Yes, the spellcasting archetypes need errata/clarification regarding how to get the spellcasting class feature and what the spellcasting class feature is needed for regarding item activation.
No, I don't feel like getting into the debate about it again. Search the forums for one of the many other threads on the subject.
A spellcasting Dedication such as Druid is enough for a spellheart because of : "You cast spells like a druid. You gain access to the Cast a Spell activity."
Which obviously means that from the dedication feat you immediately gain spellcasting abilities completely on-par with a full class Druid. Same spell levels, same number of spell slots. Because otherwise you wouldn't actually be casting spells like a Druid, right?
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A spellcasting Dedication such as Druid is enough for a spellheart because of : "You cast spells like a druid. You gain access to the Cast a Spell activity."
But yes, it could be clearer / more consistent.
That is not correct.
Cast a Spell
If an item lists “Cast a Spell” after “Activate,” the activation requires you to use the Cast a Spell activity to Activate the Item. This happens when the item replicates a spell. You must have a spellcasting class feature to Activate an Item with this activation component. If the item can be used for a specific spell, the action icon for that spell is provided. If it's an item like a staff, which can be used for many spells, the icon is omitted, and you must refer to each spell to determine which actions you must spend to Activate the Item to cast it.In this case, Activate an Item gains all the traits from the relevant components of the Cast a Spell activity.
Some archetypes grant you spellcasting abilities, albeit delayed compared to a character from a spellcasting class. In this book, the spellcasting archetypes are bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, and wizard, but future books might introduce spellcasting archetypes that aren't multiclass archetypes. A spellcasting archetype allows you to use scrolls, staves, and wands in the same way that a member of a spellcasting class can, and the basic spellcasting feat counts as having a spellcasting class feature.
Spellcasting archetypes always grant the ability to cast cantrips in their dedication, and then they have a basic spellcasting feat, an expert spellcasting feat, and a master spellcasting feat. These feats share their name with the archetype; for instance, the wizard's master spellcasting feat is called Master Wizard Spellcasting. All spell slots you gain from spellcasting archetypes have restrictions depending on the archetype; for instance, the bard archetype grants you spell slots you can use only to cast occult spells from your bard repertoire, even if you are a sorcerer with occult spells in your sorcerer repertoire.
Basic Spellcasting Feat: Usually gained at 4th level, these feats grant a 1st-level spell slot. At 6th level, they grant you a 2nd-level spell slot, and if you have a spell repertoire, you can select one spell from your repertoire as a signature spell. At 8th level, they grant you a 3rd-level spell slot. Archetypes refer to these benefits as the "basic spellcasting benefits".
Expert Spellcasting Feat: Usually taken at 12th level, these feats make you an expert in spell attack rolls and DCs of the appropriate magical tradition and grant you a 4th-level spell slot. If you have a spell repertoire, you can select a second spell from your repertoire as a signature spell. At 14th level, they grant you a 5th-level spell slot, and at 16th level, they grant you a 6th-level spell slot. Archetypes refer to these benefits as the "expert spellcasting benefits".
Master Spellcasting Feat: Usually appearing at 18th level, these feats make you a master in spell attack rolls and DCs of the appropriate magical tradition and grant you a 7th-level spell slot. If you have a spell repertoire, you can select a third spell from your repertoire as a signature spell. At 20th level, they grant you an 8th-level spell slot. Archetypes refer to these benefits as the "master spellcasting benefits".
Having the Cast A Spell activity is not the full requirement to cast from a spellheart. Having a spellcasting class feature is. With an archetype, it is the Basic Spellcasting Feat that fulfills that requirement, not the dedication.
The rules are nested enough to make it not intuitive, and could stand to be cleaned up, but the answer is there. What real debate exists is a debate between what the rules are, and flavor entries that read to a number of people as though the rules were intended to be different from what they are.
The other common misconception is people thinking that monks, rangers and champions qualify, because they missed the rules about non-casters with focus spells on page 302:
If you get focus spells from a class or other source that doesn’t grant spellcasting ability (for example, if you’re a monk with the Ki Strike feat), the ability that gives you focus spells also provides your proficiency rank for spell attack rolls and spell DCs, as well as the magical tradition of your focus spells. You gain the ability to Cast a Spell and use any spellcasting actions necessary to cast your focus spells (see below). However, you don’t qualify for feats and other rules that require you to be a spellcaster.
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I've found them really handy for divine casters, because currently the divine list is a bit light on attack cantrips that work on all enemies. Divine Lance and Disrupt Undead are good when they're good, but they won't help you against say, an angry bear.
It's weird though, feels a bit like an oversight that we happen to like.
On the other hand, spellhearts having a DC and spell level is also weird; casters almost always have better stats when they're at that item level, and RAW, non-casters can't activate those spells. So that also looks like an oversight.