AP Government Chapter 3.4 Reading Check

Which statement BEST describes the role of the federal government during the COVID-19 pandemic of late 2019 and early 2020?

• The federal government used grants-in-aid so states could implement mask and lockdown mandates

• The federal government used unfunded mandates to force states into lockdown.

• The federal government exercised strict control over states during the pandemic

• The federal government’s authority over the states decreased in terms of COVID-19 response

Money from the national government that is given to the states for the purpose of carrying out public policy that the national government has deemed important is known as:

• categorical grants

• unfunded mandates

• grants-in-aid

• block grant

Which statement BEST describes the concept of fiscal federalism?

• The national government using grants-in-aid to influence votes in states

• The national government using grants-in-aid to assist states in debt.

• The national government using grants-in-aid to achieve federal policy goals.

• The national government using grants-in-aid to influence state policies

How is a categorical grant an example of expanding national power?

• States are under pressure from citizens to use the money wisely

• By encouraging states to carry out important national policies

• States depend on the money to maintain a policy that was implemented with a categorical grant

• The government can add provisions to the grant at any time

When the government asks states to implement a policy, but does not provide funds to assist in doing so, it is called:

• an unfunded mandate

• a categorical grant

• a block grant

• fiscal federalism

What was the main purpose of Lyndon Johnson’s the Great Society?

• To give states more power that had been encroached upon in previous years

• To deliberately expand the role of the national government

• To add more programs to Roosevelt’s New Deal

• To create programs that would ensure funds given to states would not discriminate against minorities

Which is a function of block grants?

• Ensuring that states are spending the funds in accordance with the provisions

• The funds are to be used for the purpose of improving health-care systems in that state

• States must use the funds to support low-income and minority families

• Funds are provided in a way that increases state and local authority on how the funds are spent

When the federal government provides states with tax money and no provisions on how that money should be spent, it is known as:

• redistribution of wealth.

• revenue sharing

• a block grant

• a categorical grant

Upon his nomination for the Republican Party in 1980, Reagan promised:

• to implement more social welfare programs

• to increase the scope of the national government

• to decrease the use of unfunded mandates

• to devolve power back to the states

How was the Every Student Succeeds Act different than No Child Left Behind?

• It did not require standardized testing

• It gave more power to the federal government on curriculum content

• It devolved more power to the state in setting educational standards

• It set standards for education but did not provide states money to achieve them