1. Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution is most closely associated with federalism?
a) 1st Amendment
b) 10th Amendment
c) 14th Amendment
d) 19th Amendment
Answer: b) 10th Amendment
2. The principle of federalism refers to the division of power between:
a) The executive and legislative branches
b) The state and federal governments
c) The president and Congress
d) The military and civilian leaders
Answer: b) The state and federal governments
3. The Supremacy Clause is found in which article of the U.S. Constitution?
a) Article I
b) Article II
c) Article III
d) Article VI
Answer: d) Article VI
4. Which court case established the principle of judicial review, influencing federalism?
a) Marbury v. Madison
b) McCulloch v. Maryland
c) Gibbons v. Ogden
d) Plessy v. Ferguson
Answer: a) Marbury v. Madison
5. Which court case upheld the federal government’s implied powers under the Necessary and Proper Clause?
a) Marbury v. Madison
b) McCulloch v. Maryland
c) Dred Scott v. Sandford
d) Roe v. Wade
Answer: b) McCulloch v. Maryland
6. The Full Faith and Credit Clause of the Constitution is primarily concerned with:
a) Federal tax collection
b) Interstate relations
c) The president’s power
d) The Bill of Rights
Answer: b) Interstate relations
7. Which of the following is a concurrent power shared by both the federal and state governments?
a) Declaring war
b) Coining money
c) Taxation
d) Regulating interstate commerce
Answer: c) Taxation
8. The “necessary and proper” clause is also known as the:
a) Elastic Clause
b) Supremacy Clause
c) Commerce Clause
d) Due Process Clause
Answer: a) Elastic Clause
9. Which type of federalism involves a clear distinction between the powers of the federal and state governments?
a) Cooperative Federalism
b) Dual Federalism
c) Marble Cake Federalism
d) Creative Federalism
Answer: b) Dual Federalism
10. Which of the following is an example of cooperative federalism?
a) State governments creating their own laws independent of federal influence
b) Federal grants-in-aid programs
c) Federal government issuing national licenses
d) States having exclusive control over education
Answer: b) Federal grants-in-aid programs
11. The “New Federalism” movement is most associated with which U.S. president?
a) Franklin D. Roosevelt
b) Lyndon B. Johnson
c) Richard Nixon
d) Ronald Reagan
Answer: d) Ronald Reagan
12. Which of the following cases strengthened federal power over the states through the Commerce Clause?
a) McCulloch v. Maryland
b) Gibbons v. Ogden
c) Dred Scott v. Sandford
d) Brown v. Board of Education
Answer: b) Gibbons v. Ogden
13. Which principle is established by the 10th Amendment?
a) States’ rights
b) Federal supremacy
c) Individual liberties
d) The right to bear arms
Answer: a) States’ rights
14. The concept of “devolution” in federalism refers to:
a) Transferring power from the federal government to the states
b) Strengthening the central government
c) Increasing the federal budget
d) Enhancing the role of the judiciary
Answer: a) Transferring power from the federal government to the states
15. Which part of the Constitution is often cited in cases dealing with the expansion of federal power?
a) 1st Amendment
b) 2nd Amendment
c) Commerce Clause
d) Equal Protection Clause
Answer: c) Commerce Clause
16. Which landmark case confirmed the federal government’s power to regulate interstate commerce?
a) Marbury v. Madison
b) Gibbons v. Ogden
c) Plessy v. Ferguson
d) Miranda v. Arizona
Answer: b) Gibbons v. Ogden
17. The federal system allows for a diversity of policies because:
a) All states must follow federal law strictly
b) States have the autonomy to enact their own laws in certain areas
c) The federal government controls all aspects of policy
d) Local governments have no power
Answer: b) States have the autonomy to enact their own laws in certain areas
18. Which term refers to powers that are explicitly granted to the federal government by the Constitution?
a) Implied powers
b) Enumerated powers
c) Reserved powers
d) Concurrent powers
Answer: b) Enumerated powers
19. “Cooperative federalism” emerged primarily during the presidency of:
