1. Citizens can participate in the federal system by electing representatives such as governors, state legislators and presidents. In the federal system, power is divided between national and regional governments. In a confederation system, most power is held with individual states and citizens will mostly only interact with their regional governments. In a Unitary system, citizens will interact with the central government as this kind of system keeps most power at the national level. The central government has authority over all political decisions. Citizens can vote in national elections for leaders within this system.
2. From my understanding, division of power is the way of spreading government responsibilities into groups so as to not leave control to one person or one group. One example of this is the different branches of government (legislative, judicial and executive) that take on different responsibilities. Each branch has limited power, so no one gets too powerful. In the simplest terms, one branch creates laws, one enforces them and the other makes sure they are fair.
3. If I remember correctly, during the pandemic the federal government supplied resources to NY to care for the overwhelming capacity in hospitals. As you can see in this link, the US Navy sent out hospital ships to help with non-Covid medical emergencies in order to free up space on shore based hospitals. https://www.msc.usff.navy.mil/Press-Room/Photo-Gallery/igphoto/2002496576/. The federal government also enacted a nationwide eviction ban to protect renters during the pandemic.

1. Differences in the Role of Citizens in Government Systems: 
In a federal system, power is divided between national and state governments, with citizens having roles at both levels. They elect representatives for both state and federal offices, influencing policies at multiple levels.  
In a confederation, the central government has limited power, with most authority resting in individual states. Citizens primarily engage with their state governments, which have more control over laws and policies.  
In a unitary system, power is centralized in the national government, and local governments operate under its authority. Citizens primarily influence government through national elections, as local governments have limited autonomy.  

2. Understanding the Division of Power: 
The division of power refers to how responsibilities and authority are distributed between different levels of government—federal, state, and local. In a federal system like the U.S., the Constitution outlines which powers belong to the national government (for example defense, foreign policy), state governments (education, public safety, etc.), and shared responsibilities (taxation, law enforcement, etc.). This structure helps balance power and prevent government overreach. 

3. Federal Influence on NY During COVID-19:
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government influenced New York’s state and local policies through funding, mandates, and public health guidance. The federal government provided financial relief through the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan, helping businesses, schools, and healthcare systems. Federal agencies like the CDC and FDA set health guidelines on mask mandates, vaccinations, and social distancing, which NY adapted into state policies. Additionally, vaccine distribution was largely managed at the federal level, with New York implementing local strategies for administration. However, there were also tensions, such as debates over school closures and business restrictions, showcasing the complexity of federal-state interactions in crisis management.

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

*By choosing representatives to act on their behalf at the federal and state levels, citizens actively participate in a federal system. The main way that citizens participate in a confederation system is at the state level; the federal government is comparatively weaker and has little power over individual citizens. However, because power is concentrated in the central government, which has considerable influence over decisions that affect the people, citizens have less direct involvement in the system as a whole.

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

*The division of powers system describes how responsibilities of the government are distributed among several branches so that no one branch has excessive authority. Because each branch supervises and restrains the others, this division aids in preserving the balance of power. The division of social classes, in which no one class has complete control over the others and each class has differing degrees of wealth, power, and resources, could be compared to this

    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.
*Through financial assistance like grants and aid, the federal government has an impact on state and local policies. By offering financial assistance, bolstering healthcare systems, and guaranteeing vaccine distribution, the federal government significantly influenced the reactions of the state and local governments of New York during the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to help states and local governments manage public health, put safety measures in place, and recover from the crisis, the federal government also passed laws and policies. These steps were crucial in assisting New York and other states in overcoming the obstacles posed by 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 split between central and state government and the citizens have a “voice”. We vote for state officials and we vote for presidents and such. In a confederation system the power is focused state to state, the main contact for citizens are their state officials and they heavily influence central government decisions. In a unitary system the authority is given to the central government meaning state officials have less power and citizens interact with central government voting in elections. 

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

Division of power is the system we use to divide governmental power nationally and sub-nationally. Our federal government would handle decision that would affect the entire nation, like foreign policy. While our state government handles decisions that would only affect the state, like education. While both handle different areas of the governmental decisions, both are expected to come together whenever it is needed and normally the federal governments say is the last word. 

• 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 heavily influences state decisions. During the COVID-19 pandemic the federal government issued specific rules that every state was to follow like social distancing and only essential workers were to go to work. They were also mask mandates, quarantines, and eventually for vaccines if you wanted to work in certain positions, like in a school. The federal government also helped New York financially with programs like The American Rescue Plan and the COVID relief funds.  

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

Citizens in a federal system participate in both national and local governments since power is divided between them. Since the central government in a confederation has little authority, citizens mostly interact with state or regional administrations. In a unitary system, local government function as extensions of the national government, and citizens primarily participate at the national level.

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

The way authority is distributed across the several government levels-national, state, and local is referred to as the system of division of powers. A central government and regional government share authority is a federal system, and each has distinct duties. In a unitary system, local governments have little power while the central government holds the majority of the authority. In a confederation, the central government has little power while the regional government hold most of the power.

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.

