Federalism
AP Government, Chapter 3: Federalism
Terms
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- Federalism
- Political system where local and national governments check and balance each other. The national governmetn has ultimate sovereignty.
- Devolution
- effort to give states the national government's functions in areas such as welfare, health care, and job training.
- Nullification
- States declaring a federal law, which violates the Constitution, null and void.
- General Revenue Sharing (GRS)
- Permissive. Distribution of money determined by statistical data. Aimed to give states and cities freedom in how they spend their money.
- Counties
- largest territorial units between a state and a city or town.
- "Necessary and Proper" Clause
- AKA Elastic Clause. When necessary and appropriate, the national government can expand it's powers for the good of the nation as a whole.
- Referendum
- Procedure that enables voters to reject a measure adopted by legislature.
- Police Power
- Laws and regulations, not unconstitutional, that promote health, safety, and morality.
- Special Act Charter
- applies to a certain city. Lists what a city can and cannot do.
- Third-Order Devolution
- Increased role of nonprofit organizations and private groups in policy implementation.
- Initiative
- allows voters to place legislative measures and constitutional amendments directly on a ballot by getting enough signatures.
- Conditions of Aid
- Traditional control tells state government what it must do if it wants money.
- Categorical Grants
- Granted for a specific purpose defined by federal law (to build an airport/college dorm, etc).
- Home Rule Charter
- Reverces Dillon's Rule: allows a city government to do anything that isn't prohibited. Ordinances (city laws) still cannot be in conflict with state laws.
- Federal Regime
- local units of government have a specially protected existence and can make some final decisions over some gov't activities
- Confederation
- states are sovereign and the national government has to obey the states.
- General Act Charter
- Applices to many cities in a certain classification (usu. population).
- Second-Order Devolution
- Flow of power and responsibility from states > local government
- Unitary
- sovereignty is wholly in hands of national government
- Dillon's Rule
- Authorizes a municipality to exercise only those powers given, implied by, or essential to its enumerated powers.
- Grants In Aid
- Come in forms of cash or land granted to states by the national government.
- Sovereignty
- supreme or ultimate political authority.
- Block Grants
- Money from the national government for programs in general areas that the states use at their discretion within broad guidelines set by Congress.
- Mandates
- Newer form of control: tells state government what it must do, period.
- Dual Federalism
- Though national government is supreme, the states are also supreme in their own right. Example: Interstate commerce can be regulated by national government, while intrastate commerce is a state affair.
- Recall
- voters can remove an elected person from office. Used in 1/3 of states.
- City/Municipality
- Chartered by a state to exercise defined powers and provide certain services.