Federalism Basics
Constitutional Principles
Power and Responsibility
Historical Moments in Federalism
Clauses and Amendments
100

The __________ Act of 1973 gave control of endangered animals to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

A. Wildlife Preservation Act
B. Conservation and Wildlife Act
C. Endangered Species Act
D. Environmental Protection Act

C. Endangered Species Act

100

What does the Supremacy Clause establish?
A. Federal law is supreme over state and local law
B. State constitutions are above federal law
C. Federal laws must match local laws
D. Laws of Congress only apply in Washington, D.C.

A. Federal law is supreme over state and local law

100

Which of the following is a reserved power?


A. Declaring war
B. Regulating businesses and overseeing education
C. Coining money
D. Levying taxes

B. Regulating businesses and overseeing education

100

Which president launched the New Deal, leading to a new era of shared power among national, state, and local governments?


A. Franklin Roosevelt
B. Ronald Reagan
C. Lyndon Johnson
D. Richard Nixon

A. Franklin Roosevelt

100

Which clause in Article IV requires states to recognize and honor each other’s public actions?


A. Supremacy Clause
B. Necessary and Proper Clause
C. Full Faith and Credit Clause
D. Commerce Clause

C. Full Faith and Credit Clause

200

Which powers are specifically granted to the national government by the Constitution?

A. Reserved
B. Concurrent
C. Enumerated
D. Implied

C. Enumerated

200

What does the Tenth Amendment state?
A. State constitutions take precedence over the U.S. Constitution
B. Powers not delegated to the national government are reserved for the states
C. Only Congress has the power to make laws
D. States may override federal laws if they conflict

B. Powers not delegated to the national government are reserved for the states

200

What is the purpose of grants-in-aid?
A. To provide federal funding to state and local governments for specific purposes
B. To impose federal mandates on states
C. To reduce the role of state governments in policymaking
D. To give states complete control over federal funds

A. To provide federal funding to state and local governments for specific purposes

200

What was the Great Society program aimed at?


A. Promoting innovative solutions in education
B. Ending poverty and eliminating racial injustice
C. Increasing state control over federal funds
D. Shifting power back to the federal government

B. Ending poverty and eliminating racial injustice

200

How many specific powers are enumerated for the national government in the Constitution?
A. 17
B. 10
C. 27
D. 50

A. 17

300

Which of the following are examples of concurrent powers?
A. Declaring war and making treaties
B. Taxing and building roads
C. Issuing licenses and regulating interstate commerce
D. Coining money and overseeing education

B. Taxing and building roads

300

Which clause ensures that a driver’s license issued in one state is valid in another?
A. Full Faith and Credit Clause
B. Commerce Clause
C. Necessary and Proper Clause
D. Supremacy Clause

A. Full Faith and Credit Clause

300

Which term describes programs imposed on state and local governments without sufficient federal funding?


A. Reserved powers
B. Federal mandates
C. Grants-in-aid
D. Unfunded mandates

D. Unfunded mandates

300

Which act led to the reintroduction of gray wolves into Yellowstone National Park?


A. The Great Society
B. The New Deal
C. The Endangered Species Act
D. The Tenth Amendment

C. The Endangered Species Act

300

What is one benefit of federalism?


A. Promotes unity without imposing uniformity
B. Reduces the number of government units
C. Grants all power to the national government
D. Encourages uniformity of laws across states

A. Promotes unity without imposing uniformity

400

What does federalism promote by allowing states to act as laboratories for innovation?
A. Flexibility
B. Stability
C. Innovation
D. Uniformity

C. Innovation

400

Article IV of the Constitution requires every state constitution to support what form of government?


A. Republican government
B. Parliamentary government
C. Direct democracy
D. Monarchy

A. Republican government

400

What is a drawback of federalism?


A. Encourages political participation
B. Promotes unity without imposing uniformity
C. Allows states to act as laboratories for innovation
D. Inconsistency of laws between states

D. Inconsistency of laws between states

400

During which president’s administration did the New Deal occur?


A. Ronald Reagan
B. Franklin Roosevelt
C. Lyndon Johnson
D. Richard Nixon

B. Franklin Roosevelt

400

Which of the following is an example of an enumerated power?


A. Levying taxes
B. Coining money
C. Establishing local governments
D. Regulating commerce within states

B. Coining money

500

Why did the framers choose a federal system?


A. To allow states to control all government functions
B. To balance power between national and state governments
C. To ensure national control over state legislatures
D. To reduce state power over local issues

To balance power between national and state governments

500

Why do states amend their constitutions more frequently than the U.S. Constitution?


A. States rarely amend their constitutions
B. State constitutions address more specific issues
C. State constitutions are longer and more detailed
D. States rely on older frameworks

C. State constitutions are longer and more detailed

500

Which of the following is a concurrent power?


A. Coining money
B. Regulating commerce within states
C. Establishing local governments
D. Taxation

D. Taxation

500

Who described states as “laboratories” for social and economic experiments?
A. Justice Louis Brandeis
B. Lyndon Johnson
C. Franklin Roosevelt
D. James Madison

A. Justice Louis Brandeis

500

What does federalism do to limit the power of any one group?


A. Grants all authority to the federal government
B. Shifts power to the states
C. Divides power among several units of government
D. Encourages uniform policies nationwide

C. Divides power among several units of government