| A | B |
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| Unitary Government | A way of organizing a nation so that all power resides in the central government. Most national governments today are unitary governments. |
| Federalism | A way of organizing a nation so that two or more levels of government have formal authority over the same land and people. It is a system of shared power between units of government. |
| Confederation | A group of nations or states, in which the component states retain considerable independence. Often seen as little more than more of an agreement between separate governments to cooperate with each other. |
| The Supremacy Clause | The clause in Article 6 of the Constitution that makes the constitution, national laws, and treaties supreme over state laws as long as the national government is acting within it's constitutional limits. |
| The Tenth Amendment | The constitutional Amendment stating, "The Powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, neither prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people. |
| The Eleventh Amendment | States may not be sued by other citizens of another state in either a state court or Federal Court. |
| McCullough v Maryland, 1819 | An 1819 Supreme Court decision that established the supremacy of the national government over state governments. The court, led by Chief Justice John Marshall, held that Congress had certain implied powers in addition to the powers enumerated in the Constitution. |
| Gibbons v Ogden, 1824 | A landmark case in which the Supreme Court interpreted very broadly the clause in Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution giving Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce, as encompassing, virtually every form of commercial activity. |
| The Commerce Clause | Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 states that Congress has the right to regulate international and interstate trade. |
| Enumerated Powers | Those powers specifically listed in the Constitution which are given to Congress. |
| Reserved Powers | Those powers given to the states. |
| Implied Powers | Powers of the federal government that go beyond those enumerated in the Constitution, in accordance with the statement in the Constitution that Congress has the power to " make all laws necessary and proper for carrying into execution" the powers enumerated in Article 1. |
| The Elastic Clause | The final paragraph of Article 1, Section 8, of the Constitution, which authorizes Congress to pass all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out the enumerated powers. |
| Intergovernmental Relations | The workings of the federal system-the entire set of interactions among national, state, and local governments, including regulations, transfers of funds, and sharing of information. |
| The Full Faith and Credit Clause | requires other states to accept and enforce the judgments of courts in other states |
| The Privileges and Immunities Clause | states must extend to citizens of other states the same rights and privileges that are afforded to their own citizens |
| Recall | Procedure whereby voters can remove an elected official from office. |
| Extradition | a legal process in which a fugitive from justice in a state is returned to that state from another |
| Referendum | Procedure enabling voters to reject a measure passed by the legislature. |
| Initiative | Process that allows voters to put legislative measures directly on the ballot. |
| Proposition | Process which allows voters to vote directly to pass/not pass a proposed law. |
| Dual Federalism | Doctrine holding that the national government is supreme in its sphere, the states are supreme in theirs, and the two spheres should be kept separate. |
| Nullification | The doctrine that a state can declare null and void a federal law that, in the state's opinion, violates the Constitution. |
| Cooperative Federalism | a concept of federalism in which national, state, and local governments interact cooperatively and collectively to solve common problems |
| Fiscal Federalism | attempts to define the division of governmental functions, and the financial relationship between, different levels of government |
| Devolution | The effort to transfer responsibility for many public programs and services from the federal government to the states. |
| Categorical Grants | Federal grants for a very specific purposes. |
| Block Grants | Money from the national government that states can spend within broad guidelines determined by Washington. |
| Revenue Sharing | Federal sharing of a fixed percentage of its revenue with the states. |
| Crossover Sanctions | if the state does not comply with the conditions of a grant, the national government will restrict the government in other areas |
| Crosscutting Sanctions | conditions imposed on categorical grants to further social and economic objectives, such as nondiscrimination and environmental protection |
| Project Grants | Grants which are awarded based on a proposal made by a person, organization, or governmental unit to do some action/study. |
| Formula Grants | Grants which are awarded based on a set criteria to a person, organization, or governmental unit |
| Mandates | Terms set by the national government that states must meet whether or not there are federal grants involved. |
| Medicaid | a health care program that assists low-income families or individuals in paying for long-term medical and custodial care costs. It is primarily funded by the Federal Government, but administered by the states. |
| Americans with Disabilities Act | a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public. |
| Clean Air Act of 1970 | Federal legislation which created regulations to limit emissions from both industrial sources and transportation sources. |
| No Child Left Behind | Federal legislation requiring public schools in America to reach certain benchmark scores in order to earn federal grants. |
| Police Power | State power to enact laws promoting health, safety, and morals. |
| Grants-in-aid | Money given by the national government to the states. |
| Conditions of Aid | Terms set by the national government that states must meet if they are to receive certain federal funds. |
