Governments Functions

1. Summarize how the sources you investigated respond to the question.

This article of The History Channel compared what the governments responsibility and duties should be, compared to what they are. The article made references of the national and state government, and what each of their functions are, or should be. The article also stated how the government now needs to change, to keep the functions the same in the twenty-first century, the same to when the fathers wrote the constitution, assigning functions of each branch in the government. According to the article, the national's government is to handle external affairs, concurrent powers with states, do what is best for the commonwealth of the people, and to "supervise" state law. And the purpose of state law is to give the people of the state laws to follow, to help keep the state safe.

2. What did you learn from the source(s) that you did not know before? How does that knowledge affect your understanding of American history?

I knew that the government was separated, from national to state, and then into branches and such, but I never realized how much pressure the state government is under as well. The national government, I learned, is to look over for the general well being of the people, but it is the state government, that makes the people happy. I also learned how with, because society's change, that also includes the government, and how, with technology and other things making a society change, that adds more onto the government can control, such as the wire tapping, and no talking on cell phones in cars. I never realized how much say the government plays in our everyday lives. I understand more, that in American history, laws and political figures changed according to what was needed according to the time period and advancement in society.