The writers of the Constitution established a federal system of government in part because
the states already existed as established entities and had to be preserved
a federal government alone would never be able to command the identity or loyalty of its citizenry
Locke and Montesquieu had concluded it was superior to other systems of government.
the British political system was based on the federal principle.
the states would be valuable sources of revenue for a federal government.
Viewed in historical terms, federalism has been a
contentious and dynamic system that has adapted to the needs of the time.
theoretical principle, in that constitutional provisions for federalism have had virtually no impact on the relationship between the nation and the states.
flawed principle, in that the relationship between the nation and the states has been a constant source of problems without many positive benefits.
fixed principle, in that the relationship between the nation and states is almost completely defined by provisions of the Constitution.
poor replacement for the confederal system which existed before the Constitution.
What was the public response to the economic stimulus bill that Barack Obama and the Democratic Congress enacted in early 2009?
Some 70 percent of the public believed the bill was essential, though there was worry, as a secondary concern, about the scale of the spending.
The public's primary concern was about the scale of the spending, but the public still supported the need for a stimulus bill by a margin of two to one.
The public was evenly split on the need for a stimulus bill, reflecting deep political divisions on the nature of the federal role in regulating the economy.
Most Americans did not believe the stimulus bill was "critically important" or "important" to the nation's recovery from the economic crisis.
Nearly two-thirds of the public opposed the passage of any form of economic stimulus bill, even though the vast majority worried about how the U.S. would recover from the economic crisis.
Which of the following is NOT an enumerated power?
public education
regulation of commerce
declaration of war
taxation
establish a national currency
Which of the following was an argument in favor of federalism at the time of the writing of the Constitution?
Federalism will protect liberty.
Federalism will force officials to be more responsive to the people.
Federalism will provide for a stronger national government than existed under the Articles of Confederation.
Federalism will be less likely to produce an all-dominant faction.
All these answers are correct.
Which of the following is a correct statement about commerce power in the U.S.?
The power to regulate commerce is an enumerated power of Congress.
The Constitution does not delineate the dividing line between interstate commerce and intrastate commerce.
The Supreme Court has ruled that manufacturing is part of intrastate commerce and thus subject to state regulation only.
Congress invoked the commerce power in passing a federal law that prohibited the possession of guns within one thousand feet of a school.
All these answers are correct
Sovereignty refers to
a government headed by a king.
a division of authority between the national government and the states.
supreme and final governing authority.
sub-national (state) governments.
None of these answers is correct.
The enumerated powers in Article I of the Constitution were intended to
ensure that neither small nor large states would be at a disadvantage.
ensure that neither northern nor southern states would be at a disadvantage.
establish a government strong enough to forge a union that was secure in its defense and stable in its economy.
limit the power of the presidency.
The Tenth Amendment addressed the concerns of Anti-Federalists about
individual freedoms.
the meaning of the commerce clause.
popular representation in Congress.
the powers of state governments.
the Electoral College.
Which of the following is most closely related to the concept of implied powers?
necessary and proper clause
supremacy clause
Tenth Amendment
the commerce clause
the power to tax
According to the Anti-Federalists, too strong of a national government meant
eventual encroachment upon the sovereignty of the states.
that a new constitutional convention would have to convene every few years.
that a monarchy was preferable to a republic.
that effective commerce between and among the states was an impossibility.
that slavery would be abolished immediately.
The No Child Left Behind Act
increased state authority over education policy but provided greater federal funds for education.
dramatically increased state authority over education policy.
was part of the end, and reversal of, the devolution movement.
was the last significant piece of legislation that contributed to devolution of authority to the states.
was the centerpiece to President Bush's version of "new federalism".
McCulloch v. Maryland
ruled in favor of state-centered federalism.
asserted that the necessary and proper clause was a restriction on the power of the national government.
affirmed that national law is supreme to conflicting state law.
established the Supreme Court's power to judge constitutional issues.
allowed for a narrow reading of the Constitution.
From 1789 to 1865, the most significant issue of federalism was
the application of the Bill of Rights to action by the state governments.
whether the states would accept the lawful authority of the national government.
whether business trusts would be regulated primarily by the states or by the national government.
whether the states would respect the sovereignty of neighboring states.
laissez-faire capitalism.
Through its Dred Scott decision, the Supreme Court
ruled that "free land" made "free men".
upheld free blacks' rights of citizenship.
upheld the principles of the Missouri Compromise.
soothed sectarian tensions.
ruled that Congress could not outlaw slavery anywhere in the United States.
Dual federalism held that
the states were equal to the national government in all respects.
a precise separation of national and state authority was both possible and desirable.
national and state authority were indivisible.
the Senate and the House were equal in their federal authority.
The period of dual federalism (1865-1937) was marked by
congressional supremacy in the area of commerce.
state-government supremacy in the area of commerce.
presidential supremacy in the area of commerce.
business supremacy in the area of commerce.
national supremacy in the area of commerce.
In Lochner v. New York (1905), the Supreme Court ruled that
the doctrine of separate but equal was constitutional.
state regulation of labor practices violated firms' property rights.
the Fourth Amendment did not apply to interstate commerce.
factory practices could only be regulated by the states.
factory practices could only be regulated by the federal government.
The only counterforce that was potentially strong enough to control the business trusts of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was
government.
the buying public.
organized labor.
business competitors.
farmers.
During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the national government
provided vast sums to business firms to keep them out of bankruptcy.
provided health care to Americans on a temporary basis as a means of alleviating economic hardships.
asserted the power to regulate the nation's economy.
provided vast sums to the states so they could meet their citizens' welfare needs.
utilized laissez-faire capitalism in its policies.
