Q 01/05

Cooperative federalism, where Washington and the states share programs, takes its nickname from which dessert?

A) Layer cake

B) Marble cake

C) Pound cake

D) Sponge cake

Answer · why

B) Marble cake

Marble cake was political scientist Morton Grodzins's image for governments whose work blends together like swirled flavors instead of sitting in sepa...

Q 02/05

South Dakota v. Dole let Congress withhold highway funds from states that refused to raise what?

A) The drinking age

B) The driving age

C) The gasoline tax

D) The smoking age

Answer · why

A) The drinking age

The drinking age became 21 in every state because a 1984 law cut highway funding to any that held out. The Court called that a fair condition on spend...

Q 03/05

Which amendment, called a truism by the Supreme Court, reserves undelegated powers to the states or the people?

A) Eighth

B) Ninth

C) Tenth

D) Eleventh

Answer · why

C) Tenth

The Tenth Amendment took its final form from Roger Sherman, who left out the word 'expressly' after Congress voted down a stricter version.

Q 04/05

Which European federation is made up of 26 cantons, each with its own constitution, parliament and courts?

A) Austria

B) Netherlands

C) Sweden

D) Switzerland

Answer · why

D) Switzerland

Switzerland still calls itself a confederation, though it has been a federal state since 1848. Before then each canton was sovereign, with its own arm...

Q 05/05

Which clause of Article VI means that a valid federal law overrides any conflicting state law?

A) Supremacy

B) Guarantee

C) Take Care

D) Contract

Answer · why

A) Supremacy

The Supremacy Clause came out of the New Jersey Plan and passed the Constitutional Convention unanimously. It also binds the judges of every state to ...