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We the People CH. 3
Federalism
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Federalism | a system of government in which power is divided between a central government and regional governments |
unitary system | a centralized government system in which lower levels of government have little power independent of the national government |
federal system | a system of government in which the national government shares power with lower levels of government, such as states. |
expressed powers | specific powers granted by the constitution to congress (article 1, section 8) and to the president (article 3) |
implied powers | powers that are not specifically expressed, but are implied through the expansive interpretation of delegated powers |
necessary and proper clause | provides Congress with the authority to make all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out its expressed powers |
reserved powers | powers, derived from the 10th Amendment to the Constitution, that are not specifically delegated to the national government or denied to the states |
police power | power reserved to the state government to regulate the health, safety and morals of its citizens |
concurrent powers | authority possessed by both state and national governments, such as the power to levy taxes |
full faith and credit clause | a provision, from Article 4, Section 2, that a state cannot discriminate against someone from another state or give its own residents special privileges |
home rule | power delegated by the states to a local unit of government to manage its own affairs |
dual federalism | 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 governemtns |
commerce clause | Article 1, Section 8, of the Constitution, that delegates to Congress the power "to regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states and with the Indian tribes." |
states' rights | the principle that the states should oppose the increasing authority of the national government |
grants-in-aid | programs through which Congress provides money to state and local governments on the constitution that the funds be employed for purposes defined by the federal government |
categorical grants | congressional grants given to states and localities on the condition that expenditures be limited to a problem or group specified by law |
project grants | grant programs in which state and local governments submit proposals to federal agencies and for which funding is provided on a competitive basis |
formula grants | grants-in-aid in which a formula is used to determine the amount of federal funds a state or local government will receive |
cooperative federalism | a type of federalism existing since the New Deal era in which grants-in-aid have been used strategically to encourage states and localities to pursue nationally defined goals |
regulated federalism | a form of federalism in which Congress imposes legislation on states and localities, requiring them to meet national standards |
preemption | the principle that allows the national government to override state or local actions in certain policy areas; in foreign policy, the willingness to strike first in order to prevent an enemy attack |
unfunded mandates | regulations or conditions for receiving grants that impose costs on state and local governments for which they are not reimbursed by the federal governement |
devolution | a policy to remove a program from one level of government by delegating it or passing it down to a lower level of government |
block grants | federal grants-in-aid that allow states considerable discretion in how the funds are spent |
New Federalism | attempts by Presidents Nixon and Reagan to return power to the states through block grants |
general revenue sharing | the process by which one unit of government yields a portion of its tax income to another unit of government. Revenue sharing typically involves the national government providing money to state governments |
redistributive programs | economic policies designed to control the economy through taxing and spending, with the goal of benefiting the poor |