AP Gov ch. 4
Categorical grants
Categorical grants target specific purposes and restrictions on their use typically leave the recipient government (state governments, local governments, and public and private nonprofit organizations) relatively little formal discretion.
Block grants
Congress awards block grants for broad, general purposes. They allow recipient governments considerable freedom to decide how to spend the money. For example, a categorical grant promotes a specific activity, such as the development of an ethnic heritage studies curriculum in public schools. Whereas, a block grant might be only for elementary, secondary, and vocational education to be used more generally. The state or local government receiving the block grant then chooses the specific educational programs to fund with it.
Define Home rule
Home rule is the right to enact and enforce legislation locally
What was the Unfunded Mandates Relief Act
Meant to limit the amount of unfunded mandates implemented by the federal government on government, state, and local governments.
elastic clause
The last clause in Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, which gives Congress the means to execute its enumerated powers. This clause is the basis for Congress's implied powers. Also called the necessary and proper clause.
federalism
The division of power between a central government and regional governments.
school district
The government unit that administers elementary and secondary school programs
Define School districts
The government unit that administers elementary and secondary school programs.
Define County governments
The government unit that administers to a county
municipal governments
The governmental units that administer a city or town.
county governments
The governmental units that administer a county.
states' rights
The idea that all rights not specifically conferred on the national government by the U.S. Constitution are reserved to the states
redistricting
The process of redrawing political boundaries to reflect changes in population
sovereignty
The quality of being supreme in power or authority.
Explain Preclearance and Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act
Under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, states have to submit their redistricting plans to the US Department of Justice in order to ensure that minority voting strength will not be diluted.
mandate
A requirement that a state undertake an activity or provide a service, in keeping with minimum national standards.
project grants
Categorical grants awarded on the basis of competitive applications submitted by prospective recipients to perform a specific task or function.
formula grants
Categorical grants distributed according to a particular set of rules, called a formula, that specify who is eligible for the grants and how much each eligible applicant will receive.
Define Municipal governments
the governments units that administer a city or town
Conservatives are frequently portrayed as believing that different states have different problems and resources and that returning control to state governments would promote diversity.
true
Liberals hold that the states' rights model allowed extreme political and social inequalities and that it supported racism.
true
Explain Restraint
A requirement laid down by act of Congress, prohibiting a state or local government from exercising a certain power
restraint
A requirement laid down by act of Congress, prohibiting a state or local government from exercising a certain power
Explain Mandate
A requirement that a state undertake an activity or provide a service, in keeping with minimum national standards.
How does Congressional Redistricting reveal the connection between federalism and the nation's electoral politics?
- Redistricting—the process of redrawing political boundaries to reflect changes in population - Redistricting carries huge stakes—state legislatures usually have the task of drawing the lines that define the congressional districts in their states - Federalism can influence redistricting is through preclearance—several states are required to submit their redistricting plans to the US Department of Justice for approval
What are the four parts of dual federalism?
- The national government rules by enumerated powers only - The national government has a limited set of constitutional purposes - Each government unit is sovereign within its sphere - The relationship between the nation and states is characterized by tension rather than cooperation - not big into strong federal government?
dual federalism
A view holding that the Constitution is a compact among sovereign states, so that the powers of the national government and the states are clearly differentiated.
cooperative federalism
A view holding that the Constitution is an agreement among people who are citizens of both state and nation, so there is much overlap between state powers and national powers.
coercive federalism
A view holding that the national government may impose its policy preferences on the states through regulations in the form of mandates and restraints.
United States v. Lopez
After Congress banned the possession of a gun in or near a school, United States versus Lopez brought the law to the Supreme Court, which ruled that the possession of a gun did not have anything to do with commerce, so the law was unconstitutional. This shows the court in favor of states' rights over national government as it blocked this and future federal laws on gun-control.
Explain how crisis force different levels of government into duty together
An example of a time in which the different levels of government worked together was in the attacks in October of 2002 in Washington D.C. Officials at all levels of government in several states participated in a massive hunt for the killers. Crisis can motivate all levels of government to work together to find someone, defend the country, etc.
policy entrepreneurs
Citizens, members of interest groups, or public officials who champion particular policy ideas
Gibbons v. Ogden
Decided how open or narrow the interpretation of the word commerce should be. Chief Justice Marshall interrupted commerce broadly include every form of commerce available. However, The court's federalism started to favor the states under Chief Justice Roger B. Taney.
Dred Scott decision
Decided that Congress was unable to prohibit slavery in the territories. It decided that black people could not be granted citizenship and could not petition for citizenship in court.
McCulloch v. Maryland
Decided whether Congress had the power to establish a national bank and, if so, whether states had the power to tax that bank. Decision: Congress had the power to establish a national bank, according to the elastic clause, but states couldn't tax the national bank (109)
Explain the relationship between Federalism and Pluralism including how the national government has come to rely increasingly on its regulatory power to shape state policies.
