American Government And Politics Today

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Unitary System

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A centralized governmental system in which ultimate governmental authority rests in the hands of the national, or central, government.

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Confederal System

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A system consisting of a league of independent states, in which the central government created by the league has only limited powers over the states.

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3prt Sys of Govt: Unitary

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Power flows from the central to the local and state governments.

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3prt Sys of Govt: Confederal

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Power flows in the opposite direction from the state governments to the central government.

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3prt Sys of Govt: Federal

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In a federal, the flow of power, in principle, goes both ways.

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Enumerated Powers

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Powers specifically granted to the national government by the constitution. The first seventeen clauses of Article 1, Section 8, specify most of the enumerated, or expressed, powers of the national government.

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Elastic Clause, or Necessary and Proper Clause

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The Clause in Article 1, Section 8, that grants congress the power to do whatever is necessary to execute its specifically delegated powers.

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Police Power

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The authority to legislate for the protection of the health, morals, safety, and welfare of the people. In the United States, most police power is reserved to the states.

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Concurrent Powers

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Powers held jointly by the national and state governments.

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Supremacy Clause

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The constitutional provision that makes the Constitution and federal laws superior to all conflicting state and local laws.

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Commerce Clause

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The section of the Constitution in which congress is given the power to regulate trade among the states and with foreign countries.

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Dual Federalism

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A model of federalism that looks on national and state governments as co-equal sovereign powers. Neither the state government nor the national government should interfere in the other's sphere.

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Cooperative Federalism

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A model of federalism in which the states and the national government cooperate in solving problems.

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Devolution

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The transfer of powers from a national or central government to a state or local government.

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Categorial Grant

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A federal grant to a state or local government for a specific program or project.

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Block Grant

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A federal grant that provides funds to a state or local government fora general functional area, such as criminal justice or mental-health programs.

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Fiscal

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Having to do with government revenues and expenditures.

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Fiscal Federalism

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A process by which funds raised through taxation or borrowing by one level of government ( usually national government are spent by another level ( typically, state or local governments).

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Federal Mandate

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A requirement in federal legislation that forces states and municipalities to comply with certain rules.