[MUSIC PLAYING]

THAD KOUSSER: So "federalism" is a system of governmentin which sovereign powers are held by different layersof government.So in some nations, local governmentsare just branch offices of the federal government.They don't have their own independent power.They can't chart their own course,and they're just there to implement the vision

THAD KOUSSER [continued]: of a federal government.But in a federal system, and the United Statesis the world's leading example of one,that next layer of government, "states,"have their own powers.They can make their own independent decisions.They could move policy to right in "red" statesor to the left in "blue" states governed by Democrats.And that ability and that flexibility to suit policies

THAD KOUSSER [continued]: and the structures of government to local demandsis what accounts for the tremendous variationacross governments in the American states, whichis something we don't see across departments in Franceor counties and local governments in Britain.