American Federalism

Question 1

Devolution Revolution

Answer 1

The effort to slow the growth of the federal government by returning many functions to the states

Question 2

Federalism

Answer 2

Constitutional arrangement in which power is distributed between a central government and subdivisional governments, called states in the US. The national and sub divisional governments both exercise direct authority over individuals

Question 3

Dual Federalism (Layer Cake Federalism)

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Cooperative Federalism

Answer 4

Stresses Federalism as a system of intergovernmental relations in delivering governmental goods and services to the people and calls for cooperation among various levels of government

Question 5

Marble Cake Federalism

Answer 5

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 of government

Question 6

Competitive Federalism

Answer 6

Views the national government, 50 states, and thousands of local governments as competing with each other over ways to put together packages of services and taxes

Question 7

Permissive Federalism

Answer 7

Implies that although Federalism provides “a sharing of power and authority between the national and state governments, the state’s share rests upon the permission and permissiveness of the national government.”

Question 8

“Our Federalism”

Answer 8

Championed by Ronald Reagan, presumes that the power of the federal government is limited in favor of the broad powers reserved to the states

Question 9

Unitary System

Answer 9

Constitutional arrangement that concentrates power in a central government

Question 10

Confederation

Answer 10

Constitutional arrangement in which sovereign nations or states, by compact, create a central government but carefully limit its powers and do not give it direct authority over individuals

Question 11

Express Powers

Answer 11

Powers the Constitution specifically grants to one of the branches of the national government

Question 12

Implied Powers

Answer 12

Powers inferred from the express Powers that allow Congress to carry out its functions

Question 13

Necessary & Proper Clause

Answer 13

Clause, stating, 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

Question 14

Inherent Powers

Answer 14

The powers of the national government in foreign affairs that the SC has declared do not depend on constitutional grants but rather grow out of the very existence of the national government

Question 15

Commerce Clause

Answer 15

Gives Congress the power to regulate all business activities that cross state lines or affect more than one state or other nations

Question 16

Federal Mandate

Answer 16

A requirement the federal government imposes as a condition for receiving federal funds

Question 17

Concurrent Powers

Answer 17

Powers that the Constitution gives to both the national and state governments, such as the power to levy taxes

Question 18

Full Faith & Credit Clause

Answer 18

Requires each state to recognize the civil judgements rendered by the courts of the other states and to accept their public records and acts as valid

Question 19

Extradition

Answer 19

Legal process whereby an alleged criminal offender is surrendered by the officials of one states to officials of the state in which the crime is alleged to have been committed

Question 20

Interstate Compact

Answer 20

An agreement among two or more states. Congress must approve most agreements

Question 21

National Supremacy

Answer 21

Constitutional doctrine that whenever conflict occurs between the constitutionally authorized actions of the national government and those of a state or local governments, the actions of the federal government will prevail

Question 22

Preemption

Answer 22

The right of a federal law or a regulation to preclude enforcement of a state or local law or regulation

Question 23

Centralists

Answer 23

People who favor national action over action at the state and local levels

Question 24

Decentralists

Answer 24

People who favor state or local action rather than national action

Question 25

Categorical-formula Grants

Answer 25

Congress appropriates funds for a specific purpose, allocated by formula and are subject to detailed federal conditions, often on a matching basis; that is, the local government receiving the federal funds must put up some of its own dollars. Provide federal supervision to ensure dollars are spent as Congress wants

Question 26

Project Grants

Answer 26

Congress appropriates a certain sum, allocated to state and local units, based on applications from those who wish to participate

Question 27

State’s Rights

Answer 27

Powers expressly or implicitly reserved to the states

Question 28

Block Grants

Answer 28

Broad state grants to states for prescribed activities with only a few strings attached. States have greater flexibility in deciding how to spend block grant dollars, but when the federal funds for any fiscal year are gone, there are no more matching federal dollars

Question 29

Direct Orders

Answer 29

Technique of Congress to establish federal regulations. Must be complied with under threat of criminal or civil sanction

Question 30

Cross-cutting Requirements

Answer 30

Technique of Congress to establish federal regulations. Federal grants may establish certain conditions that extend to all activities supported by federal funds, regardless of their source

Question 31

Crossover Sanctions

Answer 31

Technique of Congress to establish federal regulations. These sanctions permit the use of federal money in one program to influence state and local policy in another

Question 32

Total & Partial Preemption

Answer 32

Technique of Congress to establish federal regulations. Total preemption rests on the national governments power under the supremacy and commerce clauses to preempt conflicting state and local activity. Building on this authority, federal law in certain areas entirely preempts state and local governments from this field. Sometimes federal law provides for partial preemption in establishing basic policies but requires states to administer them. Some programs give states an option not to participate, but if a state chooses not to do so, the national government steps in and runs the program.

Question 33

Mandatory Partial Preemption

Answer 33

The national government requires states to act on peril of losing other funds but provides no funds to support state action

Question 34

Creative Federalism

Answer 34

During the Great Society, the marble cake approach of intergovernmental relations

Question 35

Fiscal Federalism

Answer 35

Through different grant programs, slices up the marble cake into many different pieces, making it even more difficult to differentiate the functions of the levels of government.

Question 36

Linkage Institutions

Answer 36

The means by which individuals can express preferences regarding the development of public policy

Question 37

Photo Ops

Answer 37

Photo opportunities set up by the candidates. The media have been accused of simplifying complicated political issues by relying on photo ops to explain them to the public.

Question 38

Sound Bites

Answer 38

30-second statements on the evening news shows. The media have been accused of simplifying complicated political issues by relying on sound bites to explain them to the public.