Systems of Government and American Federalism

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering systems of government, sovereignty, federalism, constitutional clauses, and division of powers.

Sovereignty

Supreme governing authority, historically thought to be held by a single governing body such as a king or state.

Unitary System

A system of government where authority is concentrated in the central government and only the national government has sovereignty (e.g., United Kingdom, Japan, Sweden).

Federation

A system of government where authority is divided between central and state governments and is derived from the people (e.g., Canada, India, United States under the Constitution).

Confederation

A system of government where authority is concentrated in individual states forming a decentralized alliance (e.g., United States under the Articles of Confederation).

Federal System

A government structure that divides the power to govern between state and federal governments, blending centralized and decentralized authority.

Full Faith and Credit Clause

A requirement in Article IV of the U.S. Constitution that states recognize each other's laws and legal proceedings, such as driver's licenses, custody rulings, and marriages.

Extradition

The legal requirement to return individuals accused of crimes to the state where the crime occurred.

Privileges and Immunities Clause

A constitutional guarantee that citizens in all states receive equal privileges and immunities, such as allowing a resident of Virginia to own property in North Carolina or Kentucky.

Spheres of Power

The constitutional division of responsibilities where local issues belong to the states (education, police protection), national issues belong to the federal government (war, currency), and some overlap (taxation).

Elastic Clause

Article 1 Section 8 Clause 18 (Necessary and Proper Clause), which gives Congress the power to pass laws not listed in the Constitution if they are necessary and proper to execute other powers.

Reserved Powers

Powers reserved exclusively to state and local governments under the 10th Amendment, which the federal government cannot interfere with.

10th Amendment

Constitutional amendment specifying that powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to the States.

Concurrent Powers

Powers shared by both federal and state/local governments, including taxation, public welfare, infrastructure, transportation, and law enforcement.

Enumerated Powers

Powers explicitly granted to the federal government, such as coining money, regulating interstate commerce, conducting foreign affairs, declaring war, and raising armies.

Powers Denied to State Governments

Constitutional restrictions prohibiting states from coining money, taxing imports and exports, entering treaties, impairing contracts, or denying equal protection of the laws.

Powers Denied to Federal Government

Constitutional restrictions prohibiting the central government from taxing state exports, changing state boundaries, or violating the Bill of Rights.

The Supremacy Clause

Article VI, Section 2 of the Constitution, which establishes that the U.S. Constitution and federal laws stand above state and local laws as the supreme law of the land.

Federalist 62

An essay written by James Madison stating that good government implies fidelity to the happiness of the People and knowledge of the means by which that object can be best attained.

Federal Government Revenue Sources (2020)

The major sources of federal revenue in 2020 were individual income taxes ($47\%$) and payroll taxes ($38\%$).

Three Systems of Government Diagram

A visual model illustrating Unitary Systems (authority in central government), Federations (authority divided and derived from people), and Confederations (authority in individual states).

Division of Power Chart

A chart categorizing government authority into Enumerated Powers, Concurrent Powers, Reserved Powers, and Powers Denied across federal and state levels.