federalism
a system of government in which power is divided, by a constitution, between a central government and regional governments
unitary system
a centralized government system in which lower levels of government have little power independent of the national government
federal system
a system of government in which the national government shares power with lower levels of government, such as states
expressed powers
specific powers granted by the Constitution to the Congress (Article 1, Section 8) and to the president (Article 2)
implied powers
powers derived from the necessary and proper clause of Article 1, Section 8, of the Constitution
necessary and proper clause
Article 1, Section 8, of the Constitution , which provides Congress with the authority to make all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out its expressed powers
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
police power
power reserved to the state government to regulate the health, safety, and morals of its citizens
concurrent powers
authority possessed by both state and national government , such as the power to levy taxes
full faith and credit clause
provision , from article iv, section 1 of the constitution , requiring that of the states normally honor the public acts and judicial decisions that take place in another state
privileges and immunities clause
provision, article iv , section 2 , of the constitution that a state cannot discriminate against someone from another state or give its own residents special privileges
home rule
power delegated by the state to a local unit of government to manage its own affairs
dual federalism
the system of government that prevailed in the Untied States from 1789 to 1937 , in which most fundamental government powers were shared between the federal and state governments
commerce clause
which delegates to Congress the power "to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the several States and with tribal Indian tribes
states' rights
the principle that the states should oppose the increasing authority of the national government