AP GOV. CH. 3 Federalism

Unitary System

Form of gov. in which power in concentrated in the central gov.

Confederal System

political union in which sovereign states voluntarily delegate limited powers to a central authority while retaining ultimate sovereignty.

Federal System

power is divided between different levels of government

Examples of Concurrent Powers

taxes, borrowing $, courts, law enforcement, charter banks, spending for the general welfare, eminent domain, road building

Implied Powers

Powers given to the federal government not explicitly written but reasonably deduced

Commerce Clause

Congress has the power to regulate interstate and foreign trade

Full Faith and Credit Clause

requires each state to recognize public acts records and political proceedings of other states

Privileges and Immunities Clause

Prevents states from unreasonably discriminating against citizens from other states

Article V

Process for amending the Constitution

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

held that Congress had constitutional authority to establish the Second Bank of the United States and that Maryland could not tax it, affirming federal supremacy and recognizing implied powers under the Necessary and Proper Clause

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

landmark U.S. Supreme Court case in which Chief Justice John Marshall held that the Commerce Clause gives Congress exclusive power to regulate interstate commerce, including navigation, invalidating New York’s steamboat monopoly

Dual Federalism

system where national and state govs. operate in separate spheres of authority with minimal overlap

Cooperative Federalism

system where national and state government share responsibilities and work together

Grants-in-aid

$ given from upper levels of gov. to lower levels of gov.

Categorical Grants

Grants issued by the U.S. gov. to state and local govs. that can be spent only for narrowly defined purposes

Fiscal Federalism

Federal government threatens funding unless states do what they want

National Mandates

directive by national gov. for states to take a specific action

Block Grant

Gives $ to the states for them to spend however they want

Revenue Sharing

Agreement where participants receive a set % of revenue

New Federalism

Power goes back to state and local governments (true republicanism)

U.S. v. Lopez (1995)

U.S. Supreme Court case that struck down the federal Gun‑Free School Zones Act of 1990, holding that Congress exceeded its Commerce Clause power by criminalizing gun possession near schools