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Articles on Federalism

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Raw sewage bubbles up in the front yard of a home in Jackson, Mississippi, on Oct. 20, 2021. Rory Doyle/The Washington Post via Getty Images

How to steer money for drinking water and sewer upgrades to the communities that need it most

Congress has approved billions of dollars to fix water and sewer systems across the US. But getting that money to needy communities depends on how states define a key word.
Kwame Nkrumah favoured continental federalism but worked against its practice in Ghana. Wikimedia Commons

How Ghana lost its federalism – and lessons for others

Ghana lost its federalism due to mistaken political choices and missed opportunities, suggesting that other federations in Africa might well be at similar risk.
The Richardson Independent School District in Texas is among the many districts across the state defying the governor’s mask mandate ban to require masks for students. AP Photo/LM Otero

Who has the power to say kids do or don’t have to wear masks in school – the governor or the school district? It’s not clear

If it sounds like the law is all over the place on school mask mandates, that’s because it is. The nation’s schools are subject to a complex web of local, state and federal laws.
President Biden and Vice President Harris met on Feb. 12, 2021, with governors and mayors to discuss supporting them in the fight against COVID-19. Pete Marovich-Pool/Getty Images

The Trump administration feuded with state and local leaders over pandemic response – now the Biden administration is trying to turn back a page in history

People can die when the federal government doesn’t work well with state and local governments – the COVID-19 crisis showed that. But the Biden administration has signaled an openness to collaboration.
There are so many different states – and provinces, districts, regions and lander! Getty Images

How many states and provinces are in the world?

The U.S. is broken up into 50 states, plus territories like Puerto Rico and Guam, and a federal district, Washington, D.C. Most other countries have smaller parts too.
When is the right time to wave the green flag? Yellow Dog Productions/Getty Images

Who’s in charge of lifting lockdowns?

Federal authorities have input, but states reign supreme – unless they decide to let local governments make the call.

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