Federalism Basics
This system divides power between national and state governments.
What is federalism?
This 1819 Supreme Court case expanded Congress’s implied powers under the Necessary and Proper Clause.
What is McCulloch v. Maryland?
In this year, Texas joined the United States as the 28th state.
What is 1845?
This 1954 case overturned the "separate but equal" doctrine, ruling that segregated schools were unconstitutional.
What is Brown v. Board of Education?
This term describes a system where state and national governments operate in separate spheres of power, often compared to a layer cake.
Dual Federalism?
This system allows states and the national government to share power, with certain powers reserved for the states.
What is federalism’s balance of state and national powers?
This case established that Congress had the power to regulate interstate commerce, including shipping between states.
What is Gibbons v. Ogden?
In this 2016 case, the Supreme Court deadlocked, blocking the federal government’s immigration policy.
What are Texas v. United States and the DAPA program?
his 1942 case expanded federal power under the Commerce Clause, which later allowed Congress to pass landmark civil rights legislation
What is Wickard v. Filburn?
This term describes a system where state and national governments work together to administer programs, often compared to a marble cake.
Cooperative Federalism?
This amendment reserves powers to the states and the people.
What is the Tenth Amendment?
This case ruled that the Union is indestructible and that states cannot secede.
What is Texas v. White?
This 2013 Supreme Court decision struck down the preclearance requirement of the Voting Rights Act, affecting Texas’s voting laws.
Shelby County v. Holder?
This federal law, passed in 1965, aimed to end racial discrimination in voting, significantly affecting states like Texas.
Voting Rights Act?
This approach, promoted by Presidents Nixon and Reagan, sought to return power to the states through block grants.
New Federalism?
These are powers specifically granted to Congress by the U.S. Constitution, such as the power to tax and regulate commerce.
What are enumerated powers?
This case reinforced state sovereignty by ruling that state officers could not be required to enforce federal background check laws.
What is Printz v. United States?
Texas refused to adopt this component of the Affordable Care Act, resulting in ongoing debates about federal and state authority.
What is Medicaid expansion?
This 2013 decision weakened federal oversight in Texas, allowing the state to implement more restrictive voting laws.
Shelby County v. Holder?
This term refers to the federal government compelling states to follow national policies by attaching conditions to federal funding or mandates.
Coercive Federalism?
Over time, this has shifted as Texas and the federal government have clashed over issues like healthcare, immigration, and civil rights.
What is the balance of power between Texas and the federal government?
This 1995 case limited the federal government’s power under the Commerce Clause by ruling that Congress overstepped in regulating gun possession near schools.
What is United States v. Lopez?
his doctrine allows Texas to provide greater protections for individual rights beyond what is required by the U.S. Constitution.
What are independent state grounds?
This landmark case’s ruling not only desegregated schools but also laid the groundwork for further civil rights protections.
Brown v. Board of Education?
These types of federal grants give states more flexibility in spending federal funds compared to categorical grants.
What are block grants, and how do they relate to New Federalism?