federal powers
Central government rights
Federal powers are the authorities granted to a national government, as distinguished from those retained by states or provinces.
In U.S. constitutional law, federal powers include those explicitly enumerated in the Constitution—regulating interstate commerce, coining money, declaring war—plus implied powers necessary to execute them.
Debates over the scope of federal powers versus states' rights have shaped American politics since the founding: The Supreme Court ruled the mandate exceeded federal powers.
- executive orderBinding directive from leadership
- supreme courtApex of judicial hierarchy
- necessary and properConstitutionally permitted congressional powers
- statuteEnacted written rule
- constitutionInherent physical or structural makeup
diplomatic relations · bill · commander-in-chief · declare war · national defense · supremacy clause · checks and balances · act · judicial review · cabinet · precedent · immigration control · fiscal policy · military alliances · bureaucracy · presidential pardon · bicameral legislature · tariffs
- Canadian GovernmentHouse of Commons, Senate, Prime Minister, parliamentary democracy, Bank of Canada
- constitutional lawConstitution, Bill of Rights, First Amendment, Second Amendment, Fourth Amendment
- Early RepublicGeorge Washington, Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Constitutional Convention
- Canadian Constitutionconstitutional amendment, 1867, 1982, constitutional law, constitutional conventions
- constitutional governmentchecks and balances, branches of government, executive branch, legislative branch, judicial branch
- constitutionsbill of rights, constitutional amendment, constitutional reform, clause, clauses
federal powersstate powers
Governmental authority below national level
states' rights · state sovereignty · local authority · state jurisdiction · municipal authority
federal powersdecentralization
Distributing power from center
devolution · subsidiarity · localism · self-governance · confederation
federal powersreserved powers
Governmental abilities kept by states
popular sovereignty · police powers · individual rights · concurrent powers · private sphere
federal, powers, power, federation, federate, federated, federalism, federalist, confederate