Federalism Study Guide: Academic U.S. and Virginia Government

Vocabulary flashcards covering federalism, division of constitutional powers, core American values, Virginia government structure, and relevant landmark Supreme Court jurisprudence.

Tocqueville

A politician and writer from France who studied core American values.

Individualism

A core value centered on hard work, taking care of yourself, and doing well in life.

Laissez-faire

An economic system where the government lets businesses make their own choices and doesn't make too many rules.

Populism

Politics for "regular people" against rich and powerful people.

Federalism

The system of sharing power between the national government, state governments, and local governments.

10th Amendment

The constitutional amendment stating that powers not given to the national government belong to the states or the people.

Supremacy Clause

A constitutional principle establishing that national laws are the strongest, meaning national law wins over conflicting state law as long as it follows the Constitution.

Separation of Powers

The division of government into three branches, where each branch has different jobs.

Checks and Balances

A constitutional principle that gives each government branch ways to stop other branches from doing something wrong so no one branch becomes too strong or unfair.

Expressed Power

A power specifically stated in the Constitution that the government can do, such as declaring war, making coins, or raising an army.

Reserved Power

A power that belongs exclusively to state and local governments, such as running elections, issuing driver's or professional licenses, and setting police and zoning rules.

Concurrent Power

A power that both national and state governments can exercise at the same time, such as collecting taxes, borrowing money, running courts, and building roads.

Denied Power

A power that government is prohibited from exercising, such as granting titles of nobility or passing laws that punish people for actions done before the law existed.

Implied Power

A power not explicitly written in the Constitution that is allowed through the "necessary and proper" clause flexibility, such as creating a specific military branch.

Unfunded Mandate

A federal order where the federal government provides nothing ($0$ dollars) to help cover compliance costs.

Underfunded Mandate

A federal order where the federal government pays part of the cost (e.g., $60\%$) while the state must cover the rest.

Fully Funded Mandate

A federal requirement where the federal government pays for all of the costs.

General Assembly

The legislative branch of the Virginia state government.

Governor

The head of the executive branch of the Virginia state government.

Extradition

The process of sending a person who broke the law back to another state.

Preemption

The legal dynamic where federal law overrides state law.

United States v. Lopez

A Supreme Court case ruling that carrying a gun in a local school zone is not a business activity affecting interstate trade, meaning Congress exceeded its Commerce Clause authority.