GOPO 3

Impeachment

A process by which a legislative body initiates charges against a public official for misconduct.

Concurrent powers

Powers shared by both states and the federal government.

Categorical grants

A grant from the federal government to state and local governments, with strict limitations on how it is to be spent.

Block grants

A grant from the federal government which a local authority can allocate to a wide range of services.

Mandates

An authoritative command; especially a formal order from a superior court or official to an inferior one.

Federalism

The division and sharing of power between the national and state governments.

10th Amendment

Allows the powers not specifically given to the federal government to be given to the states and people of the states.

14th Amendment

Guarantees that all persons born or naturalized in the United States are citizens and ensures equal rights for all Americans.

Commerce Clause

Gives Congress broad power to regulate interstate commerce and restricts states from impairing interstate commerce.

Necessary & Proper Clause

Allows Congress to make laws or to act where the Constitution doesn't give it authority, known as implied powers.

Elastic Clause

Grants Congress the authority to create laws essential for carrying out its enumerated powers.

Enumerated powers

The powers granted specifically to the Federal government, particularly Congress.

Implied powers

Powers that government branches have that are not explicitly stated in the U.S. Constitution but are suggested to be applicable.

Policymaking

The act or practice of establishing policy.

McCulloch v. Maryland

Supreme Court case deciding that states cannot tax federal banks.

U.S. v. Lopez

Supreme Court case that found the 1990 Gun-Free School Zones Act unconstitutional for overstepping congressional boundaries under the Commerce Clause.