Unitary Systems

A system where the central government has all the power over subnational governments.

Confederal System

A system where the subnational governments have most of the power.

Federal System

A system where power is divided between the national and state governments.

Enumerated Powers

Powers explicitly granted to the national government through the constitution also called expressed powers.

Exclusive Powers

Powers only the national government may exercise.

Implied Powers

Powers not granted specifically to the national government but considered necessary to carry out the enumerated powers.

Commerce Clause

Grants congress the authority to regulate interstate business and commercial activity.

Necessary and Proper Clause

Grants the federal government the authority to pass laws required to carry out its enumerated powers. Also called an elastic clause.

Supremacy Clause

Establishes the constitution and the laws of the federal government passed under its authority as the highest laws of the land.

Tenth Amendment

Reserves power not delegated to the national government to the states and the people; the basis of federalism.

Reserved Powers

Powers not given to the national government, which are retained by the states and the people.

Concurrent Powers

Powers granted to both states and federal government in the constitution.

Full Faith and Credit Clause

Constitutional clause requiring states to recognize the public acts, records, and civil court proceeding from another state.

Extradition

The requirement that officials in one state return a defendant to another state where a crime was committed.

Privileges and Immunities Clause

Constitutional clause that prevents states from discriminating against people out of state.

McCulloch v. Maryland

A second bank was created and Maryalnd wanted to tax it but failed due to the constitution

Gibbons v. Ogden

Ogden was granted a monopoly by New York to run his steamboat on a route. Gibbons had a license granted by the federal government. Gibbons sued Ogden to stop the monopoly and won from the commerce clause.

Dual Federalism

A form of American federalism in which states and the national government operate independently in their own areas of public policy.

Cooperative Federalism

A form of American federalism in which the states and the national government work together to shape public policy.

Grants-in-Aid

Federal money provided to states to implement public policy objectives.

Fiscal Federalism

The federal government uses grant-in-aids to influence policies of the states.

Categorical grants

Grants-in-aid provided to states with specific provision of their use.

Unfunded mandates

Federal requirements that states must follow without being provided with funding.

Great Society

President Lyndon B. Johnson's ambitious domestic agenda in the 1960s to eliminate poverty and racial injustice by expanding the federal government's role in social welfare.

Block Grants

A type of grants-in-aid that gives states officials more authority in the disbursement of federal funds.

Revenue Sharing

when the federal government apportions tax money to the states with no strings attached.

Devolution

Returning more authority to states or local governments.

Elementary and Secondary Education Act

When federal grants money for students who have low income which creates an equal educational opportunity.

No Child Left Behind Act

When the government gives money for states to regulate standard assessment tests in certain grade levels.

Every Student Succeeds Act

Replaced NCLB which gave more latitude in setting educational standards

U.S. v. Lopez

When Lopez brought in a gun on school grounds but was charged by the U.S. government. He sued saying congress cant regulate this from the commerce clause.

Obergefell v. Hodges

landmark 2015 Supreme Court decision that held the Fourteenth Amendment requires all U.S. states to license and recognize marriages between same-sex couples.

Gonzalez v. Raich

Supreme Court decision that affirmed Congress's authority to ban the production and possession of homegrown cannabis, even for medical use allowed by state law, under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution.