AP Exam: Federalism
F and G Blocks
Part 1: Multiple Choice
1. Which of the following best illustrates a use of the elastic clause?
A. The Supreme Court allows a lower court ruling to stand by refusing to hear an appeal
B. A Congressional committee prevents the full chamber from voting on legislation by delaying a report
C. Congress passes legislation establishing a national speed limit
D. A member of the House of Representatives introduces a bill to increase federal income tax
E. A governor issues an executive order requiring all state employees to submit to drug testing
2. The fact that the former Republican majority in Congress prefers block grants to categorical
grants indicates that
A) they want to increase federal aid to state governments.
B) they want federal money to be spent at the neighborhood level rather than the state level.
C) they want to decrease federal aid to state governments.
D) they want the federal government to exercise less authority over the states.
E) they intend to raise more money from state governments to reduce the federal budget
deficit.
3. The Supreme Court case of Printz v. United States
A) enhanced the powers of Congress by expanding its interpretation of commerce.
B) denied Congress the power of regulating guns in school zones.
C) voided the congressional mandate in the Brady Bill requiring sheriffs to conduct background checks on
prospective gun purchasers.
D) affirmed the provisions of the Brady Bill.
E) denied women the chance to sue state agencies in federal court.
4. Which of the following best describes the theory of federalism known as cooperative (marble cake)
federalism?
A. The federal government and the states each have separate and mutually exclusive roles and
responsibilities; neither controls the other.
B. the states have some powers reserved to them, which they may exercise if the Supreme Court permits.
C. the federal government and the state have separate but overlapping powers; where these powers
conflict the federal government prevails.
D. The states may only exercise those powers delegated to them by Congress
E. The federal government may exercise only those powers specifically enumerated in the Constitution.
5. In the 1980’s, the federal government compelled the states to raise their drinking age by
A. invoking the supremacy clause
B. creating a national drinking age through congressional legislation
C. invoking the federal government’s police power
D. creating grants that threatened to withhold highway funds
E. ratifying the twenty-first amendment
6. The basic premise of federalism is that
A. two or more governments share power and authority over the same land and people
B. supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses
C. supreme political authority remains with the states
D. a national government has ultimate sovereignty over a country’s land and people
E. states are sovereign unto themselves
7. Fiscal federalism is
A) the pattern of spending, taxing, and providing grants in the federal system.
B) the distinct separation of national government spending versus state and local government spending.
C) the federal government’s regulation of the money supply and interest rates.
D) the federal income tax.
E) a sharing of local and national resources practiced in other countries but not in the United States.
8. The Supreme Court case of Gibbons v. Ogden
A) defined the meaning of the elastic clause.
B) settled the contested presidential election of 1824.
C) defined commerce as virtually every form of commercial activity.
D) established the principle of implied powers.
E) established the supremacy of the national government.
9. Someone who believes that the elastic clause of the Constitution should be narrowly interpreted is most likely to
endorse the concept of _______ federalism.
A. Dual
B. Cooperative
C. Creative
D. Implied
E. coercive
10. The enumerated powers of Congress and the national government are those
A) specifically spelled out in the Constitution.
B) set out in the first ten amendments.
C) involving taxes, spending, and fiscal policy.
D) not specifically spelled out in the Constitution, but nonetheless acknowledged.
E) requiring ratification by the states.
11. Since the 1930s, the national government has controlled its grants to the states through detailed rules,
regulations, and restrictions because
A. national payments to the states are actually unnecessary
B. the national government does not trust the states to use the money for the purpose for which it is
given
C. state governments are not interested in influencing the content of national legislation
D. state bureaucracies have been shrinking in size
E. the national government does not have the funding for these programs
Questions 12-13 refer to the following excerpts from a United States Supreme Court decision.
“We are unanimously of opinion, that the law passed by the legislature of Maryland, imposing a tax on the Bank of th
United States, is unconstitutional and void...This is a tax on the government of the Union to carry its powers into execution.
tax must be unconstitutional...”
12. This decision of the Supreme Court upheld the principle that
A. The federal government and the state governments are equal
B. Congress has only those powers specifically enumerated in the Constitution
C. Congress has the power to make laws to carry out its constitutional duties
D. Taxation without representation is unconstitutional
E. The federal government alone may levy taxes
13. Which of the following resulted from this Supreme Court decision?
A. The power of the national government was strengthened
B. The power of the Supreme Court was weakened.
C. The power of state governments to tax individual citizens was clearly limited
D. Congress was given the power to coin money
E. Congress alone was given the power to charter banks
14. “Dual Federalism” refers to:
A. the fact that there are separate private and public spheres in American society
B. the Constitution’s formal recognition of two layers of government- the state and federal governments
as two and distinct spheres of influence
C. the fact that states that border foreign countries can establish trade treaties separately from the national
government
D. the fact that states all have equal power to regulate commerce between themselves.
E. There is an overlapping sphere of influence between states and the national government
15. The Constitution’s provision that Congress has the right to ʺmake all laws necessary and proper for carrying
into execution its powers is often referred to as the
A) enumerated powers.
