Gov quiz

Block Grants

consolidating several catagorical or block grants into a single devoted to one general purpose with fewer restrictions on its use

Categorical Grants

Federal grants for specific purposes, such as building an airport

Commerence Clause

Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution and grants Congress the power "to regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes"

Concurrent Powers

powers shared by the national and state goverements

Conditions of aid

Terms set by the national government that states must meet whether or not they accept federal grants

Confederal System

A system of goverment where state goverments are sovereign and the national goverment can do only what the states permit

Cooperative Federalism

Idea that the federal and state goverments share power in many policy areas

Devolution

The transfer of power from the national goverment to state and local goverments

Dillon’s Rule

local governments only possess powers expressly granted by the state, implied powers, or those indispensable to their existence

Dual Federalism

Doctorine holding that the national goverment is supreme in its sphere, the states are supreme in theirs, and the two spheres should be kept seperate

Enumerated Powers

Powers given to the national goverment alonee

Federalism

Goverment authority shared by national and local goverments

Federal System

A system of goverment where the national and state goverments share sovereignty

Grants-in-aid

money given by the national goverment to the states

Implied Powers

powers exercised by the U.S. government that are not explicitly written in the Constitution but are inferred as necessary and proper to carry out the government's expressed, enumerated duties

Inititative

Process that permits voters to put legislative measures directly on the ballot

Interstate

activities, transportation, or commerce that connect or cross the boundaries of two or more U.S. states

Intrastate

existing, occurring, or carried out strictly within the boundaries of a single state

Home-rule Charter

self-created legal document that acts as a local constitution, granting a city or municipality the autonomy to govern its own internal affairs without needing explicit permission from the state legislature

Mandates

terms set by the national goverment that states must meet whether or not they accept federal goverments

“necessary and proper” clause

Section of the Constitution allowing congress to pass all laws this clause to its duties, and that has permitted Congress to exercise powers not specifically given to it by the Constitution

Nullification

The doctorine that a state can declare null and void a federal law that, in the state’s opinion, violates the Constitution.

Police Power

state power to effect laws promoting health, safety, and morals

Referendum

Procedure enabling voters to reject a measure passed by the legislature

Recall

procedure whereby voters can remove an elected official from office

Revenue Sharing

a system of fiscal federalism where the federal government distributes a portion of its tax revenue to state and local governments with virtually no restrictions or conditions attached

Unfunded Mandates

a federal requirement that forces state or local governments to follow specific rules or laws without receiving federal money to cover the costs

Unitary System

A system of goverment where sovereignty is fully vested in the national goverment, not the states

10th Amendment (federalism)

reserving all powers not granted to the federal government to the states or the people

14th Amendment (Federalism)

fundamentally shifted American federalism by placing direct federal constitutional limits on state government power

powers of the federal goverment

amendments proposed and ratified, declaring war, maintaining and deploying military forces, foreign policy, international treaties, and trade deals, printing money, regulating interstate commerence, maintaining postal offices and services

powers of the state goverment

ratifying amendments, elections for public offices, initiatives, and referenda, establishing local goverments, regulating intrastate commerence, licensing occupations and land uses, enacting laws to promote public safety, health and morals (police power)

powers exercised by both state and national

taxing citizens and buisnesses, chartering banks and corporations, building and maintaining roads, borrowing money and managing roads, borrowing money and managing public debts, administering criminal justice institutions, regulating native american gaming buisinesses