UNIT 2 VOCAB

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Unit 2: Federalism in America Vocab Sheet
Part 1: What are the Origins of the Constitution?
1. Articles of Confederation – The first governing document of the confederated states drafted in 1777,
ratified in 1781, and replaced by the present Constitution in 1789.
2. Shays’s Rebellion – Rebellion led by Daniel Shays of farmers in western Massachusetts in 1786-1787,
protesting mortgage foreclosures. It highlighted the need for a strong national government just as the call
for the Constitutional Convention went out.
3. Separation of powers – Constitutional division of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial
branches, with the legislative branch making law, the executive applying and enforcing the law, and the
judiciary interpreting the law.
4. Federalism – Constitutional arrangement in which power is distributed between federal government and
state governments.
Part 2: What Were the Politics Written into the Constitution?
5. Federalist Papers—A series of essays written to persuade state legislators to ratify the US Constitution
6. US Constitution—Governing document of the United States written in 1787 that outlines the goals and
powers of government, as well as the rights of its citizens.
7. Bicameralism – The principle of a two-house legislature.
8. Federalists – Supporters of ratification of the Constitution and of a strong central government.
9. Antifederalists – Opponents of ratification of the Constitution and of a strong central government,
generally.
10. Judicial review – The power of a court to refuse to enforce a law or a government regulation that in the
opinion of the judges conflicts with the U.S. Constitution or, in a state court, the state constitution.
Part 3: What is Amera’s Federalist Structure?
11. Enumerated powers – Powers the Constitution specifically grants to Congress
12. Necessary and proper clause – Clause of the Constitution (Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3) setting forth
the implied powers of Congress. It states that Congress, in addition to its express powers has the right to
make all laws necessary and proper to carry out all powers the Constitution vests in the national
government.
13. Reserved Powers – Powers not explicitly stated in the Constitution but not forbidden to states are held
by the states; derived from the 10th Amendment.
14. Concurrent powers – Powers that the Constitution gives to both the national and state governments,
such as the power to levy taxes.
15. National supremacy – Constitutional doctrine that whenever conflict occurs between the
constitutionally authorized actions of the national government and those of a state or local government,
the actions of the federal government will prevail.
16. Writ of Habeas Corpus— Order that requires law enforcement to produce a prisoner and explain why
they are being held. The term comes from Latin and literally means "you should have the body".
17. Ex post facto law – Retroactive criminal law that works to the disadvantage of a person.
18. Bill of attainder – Legislative act inflicting punishment, including deprivation of property, without a
trial, on named individuals or members of a specific group.

Part 4: What Powers do States Have?
19. Initiative – Procedure whereby a certain number of voters may, by petition, propose a law or
constitutional amendment and have it submitted to the voters.
20. Referendum – Procedure for submitting to popular vote measures passed by the legislature or proposed
amendments to a state constitution.
21. Recall – Procedure for submitting to popular vote the removal of officials from office before the end of
their term.
22. Preemption – State laws that remove authority over a certain subject from Local Governments
Part 5: How has the Balance Between the Federal & State Governments Evolved?
23. Commerce clause – The clause in the Constitution (Article 1, Section 8, Clause 1) that gives Congress
the power to regulate all business activities that cross state lines or affect more than one state or other
nations.
24. Dual federalism (layer cake federalism) – Views the Constitution as giving a limited list of powers—
primarily foreign policy and national defense—to the national government, leaving the rest to the
sovereign states. Each level of government is dominant within its own sphere. The Supreme Court
serves as the umpire between the national government and the states in disputes over which level of
government has responsibility for a particular activity.
25. Cooperative federalism (Marble cake federalism) – Conceives of federalism as a marble cake in
which all levels of government are involved in a variety of issues and programs, rather than a layer cake,
or dual federalism, with fixed divisions between layers or levels of government.
Part 6: How is the Federal Budget Used to Influence State Governments?
26. Devolution revolution – The effort to slow the growth of the federal government by returning many
functions to the states.
27. Federal mandate – A requirement the federal government imposes as a condition for receiving federal
funds.
28. Categorical grants – Congress appropriates funds for a specific purpose, such as school lunches or for
building airports and highways.
29. Block grants – These are broad state grants to states for prescribed activities—welfare, child care,
education, social services, preventive health care, and health services—with only a few strings attached.
30. Earmarks – Special spending projects that are set aside on behalf of individual members of Congress
for their constituents.