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.

1.In a federal system, citizens have a voice on multiple levels since power is divided between the national and state governments. For example, in the U.S people can vote for both the president and their state leaders, giving them more ways to influence laws and policies. In a confederation system, most of the power sits with the states, so citizens reply more on their states governments than on a central one. This gives people more local control but can make national decisions harder to coordinate. In a unitary system, the national government has most of the authority, so citizens mainly interact with one central government that makes decisions for the entire country.

2. To me, the division of power is about keeping the government balanced and precenting any one branch or level from doing too much. It’s basically a system of checks and balances where power is shared between the legislative, executive and judicial branches. Each has it’s own responsibilities, but they still depend on one another to keep things fair. I think it’s also what allows citizens to hold leaders accountable, because power isn’t sitting in one place, it’s spread out.

3. During Covid-19, the federal government had a big influence on how New York responded to the crisis. The federal programs like the CARES act and the American Rescue plan provided funding for things like testing sites, hospitals, vaccines, and school safety. Agencies such as the CDC also set guidelines that New York followed for masks, vaccines, and public gatherings. Even though New York had some freedom to create its own rules, it still relied heavily on federal support and coordination to keep things running smoothly. That really showed how the federal and state depend on each other, especially in emergencies where everyone needs to be on the same page.

1. In a federal system, citizens share the power between the national and state government. They can also vote for the national and state leaders. The U.S is a country where the people can vote for both president and state governor. In a confederation system, the states have the higher power and the national government are not as strong. The citizens mostly follow the state leaders. For example, in today’s society countries like France or Russia where the government makes all the decisions.
2. The division of power means that government is break down into different levels. Here in the US we have the federal, local and state government. Each level has their own role and take care of their own responsibilities. The federal government handles the military, and the money. The state government handles stuff like school and money. While the local government are people like the police, fire stations, etc.
3. During the pandemic (COVID 19) the federal government was able to help New York. They’ve sent money through the CARES act and the American Rescue plan. This all helped us get the testing, vaccines, etc. we need. And other programs like the CDC gave advice on how we should wear mask, take the vaccines so we don’t experience worser symptoms, and how to regulate our own safety. And as for the federal emergency management agency’s helped pay for the hospitals and testings places. Especially since the death rates and hospital rates were so high. This lead to both government coming together and making sure everyone was safe.

1. In the federal system, citizens have the power to vote for their leader but that’s as far as their influence goes. An example of countries that work under a federal system would be Canada, India, and the United States under the Constitution. It is made up of the president and members of Congress who make most of the decisions. In the unitary system, the national government holds power over the subnational governments, and the people hold little power. Some countries that use this system would be Sweden, Japan, and the United Kingdom. In the confederation system, the state holds power over the national government, giving the citizens much more power as it relies on subnational governments rather than a central one. The United States uses this system under the constitution.

2. The division of power in the government is due to the fear of holding too much power. Instead of giving one legislative the most influence, they split it up into different branches in order to keep everyone in check and divide the responsibility as well as the power.

3. The federal system control things such as funding, emergency responses, polices, etc. Because of all this, it creates a division between the states and the federal government. Though the states may agree on one thing, they need the federal system to approve of it. During COVID-19, the federal government gave out instruction to the states in regards to health guidance, funding, and regulatory actions. This alone tells us that the states depend on the government to keep order.

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

In a federal system, power is shared between a national government and smaller state or regional governments. Citizens have a voice within both, they can vote in national elections and also in state or local ones. This means people can influence policies in more than one place, such as voting for a president, governor, or mayor.

In a confederation, most of the power belongs to the individual states or regions, while the national government is very weak. Citizens mainly deal with their state governments since the central government has little control. The Articles of Confederation in early U.S. history are a good example; people’s main connection was to their own state, not a strong national government.

In a unitary system, almost all the power is held by the national government. Local governments exist, but they only do what the national government allows. Citizens have fewer opportunities to voice in on local decisions because everything is directed from the top. For example, in countries like France or the United Kingdom, national leaders make most of the major laws, and local areas just follow them.

2. How do you understand the system of division of power?

I believe the system of division of power means that authority and responsibilities are shared among different levels of government so no single level becomes too powerful. In the U.S., power is divided between the federal and state governments.

The Constitution gives certain powers to the federal government, like declaring war or regulating trade between states. Other powers, called reserved powers, belong to the states like running schools or local elections. There are also concurrent powers that both levels share, like collecting taxes.

This division helps balance control so that decisions can be made at the level that best serves the people, keeping a system of checks and balances that protects our rights.

3. How does the federal government shape the actions of state and local governments? (Use examples from New York during the COVID-19 pandemic.)

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government influenced how New York state and local governments responded in several ways for example:

• Funding and financial aid: The federal government gave New York billions of dollars through programs like the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan. This money helped pay for testing sites, hospitals, vaccines, and school safety. Because the funds came with specific rules, New York had to follow federal guidelines on how the money could be used.
• Health and safety guidance: Agencies like the CDC issued national guidelines on masks, vaccines, and public gatherings.
• Vaccine distribution: The federal government managed how vaccines were shipped and prioritized across states. New York had to coordinate with federal plans for when and how people could get vaccinated.

Overall, the federal government shaped New York’s response mainly through funding, coordination, and national public health guidance. Even though New York had control over many of its own policies, it still depended on federal support to help manage the crisis.

1. Describe the primary differences in the role of citizens in government, among the federal, confederation, and unitary systems.
2. Briefly explain how you understand the system of division of power.
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.