1. In a federal system, power is divided between a strong national government and state or local governments, and citizens participate by voting at all these levels. In a confederation system, independent states hold most of the power, and citizens are mainly loyal to and involved in their state or local governments. In a unitary system, all government power is held by a central national government, and citizens primarily vote in national elections, with local governments existing only to carry out the decisions of the central government. Citizens have fewer opportunities to engage with multiple levels of government in a unitary system compared to a federal one. Overall, each system determines how many levels of government citizens interact with and where most of the power lies.
  2. The division of power is a system that assigns different responsibilities to national, state, and local governments to prevent any one level from becoming too powerful. The federal government handles national issues like defense, currency, and immigration, while state governments manage matters like education, marriage laws, and welfare programs. Local governments are responsible for services like trash collection, public safety, and local roads. This system also applies to the federal government itself, dividing power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The goal is to create a system of checks and balances, ensuring no single group or branch can dominate the others.
  3. The federal government shapes state and local actions through funding, mandates, regulations, and policy guidance. It can influence states by offering grants or withholding funds based on compliance with federal rules. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government guided New York State by providing funding for vaccines, testing sites, and school reopening plans. The federal government also issued nationwide mandates and emergency health guidelines that states like New York were expected to follow. Federal power was actively directing state and local governments, during the crisis, by controlling resources and setting national standards for public safety.

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