Definition: In this Supreme Court case, the justices declared that under the commerce clause, Congress had the ability to regulate navigation, which they considered interstate commerce.
Current Event: In 2005, the Supreme Court ruled that, in the case of Gonzales vs. Raich, Congress could ban the production of marijuana, under the commerce clause, similar to the Gibbons vs. Ogden court case.
2. Unitary System:
Definition: A system of government in which there is a strong federal government that has supreme power.
Current Event: The federal government gained more power in the Clinton administration, with acts such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act giving more power to the central government, requiring states to protect certain rights. Although not a unitary system, it was a step which brought more …show more content…
7. McCulloch vs. Maryland (1819):
Definition: This Supreme Court case ruled that states could not prevent Congress from executing their implied powers as delegated by the Constitution, like Maryland attempted to by taxing the National Bank unreasonably.
Current Event: In 1963, Alabama Governor George Wallace stood at the door of the University of Alabama, refusing to uphold the Supreme Court decision of Brown vs. Board of Education and let African-American students enroll. Because of his attempt to prevent the federal government from enforcing their powers, the National Guard was mobilized, forcing Wallace to eventually let the students enroll.
8. New Federalism:
Definition: Proposed by the Reagan administration, New Federalism was a system of government in which some powers would be returned to the states by the federal