Chapters Three & Four

Front 1

Federalism

Back 1

A constitutional arrangement whereby power is divided between national and subnational governments, each of which enforces its own laws directly on its citizens and neither of which can alter the arrangement without the consent of the other.

Front 2

Unitary System

Back 2

Constitutional arrangement whereby authority rests with the national government; subnational governments have only those powers given to them by the national government.

Front 3

Confederation

Back 3

Constitutional arrangement whereby the national government is created by and relies on subnational governments for its authority.

Front 4

Separation of Powers

Back 4

The dispersal of power among the separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government

Front 5

Delegated or Enumerated Powers

Back 5

Powers specifically mentioned in the Constitution as belonging to the national government.

Front 6

Necessary and Proper Clause

Back 6

Clause in article 1, section 8, of the U.S. Constitution granting Congress the power to enact all laws that are “necessaryand proper” for carrying out those responsibilities specifically delegated to it. Also referred to as the Implied Powers Clause.

Front 7

Implied Powers Clause

Back 7

Powers not mentioned specifically in the Constitution as belonging to Congress but inferred as necessary and proper for carrying out the enumerated powers.

Front 8

National Supremacy Clause

Back 8

Clause in article VI of theU.s. Constitution declaring the constitution and laws of the national government “the supreme law of the land” superior to the constitutions and laws of the states.

Front 9

Reserved Powers

Back 9

Powers not granted to the national government or specifically denied to the states in the Constitution that are recognized by the tenth amendment as belongingto the state governments. this guarantee, known as the reserved Powers Clause, embodies the principle of American Federalism.

Front 10

Racketeering and Conspiracy

Back 10

Organizing and communicating with others about the intent to commit a crime.

Front 11

Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)

Back 11

A constitutional amendmentproposed by Congress butnever ratified by the necessarythree-fourths of the states. Itwould have guaranteed “equalityof rights under law” for women and men.

Front 12

Grants-in-Aid

Back 12

Payments of funds from the national government to state or local governments or from a state government to local governments for specific purposes.

Front 13

Categorical Grants

Back 13

Federal grants-in-aid to state or local governments for specific purposes or projects.

Front 14

Block Grants

Back 14

Federal grants-in-aid for general governmental functions, allowing state and local governments to exercise some flexibility in use.

Front 15

Dual Federalism

Back 15

Early concept of federalism in which national and state powers were clearly distinguished and functionally separate.

Front 16

Cooperative Federalism

Back 16

Model of federalism in which national, state, and local governments work together exercising common policy responsibilities.

Front 17

Centralized Federalism

Back 17

Model of federalism in which the national government assumes primary responsibility for determining national goals in all major policy areas and directs state and local government activity through conditions attached to money grants.

Front 18

New Federalism

Back 18

A reference to efforts first in the nixon administration to return some federal tax funds to the states (general revenue sharing) and later efforts in the reagan administration to consolidate federal grant-in-aid programs into block grants.

Front 19

General Revenue Sharing

Back 19

Federal sharing of tax revenues with state and local governments with few strings attached; program ended in 1986.

Front 20

Representational Federalism

Back 20

The notion that federalism is defined by the role of the states in electing members of Congress and the president rather than any constitutional division of powers.

Front 21

Mandates

Back 21

In federal–state relations, the federal government’s orders to state (or local) governments to provide particular services or perform specific services.

Front 22

Preemptions

Back 22

In federal–state relations, the federal government’s assumption of regulatory powers in a particular field to the partial or full exclusion of state powers.

Front 23

Coercive Federalism

Back 23

The federal government’s assumption of powers traditionally reserved to the states through preemptions and direct mandates to the states

Front 24

Unfunded Mandates

Back 24

Mandates that impose costs on state and local governments (and private industry) without reimbursement from the federal government

Front 25

Bottom-Up Federalism

Back 25

States taking the lead in policymaking in critical economic and social areas, often in reaction to inaction or coercion by the federal government.

Front 26

Devolution

Back 26

Passing-down of responsibilities from the national government to the states.

Front 27

Horizontal Federalism

Back 27

relationships between the states.

Front 28

Full faith and credit

Back 28

The clause in the U.s. Constitution requiring states to legally recognize the official acts of other

Front 29

Extradition

Back 29

The surrender by one state of a person accused or convicted of a crime in another

Front 30

Privileges and Immunities

Back 30

The clause in the U.s. Constitution preventing states from discriminating against citizens of other states

Front 31

Sustained Political Participation

Back 31

consistently voting in presidential and nonpresidential elections

Front 32

Voter Turnout

Back 32

The percentage of the voting age population that cast ballots in an election

Front 33

Rational Voter

Back 33

one who votes after deciding the personal benefits outweigh the costs.

Front 34

Post Registration Laws

Back 34

Methods to enhance voter turnout after a person registers. Most effective with young voters

Front 35

Co-Ethnic Voting

Back 35

a practice where minority voters vote for candidates of their own ethnicity

Front 36

White Primary

Back 36

a discriminatory practice designed to keep blacks from voting in primary elections. Democrats in the south declared their party a private club and prohibited blacks from membership

Front 37

Intent Test

Back 37

for an electoral law or practice to be proven discriminatory, minority plaintiffs had to prove it was designed to discriminate against them; now outlawed

Front 38

Effects Test

Back 38

for an electoral law or practice to be proven discriminatory, all that minority plaintiffs have to prove is that it adversely affects them.

Front 39

Totality of Circumstances Test

Back 39

a list of factors that courts must use to determine whether newly drawn districts effectively weaken minority voting power, including past discrimination, the extent of racially polarized voting, and whether a minority has ever been elected to office in a jurisdiction.

Front 40

Affirmative Racial Gerrymandering

Back 40

election district boundaries to provide maximum opportunities for the election of minorities.

Front 41

Gerrymandering

Back 41

Drawing election district boundaries to give an advantage to a party, candidate, or racial or ethnic group.

Front 42

Majority-Minority Districts

Back 42

Districts in which minority racial or ethnic group members constitute a majority of voters

Front 43

Gender Gap

Back 43

in politics, a reference to differences between men and women in political views, party affiliations, and voting choices

Front 44

Generation Gap

Back 44

in politics, a reference to differences between young and old in political views and policy preferences

Front 45

Interests Groups

Back 45

People who come together to exercise influence over government policy.

Front 46

Political Party

Back 46

an organization of people with similar political views whose primary purpose is to elect its members to public office

Front 47

Lobbyists

Back 47

individuals, groups, or organizations that actively seek to influence government policy

Front 48

Conflicts of Interest

Back 48

legislators voting on an issue in which they have a personal financial interest.

Front 49

Bribery

Back 49

offering anything of value to government officials with the purpose of influencing them in the performance of their duties.

Front 50

Grassroots Lobbying

Back 50

influencing legislators by contacting their constituents and asking them to contact their legislators

Front 51

PACS

Back 51

Political action committees; organizations formed to raise and distribute campaign funds to candidates for public office

Front 52

Interest Groups Influence

Back 52

The extent to which interest groups as a whole influence public policy as compared with other components of the political system

Front 53

Professionalism

Back 53

in legislatures, the extent to which members have the services of full-time, well-paid staff, as well as their access to research and sources of information

Front 54

Protests

Back 54

in politics, public activities designed to call attention to issues and influence decision makers

Front 55

Civil Disobedience

Back 55

a form of protest that involves peaceful nonviolent breaking of laws considered to be unjust

Front 56

Blogsphere

Back 56

an “area” on the internet dominated by Web-logs. “Bloggers” often protest various societal ills via their space on the internet