the following “founding fathers” was not at the Constitutional Convention of 1787?

Answer 31

Jefferson

Question 32

The so-called “Great Compromise” reached by the Constitutional Convention delegates in July of 1787 is important because it settled, at least for that time, the issue of slavery in America.

Answer 32

False

Question 33

In terms of representation in the new Congress, the “state-centered” delegates at the Constitutional Convention wanted:

Answer 33

equal state apportionment of representatives in each house

Question 34

In the allocation of powers to the national and state governments, those powers the constitutional framers reserved to the state governments are found most directly in:

Answer 34

the 10th Amendment to the Constitution

Question 35

In the allocation of powers to the national and state governments, those powers the U.S. constitutional framers delegated to the national government are found most directly in:

Answer 35

Article I, Section 8 of the constitution

Question 36

The “electoral college” mechanism for selecting the President was included in the Constitution as a means of appeasing those delegates who felt that the President ought to have at least a minimum level of education.

Answer 36

False

Question 37

In describing the division of powers between the states and the national government as provided in the new Constitution, Madison argued that the new government can most accurately be described as a _______system.

Answer 37

Mixed

Question 38

Critics, like “Brutus” and Patrick Henry, believed that the new government created a truly _______ system.

Answer 38

national

Question 39

Who was not included among the authors of the Federalist Papers (documents intended to sway adoption of the proposed constitution)?

Answer 39

Jefferson

Question 40

George Washington’s Farewell Address is notable because it served to provide very strong support to Madison and Jefferson’s “state-centered” notion of federalism.

Answer 40

False

Question 41

The Supreme Court case of McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) provided both a very large grant of discretionary power to the national government, as well as significant curbs on state activity.

Answer 41

True

Question 42

The 2000 Supreme Court case that struck down portions of the Violence Against Women act as an overreach of federal power was:

Answer 42

United States v. Morrison

Question 43

The effect of the 2010 Supreme Court case of McDonald v. Chicago was to:

Answer 43

place limits on powers of state and local governments to restrict gun ownership

Question 44

The first Supreme Court case to rule on the “interstate commerce” clause, giving broad discretionary power to the national government in this area, was:

Answer 44

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

Question 45

Although there were many “problems” under the Articles of Confederation, the power to tax was not one of them. The Congress under the articles had ample power to tax and spend, for the “general welfare.”

Answer 45

False

Question 46

The event occurring in Massachusetts in 1786 when a group of about 1,500 debtors rebelled against the state’s attempt to seize property to satisfy those debts, and is said to have persuaded George Washington to support the call for a new constitution, is known as:

Answer 46

Shay’s Rebellion

Question 47

In contrast with the British, most colonial Americans believed that “sovereignty,” resided:

Answer 47

with the people

Question 48

The Supreme Court case that upheld as constitutional the distribution of federal grants-in-aid to states was:

Answer 48

Massachusetts v. Mellon (1923)

Question 49

Reading their various letters to President Washington and their private correspondence between each other, it is clear that Hamilton and Jefferson very much agreed upon the direction the new government should take.

Answer 49

False

Question 50

We have seen that most policy issues in the United States today (like transportation, housing, education, and so forth) are handled almost exclusively by one level or the other (state, local, federal) with little or no shared responsibility or funding.

Answer 50

False

Question 51

The 1995 United States v. Lopez decision was significant in that for the first time in over half a century, the Court limited the reach of the national government under the Interstate Commerce Clause.

Answer 51

True

Question 52

The decisions in the Marshall Court, such as McCulloch v. Maryland and Gibbons v. Ogden, represent a philosophy of federalism known as:

Answer 52

nation-centered

Question 53

The doctrine espoused by Jefferson and Calhoun that argued that states should feel free to judge for themselves the constitutionality of national laws within their own borders is known as:

Answer 53

doctrine of nullification

Question 54

The decision in the Hammer v. Dagenhart case illustrates a philosophy of federalism known as

Answer 54

dual federalism

Question 55

Not included among the key characteristics of the nation-centered view of federalism would be that:

Answer 55

states should have the right to nullify national actions within their own boundaries

Question 56

Hamilton’s plan for the national government’s role in providing economic stability showed his true commitment to a confederal arrangement, with a strong emphasis on “states rights.”

Answer 56

False

Question 57

Somewhat surprisingly, perhaps, by the end of Washington’s presidency even James Madison was critical of Hamilton and his plan for strengthening the new national government.

Answer 57

True

Question 58

Throughout the 1800s, state and local governments were primarily responsible for the following function(s):

Answer 58

All of the above
civil and property rights
business organization and regulation
construction of roads and bridges
labor and race relations

Question 59

In the famous Virginia and Kentucky resolutions, Madison and Jefferson argued that states should be willing to step aside in those areas where they were “incompetent” and support the national government’s actions.

Answer 59

False

Question 60

Among the characteristics of the period known as “dual federalism” (about 1860-1930) were:

Answer 60

All of the above

Question 61

The period known as “cooperative federalism” (about 1930-1960) is characterized by:

Answer 61

All of the above
development of many shared federal/state activities
supreme court rulings friendly to the national government
growth in grants-in-aid

Question 62

One of the features of president Lyndon Johnson the domestic program known as “The Great Society” was the inclusion of cities as direct recipients of many federal grants-in-aid.

Answer 62

True

Question 63

For students of federalism, one of the major implications of the 2012 Supreme Court case dealing with the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, also known as “ Obamacare (Department of Health and Human Services v. Florida) is that for the first time ever the Court placed limits on requirements that Congress can set on state-level receipt of federal funds.

