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.

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

For citizens, they’re the ones that elect others in the federal government. For confederation, the main focus begins with the states and then the national government ( people are relatively involved). And lastly, in the Unitary system citizens are less involved, the central government is more concentrated.

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

From my understanding, the system of division of power means the division of government responsibilities into distinct branches, preventing any one branch from becoming too powerful. A perfect example I believe which is somewhat similar but not similar at the same time would be from our previous discussion board whereas social classes are divided into different classes where people have the privilege to be where wealth, resources and influence are unevenly distributed.

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.

I believe one way that the federal government has shape the actions of state and local government is through distribution of grants, aid. By maintaining good programs and healthcare systems and education, the federal government help states and local governments.

Treatment research and public education along with vaccines and taking actions to proare one way the federal government has influences the actions of NY state and local governments during the COVID-19 pandemic, they provided for the local governments with much needed fiscal relief to help them. They also provided more laws to help the nation respond to and to also recover from the pandemic.

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.

1. While analyzing the different forms of government it became evident that the main distinguishing feature is the distribution of power. In a federal system, power is divided between national and state governments, allowing for citizens to be involved at both levels.Example being, citizens are able to elect officials to serve in Congress (national level) as well as state legislatures (state level).The division allowing for larger representation and involvement in both local and national government.In a confederation, power is mainly concentrated at the state level, causing citizens to primarily be engaged with state governments.The central government within a confederation typically only handles collective action among states, so citizens mostly interact with their state government for daily situations.And lastly when it comes to a unitary system the power is concentrated at the national level, meaning citizens role is mainly through the central government being that it holds he majority of authority.Though local governments exist, they gain their power from the central government.Citizen’s engage with the national government through ways like engaging in national level politics.When compared, citizens in a unitary system tend to have less direct influence at the local government level.
2. Within politics, division of power refers to the distribution of power/authority across different levels of government, such as national and state and local.This structure ultimately is what determines how responsibilities and decision making is divided up within a political system.Different countries adopt various systems that implement different forms of division of power.In a federal, power is divided between the national and state governments, each having their own set of responsibilities and authority.The United States is a country that adopts this system, the federal government often handles federal judges and justices approval, national defense etc, whereas the state governments manage law enforcement, local infrastructures etc.This division allowing for both levels to govern effectively while preventing the concentration of power.
3. The federal government’s influence on New York during the Covid 19 pandemic demonstrates how it can shape the actions of state and local governments, specifically through funding and public health directives.Using health guidelines from the CDC the federal government required state and local governments to adjust their policies accordingly.Mask mandates were implemented, vaccinations required to enter public buildings and business restrictions.Temporary halts to evictions were also implemented to prevent mass homelessness as a result of the increase of layoffs.This specific example of the pandemic highlighted how the federal government can both directly and indirectly shape state and local actions by setting national priorities.

1- The primary differences in the role of citizens in government among the federal, confederation, and unitary systems is how high each level of government is and what role those citizens take. In the federal systems, citizens partake in government that concerns national and state levels. Confederations have local governments in power. Then unitary systems have central government in concentration where it limits citizen power at lower levels. This is because the power structure of the united states is divided to not give power to all one person or group of federal government.

2-The system of the division of power instructs each branch of government which part they are in charge of and are able to discuss. This means the equal power distribution makes it so no branch has more say in what goes than the rest. The Legislative branch is in charge of law making, which means addressing any issues with the law and reworking systems of laws. The Executive branch carries out and enforces laws into effect which means they make sure citizens obey them. Then the Judicial branch makes sure the laws are within constitution and where the law is interpreted. The reason for this power division and how it cycles well is so each part if the government can review the laws.

3- The federal government shapes the actions of state and local governments by identifying information first. In the case of COVID-19, the federal government worked with the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) in order to establish what the pandemic is and what to do to prevent infection and contain it. The research developed over time of the pandemic shaped how the federal government sent out orders to state and local governments based on safety protocol. Wearing masks and having social distancing was mandatory in certain places but laws in local areas may have been lighter due to friction with local and federal government. There were a lot of places that were divided based off political opinion and false information spread. This also shows how misuse of influence with wrong knowing of a subject can do more harm than good. Especially on a state level where local governments can become heated.

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

In the federal system, power is a division between larger and smaller governments to handle national importance in the country, in the confederation system the smaller government has more power giving the people more freedom of speech, whereas, the unitary system one government is in control and the citizens have no power.

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

The division of power divides the government into three different branches and those are legislative, executive and judicial therefore to share power and to have every system carry out its own appointed tasks and responsibilities for the country. However, federalism divided power between two levels of government which are national and subnational. 

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.

One way the federal government could have influenced the state of government was through the distribution of grants for those who were unemployed, distribution of masks, tonics and sanitizers and much more to prevent the virus from spreading. 

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

In a federal system citizens participate in the government on a national, state, and local electing level as representatives, influencing policies at each level. In a confederation citizens engage with their state or regional governments. In a unitary system, citizens mainly interact with a strong central government, which holds most of the power, while regional authorities operate under national control.

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

The division of power refers to the separation of governmental responsibilities among different levels or branches to prevent any one entity from becoming too powerful. In a federal system, power is shared between the national and state governments, each with its own authority. In a separation of powers, government functions are divided among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches to ensure checks and balances. This system promotes accountability and prevents the abuse of power by distributing responsibilities across multiple entities.

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.

During the COVID-19 pandemic the federal government influenced New York’s state and local actions through funding, policy guidance, and coordination efforts. The federal government distributed substantial financial resources to state and local governments, including New York, to support pandemic expenses. For example, the American Rescue Plan provided direct fiscal relief through the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program

1. In a federal system like the United States, citizens have roles at both the national and state levels. This means that power is shared between the federal government and the states. The federal government takes care of big issues that affect the whole country, like national defense and foreign policy. Meanwhile, state governments handle local matters such as education and transportation. In a confederation, the situation is different because the central government is weaker, and most of the power lies with the individual states. This allows states to make their own decisions without much interference. On the other hand, in a unitary system, the central government holds most of the power, and local governments have limited roles. Here, citizens mainly interact with the central government, which makes decisions for the entire country.

2. The division of power is about how responsibilities are split among different levels of government to keep things balanced. In a federal system, this means dividing tasks between the national and state governments. The national government handles broad issues like immigration and currency, while state governments focus on local concerns like schools and roads. This setup allows for more localized decision-making, which can be better suited to address the specific needs of different communities. It also prevents any one part of the government from becoming too powerful by ensuring that each level has its own set of powers and duties.

3. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government played an important role in shaping how New York state and local governments responded. One major way it did this was by providing funding to help manage the crisis. This included money for healthcare systems, testing, and vaccine distribution. The federal government also issued public health guidelines, like recommendations for social distancing and mask-wearing, which influenced how states like New York responded to the pandemic. Additionally, emergency declarations from the federal level allowed states to access resources and support more quickly. Overall, the federal government’s actions helped guide New York’s response and ensured that state and local governments had the tools they needed to protect their citizens.