chapter three vocab Flashcards
federalism
A way of organizing a nation so that two or more levels of government share formal authority over the same area and people.
Unitary governments
Essential government that holds supreme power in a nation. Most national governments today are unitary governments
Intergovernmental relations
The entire set of interactions among national, state, and local governments, including regulations transfers funds and the sharing of information, that constitute the workings of the federal system.
Supremacy clause
The clause and Article VI of the Constitution that makes the constitution, national laws, and treaties supreme over state laws as long as the national government is acting within its constitutional limits.
Tenth Amendment
The Constitutional Amendment stating, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.”
McCulloch v. Maryland
An 1819 Supreme Court decision that established the supremacy of the national government over the state governments. The court led by Chief Justice John Marshall held that Congress had certain implied powers in addition to the powers enumerated.
Enumerated powers
Powers of the federal government that are listed explicitly in the constitution. For example, Article 1, Section 8, specifically gives Congress the power to coin money and regulate its value and impose taxes.
Implied powers
Powers of the federal government that go beyond those enumerated and the constitution, in accordance with the statement in the Constitution that Congress has the power to “make all laws necessary and proper for carrying into execution” the powers enumerated in Article 1.
Elastic clause
The final paragraph of Article 1, Section 8, of the Constitution which authorizes congress to pass all laws quote necessary and proper quote to carry out the enumerated powers.
Full faith and credit
A clause in Article IV of the Constitution requiring each state to recognize the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of all other states.
extradition
Illegal process whereby a state surrenders a person charged with a crime to the state in which the crime is alleged to have been committed.
Privileges and immunities
The provision of the Constitution according to citizens of each state the privileges of citizens of any state in which they happen to be.
Dual federalism
A system of government in which the states and the national government each remain Supreme within their own spheres, each with different powers and policy responsibilities.
Cooperative federalism
A system of government in which states and the national government share powers and policy assignments.
devolution
Transferring responsibility for policies from the federal government to state and local governments.
