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PLAP Chapter 3
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20
Political Studies
Undergraduate 1
02/01/2010

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Term
unitary system
Definition
system of government where the local and regional governments derive all authority from a strong national government
Term
Tenth Amendment
Definition
the final part of the Bill of Rights that defines the basic principles of American federalism in stating: "the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
Term
reserve (or police) powers
Definition
powers reserved to the states by the Tenth Amendment that lie at the foundation of a state's right to legislate for the public health and welfare of its citizens
Term
concurrent powers
Definition
authority possessed by both the state and national governments that may be exercised concurrently as long as that power is not exclusively within the scope of national power or in conflict with national law
Term
bill of attainder
Definition
a law declaring an act illegal without a judicial trial
Term
ex post facto law
Definition
law that makes an act punishable as a crime even if the action was legal at the time it was committed
Term
privileges and immunities clause
Definition
part of Article 4 of the Constitution guaranteeing that the citizens of each state are afforded the same rights as citizens of all other states
Term
extradition clause
Definition
part of Article 4 of the Constitution that requires states to extradite, or return, criminals to states where they have been convicted or are to stand trial
Term
interstate compacts
Definition
contracts between states that carry the force of law; generally now used as a tool to address multistate policy concerns
Term
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
Definition
the Supreme Court upheld the power of the national government and denied the right of a state to tax the federal bank using the Constitution's supremacy clause. The Court's broad interpretation of the necessary and proper clause paved the way for later rulings upholding expansive federal powers.
Term
Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)
Definition
the Supreme Court upheld broad congressional power to regulate interstate commerce. The Court's broad interpretation of the Constitution's commerce clause paved the way for later rulings upholding expansive federal powers
Term
dual federalism
Definition
the belief that having separate and equally powerful levels of government is the best arrangement
Term
Sixteenth Amendment
Definition
authorized Congress to enact a national income tax
Term
Seventeenth Amendment
Definition
made senators directly elected by the people; removed their selection from state legislatures
Term
categorical grant
Definition
grants that allocated federal funds to states for a specific purpose
Term
New Federalism
Definition
federal-state relationship proposed by Reagan administration during the 1980s; hallmark is returning administrative powers to the state governments
Term
block grant
Definition
broad grant with few strings attached; given to states by the federal government for general categories of activity, such as secondary education or health services
Term
unfunded mandates
Definition
national laws that direct state or local governments to comply with federal rules or regulations (such as clean air or water standards) but contain little or no federal funding to defray the cost of meeting those requirements
Term
preemption
Definition
a concept derived from the Constitution's supremacy clause that allows the national government to override or preempt state or local actions in certain areas
Term
sovereign immunity
Definition
the right of a state to be free from a lawsuit unless it gives permission to the suit. Under the Eleventh Amendment all states are considered sovereign
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