Federalism

Week 1 – January 16, 2025

Essential Questions:

•   What is the importance of state and local government within the scope of the general structure of government within the United States? How does this compare to other countries and forms of government?

  • State and local governments regulate intrastate commerce and everything left after the enumeration that wasn’t given to federalism, serving as a regulating power that limited the federal government’s actions. state and local government ensures that the people and states have autonomy and a voice in the governance of their land and peoples.

•   How does state and local government impact the lives of constituents? How is this similar and different from the impact of the federal government on constituents?

•   How are the federal, state, and local levels of government interconnected? What is the relationship between each level of government in regard to the scope of power and functions?

Key Points-

federalism: the relationship between the federal and state governments wherein power is shared

unitary:

interstate agencies: a governmental organization that includes 2 or more states

legislative, executive, and judiciary branches

demographics and culture: race/ethnicity, age, gender, geographic and climate diversity, political culture- moralistic, individualistic, traditionalistic