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| Grants of money from the federal government to states for programs in certain general areas rather than for specific kinds of programs |
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| Federal grants for specific purposes defined by law. To build an airport, for example, or to make welfare payments to low-income mothers. Such grants usually require that the state put forward matching funds |
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| A municipal corporation or municipality that has been chartered by a state to exercise certain defined powers and provide certain specific services |
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| Federal rules attached to the grants that states receive. States must agree to abide by these rules in order to get the grants |
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| Confederation/ Confederal System |
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| States or regional governments retain ultimate powers that they expressly delegate to a central government |
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| The current effort to scale back the size and activities of the national government and to shift responsibility for a wide range of domestic programs from Washington to the states |
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| Legal principle that holds that the terms of city charters are to be interpreted narrowly. Says a municipal corporation can only exercise the powers explicitly given to it, or implied |
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| Constitutional theory that the national government and the state governments each have defined areas of authority |
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| Local units of government have a specially-protected existence and can make final decisions over some governmental activities |
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| A system in which sovereignty is shared so that on some matters the national government is supreme, and the state is supreme on others |
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| Charter that applies to a number of cities based on a certain classification, usually population |
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| Federal funds provided to states and localities, usually for airports, highways, education, welfare |
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| Charter allowing city government to do anything that is not prohibited by the charter or state law |
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| Procedure allowing voters to submit a proposed law to a popular vote (if enough signatures are received) |
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| Rules imposed by the federal government on states as conditions for obtaining federal grants or requirements that the states pay the costs of certain nationally-defined programs |
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| Municipal Corporation/ Municipality |
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| A city. Chartered by the state to provide certain services and exercise certain powers |
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| "Necessary and Proper" Clause |
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| The "elastic Clause" in Article I. Gives congress flexibility to pass all laws necessary and proper for the country |
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| States have the right to "nullify" a federal law that violates the constitution. After Civil War, Supreme Court ruled that states can't do this |
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| A Law passed and enforced by a city government |
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| The power of a state to promote health, safety, and morals |
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| Where voters can vote to remove an elected official from office. Effective in over 20 states |
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| Submitting a law to popular vote at election time. Law may be proposed by a voter's initiative or by the legislature |
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| Law that distributes a fixed amount or share of federal revenues to the states for spending on almost any government purpose |
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| A special-district government responsible for administering to public schools |
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| The flow of power and responsibility from states to local government |
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| Supreme or ultimate political authority; politically free of any other government |
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| A charter that denies the powers of a certain named city and lists what the city can and cannot do |
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| Special-district Government |
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| A local or regional government with responsibility for some single function such as administering schools, handling sewage, or managing airports |
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| Use of nongovernmental organizations to implement public policy |
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| Subunit of a county government in many eastern and Midwestern states |
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| Sovereignty is wholly in the hands of the national government so that state government depends on its decisions |
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