______ opposed the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

______ opposed the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. 

A. George Washington
B. Patrick Henry
C. James Madison
D. Benjamin Franklin
E. John Adams


Answer: B

In key decisions early in the New Deal era, the Supreme Court

In key decisions early in the New Deal era, the Supreme Court 

A. invalidated key pieces of FDR's New Deal legislation.
B. upheld FDR's "court-packing" proposal.
C. ruled that segregation violated the Fourteenth Amendment.
D. ruled that public accommodations were part of interstate commerce.
E. invalidated the commerce clause.

Answer: A

The "separate but equal" standard was created by

The "separate but equal" standard was created by 

A. Congress.
B. the Supreme Court.
C. the state supreme court of Virginia.
D. President Ulysses S. Grant.
E. Justice John Marshall Harlan.

Answer: B

A blending of state and national authority is associated with ________ federalism, while a separation of national and state authority is associated with ________ federalism.

A blending of state and national authority is associated with ________ federalism, while a separation of national and state authority is associated with ________ federalism. 

A. dual; fiscal
B. dual; cooperative
C. cooperative; dual
D. picket-fence; cooperative
E. cooperative; pyramid

Answer: C

Roughly one in every ________ dollars spent by local and state governments in recent decades was raised not by them but by the government in Washington.

Roughly one in every ________ dollars spent by local and state governments in recent decades was raised not by them but by the government in Washington. 

A. two
B. five
C. ten
D. fifty
E. one hundred

Answer: B

The federal government's power to tax, regulate commerce among the states, and declare war are all examples of ________ powers.

The federal government's power to tax, regulate commerce among the states, and declare war are all examples of ________ powers. 

A. reserved
B. enumerated
C. implied
D. concurrent
E. None of these answers is correct.

Answer: B

Which decision is indicative of how the Supreme Court interpreted the Fourteenth Amendment and state discretion in civil rights matters in the decades after the Civil War?

Which decision is indicative of how the Supreme Court interpreted the Fourteenth Amendment and state discretion in civil rights matters in the decades after the Civil War? 

A. Brown v. Board of Education
B. the Dred Scott decision
C. Plessy v. Ferguson
D. McCulloch v. Maryland
E. Gibbons v. Ogden

Answer: C

The Constitution allows states to

The Constitution allows states to 

A. raise an army in peacetime.
B. print money.
C. make commercial agreements with other states without the consent of Congress.
D. govern intrastate commerce.
E. govern interstate commerce.

Answer: D

If a state accepts a federal grant-in-aid, it must

If a state accepts a federal grant-in-aid, it must 

A. comply with federal restrictions on its use.
B. reimburse the federal government after a specified period.
C. match the funds with twice that amount in state funds.
D. reduce its income tax rates to adjust for the increased income.
E. None of these answers is correct.

Answer: A

During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the national government

During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the national government 

A. provided vast sums to business firms to keep them out of bankruptcy.
B. provided health care to Americans on a temporary basis as a means of alleviating economic hardships.
C. asserted the power to regulate the nation's economy.
D. provided vast sums to the states so they could meet their citizens' welfare needs.
E. utilized laissez-faire capitalism in its policies.

Answer: C

In Lochner v. New York (1905), the Supreme Court ruled that

In Lochner v. New York (1905), the Supreme Court ruled that 

A. the doctrine of separate but equal was constitutional.
B. state regulation of labor practices violated firms' property rights.
C. the Fourth Amendment did not apply to interstate commerce.
D. factory practices could only be regulated by the states.
E. factory practices could only be regulated by the federal government.

Answer: B

The period of dual federalism (1865-1937) was marked by

The period of dual federalism (1865-1937) was marked by 

A. congressional supremacy in the area of commerce.
B. state-government supremacy in the area of commerce.
C. presidential supremacy in the area of commerce.
D. business supremacy in the area of commerce.
E. national supremacy in the area of commerce.

Answer: D

Dual federalism held that

Dual federalism held that 

A. the states were equal to the national government in all respects.
B. a precise separation of national and state authority was both possible and desirable.
C. national and state authority were indivisible.
D. the Senate and the House were equal in their federal authority.
E. None of these answers is correct.

Answer: B

Through its Dred Scott decision, the Supreme Court

Through its Dred Scott decision, the Supreme Court 

A. ruled that "free land" made "free men".
B. upheld free blacks' rights of citizenship.
C. upheld the principles of the Missouri Compromise.
D. soothed sectarian tensions.
E. ruled that Congress could not outlaw slavery anywhere in the United States.

