CPM Intergovernmental Relations 4

Question 1

The Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution (Article VI) establishes that:

Accepted Answer

Federal law is the 'supreme law of the land,' superseding conflicting state law

Answer

The Supremacy Clause makes the U.S. Constitution, federal statutes, and treaties the supreme law of the land, requiring state judges to follow federal law even when state law conflicts.

Question 2

Which formula grant program, created in 1972 and later discontinued, distributed federal revenue to states and localities with few strings attached?

Accepted Answer

General Revenue Sharing

Answer

General Revenue Sharing (1972–1986) provided federal funds to states and localities based on population, tax effort, and income with minimal programmatic conditions.

Question 3

A city manager is negotiating a service delivery agreement with a neighboring city to share fire protection services. This arrangement is best described as:

Accepted Answer

A joint powers agreement or interlocal agreement

Answer

Interlocal (joint powers) agreements allow local governments to cooperate on service delivery, pool resources, and share costs without creating new governmental entities.

Question 4

The term 'picket fence federalism' describes a system where:

Accepted Answer

Vertical alliances of program specialists at federal, state, and local levels dominate policy within functional areas

Answer

Picket fence federalism, coined by Terry Sanford, describes how specialists (the horizontal rails) in specific policy areas link federal, state, and local bureaucracies (the vertical pickets), often bypassing generalist elected officials.

Question 5

Under the Tenth Amendment, powers not delegated to the federal government nor prohibited to the states are:

Accepted Answer

Reserved to the states or the people

Answer

The Tenth Amendment reserves to states and the people all powers not granted to the federal government, forming the constitutional basis for states' rights arguments.

(CPM) Certified Public Manager Practice Test

(CPM) Certified Public Manager Practice Test

CPM Intergovernmental Relations 4