How does the federal system allow the national government and state governments to share power?

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1 The Federal System 2 Federalism3 The State Constitutions 4 U.S. vs Florida Constitutions5 67 89 1011 1213 1415 1617 1819 2021 2223 2425 2627 2829 3031 3233 34

Based on the slides, describe the and answer the terms and questions below.

Define & Answer

Similarities betweenStates

Differences betweenStates

Early Florida Constitutions

Today’s Constitution

EQ: What characteristics do all state governments share?

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Similarities Between States• Each state has its own constitution that sets

forth the structure of the state’s government.

• All states have 3 separate branches of government, much like the federal government

• The constitutions also describe the powers that the branches have, and also list the rights of state citizens.

Florida’s Declaration of Rights

Differences Between States• Massachusetts has had one constitution since

1780, while Florida has gone through six!• The states’ constitutions vary in length, often

because the states’ want to be more specific rather than the generalized U.S. Constitution.

• Each state also has amendments that vary and can also contribute to the length of their constitutions.

Early Florida Constitutions• Florida’s constitution was

drafted in 1838 and began with a declaration of rights that mainly applied to free white men.

• The first constitution established Florida as a slave state.

• After the Civil War was lost by the Confederacy, Florida created a new constitution to reflect the changes.

Today’s Constitution• Florida’s current constitution has been in

effect for more than 40 years and lists the rights guaranteed to citizens in the first article.

• Other articles include defining state boundaries, establishing the governmental branches, and the organization and powers of counties.

• It is also defined in the constitution that it must be reviewed every 20 years to see if it still meets the state’s needs.

U.S. vs Florida Constitution

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