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What is the executive branch?
The branch of gov responsibility for putting laws into effectt/
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Presidential System
Gov in which the executive is chosen independently of the legislature and the 2 branches are separate.
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What is the parliamentary system?
Gov in which the executive is chosen by the legislature from among it's members and the 2 branches are merged
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Define judicial power
Power to interpret laws and judge whether a law has been broken.
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Judicial review
Power of the Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of laws
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Legislative supremacy
An alternative to judicial reviews, the acceptance of legislative acts as the final law of the land.
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Separation of Powers
The institutional arrangement that assigns judicial, executive, and legislative powers to different persons or groups, thereby limiting the powers of each.
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Checks and Balances
The principle that allows each branch of the gov to exercise some form of control of the others.
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Fusion of Powers
An alternative to separation of powers, combining or blending branches of gov.
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Enumerate Powers of Congress
Congressional powers specifically named in the Constitution (Article 1, Section 8)
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Necessary and Proper Clause
Constitutional authoritarian for Congress to make any law required to carry out its powers
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Supremacy Clause
Constitutional declaration (Article VI) that the Constitution and laws made under its provisions are the supreme law of the land
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Concurrent powers
Powers that are shared by both the federal and state gov
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Dual Federalism
Federal system under which the national and state gov are responsible for separate policy areas
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Cooperative Federalism
The federal system under which the national and state gov share responsibilities for most domestic policy areas
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Define Unitary System
Gov in which all power is centralized
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Confederal systems
Gov in which local units hold all the powers
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McCulloch v. Maryland
1819
Supreme Court ruling confirming the supremacy of national over state government
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Gibbons v. Ogden
1824
Supreme Court ruling that established national authority over interstate business
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Nullification
Declaration by a state that a federal law is void within its borders
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Devolution
Transfer of powers and responsibilities from the federal gov to that states
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Categorical grant
Federal funds provided for a specific purpose, restricted by detailed instructions, regulations, and compliance standards
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Block grant
Federal funds provided for a broad purpose, unrestricted by detailed requirements and regulations
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Unfunded mandate
Federal order mandating that states operate and pay for a program created at the national level
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Amendability
Provision for the Constitution to be changed, so as to adapt to new circumstances
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Initiative
Citizen petitions to place a proposal or constitutional amendment on the ballot, to be adopted or rejected by majority vote, bypassing the legislature.
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Referendum
An election in which a bill passed by the state legislature is submitted to voters for approval
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Recall elections
Votes to remove elected officials from office
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