American Gov Ch 3

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federal system

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System of government in which thenational government and state governmentsshare power and derive allauthority from the people.

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confederation

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Type of government in which thenational government derives its powersfrom the states; a league of independentstates.

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unitary system

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System of government in which thelocal and regional governments deriveall authority from a strong nationalgovernment

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enumerated powers

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The powers of the national governmentspecifically granted to Congressin Article I, section 8 of theConstitution.

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implied powers

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The powers of the national governmentderived from the enumeratedpowers and the necessary and properclause.

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Tenth Amendment

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The final part of the Bill of Rightsthat defines the basic principle ofAmerican federalism in stating thatthe powers not delegated to thenational government are reserved tothe states or to the people.

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reserved powers

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Powers reserved to the states by theTenth Amendment that lie at thefoundation of a state’s right to legislatefor the public health and welfareof its citizens.

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concurrent powers

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Powers shared by the national andstate governments.

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bill of attainder

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A law declaring an act illegal withouta judicial trial.

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ex post facto law

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Law that makes an act punishable as acrime even if the action was legal atthe time it was committed.

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full faith and credit clause

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Section of Article IV of the Constitutionthat ensures judicial decrees and contractsmade in one state will be binding andenforceable in any other state.

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privileges and immunities clause

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Part of Article IV of the Constitutionguaranteeing that the citizens of eachstate are afforded the same rights ascitizens of all other states.

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extradition clause

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Part of Article IV of the Constitutionthat requires states to extradite, orreturn, criminals to states where theyhave been convicted or are to stand trial.

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interstate compacts

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Contracts between states that carry theforce of law; generally now used as a toolto address multistate policy concerns.

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Dillon’s Rule

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A premise articulated by Judge John F.Dillon in 1868 which states that localgovernments do not have any inherentsovereignty and instead must beauthorized by state governments thatcan create or abolish them.

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charter

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A document that, like a constitution,specifies the basic policies, procedures,and institutions of local government.Charters for local governments mustbe approved by state legislatures.

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county

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The basic administrative unit of localgovernment.

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municipality

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City governments created in responseto the emergence of relatively denselypopulated areas.

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special district

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A local government that is restrictedto a particular function.

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McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

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The Supreme Court upheld the powerof the national government anddenied the right of a state to tax thefederal bank, using the Constitution’ssupremacy clause. The Court’s broadinterpretation of the necessary andproper clause paved the way for laterrulings upholding expansive federalpowers.

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Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

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The Supreme Court upheld broadcongressional power to regulate interstatecommerce. The Court’s broadinterpretation of the Constitution’scommerce clause paved the way forlater rulings upholding expansive federalpowers.

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Barron v. Baltimore (1833)

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The Supreme Court ruled that thedue process clause of the Fif thAmendment did not apply to theactions of states. This decision limitedthe Bill of Rights to the actions ofCongress alone.

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dual federalism

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The belief that having separate andequally powerful levels of governmentis the best arrangement, often referredto as layer-cake federalism.

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nullification

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The right of a state to declare void afederal law.

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Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

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The Supreme Court concluded that theU.S. Congress lacked the constitutionalauthority to bar slavery in the territories.This decision narrowed the scopeof national power, while it enhancedthat of the states.

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Sixteenth Amendment

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Amendment to the U.S. Constitutionthat authorized Congress to enact anational income tax.

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Seventeenth Amendment

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Amendment to the U.S. Constitutionthat made senators directly elected bythe people, removing their selectionfrom state legislatures.

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cooperative federalism

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The intertwined relationship betweenthe national, state, and local governmentsthat began with the New Deal,often referred to as marble-cakefederalism.

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New Deal

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The name given to the program of“Relief, Recovery, Reform” begun byPresident Franklin D. Roosevelt in1933 to bring the United States out ofthe Great Depression.

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categorical grant

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Grant that appropriates federal fundsto states for a specific purpose.

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New Federalism

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Federal–state relationship proposedby Reagan administration during the1980s; hallmark is returning administrativepowers to the state governments.

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block grant

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A large grant given to a state by thefederal government with only generalspending guidelines.

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programmatic request

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Federal funds designated for specialprojects within a state or congressionaldistrict.

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preemption

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A concept that allows the nationalgovernment to override state or localactions in certain policy areas.

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progressive federalism

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A pragmatic approach to federalismthat views relations between nationaland state governments as both coerciveand cooperative.