AP Government Chapter 3: The Federal System

confederation

a group of independent states or countries that join together by a treaty to handle shared goals like defense, trade, or money while keeping their own supreme power and self-rule

iroquois confederacy

political alliance of American Indian tribes established in the 17th century that featured aspects of the federal system of government adopted by the framers

monarchy

a form of government in which power is vested in hereditary kings and queens who govern the entire society

totalitarianism

a form of government in which power resides in leaders who rule by force in their own self-interest and without regard to rights and liberties 

oligarchy

a form of government in which the right to participate depends on possession of wealth, social status, military position, or achievement

democracy

a system of government that gives power to the people, whether directly or through elected representatives

federal system

a political system in which power is divided between a central government and regional governments, allowing them to operate independently in certain areas.

unitary system

a system of government that grants all power to a central government, which may create or abolish regional governments as it sees fit.

explain how native american governments were similar and different as compared too early colonial and american government?

Similar 

• Great binding law: constitution, set way of doing that binded them together 

Different

• How power was distributed

• Making decisions

types of government systems, what are the benefits and drawbacks to each?

Monarchy 

• Benefits: has their entire life to prepare for this job because they are born into it

• Drawbacks: might not want to be king 

Democracy 

• Benefits: people have a voice

• Drawbacks: have to be elected, people just vote for who they like 

what are the benefits of a federal system? what are the potential, or real, problems in a federal system?

benefits: keeps peace between state and national government because they both have the same amount of power and a say in things

problems: political conflict, confusion of who’s in charge

enumerated powers

powers that only belong to the national government

implied powers

powers needed to implement enumerated powers

inherent powers

the powers belonging to the national government because they are the highest government in the country

reserved powers

powers reserved to the states by the 10th Amendment that lie at the foundation of a state’s right to legislate for the public health and welfare of its citizens

bill of attainder

a legislative act that singles out an individual or group for punishment without a trial

ex post facto laws

law that makes an act punishable as a crime, even if the action was legal at the time it was committed

full faith and credit clause

requires every U.S. state to respect and honor the public acts, records, and court decisions of every other state

privileges and immunities clause

guarantees that the citizens of each state are afforded the same rights as citizens of all other statesand prohibits discrimination against out-of-state residents.

extradition clause

requires states to extradite, or return, criminals to states where they have been convicted or are to stand trial

interstate compacts

are agreements between two or more states designed to solve shared problems to solve shared problems are manage cross-border issues

dillon’s rule

a legal principle stating that local governments (like cities and counties) only possess powers explicitly granted to them by the state legislature. If a power is not clearly given or reasonably implied by state law, the local government does not have it.

charter

a document, like a constitution, specifies the basic policies, procedures, and institutions of local government and approved by state legislatures, to operate

counties

largest local government units

municipalities

city governments created in response to the emergence of relatively densely populated areas

special district

a local government that is restricted to a particular function

how does the US constitution set the system of government in an order that makes the system work?

The US Constitution establishes a federal system of government that divides powers between the national and state governments, creating a system of checks and balances and ensuring that each level of government operates effectively within its jurisdiction.

explain the basis for the implies powers and provide an example to illustrate this concept

the implied powers are necessary for the government to function effectively

example: is the creation of the IRS to collect taxes, derived from the power to tax.

why were the powers of the state governments not addressed during the constitutional convention and what eventually spelled out the powers and responsibilities of the state governments? how did it accomplish this?

• The powers of state governments were not extensively addressed during the Constitutional Convention due to the focus on creating a strong national government

• This was eventually detailed in the Tenth Amendment, which reserves powers not explicitly granted to the federal government to the states and the people, thereby defining their responsibilities.

what powers are denied to the states and the national government?

protect individual rights and maintain the federal balance

how are disputes among the states handled and why is this system in place?

• disputes among the states are handled by the Supreme Court

• This system is in place to ensure a fair and impartial adjudication among states, maintaining order and unity within the federal system.

how do local governments fit into the federal system? explain the roles that local organizations play in government and the responsibilities they have?

