T/F Quiz on Federalism

1) Federalism allows for two or more forms of government to have authority over the same land area and people. It is a very common form of government. False – it is an uncommon form of government

2)Our federal system serves to decentralize our political process and our policies. True

3) Social, moral, and family issues are always the purview of the states. There is little interest groups can do to get the federal government to influence the states on these issues. False (drinking ages, etc.)

4) State governments are usually more innovative than the national government in terms of policy making and reforms. True

5) The supremacy clause outlines the specific ways in which the state governments can wield supreme power. False – established the Constitution and federal laws as supreme law of the land

6) The 10 th Amendment gives the states and the people control over all issues not specifically assigned to the federal government by the Constitution. True

7) The two key outcomes of McCulloch v. Maryland were the supremacy of the Constitution and the existence of legitimate implied powers. True

8) Over time the courts have supported a very narrow definition of commerce as it relates to regulation by the federal government. False – the definition is very broad

9) The Civil War and subsequent Civil Rights movement had little or nothing to do with Federalism. Seriously? False

10) Full faith and credit means that if you have a driver’s license or marriage license from CA it must be honored by all other states. True

11) Dual federalism refers primarily to the way that the state and federal governments cooperate on certain issues. False – pertains to each being dominant in its own sphere

12) As the federal government has gradually asserted its dominance, cooperative federalism is more prevalent than dual federalism in the way we are governed. True

13) Shared costs and administration and federal guidelines are the three key characteristics of cooperative federalism. True

14) The Republican Revolution of 1994 successfully limited the scope of the federal government. False – in actuality, the Republicans passed many policies that increased the power/responsibility of the federal government

15) Fiscal federalism, refers to the pattern of taxing, spending and providing grants to states. It is the cornerstone of our federal system. True

16) Categorical grants are the main source of federal funding for the states. They are virtually unrestricted on their use. False – they are main funding, but usually very restricted. Block grants are less restricted

17) States are usually very diplomatic and fair minded toward one another when it comes to allocating federal funds. False – they fight hard to win funding

18) A federal mandate is a program established by the federal government that must be carried out by the states. True

19) Federalism allows for greater diversity in public policy and creates more opportunities for democratic involvement. True

20) One of the main disadvantages of federalism is the varying amounts of resources states allocate to programs like education, and local interests sometimes thwart majority support for national policies. True

21) Government spending as a percentage of GDP has steadily declined since WWII, and is now below 15%. False – it has risen steadily and is about 22%