Unit 1: Chapter 3 TERMS

Vocabulary flashcards covering all terms listed in Unit 1: Chapter 3.

Block grants

Federal grants given to state or local governments for broad, flexible policy areas with few restrictions on how the funds are spent.

Categorical grants

Federal grants issued to states or local governments that can only be used for specific, narrowly defined purposes and often come with strict conditions.

Commerce clause

Constitutional provision in Article I, Section 8 granting Congress the authority to regulate trade and economic activity across state lines and with foreign nations.

Concurrent powers

Governmental authorities shared simultaneously by both national and state governments, such as the power to levy taxes and establish courts.

Confederation (confederal system)

A system of government in which ultimate power and sovereignty are retained by individual states, with a weak central authority.

Cooperative federalism

A model of intergovernmental relations in which national, state, and local governments share responsibilities, policy goals, and funding.

Devolution

The policy or process of transferring power, responsibility, and program administration from the national government back to state and local governments.

Dual federalism

A model of federalism in which state and national governments operate within clearly defined, separate spheres of authority.

Exclusive powers

Powers that can only be exercised by the national government alone, such as coining money and declaring war.

General/Federal revenue sharing

A federal policy that provided tax money to state and local governments with virtually no restrictions or mandatory matching funds.

Fourteenth Amendment

Constitutional amendment that defines citizenship and prevents state governments from denying due process, equal protection, or fundamental privileges to any person.

Full Faith and Credit clause

Article IV requirement that each state must recognize and respect the public acts, official records, and judicial decisions of other states.

Grants-in-aid

Federal funds distributed to state and local governments to assist in financing programs and public policy initiatives.

Mandate

A requirement or order imposed by the federal government on state or local governments, which must be followed regardless of whether federal funding is provided.

Necessary and Proper (elastic) clause

Article I, Section 8 provision empowering Congress to pass all laws needed to carry out its enumerated powers, serving as the basis for implied powers.

New federalism

A political policy focused on devolution that aims to restore authority to state governments, largely through the use of block grants.

Race-to-the-bottom*

A competitive dynamic in which states lower environmental standards, reduce taxes, or cut social benefits to attract business investment or discourage low-income applicants.

Reserved powers

Powers not granted to the national government nor prohibited to the states, which remain under state jurisdiction via the Tenth Amendment.

Supremacy Clause

Article VI provision declaring that the U.S. Constitution, federal statutes, and treaties constitute the highest law of the land, overriding conflicting state laws.

Tenth Amendment

Constitutional amendment establishing that powers not delegated to the national government are kept by the states or the people.

Unitary system

A governance structure in which supreme legal authority is centralized in a national government, with regional subdivisions deriving all authority from it.