1. Describe the primary differences in the role of citizens in government, among the federal, confederation, and unitary systems.
In a federal system (like the U.S.), citizens have two levels of government: national and state. Both make laws and serve the people. In a confederation, power is mostly with the states, and the national government is very weak. In a unitary system, all power is in the national government, and citizens deal with one main government.
⸻
2. Briefly explain how you understand the system of division of power.
The division of power means the government is split into three branches: legislative (makes laws), executive (enforces laws), and judicial (interprets laws). Each branch has its own job and can check the others, so no one gets too much power.
⸻
3. How does the federal government shape the actions of state and local governments?
During COVID-19, the federal government gave states health guidelines, vaccines, and money to help. In New York, for example, the state followed CDC rules, used federal funds to help hospitals, and gave support to local governments. The federal government helped but didn’t control everything—states made many decisions on their own.
Hi Ossama,
I really like how you explained the differences between federal, confederation, and unitary systems. Your summary was clear and easy to follow. I agree that in a federal system, citizens interact with both the national and state governments, while in a unitary system they mainly focus on one central authority.