Chapter 3: Federalism Flashcards
Federalism
a system of government that divides sovereign power across at least two political units
What layers of government does federalism establish?
- federal/national government
- state government
- local government
Is federalism a common form of government?
no, only 25 countries have this type of government
Unitary Governments
most power resides in the central government
What positive and negative impacts does federalism have?
- reduces political conflict - allow states to do as they please within reason
- increases political conflict - when states are given too much power, they go against the national government
- allows for diversity of policy at the state level - states can make their own laws within Constitutional limits
- increases opportunities to participate in politics - people vote for both national and state government
- increases access to government - people can contact more layers of government
- potentially burdens or confuses voters - there a lot of candidates to vote for
What powers does the Constitution delegate to only the national/federal government?
- coin money
- conduct foreign relations
- provide an army and a navy
- declare war
- establish post offices
What can the national/federal government not do?
- violate the Bill of Rights
- change state boundaries
What powers does the Constitution delegate to only the state governments?
- establish local governments
- regulate commerce within a state
- ratify amendments to the federal Constitution
What can the state governments not do?
- tax imports or exports
- coin money
- enter into treaties
What powers does the Constitution delegate to both the national and state governments?
- tax
- borrow money
- establish courts
- spend money for the general welfare
- eminent domain - take private property for public purposes
What can the national and state governments not do?
- grant titles of nobility
- permit slavery
- deny citizens the right to vote based on race or gender
Supremacy Clause
the Constitution, national laws, and treaties supreme over state laws as long as the national government is acting within its constitutional limits
Tenth Amendment
any powers not delegated to the national government, belong to the states or to the people
What does the Supremacy Clause ensure?
- state laws cannot violate federal laws
- federal government remains the highest layer
- allows our government to function
What does the Tenth Amendment uphold?
the states’ rights
the states have any power that is not specifically written down as a federal power
Enumerated Powers
powers specifically given by the Constitution
Implied Powers
powers that go beyond enumerated powers, allows Congress to carry out powers it already has
Commerce Power
regulate movement of goods, radio signals, electricity, and insurance transactions
What responsibilities does the Supreme Court have?
- settle disputes between state and federal governments
- interpret the Constitution
Full Faith and Credit Clause
requires each state to recognize the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of all other states
Extradiction
if someone commits a crime in one state and flees to another state, the state has to send the person back to the state they originally committed a crime in
privileges and immunities
a provision in the Constitution giving citizens of each state most of the privileges of citizens of other states
Mandates
the government obligates states to follow new policies
How does the federal government punish state and local governments when they do not comply when federal mandates?
stop funding projects
