The framers of the Constitution created a federal system of government - established, in part, by Amendment X. At the beginning of the American Republic, the locus of power was vested in the individual states. Over the years, the size, scope and power of the federal/national government has expanded exponentially. The following video does an excellent job explaining "Federalism":

For this Discussion, please address the following...

1). What does "American Federalism" mean to you, as a citizen of the United States?

2). At this time in history, does the national government, state government or local government have a more direct, influential impact on American society and your daily life - for better or worse? Or, has a more "cooperative" approach been more impactful overall - per "cooperative federalism". Provide a thoughtful, detailed rationale for your response, citing at least one specific issue or policy area as an example (such as our government's collective response to the COVID-19 pandemic).

This video discusses how states and local governments are increasing the minimum wage (very important to millions of working Americans and their families), an action Congress has not taken since 2009:

 

Federalism in the United States

American Federalism

Federalism can be defined as the idea existing in the United States where the government's power is split amongst the United States government, known as the federal government and the government of each state. Therefore, through federalism, the United States can be considered as the federation of states. Besides, as a United States citizen, federalism refers to the constitutional power division between the state governments and the United States federal government. Since the founding of the United States, especially at the end of the civil war, power changed from the states onto the national government. According to the course materials, the federal government takes care of some basic tasks like defending the country during the war while the state deals with the provision of food, hunters and driving licenses.

Impact of the government levels on the Individual's life

In my opinion, the national, state and local governments play an influential role in the lives of individuals in American society. Both the state and local governments are crucial in exercising critical functions within the society. These governments are pivotal in planning and paying for construction of most roads, management of public schools, and provision of water. Besides, they are essential in the issuance of professional licenses, and arranging elections for their respective citizens. Additionally, states and local governments throughout the United States raised their minimum wages in 2015. Besides, the federal government has also followed suit to raise the minimum wage to approximately 15 dollars per hour (Parrott, 2019). American citizens working in the federal government earn as little as 7.25 dollars per hour, which is too low to sustain basic needs.

One specific issue that can explain the government's commitment towards ensuring quality life amongst the American society is the Covid-19 response package for every household during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Pramuk (2021), the United States president signed a 1.9 trillion dollars Covid-19 relief package, which consisted of direct payments of approximately 1,400 dollars and 300 dollars per week to cater for the unemployment insurance package, expanding children taxation credit and allocating more funds to vaccine distribution. The policy indicates that the government cares for its citizens' owing to the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.