3. Federalism is a system of government in which power is shared between the state and national governments. The power of the national government is superior to the power of the state and local governments. Fearful of creating a government similar to that of Great Britain, the colonists wanted to stay away from a unitary system of government, which is when power is concentrated in a single government. The Article of Confederation presented the opposite form of government employed by Great Britain. The articles proposed a confederation in which the central government was weak and the state governments were strong. Federalism can be perceived as a compromise between the two types of government. Power, therefore, is shared by the national and state governments. The ConstitutionThe smaller branches of state and local governments are able to handle these situations by understanding the problems and finding ways to solve them. These parts of local and state governments are located within these areas, allowing them to have hands-on experience with the issues that need to be changed. These forms of government are better equipped to handle the real issues that need to be addressed, which is a plus for federalism. Create small local governments across the country. In this way, people become involved in these governments, influencing the decisions and actions of the government in which they live. In a democracy, people have the right to be represented and heard, which ultimately affects their standard of living. By feeling more involved in government decisions, people become proud of their country. They feel like they are making a difference in their society and therefore may become more supportive of local, state, and national government. However, federalism also has disadvantages. Since states are given their own powers, this allows if something unexpected occurs that negatively impacts the country, each branch can waive their responsibility for the event. Despite its drawbacks, federalism is useful to the United States. This system was implemented more than two hundred years ago. There has been no significant problem since then. Each branch of government is granted equal power through checks and balances. This prevents the federal government from becoming tyrannical over state and local governments and one branch from dominating the others. Demographics in America, such as age, race, and culture, are so diverse and tend to vary in different parts of the country. With this diversity, it would be difficult for the national government to understand the problems and concerns affecting the various regions of the country. This is why federalism works. State and local governments tend to compensate for this lack of understanding. They embrace people who wish to express their concerns, allowing them to participate in democracy. Shared powers between government types allow problems to be solved internally
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