unit 2 vocabs Flashcards
Articles of Confederation
The first governing document of the confederated states drafted in 1777,
ratified in 1781, and replaced by the present Constitution in 1789
Shays’s Rebellion
Rebellion led by Daniel Shays of farmers in western Massachusetts in 1786-1787,
protesting mortgage foreclosures. It highlighted the need for a strong national government just as the call
for the Constitutional Convention went out
Separation of powers
Constitutional division of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial
branches, with the legislative branch making law, the executive applying and enforcing the law, and the
judiciary interpreting the law
Federalism
Constitutional arrangement in which power is distributed between federal government and
state governments
Federalist Papers
A series of essays written to persuade state legislators to ratify the US Constitution
US Constitution
Governing document of the United States written in 1787 that outlines the goals and
powers of government, as well as the rights of its citizens.
Bicameralism
The principle of a two-house legislature
Federalists
Supporters of ratification of the Constitution and of a strong central government.
Antifederalists
Opponents of ratification of the Constitution and of a strong central government,
generally
Judicial review
The power of a court to refuse to enforce a law or a government regulation that in the
opinion of the judges conflicts with the U.S. Constitution or, in a state court, the state constitution.
Enumerated powers
Powers the Constitution specifically grants to Congress
Necessary and proper clause
Clause of the Constitution (Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3) setting forth
the implied powers of Congress. It states that Congress, in addition to its express powers has the right to
make all laws necessary and proper to carry out all powers the Constitution vests in the national
government
Reserved powers
Powers not explicitly stated in the Constitution but not forbidden to states are held
by the states; derived from the 10th Amendment.
Concurrent powers
Powers that the Constitution gives to both the national and state governments,
such as the power to levy taxes.
National supremacy
Constitutional doctrine that whenever conflict occurs between the
constitutionally authorized actions of the national government and those of a state or local government,
the actions of the federal government will prevail
Writ of Habeas Corpus
Order that requires law enforcement to produce a prisoner and explain why
they are being held. The term comes from Latin and literally means “you should have the body”
Ex post facto law
Retroactive criminal law that works to the disadvantage of a person
Bill of attainder
Legislative act inflicting punishment, including deprivation of property, without a
trial, on named individuals or members of a specific group
Initiative
Procedure whereby a certain number of voters may, by petition, propose a law or
constitutional amendment and have it submitted to the voters
Referendum
Procedure for submitting to popular vote measures passed by the legislature or proposed
amendments to a state constitution
alternative: a general popular vote on a political question that has been referred to them for a direct decision
Recall
Procedure for submitting to popular vote the removal of officials from office before the end of
their term
Preemption
State laws that remove authority over a certain subject from Local Governments
Commerce clause
The clause in the Constitution (Article 1, Section 8, Clause 1) that gives Congress
the power to regulate all business activities that cross state lines or affect more than one state or other
nations
Dual federalism (layer cake federalism)
Views the Constitution as giving a limited list of powers—
primarily foreign policy and national defense—to the national government, leaving the rest to the
sovereign states. Each level of government is dominant within its own sphere. The Supreme Court
serves as the umpire between the national government and the states in disputes over which level of
government has responsibility for a particular activity
Cooperative federalism (marble cake federalism)
Conceives of federalism as a marble cake in
which all levels of government are involved in a variety of issues and programs, rather than a layer cake,
or dual federalism, with fixed divisions between layers or levels of government
Devolution revolution
The effort to slow the growth of the federal government by returning many
functions to the states
Federal mandate
A requirement the federal government imposes as a condition for receiving federal
funds
Categorical grants
Congress appropriates funds for a specific purpose, such as school lunches or for
building airports and highways.
Block grants
These are broad state grants to states for prescribed activities—welfare, child care,
education, social services, preventive health care, and health services—with only a few strings attached
Earmarks
Special spending projects that are set aside on behalf of individual members of Congress
for their constituents.
