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Terms in this set (37)
a centralized system of government in which all power is vested in a central government; most nations have this type of government (ex: Great Britain, France, and China)
unitary
a decentralized system of government in which a weak central government has limited power over the states; the US began as this type of government under the Articles of Confederation; United Nations is a modern example
Confederate
a system of government in which power is divided by a written constitution between between a central government and regional governments. As a result, two or more levels of government have formal authority over the same area and people (ex: US, Mexico, Canada, Germany, and India)
federal
Why did the framers rule out a confederate and unitary system?
Confederate- Articles of Confederation was confederate, and proved to weak to handle the new country's problems
Unitary- London was a unitary and they just finished fighting a revolution against them.
Unitary- London was a unitary and they just finished fighting a revolution against them.
The Framers chose to balance order and freedom by creating a federal system that assigned powers to the ________ while reserving other powers to the ______.
national government, states
powers specifically granted to the federal government by the constitution
Expressed powers (enumerated powers)
What are the three key expressed powers?
1. the power to regulate interstate and foreign commerce
2. the power to tax and spend
3. the war power
2. the power to tax and spend
3. the war power
powers not expressly stated in the Constitution
implied powers
Where are implied powers derived from?
Article 1, Section 8, Clause 18 (known as the elastic clause or necessary and proper clause)
powers derived from the fact that the United States is a sovereign nation; under international law, all nation-states have the right to make treaties, wage war, and acquire territory
inherent powers
powers held solely by the states; granted in the tenth amendment ("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.")
reserved powers
These are examples of what power:
licensing doctors, establishing public schools, and establishing local governments, the police power, and the authority of a state to protect and promote public morals, health, safety, and general welfare
licensing doctors, establishing public schools, and establishing local governments, the police power, and the authority of a state to protect and promote public morals, health, safety, and general welfare
reserved powers
powers exercised by both national and state governments; include the power to tax, borrow money, and establish courts
concurrent powers
powers denied to the national government, state government, or both; (ex: federal government can't tax exports, and states can't make treaties with foreign nations)
prohibited powers
What is the "cardinal question of our constitution" according to Wilson?
the relationship between the national government and the states