The purpose of this assignment is to give students an opportunity to discuss a key political science concept, and to show a basic understanding of academic research and reporting skills. Students will write an essay, 750+ words in length (not including title page, abstract, references, et cetera). The assignment is to be formatted according to the American Psychological Association (APA) style. Papers not formatted properly or with grammar and spelling mistakes will lose points. Students should use Times New Roman or Arial 12 point as the paper's font, double space the text, and create one inch margins on all four sides of the page. Assignments must be in a Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format. Submit your assignment using the link below; browsing to, and attaching your saved file from your desktop. Make sure to select SUBMIT.

In Chapter 3, "Federalism," the authors discuss how the U.S. Constitution creates a dual system of government whereby the powers are distributed between a national government and state governments. This arrangement has seen its share of challenges and changes. Complete the following assignment:

• Provide a description of the distribution of powers within the federal system, including an understanding of enumerated powers, reserved powers, and concurrent powers.
• Discuss the major eras in American history as they relate to federalism and what important events occurred during each era. Additionally, describe which level of government appeared to be dominant during each era and what about them demonstrates that.
• Describe what you believe is a proper distribution of powers between the national and state governments.

TIP: Go into detail when writing so as to demonstrate your mastery of the topic. Don't just give us the "What" but also tell us the "Why" and "How."

TIP TWO: The "correct" answers can be found in your textbook. If you wish to supplement the information in the textbook with additional information from other sources that is fine but, the textbook should be your primary source.