ap gov part 3 unit 1

Unitary system

A government structure where power is centralized in a single national authority.

Confederate system

A political arrangement where power is decentralized and held predominantly by sovereign regional or state governments.

Enumerated powers

Authorities explicitly written and listed in the text of the Constitution.

Implied powers

Authorities not explicitly stated in the Constitution but reasonably inferred from the Elastic Clause to execute designated responsibilities.

Reserved powers

Authorities held exclusively by state governments under the protection of the Tenth Amendment.

Dual federalism

A model where state and national governments operate within strictly distinct and separate spheres of authority, symbolized by a layer cake.

Cooperative federalism

A model where state and national governments share responsibilities, policy implementation, and authority, symbolized by a marble cake.

Devolution Revolution

A political movement aimed at rolling back federal intervention and returning authority and responsibility to state governments.

Conflicted federalism

A dynamic in intergovernmental relations characterized by ongoing debate, tension, and mixed approaches to state and national jurisdiction.

Concurrent powers

Authorities shared simultaneously by both national and state governments, such as taxation and court establishment.

Commerce clause

A constitutional provision granting Congress the power to regulate trade and economic exchange across state lines and with foreign nations.

Necessary and proper clause

A constitutional provision granting Congress the flexibility to enact legislation required to execute its designated constitutional responsibilities.

Supremacy clause

A constitutional provision establishing that federal law and the Constitution take precedence over conflicting state laws.

14th Amendment

A constitutional measure establishing citizenship for anyone born or naturalized in the United States and requiring equal protection under the law.

John Marshall

Supreme Court Chief Justice whose rulings established judicial review and significantly expanded the power and authority of the federal government.