- In a federal system, citizens vote for leaders at both the national and state levels, follow two sets of laws, and pay taxes to both. In a confederation, citizens only interact directly with their state government, which holds all the real power, while the central government stays out of their daily lives. In a unitary system, citizens vote for one single central government that controls everything, and any local offices only exist if the main government allows it.
- The division of power means sharing control between the national government and the states so no single group gets too powerful. The federal government handles big-picture stuff for the whole country like printing money or military defense. States handle everyday local matters like running schools or issuing driver’s licenses. They also share some duties, like collecting taxes.
- The federal government shapes what states do by using money as leverage and setting rules. During COVID-19, New York was facing a massive financial crisis, so the federal government sent billions through relief acts like the CARES Act. This money came with strings attached, forcing New York State and New York City to use it for specific things like keeping public transit running and funding local school programs. NY also had to follow CDC guidelines for testing and align local vaccine rules with federal workplace standards to keep getting support.
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Hello Kaylan, I hope you’re doing well! I liked how you explained the differences between federal, confederation, and unitary systems. It was clear, especially with how you did your breakdown of how citizens interact with each system, which was simple but accurate. You pointed out that federalism gives people multiple access points while it centralizes everything. That matched well with what we learned about how power is intentionally divided in the U.S. to prevent tyranny. In addition, your explanation of the division of power was also well-written. You highlighted the practical split between national responsibilities like defense and money and state responsibilities like schools and licenses. It demonstrated how separation of powers and federalism work together in everyday life. I feel like your post was clear, organized, and connected well to the readings.