Posted on by Vanessa C

Vanessa Camacho – Discussion Board 7.1

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

  1. The primary differences in the role of citizens in the government are as such: in the federal system all systems established in which there are two of, are elected by the people and each level is assigned different functions. An example of one of these systems is the national government, which is responsible for handling matters that affect the country as a whole, and defending the nation against foreign threats is one example of this. The unitary system, on the other hand, makes subnational governments dependent on the national government. A central authority has the most power, and local governments are limited in power. Citizens in this system have less influence on governance and play almost no role in who is elected. Finally, in a confederation, authority is decentralized and the central government’s ability to act depends on the consent of the subnational governments. States have more power here while the national government is subordinate and weak. Citizens have more influence here through their state governments and have a more direct impact on decisions made. This system maximizes regional self-rule at the expense of effective national governance.

    Briefly explain how you understand the system of division of power.
  2. My understanding of the system of division of power is that it is a system in which the authority of the government and its people is not held by one singular power. It is split between branches to create a balance.

    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.
  3. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the federal government shaped the NY state and local governments by creating financial and regulatory boundaries, as well as providing much-needed critical resources, although this tended to be very inconsistent at times. The aftermath of the federal government’s involvement created lasting changes. As an example, funding for community health centers and language-access programs is becoming permanent, with stricter health guidelines and a better understanding of resource competition and NY’s vulnerabilities during pandemics.
Posted on by Chelsea Dobson Moronta

Discussion Board 7.1

  1. Describe the primary differences in the role of citizens in government, among the federal, confederation, and unitary systems. In a federal system power is equal between the state and the government. Each state has their own laws. In a confederation system instead of it being equal, the state has the most power while the government doesn’t. In a unitary system, now the government has the most control, but the local government follows it.
  2. Briefly explain how you understand the system of division of power. The division of power are responsibilities that the federal, local, and state have to maintain. Each has their own level of responsibility, one being a higher level than the other. Or some can be shared depending on what it is.
  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. During covid-19 the federal government helped by giving certain parties funding, money to those who were unemployed, businesses, etc. They also enforced public health rules that people needed to follow. Also enforcing rules that limited people from traveling or going to unnecessary places. It was at a federal point because then people would understand how serious the situation was.
Posted on by April Gonzalez

DB 7.1 April Gonzalez

The primary differences between the roles citizens play in government as it pertains to the federal, confederations and unitary systems are that although in all they can vote it is the choices that they are given to vote for. The choices they are given to vote for and the level of influence they have in governance vary. In federal systems, citizens engage at multiple levels of government, in confederations, they mostly engage with their regional governments, and in unitary systems, their involvement is often concentrated at the national level with limited local autonomy.

The division of power, as I understand it, is designed to ensure that no single branch of government becomes too powerful, and that each branch has the ability to check and balance the others. The system is based on the idea that the legislative, executive, and judicial branches should have separate powers and responsibilities, but also that they must work together in a way that prevents any one branch from gaining total control.

In a well-functioning system of checks and balances, each branch has the ability to limit the powers of the others. For example, while the legislative branch (Congress) makes laws, the executive branch (the President) can veto those laws. At the same time, the judicial branch (the courts) can review laws and executive actions to ensure they are constitutional. This creates a system where power is shared and monitored, ensuring that no one branch dominates the government.

The purpose of this division is to protect democratic principles, as the Founding Fathers of the U.S. Constitution intended. They wanted to avoid the rise of a tyrant or “king” by making sure that power was not concentrated in the hands of one person or group. Instead, the branches are meant to collaborate and act as checks on one another, ensuring a balance of power that preserves individual freedoms and upholds the rule of law.

The federal government shapes the actions of state and local governments through what some view as bullying tactics. When states’ policies don’t align with those of the executive branch, the President may pressure the legislative branch to delay or deny funding. Examples include withholding fire aid from California and threatening Columbia University’s funding in NY over handling of protests. Recently, funding has been threatened regarding transgender athletes in sports. With Governor Hochul, federal intervention halted congestion pricing plans. Many observe that conservative-leaning states receive preferential treatment from the conservative Supreme Court on issues like gerrymandering, while similar requests from blue or purple states face delays.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, this dynamic was clearly visible. Federal executive orders created frameworks that New York had to operate within, including travel restrictions, emergency declarations, and healthcare mandates that significantly affected state officials’ response options. The Supreme Court and federal courts reviewed and sometimes overturned state-level COVID policies, including New York’s restrictions on religious gatherings, demonstrating another way federal authority can override state decisions. These judicial interventions highlighted the complex relationship between federal oversight and state autonomy during public health emergencies.

Posted on by Myeesha · 1 Comment

Myeesha Db7.1

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

Voting for representatives at the federal, state, and local levels is one way that citizens get involved with the government. Because state and local governments have the authority to decide on matters like transportation and education, this structure gives more local influence. In a confederation, like the early US, power is mostly controlled by individual states or regions, meaning citizens just interact with their local governments, while the central authority remains weak and has a limited impact over people. People in a unitary system mostly deal with a powerful central government that controls all of the power. Even though there are local governments, their powers have limits to the people in charge, the federal government. So, unitary systems control decision making, confederations prefer local control, and federal systems give dual participation.

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

The system of division of power describes how responsibility and authority are divided between different levels of government. The three branches are legislative, executive, and judicial. The legislative branch is Congress, and they create and pass laws, control government spending, and tax. The Judicial branch is the courts, they handle legal issues and interpret the laws. The executive is the president, vice president, and the cabinet, they handle the military and foreign policy.

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 a mixture of funding, rules, mandates, and incentives, the federal government influences the activities of state and local governments. Federal grants is one important method.  During Covid, they used emergency funding, the cares act, fema, New York got help from federal agencies to boost its testing abilities and contact tracing activities. I believe you weren’t able to get evicted because of the state of the country.

Posted on by Arto Artinian

Discussion Board 7.1

  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.