TAMU POLS 207 Exam 1 Study Set
2026/2027 | Texas A&M University | Texas
State & Local Government | 50 Verified
Questions with Detailed Rationales
Table of Contents
Section 1: Federalism & the Roots of Texas Government (Questions 1–10) ...... 2
Section 2: The Texas Constitution (Questions 11–20) ...... 2
Section 3: Texas Legislative Branch (Questions 21–30) ...... 2
Section 4: Texas Executive Branch (Questions 31–40) ...... 2
Section 5: Texas Judicial Branch & Local Government (Questions 41–50) ...... 2
Section 1: Federalism & the Roots of Texas Government
Q1: Which constitutional principle best describes the relationship between the U.S. federal government
and the State of Texas regarding the delegation of powers not explicitly reserved to the federal
government?
A. Unitary government
B. Confederate system
C. Federalism [CORRECT]
D. Direct democracy
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Federalism is the system of government established by the U.S. Constitution in which power
is divided between a national government and state governments, with Texas retaining significant
sovereignty over matters not delegated to the federal government under the Tenth Amendment. This
dual sovereignty structure allows Texas to exercise police powers, regulate intrastate commerce, and
maintain its own constitution and government institutions independent of federal control.
Q2: Under the U.S. Constitution's Supremacy Clause, which of the following best describes what
happens when a valid federal law directly conflicts with a Texas state statute?
,A. The Texas statute automatically prevails because of state sovereignty.
B. The federal law prevails, rendering the conflicting state law invalid. [CORRECT]
C. The Texas Legislature must hold a special session to reconcile the conflict.
D. The U.S. Supreme Court and the Texas Supreme Court must issue a joint ruling.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Article VI, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution establishes the Supremacy Clause, which holds
that the Constitution, federal laws made pursuant to it, and treaties constitute the supreme law of the
land. When a valid federal law conflicts with a state law, the federal law preempts and invalidates the
state statute, a principle consistently upheld in cases such as McCulloch v. Maryland (1819).
Q3: The concept of "dual federalism," often associated with the early to mid-20th century, is best
characterized as:
A. A system where state and federal governments share concurrent powers in all policy areas.
B. A "layer cake" model in which state and federal governments operate independently in separate,
distinct spheres of authority. [CORRECT]
C. A system where the federal government provides block grants with no strings attached.
D. A cooperative arrangement where federal and state agencies jointly administer all programs.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Dual federalism, frequently described as the "layer cake" model, conceptualizes state and
federal governments as operating in separate, non-overlapping spheres of authority. During this era, the
U.S. Supreme Court narrowly interpreted the Commerce Clause and strictly limited federal intrusion into
areas traditionally reserved to the states, such as manufacturing, labor relations, and local commerce.
Q4: Which of the following is a specific power reserved to the State of Texas under the Tenth
Amendment and is NOT an enumerated federal power?
A. Regulating interstate commerce
B. Coining money
C. Establishing a state militia (National Guard) [CORRECT]
D. Declaring war
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The Tenth Amendment reserves to the states all powers not delegated to the federal
government. While the U.S. Constitution explicitly grants Congress the power to regulate interstate
commerce, coin money, and declare war, the states retain authority to maintain militias—now
organized as the National Guard—under state control unless federalized by presidential order under
Title 10 of the U.S. Code.
, Q5: In the Texas system of separated powers, which branch is responsible for interpreting whether a law
passed by the Texas Legislature violates the Texas Constitution?
A. The executive branch, through the Attorney General
B. The legislative branch, through the Texas House Judiciary Committee
C. The judicial branch, through the state court system [CORRECT]
D. The plural executive, through a majority vote of statewide elected officials
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Article 2 of the Texas Constitution establishes the separation of powers among three
branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The judicial branch, culminating in the Texas Supreme
Court for civil matters and the Court of Criminal Appeals for criminal matters, possesses the authority of
judicial review to interpret the constitutionality of statutes, consistent with the principle articulated in
Marbury v. Madison (1803).
Q6: A county in Texas refuses to enforce a federal immigration directive issued by the Department of
Homeland Security, claiming the directive exceeds federal authority. This scenario best illustrates which
federalism concept?
A. Preemption
B. Nullification
C. Anti-commandeering principle [CORRECT]
D. Cooperative federalism
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The anti-commandeering principle, articulated in Printz v. United States (1997) and New York
v. United States (1992), prohibits the federal government from compelling state or local officials to
participate in the administration of federal regulatory programs. Texas counties cannot be conscripted
as agents of federal immigration enforcement, preserving state autonomy against federal overreach.
Q7: Which of the following is an example of a concurrent power shared by both the U.S. federal
government and the State of Texas?
