AP GOV Federalism Flashcards
a system in which power is divided between the national and state governments
federalism
a system of political organization in which most or all of the governing power resides in a centralized government, in contrast to a federal state
unitary government
establishes that the federal constitution, and federal law generally, take precedence over state laws, and even state constitutions
supremacy clause
says that the Federal Government only has those powers delegated in the Constitution; if it isn’t listed, it belongs to the states or to the people
tenth amendment
specific powers granted to Congress by the United States Constitution
enumerated powers
powers that aren’t spelled out in the Constitution
implied or inherent powers
a statement in the U.S. Constitution granting Congress the power to pass all laws necessary and proper for carrying out the enumerated list of powers
elastic clause
addresses the duty that states within the United States have to respect the “public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state.”
full faith and credit
the removal of a person from a requested state to a requesting state for criminal prosecution or punishment
extradition
prevents a state from treating citizens of other states in a discriminatory manner
privelges and immunites
a political arrangement in which power is divided between the federal and state governments in clearly defined terms, with state governments exercising those powers accorded to them without interference from the federal government
dual federalism
funds the federal government gives to state and local governments to spend on specific activities within specific programs
categorial grants
a grant from central government which a local authority can allocate to a wide range of services
block grants
federal government regulations issued on state and local levels without financial assistance
unfunded mandate
the transfer or delegation of power to a lower level, especially by central government to local or regional administration
devolution
powers which are shared by both the federal government and state governments
concurrent powers
a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that defined the scope of the U.S. Congress’s legislative power and how it relates to the powers of American state legislatures
McCulloch v. Maryland, 1819
a landmark decision in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that the power to regulate interstate commerce, granted to Congress by the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution, encompassed the power to regulate navigation
Gibbons v. Ogden, 1824
a landmark case of the United States Supreme Court concerning the Commerce Clause. It was the first case since 1937 in which the Court held that Congress had exceeded its power to legislate under the Commerce Clause
United States v. Lopez, 1995
landmark civil rights case in which the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples
Obergefell v. Hodges, 2015