B) heart of fiscal federalism.
C) Unwritten Amendment.
D) elastic clause.
E) privileges and immunities.
16. Federal regulation of state governments is usually accomplished through
A) United States Supreme Court decisions.
B) presidential decrees.
C) attaching conditions to grants it gives them.
D) federalization of a stateʹs national guard.
E) direct, executive orders.
17. Which of the following is viewed as an advantage of the many governments that characterize American
federalism?
A. Having many governments ensures that all regions and localities are treated equally by the federal
government
B. Government fragmentation makes government as a whole more easily understood by the average citizen
C. Historically state governments have been more responsive to minorities and the disadvantaged
D. Having many governments enables the country to experiment with new policies on a small scale
F. Having many different areas of government encourages gridlock in policymaking
18. The intended goal of the Republican Revolution on federalism was:
A. The strengthening of the power of the national government
B. The return to the strict separation between national and state responsibilities
C. The acceleration of the ongoing shift of power back to the states
D. The return of large-scale national government programs that were to be implemented by the states
E. A Supreme Court that had a broad view of the elastic clause and commerce clause
19. Which aspect of fiscal federalism did Congress challenge with legislation after the Republican Revolution?
A. block grants
B. unfunded mandates
C. funded mandates
D. revenue sharing
E. categorical grants
20. One recently controversial application of the ʺfull faith and creditʺ provision of the Constitution is for
A) immigration.
B) birth certificates.
C) same sex marriages.
D) the drinking age
E) abortion
21. The Framers created the federal system in order to:
A. preserve power for the elite in society
B. establish a democratic political system that was also efficient
C. establish a powerful central government and minimize the sovereignty of state and local governments
D. prevent tyranny by dividing the powers of government
E. allow factions to flourish and eventually control government
22. Federal policies to regulate food and drugs, build interstate highways, protect consumers, try to clean up dirty
air and water, and do many other things are all justified as __________ of Congress.
A. categorical grants
B. constitutionally specified powers
C. implied powers
D. enumerated powers
E. reserved powers
23. The National Drinking Age Act, Race to the Top Initiative, and the Interstate Highway System are all examples
of
A) dual federalism.
B) cooperative federalism.
C) devolution.
D) layer cake federalism.
E) unitary federalism
24. A marriage license issued in one state is valid and honored in all states
A. separation of powers
B. full faith and credit
C. privileges and immunities
D. national supremacy
E. checks and balances
under the constitutional provision of
25. Which of the following reflect the devolution of federal power?
A. an increase in the number of categorical grants to the states
B. an increase in the number of unfunded mandate to the states
C. executive orders increasing the size of the bureaucracy
D. the Supreme Court broadly interpreting the elastic clause of the Constitution
E. the increase of block grants given to the states
26. The Supreme Court in the case of US v. Lopez (1995) ruled
A. that the State of Maryland could not tax the National Bank
B. that Congress had exceeded its powers when it passed the Gun Free Zone Act
C. that a key provision of the Violence Against Women Act was unconstitutional
D. that commerce could be defined as virtually anything Congress said it was
E. that Congress could regulate the sale of guns under the Brady Bill
27. In Gibbons v. Ogden (1824), the Supreme Court ruled
A. judicial review was a power of the court
B. state contracts took precedence over federal law
C. Congress had the exclusive right to regulate interstate commerce
D. The states cannot tax the national government
E. That New York state had a legitimate monopoly on the lower Hudson River
28. All of the following United States Supreme Court decisions strengthened the power of the federal government
EXCEPT
(A) Gibbons v. Ogden
(B) Marbury v. Madison
(C) US vs. Morrison
(D) McCullough v. Maryland
(E) Wikard vs. Filburn
Part 2: Free Response – Answer completely: DO ALL PARTS OF THE QUESTION!
(15 points)
29. The concept of federalism has undergone many changes throughout the history of
American politics, often times creating tension between the states and national
government.
Using your knowledge of American politics, complete the following tasks:
A. Describe why James Madison believed that federalism would allow both liberty and
good governance for our political system.
B. Explain how the concept of federalism changed from the mid 1930’s to the 1970’s
.Be sure to cite examples of fiscal federalism.
C. Some have argued that the tensions between decentralized and centralized power
continue to exist. Support this argument by explaining how one of the topics below
illustrates the continuing tension.
D. Using that same policy, explain how whether the state or national government has
maintained its sovereignty in the conflict and why.
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Death Penalty
Immigration
Abortion