Answer: E

From 1789 to 1865, the most significant issue of federalism was

From 1789 to 1865, the most significant issue of federalism was 

A. the application of the Bill of Rights to action by the state governments.
B. whether the states would accept the lawful authority of the national government.
C. whether business trusts would be regulated primarily by the states or by the national government.
D. whether the states would respect the sovereignty of neighboring states.
E. laissez-faire capitalism.

Answer: B

McCulloch v. Maryland

McCulloch v. Maryland 

A. ruled in favor of state-centered federalism.
B. asserted that the necessary and proper clause was a restriction on the power of the national government.
C. affirmed that national law is supreme to conflicting state law.
D. established the Supreme Court's power to judge constitutional issues.
E. allowed for a narrow reading of the Constitution.

Answer: C

According to the Anti-Federalists, too strong of a national government meant

According to the Anti-Federalists, too strong of a national government meant 

A. eventual encroachment upon the sovereignty of the states.
B. that a new constitutional convention would have to convene every few years.
C. that a monarchy was preferable to a republic.
D. that effective commerce between and among the states was an impossibility.
E. that slavery would be abolished immediately.

Answer: A

Which of the following is most closely related to the concept of implied powers?

Which of the following is most closely related to the concept of implied powers? 

A. necessary and proper clause
B. supremacy clause
C. Tenth Amendment
D. the commerce clause
E. the power to tax

Answer: A

The Tenth Amendment addressed the concerns of Anti-Federalists about

The Tenth Amendment addressed the concerns of Anti-Federalists about 

A. individual freedoms.
B. the meaning of the commerce clause.
C. popular representation in Congress.
D. the powers of state governments.
E. the Electoral College.

Answer: D

The enumerated powers in Article I of the Constitution were intended to

The enumerated powers in Article I of the Constitution were intended to 

A. limit the powers of the state governments.
B. ensure that neither small nor large states would be at a disadvantage.
C. ensure that neither northern nor southern states would be at a disadvantage.
D. establish a government strong enough to forge a union that was secure in its defense and stable in its economy.
E. limit the power of the presidency.

Answer: D

Sovereignty refers to

Sovereignty refers to 

A. a government headed by a king.
B. a division of authority between the national government and the states.
C. supreme and final governing authority.
D. sub-national (state) governments.
E. None of these answers is correct.

Answer: C

Which of the following is a correct statement about commerce power in the U.S.?

Which of the following is a correct statement about commerce power in the U.S.? 

A. The power to regulate commerce is an enumerated power of Congress.
B. The Constitution does not delineate the dividing line between interstate commerce and intrastate commerce.
C. The Supreme Court has ruled that manufacturing is part of intrastate commerce and thus subject to state regulation only.
D. Congress invoked the commerce power in passing a federal law that prohibited the possession of guns within one thousand feet of a school.
E. All these answers are correct

Answer: E

Which of the following was an argument in favor of federalism at the time of the writing of the Constitution?

Which of the following was an argument in favor of federalism at the time of the writing of the Constitution?

A. Federalism will protect liberty.
B. Federalism will force officials to be more responsive to the people.
C. Federalism will provide for a stronger national government than existed under the Articles of Confederation.
D. Federalism will be less likely to produce an all-dominant faction.
E. All these answers are correct.

Answer: E

Which of the following is NOT an enumerated power?

Which of the following is NOT an enumerated power? 

A. public education
B. regulation of commerce
C. declaration of war
D. taxation
E. establish a national currency

Answer: A

Viewed in historical terms, federalism has been a

Viewed in historical terms, federalism has been a 

A. contentious and dynamic system that has adapted to the needs of the time.
B. theoretical principle, in that constitutional provisions for federalism have had virtually no impact on the relationship between the nation and the states.
C. flawed principle, in that the relationship between the nation and the states has been a constant source of problems without many positive benefits.
D. fixed principle, in that the relationship between the nation and states is almost completely defined by provisions of the Constitution.
E. poor replacement for the confederal system which existed before the Constitution.

Answer: A

The writers of the Constitution established a federal system of government in part because

The writers of the Constitution established a federal system of government in part because 

A. the states already existed as established entities and had to be preserved.
B. a federal government alone would never be able to command the identity or loyalty of its citizenry.
C. Locke and Montesquieu had concluded it was superior to other systems of government.
D. the British political system was based on the federal principle.
E. the states would be valuable sources of revenue for a federal government.

Answer: A