Federal and State Powers

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Photo from http://directory.usayfoundation.org/NC.html

© North Carolina Community College System

Under the U.S. Constitution,

• Some powers belong to thefederal government and

• Some powers belong to thestates.

Only the federal government can

• print money,

• declare war on other countries,

• make treaties, and

• organize and arm military forces.

Only the states (not the federal government) can

• operate schools,

• provide police protection,

• provide fire safety,

• give a driver’s license, and

• approve zoning and land use.

The President of the United States leads the federal government.

• Barack Obama is President.

• His home as president is in Washington, D.C., the capital of our country.

A governor leads each state in the United States.

• Beverly Perdue is the Governor of North Carolina.

• Her home as governor is in Raleigh, North Carolina. Raleigh in the capital of North Carolina.

Both President Obama and Governor Perdue belong to the Democratic Party.

The two major political parties in the United States are

• The Democratic Party and

• The Republican Party

Now we know something about political parties

and the division of powers between the federal government and the states.

In the next lesson we we’ll see what Amendments Congress has added to the Constitution

since the Bill of Rights.