Chapter 3 Federalism Flashcards
(34 cards)
block grant
Money given to states for general programs within a broad category; provides states w/ more autonomy.
categorical grant
Federal grants in which the recipient has little discretion over how the money is spent. The national government sets narrowly defined rules for use of funds and often requires the states or local governments to provide matching funds. These grants account for 90% of federal aid dollars. Examples include Head Start, Food Stamps, Medicaid, and the Interstate Highway System
confederation
a political system in which a weak central government has limited authority, and the states have ultimate power.
cooperative federalism
Cooperation among federal, state, local govts; “marble cake” federalism
dual federalism
A system of government in which both the states and the national government remain supreme within their own spheres, each responsible for some policies.
enumerated powers
Powers specifically given to Congress in the Constitution; including the power to collect taxes, coin money, regulate foreign and interstate commerce, and declare war.
ex post facto law
a law that makes an act criminal although the act was legal when it was committed
extradition clause
part of Article IV of the Constitution that requires states to extradite, or return, criminals to states where they have been convicted or are to stand trial
federalism
a system in which power is divided/shared between the national and state governments
full faith & credit clause
Clause in the Constitution (Article IV, Section 1) requiring each state to recognize the civil judgments rendered by the courts of the other states and to accept their public records and acts as valid
Gibbons v. Ogden
A landmark case in 1824 in which the Supreme Court expanded Congress’s power to regulate interstate commerce, encompassing virtually every form of commercial activity; dispute between NJ & NY w/ steamboats on Hudson River
interstate compacts
contracts between states that carry the force of law; generally now used as a tool to address multistate policy concerns
McCulloch v. Maryland
Maryland was trying to tax the national bank and Supreme Court ruled that federal law was stronger than the state law; affirmed the Supremacy Clause
New Federalism
attempts by Presidents Nixon and Reagan to return power to the states through block grants
preemption
the judicial principle asserting the supremacy of federal over state legislation on the same subject
17th Amendment
Passed in 1913, this amendment to the Constitution calls for the direct election of senators by the voters instead of their election by state legislatures.
16th Amendment
Amendment to the United States Constitution (1913) gave Congress the power to tax income.
sovereign immunity
the rule that a citizen cannot sue the government without the government’s consent, The right of a state to be free from a lawsuit unless it gives permission to the suit. Under the Eleventh Amendment, all states are considered sovereign.
devolution
the transfer of powers and responsibilities from the federal government to the states
bill of attainder
a law that punishes a person accused of a crime without a trial or a fair hearing in court
Unitary government
All powers reside in the central government
Articles of Confederation
It provided a legal symbol of the thirteen states by giving the central government no coercive power over the states or their citizens.
Intergovernmental relations
The entire set of interactions among national, state, and local governments in a federal system
Supremacy clause
Article vi three items: constitution, laws of national gov, and treaties
