2. The system of division of power was put in place in order for our nation to have a “strong and fair” government. This government would protect national freedom and would not abuse its own power. An example of division of power being used to keep our nation fair is the use of federalism within our government. Federalism is a institutional arrangement that establishes two levels of government. All federal systems establish two levels of government, one level is responsible for matters regarding the country as a whole, such as defending the nation against foreign threats. The second level are subnational (state) governments that are responsible for matters that lie within their specific regions. These matters include administering education, health care, public safety and other public services. These system allows for the government to focus on the citizens of the nation and to be elected by them.

3. The federal government shapes the actions of state and local governments because the laws the federal government sets in place has to be enforced at a state and local level to ensure that the law is effective. For example, if there is a federal law saying how much marijuana a person can have before it is considered a legal amount, a police officer within a state may enforce that law by arresting someone who exceeds the amount that the federal government put in place.

1. In federal systems, citizens are led by both their federal and state governments, and they elect their political leaders. In confederation systems, the citizens mostly follow their state government while the federal government has little power directly over them. In unitary system, the federal government has the most power while the state government follows what the federal government says. 

2. The division of power refers to power being shared between the different levels and branches in government so that nobody has too much power to make a decision. 

3.The federal government enacts policies that the states enforce. For example, social distancing. Also, the federal government gives the state government resources so that they can help their locals which effects how the state responded to the pandemic 

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

In a federal system, the power is shared by national and state government, so citizens have the role to vote for each different election through that system, for example voting for governors for a state, mayor for cities.

In a confederation system most of the power is helf by the state or reginal government while the national government is weaker and can’t interfere much. In this system, citizens have a more active role in what direction the government will go, as the power should prioritize that specific group.

For unitary systems, there aren’t different levels of power, and it’s all held by the national government, so participation of citizens is minimal, as the rules to be followed will be determined for the majority.

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

The way I understand the division of power is basically different authorities that hold different obligations and have autonomies. In the US the easier way to see the division of power is by the fact that different states can have different laws and legislations, that are defined by leaders on the local/state government, and not the federal. It’s also easier to see when the local government disagree with the federal government, as that tends to be even more prejuditial for the citizens.

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.

The federal government can shape the actions of state and local governments by providing different programs and grants that require certain standards to be followed. An example of this for NYC during the pandemic was the ESSER funds for K-12 schools. The NY State had to file a detailed state plan in order to be eligible to recieve money from the government to help aid the new challenges, and a part of the budget provided was directed to the learning loss to students caused by the lockdown.

The power is distributed between the state governments and the national government in a federal state. The power is held strong within one central government in the unitary state. A weak central government with the Majority of power within states is found in a confederation. I recognize the distribution of power as a mechanism to ensure that no single grade of government becomes over powerful. The power establishes balance; however, at the same time, tension between the national government and state government occurs. The national government influences state and local decisions with funding, regulations, and national policies. For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the national government offered poqual funds and issued guidelines, yet New York State decided independently about lockdowns as well as vaccinations. That blend of national assistance as well as state discretion demonstrates the operation of federalism in practice. It’s imperfect, yet it enables states to address different local needs differently yet with national goals as a guide.

1. Roles of Citizens in Federal, Confederation, and Unitary Systems

In my opinion, citizens have more involvement in a federal system because power is shared between the national and state governments. People can vote for leaders at all levels and have more ways to take part in government decisions. In a confederation, most power stays with the states, so citizens mainly focus on state governments. In a unitary system, the national government has the most control, and local governments mostly follow what it decides.

2. Division of Power

I understand the division of power as a way to keep the government balanced. Power is divided between the three branches legislative, executive, and judicial and also between the national and state governments. This setup helps prevent any one part from getting too powerful and protects the rights of the people.

3. Federal Influence on New York During COVID-19

During COVID-19, I think the federal government played a huge role in helping New York. It gave funding through the CARES Act and American Rescue Plan, and the CDC provided health guidelines that shaped mask rules and reopening plans. Even though New York made its own choices, it still relied on federal support to handle the crisis and keep people safe.

In a unitary system, most of the power sits with the national government. Local governments only do what the central government allows, so citizens mostly participate through national elections or policies. In a confederation, it’s the opposite. The states or regions hold most of the power, and the national government is pretty weak. That means people have more influence through their state governments instead of a central one. The federal system, like the U.S., falls somewhere in the middle. Power is shared between national and state governments, so citizens can get involved at multiple levels, voting for local leaders, state representatives, and national officials.

The way I understand the division of power is that it’s meant to keep things balanced. The federal government handles big national issues like defense and foreign policy, while states take care of local things like education and public safety. Some powers, like collecting taxes, are shared. I think this setup helps prevent one level of government from becoming too powerful, while still allowing them to work together when needed.

During COVID-19, the federal government definitely shaped how New York handled things. Through programs like the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan, New York got billions in federal funding to support hospitals, schools, and local budgets. That money helped keep essential services running when the city was hit hard. The CDC also gave national health guidelines that influenced New York’s mask mandates and reopening plans. On top of that, the federal government temporarily boosted Medicaid funding, which helped cover healthcare costs for people who were struggling.

Overall, federalism allows both flexibility and teamwork. It gives citizens more ways to be involved, and during a crisis like COVID-19, it showed how the federal and state governments can share responsibility to keep communities safe.

1. Differences in citizen roles:

• In a federal system, citizens are governed by both national and state governments and vote for leaders at each level.

• In a confederation, citizens mainly follow their state governments; the central government has little direct power.

• In a unitary system, the central government holds most power, and local governments act under its authority.

2. Division of power:
It means power is shared between different branches (legislative, executive, judicial) and between levels of government (national and state) so no one level or branch becomes too powerful.

3. Federal influence on NY during COVID-19:
The federal government gave New York funding through the CARES Act and FEMA, sent medical help like the USNS comfort , and provided vaccines and health guidelines. These actions shaped how the state and local governments responded to the pandemic.

1. In the federal system, like in the United States, citizens have power to vote for both state and national government. In a confederation, most power go to the states, so citizens depend more on their state government. In a unitary system, the central government control almost everything, and citizens have less say in local issues because the power is more in one place.
2. The division of power means that power is shared between the federal and state governments. Each level has different jobs. For example, the federal government takes care of things like the military and foreign policy, and the states take care of education and public health. This system help balance power so one level don’t become too strong.
3. During COVID-19, the federal government helped state and local government in many ways. It gave money, vaccines, and health rules through CDC. In New York, the federal government sent funds and vaccine support, but the governor also made his own rules like mask and lockdown order. This shows how both federal and state government worked together but also had their own power.

1. The primary difference in the role of citizens in government, among the federal, confederation, and unitary systems is the amount of involvement they have in each system. For example, in federal systems citizens are allowed to participate in elections which allows them to have an influence, in confederation systems citizens have a minimal amount of involvement where the authority is concentrated in the states and not the people, in unitary systems the ability citizens have to influence is focused through a single national authority which is the central government.
2. I understand the division of power as the concept of separating government authority into branches to allow them to have equal power so none become too powerful
3. The federal government shapes the actions of the state and local governments with their funding, through the mandates and national policies they set. For example, when the pandemic hit in 2020 people were instructed to stay in their homes and quarantine unless they had a necessity to go out this led to school shutting down and changing to online only and businesses as well. Finally, when the vaccine came out people were finally allowed to go out only if they had their vaccine.