Federalism Means More Than One Door

Reader Unit 17, pages 65-68 of The Constitution Kids.

Identify which layer of government seems closest to the problem and which layer might still have a role.

This section points toward layered authority: local, state, and national governments can all touch the same issue in different ways.

Core civic idea: Federalism divides power between national and state governments, giving citizens more than one civic doorway.

How does power get shared between the national government and the states? Understanding federalism helps us see how laws and decisions affect our daily lives.

Assign the reading, then use the connected topic as the classroom explainer or discussion guide.

A short video lesson connecting this part of the story to the civic idea is planned.