| Term | Definition |
|---|
| block grants | Intergovernmental grants with a broad set of objectives, a minimum of federal restrictions, and maximum discretion for local officials |
| categorical grants | Federal grants to a state and/or local government that impose programmatic restrictions on the use of funds |
| commerce clause | Constitutional provision that gives Congress power to regulate commerce "among the states." |
| cooperative federalism | The theory that all levels of government can work together to solve common problems. Aka marble-cake federalism |
| devolution | Return of governmental responsibilities to state and local governments |
| Dillon's rule | Legal doctrine that local governments are mere creatures of the state |
| dual sovereignty | A theory of federalism saying that oth the national and state governments have final authority over their own policy domains |
| federalism | Division of sovereignty between at least two different levels of government |
| general revenue sharing | The most comprehensive of block grants which gives money to state and local governments to be used for any purpose whatsoever |
| governor | A state's chief executive whose responsibilities roughly parallel those of the president |
| Great Society | Series of programs enacted under L. Johnson, designed to address social ills in the nation's poor, elderly, and minority communities |
| implementation | The way in which grant programs are administered at the local level |
| intergovernmental grant | Grant from the national government to a state or local government |
| judicial review | Court authority to declare laws null and void on the grounds that they violate the Constitution |
| laboratories of democracy | Doctrine that state and local governments contribute to democracy by providing places where experiments are tried and new theories about government are tested |
| marble-cake federalism | The theory that all levels of government can work together to solve common problems. Aka cooperative federalism |
| McCulloch v. Maryland | Decision of 1819 in which the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the state's power to tax a federal government entity |
| necessary and proper clause | Constitutional clause that gives Congress the power to take all actions that are "necessary and proper" to the carrying out of its delegated powers. Aka, the elastic clause. |
| New Deal | Programs created by the Franklin Roosevelt administration that expanded the power of the federal government for the purpose of stimulating economic recovery and establishing a national safety net for those in need |
| NIMBY | Everyone wants the problem solved, but "Not In My Back Yard" |
| nullification | A doctrine that says that states have the authority to declare acts of Congress unconstitutional |
| pork barrel projects | Special legislative benefits targeted toward the constituents of particular members of Congress |
| reapportionment | Redrawing of electoral district lines to reflect population changes |
| sovereignty | fundamental governmental authority |
| spending clause | Constitutional provision that gives congress the power to collect taxes to provide for the general welfare |
| state sovereign immunity | Legal doctrine, based on the Eleventh Amendment, that says states cannot be sued under federal law by private parties |
| supremacy clause | Constitutional provision that says the laws of the national government "shall be the supreme Law of the Land" |
| tyranny of the majority | Suppression of rights imposed by those voted into power by a majority |
| unfunded mandates | Federal regulations that impose burdens on state and local governments without appropriating enough money to cover costs |
| unitary government | System under which all authority is held by a single, national government |
| War on Poverty | One of the most controversial of the Great Society programs, designed to enhance the economic opportunity of low-income citizens |
Combine with other sets
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