oral presentation #3 - Federal Agencies

Federalism is the division of power among national and local political actors.  Each level of government has some degree of autonomy and independence, such as a power to tax or to enforce certain kinds of rules.  While each level has discrete powers, there is also a tendency for these levels to cooperate.  This is a useful system because it divides power, preventing tyranny.  More practically, it’s also a great way to govern a large, diverse country.  Finally, federalism also brings government closer to us as citizens:  it is easier to influence politics on the state or local level, and those political actions can still have sort of meaning since states possess meaningful political powers.

Choose one of the following:

• Bureau of Land Management
• Forestry Service
• Fish and Wildlife Service
• National Park Service
• Bureau of Reclamation
• Bureau of Indian Affairs
• National Wildlife Refuge Service
• Defense Department

Use internet resources to determine how the agency presents itself to the public. Find a solif news article about an issue the agency faces in the West.

Handout should include:

• name
• summary of findings
• citation of sources