Constitutional Underpinnings Flashcards
Block Grant
Money granted by the federal gov’t to the states for a broad purpose (e.g., transportation) rather than for a narrow purpose (e.g. School lunch program)
Bicameral Legislature
Two house legislature
Categorical Grant
Money granted by the federal gov’t to the states for a narrow purpose (e.g., school lunch program) rather than for a broad purpose (e.g., transportation)
Centralists
Those who favor greater national authority rather than state authority
Checks and Balances
System in which each branch of gov’t can limit the power of the other two branches, e.g., presidential veto of a congressional law
Commerce Clause
Gives congress the power to regulate commerce among the states, with foreign nations, and among Indian tribes. Granted through Article 1, section 8 of the constitution
Concurrent Powers
Those held by both Congress and the states, e.g., establishing law enforcement agencies
Confederation
A system in which sovereign states are only loosely tied to a central government, e.g., the US under the Articles of Confederation
Decentralists
Those who favor greater state authority rather than national authority
Direct Democracy
System in which people rule themselves
Elastic Clause
States that congress can exercise those powers that are “necessary and proper” for carrying out the enumerated powers,e.g, establishment of the first Bank of the US
Enumerated Powers
Those that are specifically granted to Congress in Article 1, section 8 of the Constitution,e.g., the power to tax. AKA expressed powers
Federalism
Constitutional sharing of powers between the central government and state governments. Has three varieties
Dual federalism
System in which the national government and state governments are coequal, with each being dominant within its representative sphere
Cooperative federalism
System in which both federal government and state government cooperate in solving problems