How Much Do You Know About Federalism in the U.S.?

Quiz May 7, 2021

The framers of the Constitution faced a dilemma: How do they organize 13 independent states — each with its own governing bodies and constitution — into one unified country? Their solution was a system that shared power between the states and a central government, also called federalism. Take the quiz below to see how much you know about how state and federal governments function and interact.

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You may not have the high score, but we know that, in the classic American way, you’ll pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and try again. We hope you learned some fun facts about federalism today. Thanks for playing! And don’t forget to share this with your fellow Americans.

Just remember that it’s the journey that counts, not the destination. We hope you had a fun time learning some facts about federalism. Thanks for playing! And don’t forget to share this with your fellow Americans.

You know a lot about American civics, and we hope you learned some interesting facts about federalism along the way. Thanks for playing! And don’t forget to share this with your fellow Americans.

You know a lot about American history, and we hope you learned some interesting facts about U.S. presidents along the way. Thanks for playing! And don’t forget to share this with your fellow Americans.

You are an American history whiz! Thanks for playing! And don’t forget to share this with your fellow Americans.

# wrong text: Sorry, that's incorrect. # right text: That's correct! # social text incomplete: How Much Do You Know About Federalism in the U.S.? Test yourself and share your results. # social text complete: How Much Do You Know About Federalism in the U.S.? I took the quiz and got a {score} out of {total_questions} correct! Test yourself and share your results. ? Which of the following is NOT a power of the federal government? - Printing money - Conducting foreign affairs - Overseeing international trade + Amending the U.S. Constitution ! While the U.S. Congress has the power to propose amendments, an amendment cannot become part of the Constitution without being ratified (or approved) by three-fourths of the states. Thus, the power of amendment rests in the hands of states. To date, six amendments have passed both houses of Congress but failed to be ratified by the states. Learn more here and here. ? Which of the following are powers that both the state and federal governments possess? - Grant citizenship - Manage the postal system + Set and collect taxes - Establish local governments ! Both the state and federal governments have the right to taxation. While the federal government collects mostly payroll and income taxes, state and local governments can impose an array of taxes, including those on income, property, sales, fuel, and/or inheritance. (Learn more) ? Like the federal government, state governments have three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The president is the head of the federal executive branch; who is the head of a state’s executive branch? - Attorney general + Governor - Commissioner - Secretary of state ! Governors serve as a state’s chief executive officer, overseeing state policy and managing state departments and agencies. (Learn more) ? Like the U.S. Congress, most state legislatures have two chambers: an upper house, the Senate, and a lower house, usually called the House of Representatives or the House of Delegates. Which is the only state to have just one chamber in its legislature? + Nebraska - Maine - Washington, D.C. - Wyoming ! In 1937, Nebraska switched from a two-chamber legislature to a single house. The change worked to reduce government costs and improve legislative efficiency. Around the same time, movements in 21 other states pushed for changing to a single-house legislature, but none succeeded. (Learn more) ? The federal government owns and maintains over a quarter (28%) of the United States’ nearly 2.3 billion acres of land. Which state has the most federally owned land, as a percentage of the state’s total land area? - Alaska - Utah + Nevada - New Mexico ! About 80% of the land in Nevada is owned and managed by the federal government. Utah follows with 63%. Federal land includes public recreational areas; fish and wildlife refuges; historic sites; national parks, forests, and monuments; and military bases and training sites. (Learn more) ? The federal government and the states are partners in many programs that provide services and assistance to Americans. Which of the following is only a federal responsibility? - Transportation + Medicare - K-12 education - Disaster relief ! Medicare, the national health insurance program for Americans 65 and older and individuals with disabilities, is fully managed and paid for by the federal government. Transportation, education, and disaster relief are funded by both federal and state taxes, and both governments coordinate on delivery of services. (Learn more)