Additional Context and Details
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Districts: Congressional districts are based on population and may change every 10 years after the U.S. Census. This process, called reapportionment, adjusts the number of Representatives each state has.
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Superdelegates (DNC): These are party leaders and elected officials who are not bound by primary election results and can vote for any candidate at the Democratic National Convention. Their votes do not reflect popular support but their own judgment.
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Presidential Term: The President serves a 4-year term, with a two-term limit (22nd Amendment). A President can be re-elected for one additional term after serving their first, but not more.
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Federal Government
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Operates at the national level.
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Responsible for matters that affect the entire country, like:
- National defense
- Foreign policy
- Immigration
- Printing money
- Regulating interstate commerce (trade between states).
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Laws made by the federal government apply across all states.
State Government
- Operates at the regional level, specific to individual states.
- Handles issues within its borders, like:
- Education systems
- State highways
- Public safety (police, emergency services)
- Local businesses and intrastate commerce (trade within the state).
- State laws only apply within that specific state and can differ significantly from one state to another.
Shared Responsibilities
Some powers overlap, like:
- Taxation: Both federal and state governments can collect taxes.
- Law enforcement: Both levels enforce laws but may focus on different types of cases.
- Healthcare: Federal programs like Medicare coexist with state-run Medicaid programs.
The U.S. Constitution outlines the separation of these powers. Federal law generally trumps state law if there’s a conflict, but states have significant autonomy in areas not explicitly controlled by the federal government.