federalism vocab

ap

Block Grants

a type of grant-in-aid that give state officials more authority in the disbursement of federal funds

Categorical Grants

grants-in-aid provided to states with specific provisions on their use

Commerce clause

grants Congress the authority to regulate interstate business and commercial activity

Concurrent Powers

powers granted to both states and the federal government in the Constitution

Cooperative federalism

a form of American federalism in which the states and the national government work together to shape public policy

Devolution

returning more authority to state and local governments

Dual Federalism

a form of American federalism in which the states and the nation operate independently in their own areas of public policy

Elastic Clause/necessary and proper clause

grants the federal government the authority to pass laws required to carry out its enumerated powers.

Enabling Act--Article IV Sect.3 Cl.1

the act/clause that empowers the admittance of new states into the union

Federal Grants/Grant-in-aide

economic aid issued by the US government out of the general federal revenue.+ an award of financial assistance from a federal agency to a recipient ; federal money provided to states to implement public policy objectives

Fiscal federalism

the federal government’s use of grant-in-aid to influence policies in the states

Full Faith and Credit

constitutional clause requiring states to recognize the public acts, records, and civil court proceedings from another state

Inherent Powers

powers that the national government may exercise simply because it is the government

Initiative

a method by which citizens compose a constitutional amendment or law; to place new legislation on a popular ballot, or to place legislation that has recently been passed by a legislature on a ballot for a popular vote.

Interstate Compacts

a written agreement between two or more states

Privileges and immunities clause

constitutional clause that prevents states from discriminating against people from out of state

Recall

A “ “ election (also called a “ “ referendum or representative “ “) is a procedure by which, in certain polities, voters can remove an elected official from office through a direct vote before that official's term has ended.

Referendum

Procedure enabling voters to reject a measure passed by the legislation

Reserved Powers

powers not given to the national government , which are retained by the states and the people

Revenue Sharing

when the federal government apportions tax money to the states with no strings attached

Selective incorporation

the process through which the Supreme Court applies fundamental rights in the BOR to the states on a case-by-case basis.

Sunshine Laws

a law prohibiting public officials from holding meetings not open to the public

Sunset Laws

a law that requires periodic checks of government agencies to see if they are still needed

Unfunded mandate

federal requirements that states must follow without being provided with funding