Every year, students in Mr. Joyce’s AP U.S. Government & Politics class look forward to one of the most anticipated traditions of the semester: Cake Day. Far more than just a fun excuse to enjoy dessert, Cake Day serves as a hands-on way to explore federalism.
Teaching for over twenty years, Mr. Joyce explained, “Cake Day is a way for us to have some fun while considering the differences between dual federalism and cooperative federalism because federalism isn’t generally what we tend to think [it] is. It’s not like a layered cake; it’s more like a marble cake. And so we just have some fun eating some marble cake and some layer cake and considering the differences between the different concepts of federalism.”
Dual federalism, symbolized by a layer cake, describes a system in which the powers and responsibilities of the national and state governments are clearly separated, with each level operating within its own distinct sphere. In contrast, cooperative federalism is represented by a marble cake and blends the roles of federal, state, and local governments, illustrating how they often work together and share responsibilities to solve complex issues. While dual federalism emphasizes division and independence, cooperative federalism highlights collaboration and overlap in governing.
Building on these concepts, students put their constitutional knowledge to the test in spirited classroom debates. Leading up to Cake Day, they battled it out in Round 1, defending key parts of the Constitution. The celebration coincided with AP Gov Section 2’s Constitution Debate Finals, featuring teams of Michael Green and Gabe Lisausky defending McCulloch v. Maryland, Hannah Kim and Darryn O’Brien defending the Commerce Clause, and Oliver Coleman and Dylan Shanter defending judicial review.
For some, Cake Day was the perfect way to ease the tension before their debates. “I thought that Cake Day was really fun,” said O’Brien. “Cake Day allowed me to relax my nerves going into that round,” she continued.
With lively discussion, friendly debate, and, of course, plenty of cake, Mr. Joyce’s annual tradition once again proved that learning can be both educational and enjoyable. As O’Brien summed it up, “Overall, it really was an enjoyable moment with the class.”