a) George Washington
b) Abraham Lincoln
c) Franklin D. Roosevelt
d) John F. Kennedy
Answer: c) Franklin D. Roosevelt
20. Which event marked the beginning of dual federalism in the United States?
a) The ratification of the Constitution
b) The Civil War
c) The New Deal
d) The Civil Rights Movement
Answer: a) The ratification of the Constitution
21. Which amendment abolished slavery and significantly altered the federal-state relationship?
a) 13th Amendment
b) 14th Amendment
c) 15th Amendment
d) 19th Amendment
Answer: a) 13th Amendment
22. Under the Articles of Confederation, the federal government was:
a) Stronger than the state governments
b) Weaker than the state governments
c) Equal in power to the state governments
d) Unrelated to the state governments
Answer: b) Weaker than the state governments
23. Which of the following is a power reserved to the states?
a) Declaring war
b) Regulating interstate commerce
c) Conducting elections
d) Coining money
Answer: c) Conducting elections
24. The “Elastic Clause” allows Congress to:
a) Declare war
b) Coin money
c) Make laws necessary and proper to carry out its powers
d) Overturn Supreme Court decisions
Answer: c) Make laws necessary and proper to carry out its powers
25. What is the main purpose of the 10th Amendment?
a) To grant additional powers to the federal government
b) To limit the powers of the federal government
c) To grant civil rights to citizens
d) To establish the executive branch
Answer: b) To limit the powers of the federal government
26. Which of the following is NOT a form of federalism practiced in the United States?
a) Dual Federalism
b) Cooperative Federalism
c) Confederalism
d) Creative Federalism
Answer: c) Confederalism
27. The doctrine of “preemption” refers to:
a) State laws taking precedence over federal laws
b) Federal laws taking precedence over state laws
c) States having the final say in legal matters
d) Local governments overriding state decisions
Answer: b) Federal laws taking precedence over state laws
28. Which case reaffirmed the supremacy of the federal government over the states?
a) Brown v. Board of Education
b) Gibbons v. Ogden
c) McCulloch v. Maryland
d) Marbury v. Madison
Answer: c) McCulloch v. Maryland
29. Which of the following best describes “fiscal federalism”?
a) The division of budgetary responsibilities between state and federal governments
b) The practice of state governments controlling all financial decisions
c) The process of federal governments giving money to states with specific conditions
d) The ability of states to refuse federal funding
Answer: c) The process of federal governments giving money to states with specific conditions
30. Which amendment extended citizenship rights and equal protection to all persons born or naturalized in the United States?
a) 13th Amendment
b) 14th Amendment
c) 15th Amendment
d) 19th Amendment
Answer: b) 14th Amendment
31. What is “block grant”?
a) A type of federal financial assistance given for broad purposes
b) A federal grant for specific, narrowly defined purposes
c) A grant that states are required to repay
d) A grant that supports military spending
Answer: a) A type of federal financial assistance given for broad purposes
32. What is “categorical grant”?
a) Federal aid with strict regulations on how it must be spent
b) State funding with no strings attached
c) Private funding for federal projects
d) Financial assistance for education only
Answer: a) Federal aid with strict regulations on how it must be spent
33. Which event led to a significant increase in the power of the federal government?
a) The Great Depression
b) The War of 1812
c) The Civil Rights Movement
d) The Vietnam War
Answer: a) The Great Depression
34. Which case dealt with the issue of federalism and the Affordable Care Act?
a) Marbury v. Madison
b) McCulloch v. Maryland
c) National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius
d) Gibbons v. Ogden
Answer: c) National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius
35. Which of the following is a concurrent power?
a) Establishing foreign relations
b) Regulating interstate commerce
c) Collecting taxes
d) Issuing currency
Answer: c) Collecting taxes
36. The principle of “sovereign immunity” means that:
a) States cannot be sued in federal court without their consent
b) The federal government cannot be sued by the states
c) The judiciary has no power over the states
d) Local governments have complete control over their laws
Answer: a) States cannot be sued in federal court without their consent
37. Which of the following best describes “judicial activism”?
a) Courts strictly adhering to the Constitution
b) Courts taking an active role in shaping policy
c) Courts avoiding controversial cases
d) Courts only enforcing federal laws
Answer: b) Courts taking an active role in shaping policy
38. The term “interstate commerce” refers to:
a) Trade that occurs within a single state
b) Trade that crosses state lines
c) The federal government’s control over local businesses
d) The establishment of international trade agreements
Answer: b) Trade that crosses state lines
39. Which of the following is a power that is denied to the states?
a) Establishing local governments
b) Regulating trade within a state
c) Coining money
d) Conducting elections
Answer: c) Coining money
40. The relationship between the federal government and the states is best described as:
a) Competitive
b) Cooperative
c) Isolated
d) Adversarial
Answer: b) Cooperative