1. In different systems of government, the role of citizens changes depending on how power is organized. In a federal system, like the United States, power is shared between the national government and the state governments . Because of this, citizens are involved in both levels. People vote for national leaders such as the president and members of Congress, but they also vote for state leaders like governors and state legislators. In a unitary system, most of the power is held by the national government and local governments only have the authority that the central government allows them to have. In contrast, in a confederation, most of the power belongs to the states or regions, while the national government is much weaker and depends on the states for cooperation .

2. When I think about the division of power, I understand it as the way responsibilities are shared between different levels of government. In the United States, the Constitution gives certain powers to the federal government , such as regulating interstate commerce and handling foreign policy, while other powers are left to the states. There are also some powers that both levels share, which means they have to work together to address certain issues.

3. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government influenced New York through funding and national health guidance . Programs like the CARES Act provided money to support hospitals, testing sites, vaccines and unemployment benefits. Federal agencies such as the CDC also gave recommendations about masks and safety measures, which New York used when creating its public health policies .