Ch. 3 Flashcards
Unitary System
A centralized government system in which lower levels of government have little power independent of the national government
Implied powers
Powers of the government that are not expressed in the Constitution but are understood through the “necessary and proper” clause
Reserved powers
Powers, derived from the Tenth Amendment, that are not specifically delegated to the national government or denied from 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 the state and national government, such as the power to levy taxes
Full Faith and Credit Clause
Requires that states normally honor the public acts and judicial decisions that take place in another state
Privileges and Immunities
A state cannot discriminate against someone from another state or give its own residents special privileges
Home rule
Power delegated by the state to a local unit of government to manage its own affairs
Dual Federalism
A system of government in which most fundamental governmental powers are shared between the federal and state governments
Commerce Clause
Allows Congress to control commerce, interpreted by the Supreme Court as meaning that Congress controls the economy.
Grants-in-Aid
Programs by which Congress provides money to state and local governments on the condition 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 particular problem or group specified by law
Cooperative Federalism
A system of federalism in which grants-in-aid have been strategically used to get states to pursue nationally defined goals
Regulated Federalism
A form of federalism in which Congress imposes legislation on states and localities, requiring them to meet the national standards
Preemption
The principle that allows the national government to override state or local actions in certain policy areas.
States’ rights
The principle that the states should oppose the increasing authority of the national government
Devolution
A policy to remove a program from one level of government by delegating it to a lower level of government
Diffusion
Policy decisions in one political jurisdiction are influenced by choices made in another jurisdiction
Block Grants
Federal grants-in-aid that allow the states considerable discretion in how the funds are spent
New Federalism
Attempts by 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
Unfunded Mandate
A law or regulation requiring a state or locality to perform certain actions without providing funding for fulfilling the requirement
Redistributive Programs
Economic policies designed to transfer income through taxing and spending, with the goal of benefitting the poor.
