Introduction to Federalism

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AP Gov Homework


1. Federalism-  mode of political organization that unites separate states or other polities within an overarching political system in such a way as to allow each to maintain its own fundamental political integrity. Federal systems do this by requiring that basic policies be made and implemented through negotiation in some form, so that all the members can share in making and executing decisions. The political principles that animate federal systems emphasize the primacy of bargaining and negotiated coordination among several power centres; they stress the virtues of dispersed power centres as a means for safeguarding individual and local liberties.
Definition of Federalism

2. There are 195 nation-states in the world.

3. Seven countries have a federal system of government, they include: Austria, Germany, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Switzerland, and Venezuela. 

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5. Unitary System- a system of political organization in which most or all of the governing power resides in a centralized government. It contrast with the federal system.

6. 132 countries have a unitary system, the largest countries include: China, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Japan, Phillippines.

7. The Federalism systems is completely different from the unitary system. In a unitary government, the central government possesses much authority and decision-making power, local governing bodies simply serve as administrative arms of the central government. However, in a federalism government, power is split between a central government authority and its constituent states, usually involving a constitution which defines how power is shared between national, state, and local government. 

8. The image above gives the perspective on federal government involvement of a police officer. The sick patient is laying in his bed, clearly sick of cancer which makes us feel sympathy for him, while the "feds" are also just doing there job and are punishing the mad doing illegal things such as marijuana.

9. The image above gives the perspective on federal government involvement from a politician but more specifically from a Republican. The elephant, which is the symbol for the Republican party is expressing how the states should allowed to do set their own policies without the government interfering, which is a common argument the Republican party makes.  


10. In the video, it uses a three layer cake as a metaphor for federalism with local being the top layer, state being the middle, and federal being the bottom and biggest layer. It explains federalism as local taking care of local issues like the police force, water and building permit. State handles issues like education, healthcare, and recreation. Finally, federal covers issues like national issues like national parks, military, and space exploration.

11. It is a metaphor because the chocolate represents the federal government and the vanilla represents the local and state government.