1. Warm Up
Think about different things the government does. The National Government probably does some of the things you thought of, while your State or town does others. Still other things, like collecting taxes, are done by both. List six activities performed by the government, and note which activities are performed by the National Government, State governments, or both.

2. What Is Federalism?
Federalism: a system of government in which power is shared between the national government and the state governments
State laws often reflect the unique traditions, culture, economy, and geography of those States.
To navigate these differences, interstate industries, such as transportation, are regulated by the Federal government.

3. Types of Federal Powers
Expressed Powers: powers of the National Government that are spelled out in the Constitution
Examples: power to declare war, coin money, maintain an armed force
Implied powers: not expressly stated in the Constitution, but they are reasonably suggested by the expressed powers
“Congress has the power to make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States”

5. Powers of the States
the 10th Amendment states that the States are governments of reserved powers (powers that the Constitution does not grant to the National Government and does not, at the same time, deny to the States)
Most of what government does in this country today is done by the States and their local governments
Examples: police power, establish public schools, regulate utilities within a State

6. Concurrent Powers
held and exercised separately and simultaneously by the two basic levels of government
Examples
power to levy and collect taxes
to define crimes and set punishments for them

8. The Constitution Reigns Supreme
Supremacy Clause: states that the Constitution, federal law, and treaties of the United States are the "supreme Law of the Land“
Whenever there is a conflict between the Federal law and a state law, the Federal law prevails