Question 42 of 100 · 2008 civics test
Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states?
From the 100-question list, the version for applications filed before October 20, 2025.
Accepted answers
- provide schooling and education
- provide protection (police)
- provide safety (fire departments)
- give a driver’s license
- approve zoning and land use
Any one of these is accepted, unless the question asks for more than one.
Why this is the answer
Any one of the accepted answers works: schooling and education, police protection, fire safety, issuing driver's licenses, or approving zoning and land use. The pattern is that the states keep the powers the Constitution did not hand to the federal government, which is why state powers are the ones you meet in daily life. Each state has its own constitution, but no state constitution may conflict with the U.S. Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land. Some powers are denied to the states outright, such as coining money, and a few are shared, such as the power to tax. Memory hook: if it is the part of government you deal with on an ordinary Tuesday, it is probably the state's.