Federalism is the layering of government. Pluralism is interest group based democracy. Because of the multiple levels of government (local (municipal, county, special, school), state, national), interest groups can choose which level of government to address, making it more likely that their voices will be heard. The national government uses means such as grants-in-aid, preemption, and liberal interpretations of the elastic clause to regulate states. With Grant-in-aids, it may withhold money unless certain measures are met, even if those measures cannot be directly ordered by the national government. (Ex. Drunk driving regulations were set with the funding for state highways). With preemption, Congress enacts laws that gives the national government complete or partial responsibility. (Ex. Congress forbids state taxation of the Internet.) Congress can enact minimum national standards states must meet if they wish to regulate the field (telemarketing). Due to national funding and the New Deal, States themselves have come to rely on National governance.
What was main concern of Federalist #10 and what system did it suggest to limit that concern?
Federalist #10 concerns the issue of the division of powers between state and federal governments. Federalist #10 suggests that powers will be divided among state and federal governments; some powers will be shared, while some will be the responsibility of only the federal governments, and others will concern only state governments. For example, only the national government can coin money, but states have the power to grant divorces. (avoid factions where one group has too much power)
Formula grants
Formula grants are categorical grants distributed according to a particular set of rules, called a formula, that specify who is eligible for the grants and how much each eligible applicant will receive. The formulas may weigh factors such as state per capita income, number of school-age children, urban population, and number of families below the poverty line.
special districts
Government units created to perform particular functions, especially when those functions are best performed across jurisdictional boundaries.
Grants-in-aid
Grant-in-aids are money provided by one level of government to another to be spent for a given purpose, which ultimately, allows for state priorities to be heard and recognized by the national government. Grant-in-aids are a method of redistributing income as money is collected by the national government from taxpayers of all the states and then many grants have worked to reduce gross inequalities among states and their residents.
block grants
Grants-in-aid awarded for general purposes, allowing the recipient great discretion in spending the grant money
categorical grants
Grants-in-aid targeted for a specific purpose by either formula or project.
grant-in-aid
Money provided by one level of government to another to be spent for a given purpose
Project grants
Project grants (most grants) are awarded on the basis of competitive applications submitted by prospective recipients to perform a specific task or function. Such project grants have focused on health (substance abuse and HIV-AIDS programs); natural resources and the environment (radon, asbestos, and toxic pollution); and education, training, and employment (for disabled, homeless, and elderly persons). It is a type of categorical grant so it targets specific purposes, and restrictions on their use typically leave the recipient government relatively little formal discretion. Recipients include state governments, local governments, and public/private nonprofit organizations.
Define Special districts
Special districts are government units created to perform particular functions, especially when those functions are best performed across jurisdictional boundaries
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's goal was to address the economic downturn through a $787 billion initiative offering direct aid to states in the form of Medicaid payments, extended unemployment benefits, school and infrastructure spending, and other grants. Though the Republicans were completely against it (in total, only three Republican senators voted for it), all the governors signed because of how desperately they needed national government assistance. This Act emphasizes that the national government is responsible for the general welfare as the national government took care of funding and initiating the Act rather than the states or businesses.
The New Deal
The New Deal (Roosevelt/Great Depression era) created emergency relief programs to stimulate the economy and help the unemployed. It required cooperation of the national and state governments, under the direction of the national government (the states had to agree to certain terms such as providing administrative supervision or contributing money). During this time, problems once seen to be on a personal or local level changed to a national level. The general welfare fell into the hands of the national government.
How have state governments been "professionalized"?
The States have made many internal changes that have fostered their capabilities. Legislatures now meet more days during the year, and elected officials in states receive higher salaries. The appeal of higher salaries (specifically) has helped to attract more highly qualified people to run for state office. The increasing abilities of states to raise revenue has given states greater leverage in designing and directing policy. The unelected officials who work in state departments and administer state programs have become better educated.
Bush v. Gore
The Supreme Court had to make a decision resolving the 2000 presidential election of Bush v. Gore because the election was so close that they didn't know who won. The race in Florida was too close to call. The Florida courts ordered a ballot recount, but the Supreme Court ordered a halt of the recount and gave victory to Bush. This court case affected views of federalism because it takes away the power of the state courts and gave more power to the federal court.
Explain the view of Coercive federalism
The federal government pressures states into changing their policies by use of regulations and mandates.
preemption
The power of Congress to enact laws by which the national government assumes total or partial responsibility for a state government function
Explain Preemption
The power of Congress to enact laws by which the national government assumes total or partial responsibility for a state government function.
home rule
The right to enact and enforce legislation locally
How are state's rights viewed in cooperative federalism? What does cake have to do with it?
The states and the national government take on government functions together and they share power. The power is not centered in one form of government, but evenly distributed. Cake is used as a metaphor again, this time as a marble cake. When cutting into it, you will find the roles of the National government and state governments interlaced and spread out evenly.
How was the Real ID act paid for?
The states were forced to raise taxes from the citizens in order to pay for the Real ID act. (pg 123)
commerce clause
The third clause of Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, which gives Congress the power to regulate commerce among the states.
How are state's rights viewed in dual federalism? What does cake have to do with it?
They choose anything that the constitution does not cover. (the powers that the Constitution does not grant to the National Government. There is a wall between the National and the State's governments. Cake is used as a metaphor, the example of dual federalism makes it a layer cake, completely separate allowing citizens to clearly discern what rights belong to the National government and which belong to State government.
implied powers
Those powers that Congress needs to execute its enumerated powers