Answer 63

True

Question 64

Expressing a strong “expansionist” view of the federal arrangement, early leaders such as George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and John Marshall felt that

Answer 64

All of these

Question 65

Among those many federal grants made available to state and local governments during President Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society programs were those used to create and support:

Answer 65

All of the above (a-c)
Model cities
head start
community action programs

Question 66

The “Aid for Families with Dependent Children,” program that for many years was the country’s major “welfare” program was first initiated during the presidency of:

Answer 66

Franklin Roosevelt

Question 67

The period known as “coercive federalism” (1970’s-2000’s): is characterized by Increased use of congressionally set mandates and preemptive statutes, as well as Supreme Court decisions largely favoring the national government over the states

Answer 67

True

Question 68

The 1985 case of Garcia v. San Antonio Metropolitan Transit Authority is important in that state and local governments are exempt from complying with congressionally-set minimum-wage standard.

Answer 68

False

Question 69

The contemporary era of federalism, that many view as one of “Push Back Federalism,” is characterized by:

Answer 69

All of the above (a-c)

Question 70

Probably the main feature of the period known as “coercive federalism” (about 1970’s -2000’s) has been the tremendous growth of federal mandates and preemptive statutes.

Answer 70

True

Question 71

Given the importance of national economic regulation to the framers, it is surprising that the Constitution does not grant to Congress the right to lay and collect taxes.

Answer 71

False

Question 72

The 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (approved in 1913) is important to contemporary federalism because it granted to women the right to vote in all national elections.

Answer 72

False

Question 73

At the beginning of the last century (20th), the level of government spending the most on domestic issues was:

Answer 73

local

Question 74

At the beginning of the last century (20th), that functional area for which the federal government spent the most was:

Answer 74

Postal service

Question 75

One of the key features of contemporary fiscal matters in the United States is that the sources of funds for the federal government are complex and fragmented, while those for state and local governments are few and concentrated.

Answer 75

False

Question 76

In terms of per capita federal aid received, Texas typically is among the top state recipients.

Answer 76

False

Question 77

Today, the total number of federal grant-in-aid programs totals about:

Answer 77

1200

Question 78

Today, the amount of money distributed to state and local governments by the federal government through its various grant programs is approximately

Answer 78

$650 billion

Question 79

Today, as a percent of total state and local expenditures, intergovernmental aid represents about:

Answer 79

35%

Question 80

Today, the major source of revenue for the federal government is:

Answer 80

individual income taxes

Question 81

In general, the major sources of revenue available to the federal government in the United States differ from those available to state and local governments in that those sources available to the federal government:

Answer 81

are more concentrated and less “regressive”

Question 82

Other than intergovernmental transfers the largest source of revenue for state governments in the United States today is:

Answer 82

sales taxes

Question 83

Other than intergovernmental l transfers the largest source of revenue for local governments in the United States today is:

Answer 83

property taxes

Question 84

“Formula grants” are those federal grants that allocate money to state and local governments on the basis of:

Answer 84

some “formula” that might take into account all these, and other, factors

Question 85

Today, spending by all levels of government (federal, state, and local) represents about what percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP):

Answer 85

38%

Question 86

Among the several states, Texas is unusual in that it is one of the few states collecting no revenue from income taxes.

Answer 86

True

Question 87

The Homeland Security Grant, passed in 2001, is a recent example of what type of grant?

Answer 87

block

Question 88

The Framers of the Constitution were clear in their intent that taxing and spending was to be a state function only; the federal government was never intended to have authority in these areas.

Answer 88

False

Question 89

Two of the most important events of the 20th century affecting fiscal relations among the various levels of government during that century were:

Answer 89

the 16th amendment and the invention of the grant-in-aid system

Question 90

Most economists would argue that the revenue streams available to state and local governments are relatively “regressive” in their effects, while those available to the national government are relatively “progressive.”

Answer 90

True

Question 91

Grants that are made for specific and narrowly defined purposes (like airports, drug abuse, libraries, and bridge construction) belong to a group of grants known as:

Answer 91

categorical

Question 92

When we look at spending by the various levels of government from about 1900 to today, we see:

Answer 92

All of the above (a-c)

Question 93

Today public sector spending represent just a tiny proportion of the country’s gross national product, unlike the situation of about 100 years ago.

Answer 93

False

Question 94

Almost immediately after the ratification of the Constitution, Congress passed a law that would forever deny to states the authority to use the personal income tax.

Answer 94

False

Question 95

Interestingly, spending by state governments as a proportion to their total budgets has not changed a great deal over the past 100 years or so. Then, as now, states spend largely in the areas of education, health, welfare, and corrections.

Answer 95

True

Question 96

One of the important features of our country’s grant-in-aid program is that over the past 25 years or so is that the proportion of federal grants made available to state governments for capital items (like roads, bridges, and the like), has steadily declined while the proportion made available for individuals (like Medicaid and welfare) has steadily increased.

Answer 96

True

Question 97

Federal grants distributed to state and local governments on the basis of some predetermined basis that might take into account such factors as population, poverty rates, age, and the like are known as:

Answer 97

Formula grants

Question 98

Federal grants distributed to state and local governments that make very large grants of money available in very broad areas, like community development, job training, public housing, welfare, and the like are known as:

Answer 98

Block grants

Question 99

Thinking about the effects of federal grants to state and local governments, it’s fair to conclude that they:

Answer 99

All of the above (a-c)

Question 100

Per capita distribution of federal aid throughout the states can be said to be a function of:

Answer 100

all of the above
politics
state matching efforts
two of the above, only