Confederation to Constitution Practice Test

The idea being tested is how power is shared between the national government and the states, i.e., federalism. The Constitution draws a clear line: the national government handles certain coldly defined duties, while the states keep broad control over local matters.

States are limited in key ways that the Constitution assigns to the federal level. They cannot coin money, enter into treaties, emit debt on behalf of the United States, or declare war. Allowing states to do these things would blur the lines of national sovereignty and could undermine a unified foreign and financial system.

What remains to the states includes police powers—protecting public health, safety, and morals—plus authority over intrastate commerce, education, and other local matters not delegated to the federal government. The idea here is that anything not explicitly given to the federal government or restricted for the states by the Constitution stays with the states or the people, a principle reinforced by the Tenth Amendment.

On the federal side, powers are listed (enumerated) in the Constitution, and additional powers exist because of implied powers—areas the federal government can reach through the Necessary and Proper Clause. The Supremacy Clause ensures federal law takes precedence when there’s a conflict with state law.