Thought financing, directives, and executive orders, the federal government impacted municipal and state government in New York State during the Covid-19 epidemic. In addition to directing vaccine distribution, the federal government offered financial support through stimulus packages like the CARES act. New York also implemented its own precautions, including make mandates and lockdowns, while adhering to public health guidelines provided by CDC. while the state retained control over certain policies and choices, New York’s response to the crisis was influenced by federal funds and direction.

In a federal system like the US is suppose to be power is divided between national and state governments. Citizens vote for which representatives are elected at different levels like presidents and so forth. However, in a confederation system states hold most power and citizens interact with state governments without the weakness and influence. And within unitary system , the central government have close to all power but citizens are able to interact in a small portion of elections and polices.

Divided power ensures that responsibilities and authority are disturbed across differently levels of government for instance judicial and legislative branches. The US Federal handles governments is the national defense and foreign affairs while the manages education like the DOE which helps with public schooling, college and more as well as transportation. While the local government control things like policing and sanitation like maintaining clean streets or clean ups after weathering.

During Covid the federal government was the shoulder for the people especially in the NYS. The federal government helped to influence the way NYS listened to the information provided to them. To actually oblige to rules and regulations like social distancing and more. The federal government also helped with Federal relief packages including medical help like hospital coverage, unemployment for those who were not able to work, public health guidelines like cdc helping to make the country aware of what’s occurring and how to stay safe, emergency mandates and orders, and lastly deploying temporary resources like temporary hospitals and more.

This demonstrates further that the federal government allows different coordinations between different levels of government. Although the federal government give a lot of support and help citizens a lot it doesn’t overweigh the states and still allow state autonomy decision making.

In a federal system, citizens are involved on the federal and state levels, by voting for state governors and legislators, but also voting for the president and national lawmakers. In a confederate system, citizens are involved primarily in only the state matters but have little to no influence on the national level. In a unitary system, citizens are involved in national elections. The state or local government don’t have much authority at all.

The division of power is how the authority of government on both the state and national is identified. It clearly explains which government is responsible for what. The national government handles national matters. The state governments handle state matters. The division of power also established checks and balances and ways of making sure all laws passed, whether national of state, are constitutional.

The national government can pass federal laws that can influence how the state laws will respond. During Covid, the national government set certain protocols and recommendations. The states were able to decide how strict or loosely they wished to follow those protocols. New York received a great deal of financial aid from the national government. From businesses shutting down, unemployment, overcrowded hospitals, rising cases, and an excessive death toll, New York State had to work closely with the federal government in response to the pandemic.

1. Federal System: Citizens have to do with both federal and state governments, each with distinct, constitutionally defined powers. For example, citizens pay taxes to, and vote in federal and state governments. A good example is the U.S., where states and the federal government check each other.

Confederation: Individuals deal primarily with state/regional governments since the central government is weak and dependent on state consent. States are sovereign, and therefore citizens’ political influence is localized.

Unitary System: Power is centralized (e.g., France or Japan). Citizens interact almost solely with the national government, which may delegate limited powers to regional governments. Regional governments lack constitutional autonomy and can be overruled by the central government.

2. Exclusive Federal Powers: Foreign policy, currency, national defense. Reserved State Powers: Elections, policing, education. Shared Powers: Taxation, infrastructure, environmental regulation. The 10th Amendment reserves non-delegated powers to states, but mechanisms like federal grants, preemption, and judicial review (e.g., Supreme Court invalidating state laws) maintain balance. The intent is for states to react to local needs and the federal government to national needs, with the overlap being worked out through cooperation or conflict (e.g., COVID mandates and state sovereignty).

3. Funding Conditions: CARES Act and American Rescue Plan funding pressured states to spend on testing, vaccine distribution, and economic stimulus. NY adhered to federal policy to obtain billions in aid.

Public Health Mandates: CDC mask, social distancing, and travel ban guidelines impacted NY policy. Federal emergency declarations enabled FEMA aid to NY hospitals.
Vaccine Distribution: Federal control via Operation Warp Speed forced states like NY to align distribution logistics and prioritize federal eligibility criteria.
Interstate Coordination: Federal policy standardized quarantine protocols and travel advisories, which NY followed to align with neighboring states.
Legal Authority: While NY retained autonomy (e.g., implementing state-level lockdowns), federal leverage via public messaging and resource allocation encouraged compliance with national efforts.

This interplay highlights how federal grants, mandates, and crisis leadership can steer state responses, even in a decentralized system.

1) The federal system shares authority between the national and state governments. The role of citizens is to participate in elections at both levels of government and vote for political representatives. In a confederation, the citizens primarily interact with state governments, because they hold the most authority. In a unitary system, citizens engage mainly with the central government, as it has primary control over policies and decisions.

2) The system of division of power is the way authority is divided among the national and state governments. In the United States, the division of power used to be more distinct but now the government holds overlapping powers, called concurrent powers. This system is necessary to prevent one level of government from having more authority than the other and ultimately protects individual freedoms.

3) The federal government shapes the actions of state and local governments in several ways, including allocating federal funds to state governments, imposing mandates, and passing laws and regulations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government impacted the lives of NY state residents through financial support and CDC public health guidelines. New York State received a total of $13.5 billion in federal relief, which helped maintain public health services and resources. The CDC issued guidelines and backed federal mandates for the state and local governments to follow as well.