POD 1st Semester Exam

What is the primary purpose of federalism in the United States government system?

• To centralize all power in the national government
• To distribute power between national and state governments
• To give all power to the state governments and limit the national government
• To eliminate the need for local governments

The "necessary and proper" clause is also known as:

• The supremacy clause
• The elastic clause
• The commerce clause
• The reserved powers clause

Which of the following is an inherent power of the federal government?

• Collecting income taxes
• Regulating immigration
• Establishing post offices
• Ratifying amendments

The 10th Amendment to the Constitution primarily deals with:

• Freedom of speech
• The right to bear arms
• Powers reserved to the states
• Equal protection under the law

In the federal system, local governments derive their authority from:

• The national government
• The state governments
• The Constitution directly
• The Supreme Court

Which of the following is an example of a concurrent power?

• Coining money
• Making treaties with foreign nations
• Levying taxes
• Regulating interstate commerce

The supremacy clause establishes that:

• State laws always supersede federal laws
• The Constitution is the supreme law of the land
• The Supreme Court has unlimited power
• States can nullify federal laws they disagree with

In McCulloch v. Maryland, the Supreme Court ruled that:

• States can tax federal institutions
• The federal government has no implied powers
• Federal law is supreme over state law
• States have the right to secede from the Union

Which level of law has the highest authority in the U.S. legal system?

• State constitutions
• Federal statutes
• The U.S. Constitution
• Supreme Court decisions

The primary role of the Supreme Court in the federal system is to:

• Write new laws for the nation
• Oversee the day-to-day operations of lower courts
• Interpret and apply the Constitution
• Approve all federal spending