Texas Government Terms To Remember

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NAFTA

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A treaty among Canada, Mexico, and the US that calls for the gradual removal of tariffs and other trade restrictions. NAFTA came into effect.

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Demographics

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Population characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity, employment, and income, that social scientist use to describe groups in society.

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Unitary System

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A system of government in which one central government has ultimate authority; any regional or local governments are subordinate to the central government

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Confederal System

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A system of government in which member state or regional governments have all authority and and central institutions have only the power that regional governments choose to give them; also know as confederacies

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Federal System

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A system of government in which government power is divided and shared between a national or central government and state or regional governments.

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Delegated Powers

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Those powers that the constitution gives to the national government. These include those enumerated powers found in Article 1, Sec 8 of the US constitution as well as a few other powers that have evolved over time.

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Expressed Powers

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Those delegated powers that are found in Article 1, Sec 8 and are clearly listed in the US Constitution.

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Implied Powers

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Those delegated powers that are assumed to exist in order for the federal government to perform the functions that are expressly delegated. These powers are granted by the necessary and proper clause in Article 1, Sec 8

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Inherent Powers

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Those delegated powers that come with an office or position - generally the executive branch. While the US Constitution does not clearly specify powers granted to the executive branch, over time inherent powers have evolved as part of the powers needed to preform the functions of the executive branch.

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Reserved Powers

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Those powers that belong to the states. The legitimacy of these powers comes from the 10th Amendment.

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Concurrent Powers

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Those powers that are shared by both the national government and the states.

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Supremacy Clause

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Article VI, Section 2 of the US constitution, which states that the US constitution as well as laws and treaties created in accordance with the US Constitution, supersede state and local laws.

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Tenth Amendment

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Section of the US constitution that reserves powers to the states. It reads "The powers not delegated to the US by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

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Commerce Clause

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As enumerated power in Article 1, Sec 8 of the US Constitution that gives Congress the power to regulate commerce.

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Necessary & Proper Clause

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The last clause in Article 1, Sec 8 that gives congress implied powers

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Devolution

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The attempt to enhance the power of state or local governments, especially by substituting more flexible block grants instead of restrictive categorical grants in aid.

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Categorical Grants

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Federal aid to state or local governments for specific purposes, granted under restrictive conditions and ofter requiring matching funds from the receiving governments.

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Block Grants

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Federal grants to state or local governments for more general purposes and with fewer restrictions than categorical grants.

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Unfunded Mandates

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Obligations that the federal government imposes on state governments with little or no funding to help support the program.

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Separate But Equal

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Doctrine that resulted from Supreme Court ruling in Plessey v. Ferguson that legalized segregation.

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Hidden Tax

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Cost the insured americans pay through premiums to help cover the uninsured.

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Incorporation Doctrine

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Certain rights found in the Bill of Rights are rights that cannot be encroached upon by the states

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The fourteenth Amendment

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No state can make a law abridging the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall and State deprive any person of life liberty or property, without due process of law; nor deny and person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

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Full Faith & Credit Clause

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Article IV, Sec 1 requires states to recognize "the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state."

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Homestead

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An owner-occupied property protected from forced sale under most circumstances