1.Describe the primary differences in the role of citizens in government, among the federal, confederation, and unitary systems.

In a federal system, citizens have a say in both national and state governments. They can influence policies at multiple levels since power is shared between the two. In a confederation, the central government is pretty weak, so most authority lies with individual states. This means citizens usually engage more with their state governments because the national government doesn’t have much power. In a unitary system, the central government holds most of the authority, and local governments mainly carry out its policies. Here, citizens often have less direct influence on what the national government does.

2.Briefly explain how you understand the system of division of power.

The division of power is all about how different levels of government share authority. In a federal system, we see a clear split between national and state powers, which helps create a balance. Both levels can operate on their own but still need to work together. This setup is important because it gives us, as citizens, more ways to get involved and have our voices heard.

3.How does the federal government shape the actions of state and local governments? Write your answer based on doing a bit of research on how the federal government has influenced the actions of NY state and local governments, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government set up programs like the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to help small businesses. This program gave loans to businesses so they could keep their workers on payroll, even when times were tough. In New York, for example, local governments used this funding to support struggling businesses in their communities. It really showed how federal support could help state and local governments respond better to the crisis and keep people employed.