3. Federalism is a system of government in which power is shared between the state and national governments. The power of the national government is greater than the power of the state and local governments. Fearful of creating a government similar to that of Great Britain, the colonists wanted to stay away from a unitary system of government, which is when power is concentrated in the hands of a single government . The Article of Confederation presented the opposite form of government employed by Great Britain. The articles proposed a confederation where the central government would be weak and the state governments strong. Federalism can be considered to be a compromise between the two types of government. Power is therefore shared between national and state governments. The Constitution's small branches of state and local government are capable of handling these situations, understanding the problems, and finding ways to solve them. These parts of local and state governments are in these areas, allowing them to have hands-on experience with the issues that need to be changed. These forms of government are better equipped to deal with the real problems that need to be solved, which is an advantage to federalism. It creates small local governments throughout the country. In doing so, people become involved in these governments, influencing the decisions and actions of the government in which they live. In a democracy, people have the right to be represented and heard, which ultimately impacts their standard of living. By feeling more involved in government decisions, people become proud of their country. They feel like they are making a difference in their society and can therefore be more supportive of local, state and national government. But federalism also has its drawbacks. Because states have their own powers, this allows in the event of an unforeseen event that negatively impacts the country, each branch can waive its responsibility for the event. Despite its drawbacks, federalism serves the United States well. This system was implemented more than two hundred years ago. Since then, there have been no major problems. Each branch of government is guaranteed equal power through checks and balances. In doing so, it prevents the federal government from becoming tyrannical toward state and local governments and one branch dominating the others. Demographics in America, such as age, race, and culture, are very diverse and tend to vary across regions of the country. With this diversity, it would be difficult for the national government to understand the issues and concerns regarding different regions of the country. This is why federalism works. State and local governments tend to compensate for this lack of understanding. They welcome people who wish to express their concerns, allowing them to participate in democracy. Sharing powers between types of government helps resolve problems within