We The People Ch. 3

Front 1

block grants

Back 1

federal grants-in-aid that allow states considerable discretion in how the funds are spent

Front 2

commerce clause

Back 2

Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, which delegates to Congress the power "to regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several States and with the Indian tribes." This clause was interpreted by the Supreme Court in favor of national power over the economy

Front 3

concurrent powers

Back 3

authority possessed by both state and national governments, such as the power to levy taxes

Front 4

cooperative federalism

Back 4

a type of federalism existing since the New Deal era in which grants-in-aid have been used strategically to encourage states and localities (without commanding them) to pursue nationally defined goals. Also known as "intergovernmental cooperation"

Front 5

devolution

Back 5

a policy to remove a program from one level of government by delegating it or passing it down to a lower level of government, such as from the national government to the state and local governments

Front 6

dual federalism

Back 6

the system of government that prevailed in the United States from 1789 to 1937, in which most fundamental governmental powers were shared between the federal and state governments

Front 7

expressed powers

Back 7

specific powers granted to Congress under Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution

Front 8

federal system

Back 8

a system of government in which the national government shares power with lower levels of government, such as states

Front 9

federalism

Back 9

a system of government in which power is divided, by a constitution, between a central government and regional governments

Front 10

formula grants

Back 10

grants-in-aid in which a formula is used to determine the amount of federal funds a state or local government will receive

Front 11

full faith and credit clause

Back 11

provision from Article IV, Section 1, of the Constitution, requiring that the states normally honor the public acts and judicial decisions that take place in another state

Front 12

general revenue sharing

Back 12

the process by which one unit of government yields a portion of its tax income to another unit of government, according to an established formula. Revenue sharing typically involves the national government providing money to state governments

Front 13

grants-in-aid

Back 13

programs through which Congress provides money to state and local governments on the condition that the funds be employed for purposes defined by the federal government

Front 14

home rule

Back 14

power delegated by the state to a local unit of government to manage its own affairs

Front 15

implied powers

Back 15

powers derived from the “necessary and proper” clause of Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution. Such powers are not specifically expressed, but are implied through the expansive interpretation of delegated powers

Front 16

necessary and proper clause

Back 16

from Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, it provides Congress with the authority to make all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out its expressed powers

Front 17

New Federalism

Back 17

attempts by Presidents Nixon and Reagan to return power to the states through block grants

Front 18

police power

Back 18

power reserved to the government to regulate the health, safety, and morals of its citizens

Front 19

preemption

Back 19

the principle that allows the national government to override state or local actions in certain policy areas

Front 20

privileges and immunities clause

Back 20

provision from Article IV, Section 2, of the Constitution, that a state cannot discriminate against someone from another state or give its own residents special privileges

Front 21

project grants

Back 21

grant programs in which state and local governments submit proposals to federal agencies and for which funding is provided on a competitive basis

Front 22

redistributive programs

Back 22

economic policies designed to control the economy through taxing and spending, with the goal of benefiting the poor

Front 23

regulated federalism

Back 23

a form of federalism in which Congress imposes legislation on states and localities, requiring them to meet national standards

Front 24

reserved powers

Back 24

powers, derived from the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution, that are not specifically delegated to the national government or denied to the states

Front 25

states’ rights

Back 25

the principle that the states should oppose the increasing authority of the national government. This principle was most popular in the period before the Civil War

Front 26

unfunded mandates

Back 26

regulations or conditions for receiving grants that impose costs on state and local governments for which they are not reimbursed by the federal government

Front 27

unitary system

Back 27

a centralized government system in which lower levels of government have little power independent of the national government