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Articles on Federalism

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Fulton County Sheriff officers block off a street in front of the Fulton County Courthouse on August 14, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Georgia’s indictment of Trump is a confirmation of states’ rights, a favorite cause of Republicans since Reagan

Donald Trump faces ‘double the trouble’ as Georgia charges were added to federal charges brought over his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. And that’s thanks to federalism.
Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie (C) and Ghana’s founder and first President Kwame Nkrumah (L) during the formation of the Organisation of African Unity. STR/AFP via Getty Images

60 years of African unity: what’s failed and what’s succeeded

The African Union compares well to other continental unions. It accomplishes more than the Commonwealth or the Francophonie.
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.

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