• local governments can only do the things the state governments allow them to do

  • counties: the basic administrative unit of local government

  • municipalities: city governments created in response to the emergence of relatively densely populated areas

  • special districts: a local government that is restricted to a particular function

dual federalism

the belief that having separate and equally powerful levels of government is the best arrangement, often referred to as layer-cake federalism

nullification

the act of canceling something or making a legal rule, agreement, or law completely void and without effect

secession

the act of formally withdrawing from an organization, union, or political entity, particularly in the context of states leaving the United States.

cooperative federalism

the concept where federal, state, and local governments work together to solve common problems, often characterized by intertwined responsibilities and partnerships

devolution revolution

the transfer of powers from the federal government to state and local governments

explain the supreme court cases McCulloch v. Maryland, Gibbons v. Ogden, including how the decisions effected the federalist system

McCulloch v. Maryland

• congress has implied powers under the constitution and that federal law is supreme over state law

Gibbons v. Ogden

• established congress’s authority to regulate interstate commerce (the activity of buying and selling goods and services, especially on a large scale)

the decisions effected the federalist system by strengthening the power of the national government

McCulloch v. Maryland

• supreme court established federal supremacy over state laws

• confirmed congress has implied powers under the constitution

background of case

• congress created the second bank of the united states

• the state of maryland wanted to tax this federal tax

• the cashier of the bank in baltimore refused to pay tax

• maryland sued McCulloch and the state court ruled in favor of maryland

• the Supreme Court decided that states cannot tax the federal government, affirming the necessity of a strong central authority

• The Supreme Court ruled that the federal government is supreme, preventing states from taxing federal agencies, thereby reinforcing federal authority and the necessity for a robust national government.

Gibbons v. Ogden

• the court ruled that the US constitution commerce clause giver congress the broad power to regulate interstat navigation and commerce, superseding conflicting state laws

background of case

• new york state gave a special monopoly to run steamboats on its water

• aarson ogden help a state-granted license from new york to operate a ferry between new york and new jersey

• thomas gibbons operated competing steamboats on the same route with a federal coastal license

• ogden sued gibbons in state court to stop him

• new york sided with ogden and the chief declared that commerce includes navigation, prompting gibbons to appeal to the US supreme court

• established the federal government's power to regulate interstate commerce, affirming broad congressional authority over economic activities between states.

explain how the system shifted to dual federalism in the mid-1800s, including the relevant actions taken by the states and the supreme court

dual federalism: a system of governance where the federal government and state governments became more clearly defined, operating in separate spheres of influence.

• This shift was marked by states asserting their rights and the Supreme Court limiting federal power through decisions that reinforced state authority

explain the effect the Civil war had on federalism, including relevant court cases and amendments to the constitution?

• The Civil War led to a significant increase in federal power

• the national government took on a more active role in defining civil rights and liberties.

  • 13th (abolishing slavery)

  • 14th (granting citizenship and equal protection)

  • 15th (protecting voting rights)

  • Court cases like Reconstruction-era legislation further impacted federalism by affirming federal authority over state laws in matters of civil rights.

explain the circumstances that led to the end of dual federalism

• New Deal

  • expanded federal powers to regulate the economy and work directly with the states

• Great Depression

  • the economic crisis overwhelmed the local and state governments which forced the national government to step in and provide relief, expanding federal power and responsibilities

explain how the actions of the presidents of the 1920s and 1930s led to a new type of federalism, and explain this type of federalism

the actions led to cooperative federalism, where federal, state, and local governments work together to solve common problems, with increased collaboration and financial assistance from the federal government

• cooperative federalism: the intertwined relationship between national, state, and local governments that began with the New Deal; often referred to as marble-cake federalism

progressive federalism

an approach to federalism that views relations between national and state governments as both coercive and cooperative

• state and local governments use their powers to advance progressive goals

categorical grants

federal funds provided to states for specific purposes with regulations and conditions

block grant

a type of federal funding that provides state and local governments with a specified amount of money to be used for a broad purpose, allowing more discretion in how the funds are spent in comparison to categorical grants. This grant type allows states flexibility in allocating funds for various projects, typically in areas such as education and healthcare.

new federalism

a political philosophy that seeks to shift power away from the federal government and back to the states, emphasizing state discretion and responsibility in policy-making.

programmatic requests

federal funding requests made by lawmakers for specific projects in their districts.

explain the current type of federalism and how it came to be

cooperative federalism: a system where federal, state, and local governments work together to meet shared goals, often involving collaboration and joint funding for various programs.

• This approach emerged during the New Deal era in response to national crises.

explain how federal money has changed the relationship between the federal and state governments

Federal funding has increasingly tied state governments to federal policies, creating a dependency on federal money that influences state decision-making and limits state autonomy in certain areas.

how has the supreme court changed the relationships between the federal and state governments in the last 40 years, citing opinions of the court?

they have been favoring the states more