A. Establishing post offices
B. Levying and collecting taxes [CORRECT]
C. Granting titles of nobility
D. Making treaties with foreign nations
2026/2027 | Texas A&M University | Texas
State & Local Government | 50 Verified
Questions with Detailed Rationales
Table of Contents
Section 1: Federalism & the Roots of Texas Government (Questions 1–10) ...... 2
Section 2: The Texas Constitution (Questions 11–20) ...... 2
Section 3: Texas Legislative Branch (Questions 21–30) ...... 2
Section 4: Texas Executive Branch (Questions 31–40) ...... 2
Section 5: Texas Judicial Branch & Local Government (Questions 41–50) ...... 2
Section 1: Federalism & the Roots of Texas Government
Q1: Which constitutional principle best describes the relationship between the U.S. federal government
and the State of Texas regarding the delegation of powers not explicitly reserved to the federal
government?
A. Unitary government
B. Confederate system
C. Federalism [CORRECT]
D. Direct democracy
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Federalism is the system of government established by the U.S. Constitution in which power
is divided between a national government and state governments, with Texas retaining significant
sovereignty over matters not delegated to the federal government under the Tenth Amendment. This
dual sovereignty structure allows Texas to exercise police powers, regulate intrastate commerce, and
maintain its own constitution and government institutions independent of federal control.
Q2: Under the U.S. Constitution's Supremacy Clause, which of the following best describes what
happens when a valid federal law directly conflicts with a Texas state statute?
,A. The Texas statute automatically prevails because of state sovereignty.
B. The federal law prevails, rendering the conflicting state law invalid. [CORRECT]
C. The Texas Legislature must hold a special session to reconcile the conflict.
D. The U.S. Supreme Court and the Texas Supreme Court must issue a joint ruling.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Article VI, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution establishes the Supremacy Clause, which holds
that the Constitution, federal laws made pursuant to it, and treaties constitute the supreme law of the
land. When a valid federal law conflicts with a state law, the federal law preempts and invalidates the
state statute, a principle consistently upheld in cases such as McCulloch v. Maryland (1819).
Q3: The concept of "dual federalism," often associated with the early to mid-20th century, is best
characterized as:
A. A system where state and federal governments share concurrent powers in all policy areas.
B. A "layer cake" model in which state and federal governments operate independently in separate,
distinct spheres of authority. [CORRECT]
C. A system where the federal government provides block grants with no strings attached.
D. A cooperative arrangement where federal and state agencies jointly administer all programs.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Dual federalism, frequently described as the "layer cake" model, conceptualizes state and
federal governments as operating in separate, non-overlapping spheres of authority. During this era, the
U.S. Supreme Court narrowly interpreted the Commerce Clause and strictly limited federal intrusion into
areas traditionally reserved to the states, such as manufacturing, labor relations, and local commerce.
Q4: Which of the following is a specific power reserved to the State of Texas under the Tenth
Amendment and is NOT an enumerated federal power?
A. Regulating interstate commerce
B. Coining money
C. Establishing a state militia (National Guard) [CORRECT]
D. Declaring war
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The Tenth Amendment reserves to the states all powers not delegated to the federal
government. While the U.S. Constitution explicitly grants Congress the power to regulate interstate
commerce, coin money, and declare war, the states retain authority to maintain militias—now
organized as the National Guard—under state control unless federalized by presidential order under
Title 10 of the U.S. Code.
, Q5: In the Texas system of separated powers, which branch is responsible for interpreting whether a law
passed by the Texas Legislature violates the Texas Constitution?
A. The executive branch, through the Attorney General
B. The legislative branch, through the Texas House Judiciary Committee
C. The judicial branch, through the state court system [CORRECT]
D. The plural executive, through a majority vote of statewide elected officials
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Article 2 of the Texas Constitution establishes the separation of powers among three
branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The judicial branch, culminating in the Texas Supreme
Court for civil matters and the Court of Criminal Appeals for criminal matters, possesses the authority of
judicial review to interpret the constitutionality of statutes, consistent with the principle articulated in
Marbury v. Madison (1803).
Q6: A county in Texas refuses to enforce a federal immigration directive issued by the Department of
Homeland Security, claiming the directive exceeds federal authority. This scenario best illustrates which
federalism concept?
A. Preemption
B. Nullification
C. Anti-commandeering principle [CORRECT]
D. Cooperative federalism
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The anti-commandeering principle, articulated in Printz v. United States (1997) and New York
v. United States (1992), prohibits the federal government from compelling state or local officials to
participate in the administration of federal regulatory programs. Texas counties cannot be conscripted
as agents of federal immigration enforcement, preserving state autonomy against federal overreach.
Q7: Which of the following is an example of a concurrent power shared by both the U.S. federal
government and the State of Texas?
A. Establishing post offices
B. Levying and collecting taxes [CORRECT]
C. Granting titles of nobility
D. Making treaties with foreign nations
