Federalism and Constitutional Amendments

Flashcards covering federalism, unitary systems, confederal systems, and constitutional amendments.

Federal System

A system where state and national governments share sovereignty.

Unitary System

A system where the national government controls local governments.

Federalism

Divides power between levels of government, creating checks against authoritarianism.

Confederal System Weakness

Lacks a strong central authority to unify national efforts.

Concurrent Power

Power shared by both federal and state governments, like taxing income.

Unitary System Challenges

Struggles in geographically large and culturally diverse nations due to delayed responses to local problems caused by centralized control.

Reserved Powers

Powers, like education, governed mostly by state policy in the U.S.

Confederal System

States retain nearly all power and cooperate on limited matters.

Federalism Feature Preventing Authoritarianism

Dispersed authority between national and local governments.

U.S. Constitution Protection of Federalism

Reserving certain powers for the states.

Unitary System Country Example

Japan is likely to use a unitary system.

Constitutional Amendment Proposal Requirement

Two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate is required to propose an amendment through Congress.

Amendment Ratification

Requires approval by three-fourths of the states.

Most Common Amendment Method

Congress proposes, and state legislatures ratify.

National Convention Method

Rarely used for proposing amendments because it has never been successfully organized or tried.

Formal Amendment Example

Changing the presidential term to six years would most likely require a formal amendment.

Supermajorities in Amendment Process

Required to prevent any single region or party from controlling the process.

Judicial Review and Amendments

Courts may not overturn an amendment once it is properly ratified.

21st Amendment Ratification

Ratified by state conventions because Congress believed conventions would better reflect public opinion.

Failure of Proposed Amendments

Suggests the process is designed to protect stability and prevent impulsive change.

Amendment Process Characteristic

Reflects a balance between federal and state power.