| Term | Definition |
|---|
| block grants | federal grants-in-aid that allow states considerable discretion in how the funds should be spent |
| categorical grants | congressional grants given to states and localities on the condition that expenditures be limited to a problem or group specified by the law |
| commerce clause | Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, which delegates to Congress the power "to regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several States and with the Indian tribes." This clause was interpreted by the Supreme Court in favor of national power over the economy |
| concurrent powers | authority possessed by both state and national governments, such as the power to levy taxes |
| cooperative federalism | a type of federalism existing since the New Deal era in which grants-in-aid have been used strategically to encourage states and localities (without commanding them) to pursue nationally defined goals. Also known as intergovernmental cooperation |
| dual federalism | the system of government that prevailed in the United States from 1789 to 1937, in which most fundamental governmental powers were shared between the federal and state governments |
| expressed powers | specific powers granted to Congress under Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution |
| federal system | a system of government in which the national government shares power with lower levels of government, such as states |
| federalism | a system of government in which power is divided, by a constitution, between an central government and regional governments |
| formula grants | grants-in-aid in which a formula is used to determine the amount of federal funds a state or local government will receive |
| full faith and credit clause | provision from Article IV, Section 1 of the Constitution, requiring that the states normally honor the public acts and judicial decisions that take place in another state |
| general revenue sharing | the process by which one unit of government yields a portion of its tax income to another unit of government, according to an established formula. Revenue sharing typically involves the national government providing money to state governments |
| grants-in-aid | programs through which Congress provides money to state and local governments on the condition that the funds be employed for purposes defined by the federal government |
| implied powers | powers derived from the "necessary and proper" clause of Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution. Such powers are not specifically expressed, but are implied through the expansive interpretation of delegated powers |
| necessary and proper clause | from Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, it provides Congress with the authority to make all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out its expressed powers |
| New Federalism | attempts by Presidents Nixon and Reagan to return power to the states through block grants |
| police power | power reserved to the government to regulate the health, safety, and morals of its citizens |
| preemption | the principle that allows the national government to override state or local actions in certain policy areas |
| privileges and immunities clause | provision from Article IV, Section 2 of the Constitution, that a state cannot discriminate against someone from another state or give its own residents special privileges |
| project grants | grant programs in which state and local governments submit proposals to federal agencies and for which funding is provided on a competitive basis |
| regulated federalism | a form of federalism in which Congress imposes legislation on states and localities, requiring them to meet national standards |
| reserved powers | powers, derived from the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution, that are not specifically delegated to the national government or denied to the states |
| states' rights | the principle that the states should oppose the increasing authority of the national government. This principle was most popular in the period before the Civil War |
| unfunded mandates | regulations or conditions for receiving grants that impose costs on state and local governments for which they are not reimbursed by the federal government |
| unitary system | a centralized government system in which lower levels of government have little power independent of the national government |
| Gibbons v. Ogden | 1824 Supreme Court ruling that established the supremacy of the national government in ALL matters affecting interstate commerce. |
| McCullough v. Maryland | National government stretches its implied power to charter a national bank and carry out its delegated powers |
| The New Deal | Franklin D. Roosevelt's massive program of the 1930s that signaled the rise of a more active national government |
Combine with other sets
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