1. Main Differences in the Role of Citizens in Government from System to System:
a. Federal System :
A federal system (like that of the U.S.) involves the citizens in government at multiple levels, viz., national, state, and local. They can then vote for leaders at these multiple levels: national, state, and local. By this, all these countries penetrate the life of the citizen.
Citizens get to vote for the President and members of Congress (national level) as much as they get to vote for their governors and state lawmakers besides voting for local government officials. This way, they can influence policy decisions on things impacting them locally, statewide, and nationally.
b. Confederation System:
Thus, citizens typically deal within their state or local government since the central government does not have that much power in a confederation. The states essentially are the most significant players and make the most crucial decisions.
Citizens are more involved with local issues in a confederation since the general government has virtually no control. The states act much more independently from each other.
c. Unitary System:
In a unitary government, the national government has most of the power concerning local governments. Citizens generally deal with their local governments, which have little power to make independent decisions.
Citizens’ participation is much more oriented toward the national government, since that government controls most aspects of their lives, with local governments expected only to carry out national policy.
2. Federalism in Circles of Division Power :
The power to govern in federal systems is shared between national and state governments. Here is how it works:
National government: These take care of matters affecting the whole country, for example, shielding the country from external threats, outside affairs with other international States, and maintaining the economy of interstate commerce.
State governments: Some issues are left to the hands of states like managing affairs in their local boundaries, e.g. schools, hospitals, and police. States come with their jurisprudence as long as it does not run counter to federal law.
Local governments are those household services like public schools, fire departments, and road maintenance. Their authority comes from the state government.
This division allows different levels of government to focus on certain topics but still address joint problems. However, sometimes, if there is dissension between the two levels, it may even cause confusion or conflict, but generally, there is a balance of power.
3. How the Federal Government Shapes the Actions of State and Local Governments: New York during COVID-19:
During the pandemic, it was a strong federal government that determined how state and local governments would respond to this kitchen crisis:
Federal Funds Assistance:
The CARES Act appropriated money to state and local governments under federal law, and New York was among them receiving billions to fund pandemic interventions, including being used to pay for healthcare needs, unemployment benefits, and business relief.
Public health recommendations:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as part of the federal government, prescribed the best practices on how to deal with the pandemic, including wearing masks, observing social distancing, and undergoing quarantine. New York used these guidelines for its policy options such as decisions to close schools and businesses for the containment of the virus.
Federal executive orders:
Such orders affected how New Yorkers and the rest of the states would cope with the pandemic. For example, after the federal government posted guidelines on how to distribute vaccines, it gave the states freedom on how and when to roll out the vaccines to be distributed in their jurisdictions.
Inducement to State Action:
The federal government, as such, would give grants and awards to states that adopt certain standards. Thus, New York would receive additional federal cash if it expanded Medicaid for low-income people to obtain these benefits. Such benefits persuaded States to adopt the model while having a vital backup in financing.
Overall, during the pandemic, the federal government was in control of just about everything New York might have done. The state had the option to choose but got and must continue to draw influence from federal funds, guidelines, and policies. In this way, even powerless governments were harnessed in cooperation on a crisis measure.
