Levels of Government: Federal, State, and Local
Analyzes federal, state, and local government authority using the Constitution, the Tenth Amendment, and the Supremacy Clause for Grade 7 civics.
18 questions · Multiple choice · Fill in the blank · True or false · Short answer · Analysis
This worksheet asks seventh graders to analyze the three-tier structure of American government — federal, state, and local — by applying the text of the Constitution directly to real situations. Students will examine the enumerated powers Congress holds under Article I, the reserved powers that the Tenth Amendment protects for the states, and the role the Supremacy Clause plays when those layers appear to conflict. Because local governments do not appear in the Constitution, students will trace how cities and counties derive their authority from the states that created them. The four sections move from recognizing constitutional principles in multiple-choice questions to constructing analytical arguments in short-answer responses, matching the depth expected in a Grade 7 civics course.
Levels of Government: Federal, State, and Local — Grade 7
Read each question carefully, draw on what you have learned about federal, state, and local government, and write your answers in the spaces provided.
Remember
- Enumerated powers, such as coining money and declaring war, are listed in Article I and belong exclusively to the federal government.
- One Bill of Rights amendment reserves powers not granted to the federal government to the states or to the people.
- Article VI of the Constitution contains a clause that resolves conflicts between federal and state law by establishing which level's law prevails.
Part A — Identify which level of government holds each power
Circle the letter of the best answer for each question about federal, state, and local government.
- 1.
Which level of government holds the exclusive constitutional power to declare war, as granted by Article I, Section 8?
- A.Federal government
- B.State government
- C.Local government
- D.County government
- 2.
The Tenth Amendment reserves powers not delegated to the federal government to which entities?
- A.The President and the Senate
- B.The states, or to the people
- C.The Supreme Court and Congress
- D.The governors of each state
- 3.
Which clause of Article VI declares the Constitution and valid federal laws to be the supreme Law of the Land?
- A.The Commerce Clause
- B.The Necessary and Proper Clause
- C.The Supremacy Clause
- D.The Due Process Clause
- 4.
A citizen who needs to obtain a driver's license must contact which level of government?
- A.The federal government
- B.The state government
- C.A city or municipal government
- D.The county government
- 5.
Under Article I of the Constitution, which level of government holds the sole power to coin money and regulate its value?
- A.State governments
- B.Local governments
- C.The federal government
- D.County governments
- 6.
Cities and counties derive their governing authority primarily from which source in the American system?
- A.The U.S. Constitution directly
- B.An act of the U.S. Congress
- C.The state governments that created them
- D.The federal Bill of Rights
Part B — Complete each sentence with the correct constitutional term
Write the missing word or phrase on the blank line to complete each statement correctly.
- 7.
The ____ Amendment declares that powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to the states or to the people.
- 8.
The power to coin money and regulate its value belongs exclusively to the ____ government under Article I of the Constitution.
- 9.
When a state law conflicts with a valid federal law, the ____ Clause of Article VI requires the federal law to prevail.
- 10.
Powers shared by both the federal and state governments, such as the authority to collect taxes, are known as ____ powers.
- 11.
Zoning ordinances that regulate how land within a neighborhood may be used are typically enacted by ____ governments.
Part C — Decide whether each statement about government powers is true or false
Write True or False on the line; if the statement is false, write the correct information below it.
- 12.
The U.S. Constitution explicitly establishes and grants governing powers to city and county governments throughout the nation.
- 13.
Both the federal government and state governments have the constitutional authority to collect taxes from residents.
- 14.
The power to negotiate and ratify treaties with foreign nations is a reserved power held by individual state governments.
- 15.
The Tenth Amendment was ratified in 1791 as part of the original Bill of Rights.
Part D — Analyze and explain how levels of government operate
Answer each question in two to three complete sentences, supporting your response with specific constitutional evidence.
- 16.
Why did the Founders divide governmental power among multiple levels rather than concentrate all authority in one national government?
- 17.
A city proposes a bridge whose roadway would cross a state border. Which level of government holds authority over this project, and why?
- 18.
Compare enumerated federal powers with state reserved powers, and explain how the Supremacy Clause resolves a direct conflict between them.
Answer key
Part A — Identify which level of government holds each power
- 1.Federal government
- 2.The states, or to the people
- 3.The Supremacy Clause
- 4.The state government
- 5.The federal government
- 6.The state governments that created them
Part B — Complete each sentence with the correct constitutional term
- 7.Tenth
- 8.federal
- 9.Supremacy
- 10.concurrent
- 11.local
Part C — Decide whether each statement about government powers is true or false
- 12.False - Local governments are created by and draw their authority from state governments, not the U.S. Constitution.
- 13.True
- 14.False - The power to negotiate and ratify treaties belongs to the federal government under Article II of the Constitution.
- 15.True
Part D — Analyze and explain how levels of government operate
- 16.Example: The Founders feared that concentrating all power in a single government would lead to tyranny, as they had experienced under British rule. By distributing authority among federal, state, and local levels, they ensured that no single level could dominate the others without challenge. The Tenth Amendment formalized this division by explicitly reserving to the states all powers not delegated to the federal government.
- 17.Example: The federal government holds primary authority because a structure crossing a state border directly involves interstate commerce, which Article I grants Congress the power to regulate. Federal agencies also oversee projects that affect navigable waterways, reinforcing federal jurisdiction over the matter. A city government cannot unilaterally authorize a project affecting another state, since such decisions extend beyond the local charter that the state granted it.
- 18.Example: Enumerated powers are specific authorities the Constitution grants to the federal government, such as coining money and regulating interstate commerce, while reserved powers are those the Tenth Amendment protects for the states, such as overseeing public education. When a valid federal law and a state law conflict on the same subject, the Supremacy Clause of Article VI requires the state law to yield, because the Constitution is the supreme Law of the Land and state authority cannot override it.
What this sheet teaches
- Identify which level of government holds specific constitutional powers and explain the source of that authority.
- Compare the federal government's enumerated powers with the reserved powers held by states under the Tenth Amendment.
- Explain how the Supremacy Clause resolves conflicts between federal law and state or local law.
Notes for the adult
- Students often assume local governments draw authority directly from the U.S. Constitution; clarify that cities are creatures of state law.
- Use the analogy of nested authority: states delegate power downward to cities just as the Constitution delegates power to Congress.
- A student is ready to advance when they can cite a specific constitutional clause to justify which level acts in a given scenario.
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