States' rights: Refers to the belief that individual states should have more power and authority than the federal government, allowing them to make important decisions without interference.
Nullification: The act of declaring a federal law null and void within a particular state's jurisdiction based on the belief that it is unconstitutional.
Secession: The process by which an individual state withdraws or separates itself from the United States, usually due to disagreements with federal policies or issues related to states' rights.